312 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES* 
captain. I had taken the books down into the 
cabin, and was putting them by, when I heard the 
officer, in a tone of unusual earnestness, ask the 
captain to come on deck. I hastily followed, and 
my attention was instantly directed to the water¬ 
spout. 
The breeze was fresh, and as the object of alarm 
was still at some distance, it was possible we might 
avoid coming in contact with it. The captain, 
therefore, took in none of the sails, but called all 
hands on deck, ordered them to stand by the hal¬ 
yards, or ropes by which the sails are pulled up, 
so that, if necessary, they might let them go in an 
instant, and thus lower down the sails. We all 
marked its approach with great anxiety. The 
column was well defined, extending in an un¬ 
broken line from the sea to the clouds, which were 
neither dense nor lowering. Around the outside 
of the liquid cylinder was a kind of thick mist, 
and, within, a substance resembling steam, ascend^ 
ing apparently with a spiral motion. We could 
not perceive that much effect was produced on the 
cloud attached to the upper part of the column, 
but the water at its base was considerably agitated 
with a whirling motion ; while the spray, which 
was thrown off from the circle formed by the 
lower part of the column, rose several feet above 
the level of the sea. After watching in breathless 
suspense for some time its advance in a line 
towards our ship, we had the satisfaction to see it 
incline in its course towards the starboard quarter, 
and ultimately pass by about a mile distant from 
the stern. The sail ropes were again fastened, 
and we pursued our way, under the influence of 
thankfulness for the deliverance we had expe¬ 
rienced. 
