mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i3-005

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met them with joy [although they were] unwelcome visitors under dif-
ferent circumstances. The air, however, cooled off for a
short time, and the so-called equatorial downpour also supplied
us fresh water for drinking by means of pails. We obtained
this water with a stetched awning on which it collected and
ran down in pails attached along the sides. In addition, we
stopped up the scuppers,* and bathed in the water collected
on the deck, or it is better to say, having undressed, we wal-
lowed in it.

On April 6th, at 16° south latitude, we sighted a suddenly-
formed waterspout from the SE at a distance of not more than
a mile during a complete calm and with a clear horizon. The
thick black cloud descended lower and lower to the surface of
the ocean. From the middle of the cloud moved out a long thick
arm having the shape of a funnel at its juncture with the cloud.
The water under it, turning wheel-like, started to rise up-
ward, and uniting with the cloud, formed a constantly-churning
black mass slowly moving on us, from which, at times, light-
ning emerged with a noise similar to the roar of ocean waves
breaking against rocks. All necessary preparations were made
on the sloop to meet such a terrible foe. The shouts of sailors,
the ringing of the bell, and drumbeats continued incessantly,
and besides that, every two minutes we fired three cannons
loaded with cannonballs to increase the noise. All this is

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*Shpigat [scuppers] -- an opening in the sides for running off
of water from the upper deck.