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50 INDICATIONS OF SQUALLS.
weather, although no change should be foretold by the glasses.
A mistake may be made by the observer, or a variation in the
heio-ht of the column may have passed unheeded ; while it is
sellom that a practised eye can be decefred by the visible
signs of an approaching squall or gale of wind.
Undoubtedly the worst wind, next to a hurricane, winch a
vessel can encounter, is a violent ‘ white squall,’ so called
because it is accompanied by no cloud or peculiar appearance
in the sky, and because of its tearing up the surface of the sea,
and sweeping it along so as to make a wide sheet of foam. By
squalls of this description, frequent in the West-Indies, and
occasionally felt in other parts of the world, no notice will be
given muA above the horizon; but by consulting a good
barometer or sympiesometer, and frequently watching the
surface of the sea itself, even a white squall may be guarded
against in sufficient time.
Squalls accompanied by clouds are so common, and at sea
every one is so much accustomed to look out for them, that 1
may cause a smile by these notices ; yet as there is often much
doubt in a young officer’s mind, whether an approaching cloud
wiU be accompanied by wind or rain, or by hot , an
many persons are unable to distinguish, by the mere appearance
of a cloud, what is likely to come with or from it, I will
venture to mention that when they look hard or hard-
ed-ed (like Indian ink rubbed upon an oily plate), they
indicate wind, and perhaps rain; hut before the ram falls,
those clouds will assume a softer appearance. When they are
undefined, and look soft, rain will follow, but probably not
much wind. , . i <■ 4,
Dark clouds, hard mixed with soft, and inky fragments
in rapid motion beneath them, accompanied perhaps by l.ghtnin<
r and distant thunder, are the fore-runners of a heavy
saulll Soft, shapeless clouds, in which it is impossible to
p L t out a definite edge, usually bring rain but not wind :
L d , generally speaking, the more distinctly defined the edges
of clouds are, the more wind they foretell. A little attention
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to tliese simple observations, so familar to persons who have
been some time at sea, may save young officers unnecessary
anxiety in one case, and prompt them to shorten sail at a
proper time in the other.*
In again trying for soundings with three hundred fathoms
of line, near the Island of St. Jago, we became fully convinced
of the utility of a reel, which Captain Beaufort had
advised me to procure, and of which Captain Vidal had
spoken to him in very favourable terms. Two men were
able to take in the deep sea line, by this machine, without
interfering with any part of the deck, except the place near
the stern, where the reel was firmly secured. Throughout
our voyage this simple contrivance answered its object extremely
well, and saved the crew a great deal of harassing
work.
15th. In consequence of a thick haze, very prevalent about
the Cape Verd Islands, land was not distinctly seen until we
were within three miles of it, and we then found ourselves
rather too far westward, owing to a current setting towards
the west, at the rate of two knots an h o u r; this was close to
the north point of St. Jago. Next day we anchored in Port
Praya.
The wind being always from the north or east during this
season of the year (from December to June), a ship can
moor as close to the iveather shore as may be convenient;
but during July, August, September and October, no vessel
should deem the bay secure, or anchor near the shore, because
southerly gales sometimes blow with much strength, and the
rollers, or heavy swell sent in by them, are dangerous to
ships which have bad ground tackle, or are lying near the
land. As I have myself experienced the force of these gales
in the vicinity of the Cape Verd Islands, and witnessed the sea
raised by them, I can confidently warn those who are inclined
to be incredulous about a gale of wind being found in fifteen
degrees of north latitude, beyond the limits of the hurricane
regions.
* In the Appendix are a few remarks on clouds.
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