212 OBSERVATION OF A WATER -SPOUT. 



remained separated from it by a clearly discernible 

 interval. There was also no special elevation to be 

 perceived of the foaming surface beneath , but the 

 whole surface appeared to be raised uniformly as high 

 as a house above the level of the sea. The end of 

 the protuberance at the same time executed an un- 

 doubted circular movement above the white part of 

 the sea, so that it returned about every ten or twenty 

 minutes to the same point. 



Unfortunately we could not long continue the 

 observation of this interesting spectacle , a so - called 

 water-spout, as it rather quickly drew off along the 

 coast in an easterly direction, and we were also diverted 

 from it by another remarkable phenomenon. For the 

 ship began of a sudden to rock with such violence 

 that we could only with difficulty maintain an upright 

 position. They were short high waves , so - called 

 dead sea, over which we were being borne. Clearly 

 we were following in the wake of the water -spout. 

 The violent rockings of the ship made the captain, 

 who was well acquainted with its construction, very 

 anxious indeed ; he kept however his course in the 

 direction of the troughs of the waves, in the hope of 

 soon coming again into calmer water. Then dull short 

 blows struck upon my ears, which made the ship 

 tremble at every oscillation. The thought flashed 

 through me like lightning, "the drum has got loose 

 and will soon with irresistible blows knock the ship 

 to pieces." I rushed into the cabin to my brother, who 

 was already contending with sea-sickness; no one else 



