Notice of a Water-Spout. 363 



attained to great perfection. This also might be compared to an 

 elephant's trunk, reaching entirely down to the surface of the 

 water. At the bottom it was quite small, and it expanded pretty 

 uniformly until it united with the mass of clouds above. It was 

 nearly straight, but by no means upright in position ; the top in- 

 clining about twenty degrees towards the south. Around its 

 base there rose a vapor which had the appearance of smoke, 

 spreading out on all sides, and rising to a height about one- 

 third that of the trunk. This occurred about forty minutes past 

 eight in the morning. In about five minutes the trunk had con- 

 tracted so that it no longer reached the surface of the water, but 

 was left dangling in the air like the one first seen. It was soon 

 reduced to one half its former length, and the part which remain- 

 ed was expanded somewhat in breadth. It now appeared to 

 nave no connection with the water, except that the same smoky 

 appearance was observed beneath it. The trunk continued to 

 contract in length, and in about ten minutes from its first appear- 

 ance, it was entirely gone. The same smoky appearance rising 

 from the water in this vicinity was noticed about ten minutes af- 

 terwards, and was at first suspected to indicate the commencement 

 °f a third spout, but no column of cloud was seen connected with 

 ]t : and it is possible that this was but the remains of the second 

 spout. The wind continued fresh all day, with numerous flying 

 clouds, but although a good watch was maintained, no further 

 spouts were noticed. The clouds were chiefly of that variety 

 called cumulus, rising in high massive piles and spreading out at 

 the top like a mushroom. 



*t is difficult to estimate the dimensions of this spout, on ac- 

 count of the uncertainty with regard to its distance. It was pre- 

 sumed to have been distant about five or six miles from our boat, 

 ] fl which case the length of the column could not have been less 

 *nan half a mile ; its diameter at the top must have been more 

 than twenty rods, and at the bottom about half as great. As the 

 column contracted in length, its diameter at one time must have 

 be en nearly forty rods. 



The distance of the spout was such that it was impossible to 

 distinguish any clear signs of rotation ; but from its analogy with 

 ot her phenomena, it is presumed to have been a whirlwind, pre- 

 cisely like the little whirls which are so common on land. When 

 a ^hirl is formed over a bed of sand, the dust is raised in the 

 centre, and presents the appearance of a solid column which trav- 

 € ls slowly along with the current in which it is formed. When 

 |ne whirl passes over a large body of water, the water is raised 

 lr \ the form of spray ; and the result is a column of water instead 

 °* a column of sand. The quantity of water thus elevated is 

 probably extremely small, the column consisting of little more 

 than dense fog or cloud. In the case just described, the whirl 



