Description of Water- Spouts. 41 
ceive the sea-water to jiy up along the middle of this canal as 
smoke does up a chimney , and that with great swiftness, and a 
very perceptible motion ; and then, soon after, the spout or ca- 
nal burst in the middle, and disappeared by little and little ; the 
boiling up and the pillar-like form of the sea-water continuing 
always the last, even for some considerable time after the spout 
disappeared, and perhaps till the spout appeared again, or re- 
formed itself, which it commonly did in the same place as be- 
fore, breaking and forming itself again several times in a quar- 
ter or half an hour. 1 ’ — Phil. Trans. 1702, p. 1077. 
We have no doubt that many of our nautical readers have 
frequently observed water-spouts at sea, and are in possession of 
many curious facts regarding these phenomena. The commu- 
nication of any of these particulars will be very acceptable. To 
those who may be in a situation for observing them in future, 
we would recommend it to direct their attention to the following 
points : 
1. The electrical state of the air, as indicated by the electro- 
meter, at the time of the water-spout, or by any electrical phe- 
; nomena on the preceding or following days. 
2. To observe if there is any discharge of light from the sea 
to the black descending cone, or vice versa. 
3. To note the state of the thermometer and barometer. 
4. To observe particularly the gyratory and progressive mo- 
tion of the spout, and to endeavour to estimate its velocity. 
5. To note the directions of the wind for some time before 
and after the water-spout, and observe if there are any appear- 
ances of opposite currents from the opposite directions in which 
the clouds are moving. 
6. To estimate the diameter and the height of the spout. 
7. To observe if the smoke-like appearance on the sea takes 
place independent of the descent of the black conical cloud, and 
vice versa. 
8. To observe if the aqueous tube, or the lower part of the 
cone, consists of a continuous column of water, or only of large 
separate drops. 
