LETTER VIII. 189 



precaution perhaps was, formerly, (when Calen- 

 tures were faid to be frequent) not fo conftantly 

 ufed. 



5. During my five years refidence at Nevis^ I 

 obferved from Gingeidand^ or the Eaftern Side of 

 ourlfland, great numbers of Water-Spouts. They 

 feemed to fall from the Clouds like Water, that 

 in many fmall Streams, almoft clofely joined to- 

 gether, defcends from a Pump, or rather Cata- 

 ract : I never faw any drop down on the Land '* 

 and on the Weft-fide, in the Sea, they are not 

 io eafily difcernable, becaufe going from us, as 

 they are when the Eaft, which is our Trade- 

 wind, drives them towards us. But indeed, it is 

 impoflible for them to fall upon Land ; For they 

 confift of a large Body of Water, that is exhaled 

 or drawn up, (perhaps by fome Whirl-wind, as 

 in the following Paragraph) in order to fill a 

 Cloud, which as foon as done, the refidue drops 

 down again at once into the Sea, and this is what 

 Mariners term the breaking of the Water- 

 fpout. As I was never within lefs than two 

 miles of one, I cannot be a compleat judge of 

 them. 



6. I took notice of abundance of what I would 

 call Tornadoes, /. e, a Whirl-wind fuddenly feizes 

 upon a Trad: of ground, about twenty or thirty 

 yards in Diameter, where Sugar-Canes had been 

 cut down, and takes up the light trafh w^hich was 



feparated 



