rrival here.

[1] "This afternoon we had an opportunity of observing, in as complete
a manner as could be wished, one of the most curious, and perhaps the
most extraordinary and powerful, of Nature's productions. The forenoon
had been in general pretty clear, but subject to heavy squalls of
wind, and some flying clouds, which were very black and heavy, and
moved with great velocity from the S.W. towards the N.E., (the
direction of the wind.) About four o'clock in the afternoon it became
calm, and the heavens were almost covered with very black clouds,
particularly towards the W. and N.W., and presently after we saw
several tail-like appearances, descending from the clouds in that
quarter: These appearances were whiter than the clouds they hung from,
which made them very conspicuous, and they increased gradually in
length, until they extended, as near as I could judge, about one-sixth
part of the distance between the clouds and the surface of the sea.
About this time, the water under them began to be violently agitated,
and lifted up with a whirling motion towards the impending part of the
cloud, which, on account of a motion they all had the contrary way to
that the wind had blown, was not directly over it, but a little
towards the south-west. As the water rose, the end of the cloud
descended, and in a little time they joined; after which the water
appeared to me to ascend out of the sea into the cloud, with great
velocity. I think that none of these spouts, as they are usually
called, continued entire more than ten minutes; perhaps not quite so
long. I saw four complete at one time; but there were great numbers
which began to form, and were dispersed by what cause I know not,
before the cloud and water joined. One of them came, I was told,
within thirty or forty yards of the ship, which lay becalmed; but I
was then below looking at the barometer; when I got upon deck, it was
about 100 fathoms from her. It is impossible to say what would have
been the consequences if it had gone over her; but I believe they
would have been very dreadful. At the time when this happened, the
barometer stood at 29,75 inches, and the thermometer at 56 deg.. The whole
of this passed within the space of an hour, or thereabouts; for at
five o'clock a small breeze of wind sprung up in the south-east
quarte