606 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. r^NNO)733. 



vations made in the saiTie forenoon, or afternoon, among themselves, leave no 

 room to suspect that it proceedcii altogether from an error in observing. What- 

 ever be the cause of this, the error was always the same way; that is. the 

 westerly variation in the morning, less than in the afternoon. He carefully 

 examined if this could be any ways owing to the instrument, or to any iron near 

 the place where it was usually set for observation ; but he was fully convinced it 

 cuuln proceed from neither. 



It now appears that the numbers in the foregoing table cannot he strictly ac- 

 curate ; but the error can scarcely any where exceed half a degree ; for in mo^t 

 cases several observations were made pretty near together, of whicii a medium 

 was taken, making allowances according to the circumstances attending each. 



To this Mr. Harris adds the description of a water-spout, which they saw 

 about sun-set, May 21st, 1732, in lat. 32° 30' n. and long. 9° easterly from the 

 meridian of Cape Florida. 



When first seen, the spout was whole and entire, and much of the shape 

 and proportion of a speaking-trumpet, the small end being downwards, and 

 reaching to the sea, and the large end terminating in a black thick cloud. The 

 spout itself was also very black, and the more so the higher up. It seemed to 

 be exactly perpendicular to the horizon, and its sides perfectly smooth, without 

 the least rnggedness. Where it fell, the spray of the sea rose to a considerable 

 height, which made somewhat of the appearance of a great smoke. 



From the lirst time they saw it, it continued whole about a minute, and till 

 it was quite dissipated about 3 minutes. It began to waste from below, and so 

 gradually up, while the upper part remained entire, without any visible altera- 

 tion, till at last it ended in the black cloud above On which there seemed to 

 fall a very heavy rain in that neighbourhood. As it wasted, the bottom of the 

 remaining part was irregular, somewhat like the trunk of a tree broke asunder: 

 there was but little wind, and the sky elsewhere was pretty serene. The spout 

 seemed to be above 2 leagues oif, and the angle under which the small end ap- 

 peared, must be at least 20 min. According to which estimation, the thick- 

 ness of it must bf upwards of 60 yards, and its heig!)t or length about three 

 quarters of a mile. 



j4n Account of' an Eartlujiiake in Apulia and most olher parts of the Kingdom 

 of Naples, in the Year 1731. Bi/ Dr. Qjrillus of Naples. W 428, p. 79- 

 Translated from the Latin. 



Dr. Cyrillus made the following short abstract from the observations sent him 

 by Dr. Rosetti from Apulia, and by other persons at Geovenazzo and Foggia. 



