THE WINDS. 285 



to give rise to them.* The water-spouts are not always accompa- 

 nied by strong winds ; frequently more than one is seen at a time, 

 whereupon the clouds whence they proceed disperse in various di- 

 rections, and the ends of the water-spouts bending over finally 

 causes them to break in the middle, although the water which is 

 now seen foaming around their base has suffered little or no 

 movement laterally. 



826. "Yet often the wind prevents the formation of water-spouts. 

 In their stead the wind-spout shoots up like an arrow, and the 

 sea seems to try in vain to keep it back. The sea, lashed into 

 fury, marks with foam the path along which the conflict rages, and 

 roars with the noise of its water-spouts ; and woe to the rash mar- 

 iner who ventures therein If 



"The height of the spouts is usually somewhat less than 200 

 yards, and their diameter not more than 20 feet, yet they are often 

 taller and thicker ; when the opportunity of correctly measuring 

 them has been favorable, however, as it generally was when they 

 passed between the islands, so that the distance of their bases 

 could be accurately determined, I have never found them higher 

 than 700 ells, nor thicker than 50 ells. In October, in the Arch- 

 ipelago of Bioun, they travel from southwest to northeast. They 

 seldom last longer than five minutes ; generally they are dissi- 

 pated in less time. As they are going away, the bulbous tube, 

 which is as palpable as that of a thermometer, becomes broader at. 

 the base, and little clouds, like steam from the pipe of a locomo- 

 tive, are continually thrown off from the circumference of the 

 spout, and gradually the water is released, and the cloud whence 

 the spout came again closes its mouth. :j: 



* I never saw more water-spouts than in the Archipelago of Bioun Singen, during 

 the changing. Almost daily we saw one or more. — Jansen. 



+ The air-spouts near the equator always appear to me to be more dangerous than 

 the water-spouts. I have once had one of the latter to pass a ship's length ahead of 

 me, but I perceived little else than a waterfall in which I thought to come, yet no 

 wind. Yet the water-spouts there also are not to be trusted. I have seen such 

 spouts go up out of the water upon the shore, where they overthrew strong isolated 

 frame-houses. I have, however, never been in a situation to observe in what direc- 

 tion they revolved. — Jansen. 



J Miniature water-spouts may be produced artificially by means of electricity, and 

 those in nature are supposed to be caused by the display of electrical phenomena. 



