THE EARTH. 333 



inclined ascent. But what is very particular, the 

 cloud to which one of them was pointed happen- 

 ing to be driven by the wind, the spout still con- 

 tinued to follow its motion, without being broken ; 

 and passing behind one of the others, the spouts 

 crossed each other in the form of a St Andrew's 

 cross. In the beginning they were all about as 

 thick as one's finger, except at the top, where 

 they were broader, and two of them disappeared ; 

 but shortly after, the last of the three increased 

 considerably, and its canal, which was at first so 

 small, soon became as thick as a man's arm, then 

 as his leg, and, at last, thicker than his whole 

 body. We saw distinctly, through this transpa- 

 rent body, the water, which rose up with a kind 

 of spiral motion ; and it sometimes diminished a 

 little of its thickness, and again resumed the 

 same ; sometimes widening at top, and sometimes 

 at bottom ; exactly resembling a gut filled with 

 water, pressed with the fingers to make the fluid 

 rise or fall ; and I am well convinced that this 

 alteration in the spout was caused by the wind, 

 which pressed the cloud, and impelled it to give 

 up its contents. After some time its bulk was so 

 diminished as to be no thicker than a man's arm 

 again ; and thus, swelling and diminishing, it at 

 last became very small. In the end, I observed 

 the sea which was raised about it to resume its 

 level by degrees, and the end of the canal that 

 touched it to become as small as if it had been 

 tied round with a cord ; and this continued till 

 the light, striking through the cloud, took away 

 the view. I still, however, continued to look, 



