114 



THE OPAL SEA 



The spout; 

 how formed. 



when loosed from the vortex, allowing it to 

 fall slowly back to earth. The water spout 

 is not unlike it but is a trifle more energetic. 

 It usually forms just under the black wind 

 clouds that immediately precede the gray rain 

 clouds; and it extends down from the clouds 

 to the water in a " spout " or funnel. When it 

 meets the water it causes some agitation, but 

 not nearly so much as is pictured by imagina- 

 tive writers. Sometimes water or its spray is 

 carried up in the whirling funnel, but usually 

 there is only a foaming and dashing of the 

 sea surface directly under its foot. After ten 

 or fifteen minutes the spout generally breaks 

 and the contents (if there be any) descend as 

 rain. Its appearance is usually very deceptive. 

 We think it is a column of water extending 

 from sea to cloud, but in reality it is a column 

 of mist surrounding a central axis of rarefac- 

 tion. It moves with the storm and often has 

 brother spouts for company. 



Beautiful, indeed, is the clearing away at 

 evening after rain and storm, when with lifting 

 clouds and vapors comes deep blue sky; and 

 perhaps far away a faint gray something is seen 

 taking form along the horizon. Land ho ! is the 

 cry forward. But where ? It is not readily seen 

 even when pointed out to us. Our eyes grope 



Erpninq 

 lil/ht after 

 rain. 



