^76 Dr Buchanan’s Account of Water Spouts at Sea . 
more dense than the cloud from which it descended, but not 
more dense or black than clouds often are. The fog coming 
frem the sea was of the same colour as the spout, and resem- 
bled the smoke of a steam-engine. During the whole time, 
the surface of the sea under the spout was evidently in violent 
agitation, and full of white waves; at the same time a noise 
was heard, like that of an immense waterfall. From the for- 
mation of the spout, till the time it reached the cloud arising 
from the sea, appeared to be about two minutes. The spout 
then began to withdraw itself into the cloud, from whence it 
had descended ; while the cloud below gradually withdrew into 
the sea ; and in about three minutes all was over, and the thick 
cloud in the sky, in a short time, was entirely dispersed. The 
distance of the spout from the ship appeared to be rather 
more than a mile. I had no opportunity of examining it with 
a glass. 
With regard, however, to the distance of elevation and dura- 
tion of the spout, I must acknowledge that I am very uncer- 
tain, as I only reckoned by guess, and others in the ship differ- 
ed very considerably from me in their opinion, both with re- 
gard to these points, and also respecting some others. Some 
thought, that it lasted at least ten minutes : some that it was 
not half a mile off ; some that the cloud did not rise from the 
sea, till the spout reached the surface of the water ; and some 
even thought, that it was not a cloud that arose, but a body of 
water, and that the spout was a solid column of water whirling 
about with great velocity. In these last opinions I put very 
little confidence, knowing with what little attention people are 
apt to view natural appearances, when the mind is misled by 
preconceived notions, and occupied by attention to other affairs, 
as the persons alluded to were employed in the means proper 
for the preservation of the ship. Of this I am certain, that the 
cloud rose from the sea, and met the descending spout ; and 
that I looked very anxiously to discover a whirling motion, but 
to no purpose. 
At noon we had been in Lat. 20° 45' 8., and from that time 
had gone very little. Our Long, was nearly 20° W. from 
Greenwich. For two or three days the weather had been very 
unsettled, the wind seldom remaining two hours in one quar- 
