58 TORNADO DESCRIBED. 



There is something awfully grand and im- 

 pressive in the appearance of the heavens before 

 a heavy tornado. A dark mass of clouds collects 

 on the eastern horizon, accompanied by frequent 

 loud but short noises, reminding one of the mut- 

 tering and growling of some wild animal in a 

 voice of thunder. This mass or bank of clouds 

 gradually covers one half of the horizon, extend- 

 ing to it from the zenith ; but generally before 

 this a small and beautifully-formed radiant arch 

 on the verge of the horizon appears, and gradually 

 increases. Long before it reaches the vessel, the 

 roaring whistle of the whirlwind is heard, pro- 

 ducing nearly as much noise as the peals of 

 thunder that seem to rend the very clouds apart 

 from each other. The course of the squall is 

 distinctly marked by the line of foam it throws 

 up, and I have stood on the taffrail of a vessel 

 and felt the first rush of the wind while her head 

 sails were becalmed. The sensation it produces 

 afterwards is cheering and delightful. From 

 breathing a close and murky atmosphere loaded 

 with unpleasant vapours that invariably precede 

 the tornado, the mind becomes relieved as it 

 were from a load, the air is fresh and clear, and 

 everything around is exhilarating. On our voyage 



