^44 REMINISCENCES OF A VOYAGE TO AND FROM CHINA. 
the kedge-anchor was often had recourse to. to keep her in due course. 
During this part of the voyage we had frequent opportunities of wit¬ 
nessing those awful phenomena, water-spouts. On one occasion, while 
passing two small islands, called by sailors the “ Rabbit and Coney," 
live water-spouts were visible at the same time, all luckily at consider¬ 
able distances, the nearest falling into the sea about five miles off. We 
thought from repeated observation, that those stupendous columns, 
which seemed to join heaven and earth, are easily accounted for. In 
a temperature of from 85° to 95° under a vertical sun, the exhalations 
raised from the sea, and especially from the wood-covered and damp 
surface of the adjacent lands, was most copious ; surcharging the air 
with vast accumulations of clouds, all highly electrical. Here and 
there lightning descended, followed by torrents of rain; the surround¬ 
ing heavily loaded air suddenly converged to the vacated space; con¬ 
trary and impetuous currents were generated, which, impinging on each 
other in oblique directions, the strongest would necessarily involve, 
though partly opposed by each, all the others into a whirling motion. 
The grosser parts tending to the centre of the vortex, and coalescing, 
form the aqueous column which we see slowly descend. They are in 
fact the effect of partial tornados ; if the tornado begin high and in 
the region of the clouds, the water spout descends; but if on the sur¬ 
face of the sea, the crests of the waves are caught up, and the column 
actually ascends. The spout is not solid, but hollow; and if they come 
athwart a ship, it is not so much the weight of water that is to be 
dreaded, as the violence and cross action of the wind. 
The ship being frequently at anchor, we were indulged, wffen very 
near land, with the jolly-boat and rowers, to examine the trees which 
were impending over the water, (for we durst not go on shore,) many 
of which were most desirable and new to us. On one occasion w 7 e 
gathered large branches of the magnificent Barringlonia Indica, than 
which there cannot be a more ornamental plant, its large wffite flowers 
being conspicuous a mile off. 
The Malaya shore appears to be very level for a good way inland, 
and appears to consist chiefly of fine rich alluvial soil ,* and, were it 
cleared of w r ood and jungle, might be, by cultivation, one of the richest 
districts of India. By this clearance the climate would be improved, 
by rendering it drier, and consequently more healthy. Indigo, spices, 
rice, and sugar would be staple commodities; and it would appear that 
the last grows spontaneously here, because some of the miserable and 
ferocious-looking natives came along side in their rude canoes, calling 
out “juggary ah," wdiich turned out to be small parcels of raw sugar 
w T rapped in part of a plantain leaf, and bound on their heads to keep 
