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’ ? 6 
Whirlwinds produced by the burning of a Cane-Brake. 183 
been sometime concealed. The heat became intense where we 
stood, although at a distance of more than two hundred yards 
from the fire. 
Whirlwinds of a great variety of forms began now to be ob- 
served in the héttest part of the fire, gradually increasing in size, 
in number, and in the space over which they prevailed. In this 
respect they differed from the whirlwinds already alluded to as de- 
scribed in the Journal of Science, where the flame and smoke 
_ united in a single column and the energy of the fire was concen- 
trated towards that column. 
ese whirlwinds at first were on a comparatively small scale, 
their height not exceeding thirty-five or forty feet. ‘To these 
succeeded others on a larger scale, until they reached the height 
of more than two hundred feet, and the flame and smoke which 
formed their columns were perfectly distinct from the general 
mass which rose from the fire. Even after the fire had toa great 
extent gone down, many whirlwinds were formed on the ashes, 
and continued to form until we left. During the latter part of 
the time, however, the whirlwinds were, chiefly, those marke 
and 3 in the plate. 
The kinds of whirlwinds that occurred during the progress 
of the fire may be arranged under four heads. . ? 
- The most common form was that which was stationary 
pands into the hour-glass form or funnel shape of the common 
whirlwinds often seen on a small scale. ; 
- The second variety (No. 2,) has a progressive motion. Its 
shape almost indicates the mode in which it was formed. ‘These 
A very interesting phenomenon occurred in some of the 
whitlwinds which is srcosented in No. 5. This whirlwind is 
