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253 Water Spouts. 



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must have had a much darker appearance tlius far, than from thence 

 upward, which was not the case, but it was, on the contrary more dense 

 at the upper part where it united with the cloud. But even admit- 

 ting that the water may rise within the tube to a height of thirty two 

 or thirty three feet, equal to the weight of the atmosphere, by what 

 means is so dense a body carried upward several hundred feet higher, 

 and there so diffused as to form a cloud ? We believe that clouds are 

 formed of vapor, which when it becomes more dense than the surround- 

 ing atmosphere, form into drops and descend in rain. How then can 

 a body of water which is already heavier than the atmosphere be sup- 

 ported within it after spreading from the upper part of the spout? 

 It seems to me that it would, as a matter of course, fall again the 

 moment it left the impelling influence which carried it upward. On 

 the other hand, Dr. Lindsay contends that the water descends in a 

 body, and describes a spout as seen by himself, near the banks of 

 Newfoundland, where he says the sea was so agitated by the violence 

 of the falling water, that their ship felt its Influence, and was consid- 

 - erably tossed by it at a distance of half a mile. This was very dif- 

 ferent from any case that ever came within my observation. In the 

 course of my sea service, I have seen perhaps as many as twelve 

 water spouts, but never observed any agitation of the sea caused by 

 them, that would give a ship the slightest motion, even within sixty 

 yards. I am confident that a boat might have approached within a 

 ship's length of the one I have described as being nearest to us, with- 

 out the least danger. 



As to the theory of Mr. Golden, that the phenomenon usually 

 called a water spout, is nothing more than a stream of wind, rapid'y 

 descending, I can only say that nothing in any of the spouts seen by 

 me, ever gave me the sli;;htest reason for such a belief. From tne 

 variety of accounts given of water spouts, it would seem almost im- 

 possible to establish any general theory on the subject. Dr. Stuart 

 and Mr. Mercer say, they distinctly saw the water carried up into 

 the air. Dr. Lindsay and several persons quoted by Dr. Perkins, 

 plainly saw it descend ; while Mr. Golden at a distance of only forty 

 yards from a spout, positively asserts that there was no water at all, 

 but a stream of wind descending with violence from the clouds. 



For my part, I could not see that any of these principles were ap- 

 plicable to the spouts which I saw. The nearest, remaining within 

 sixty yards of our ship for at least fifteen minutes, afforded a good 



opportunity of observia<r it rainutelv, and so far as this one, (which 



