Page 452
An.1687
Of a Spout on the Coast of Guinea.
the Spout, or pendulous piece of Cloud, falls down again into the Sea, making a great noise with its fall, and clashing motion in the Sea.
It is very dangerous for a Ship to be under a Spout when it breaks, therefore we always en- deavoured to shun it, by keeping at a distance, if possibly we can. But for want of Wind to carry us away, we are often in great fear and danger; for it is usually calm when Spouts are at work, except only just where they are. Therefore men at Sea, when they see a Spout coming, and know not how to avoid it, do sometimes fire shot out of their great Guns into it, to give it air or vent, that so it may break; but I did never hear that it proved to be of any benefit.
And now being on this subject, I think it not amiss to give you an account of an accident that happened to a Ship once on the Coast of Guinea, some time in or about the year 1674. One Cap- tain Records of London, bound for the Coast of Guinea, in a Ship of 300 Tuns, and 16 Guns, called the Blessing; when he came into the lat. 7 or 8 degrees North, he saw several Spouts, one of which came directly towards the Ship, and he having no Wind to get out of the way of the Spout, made ready to receive it by furling his sails. It came on very swift, and broke, a little before it reached the Ship; making a great noise, and raising the Sea round it, as if a great house, or some such thing, had been cast into the Sea. The fury of the Wind still lasted, and took the Ship on the Starboard bow with such violence, that it snapt off the Boltsprit and Fore-mast both at once, and blew the Ship all along, ready to over-set it, but the Ship did presently right again, and the Wind whirling round, took the Ship a second time with the like fury as before, but on the contrary side, and was again like to overset her the other way. The