AN ANCIENT BELIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20454, 4 January 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN ANCIENT BELIEF.

FIRING AT WATER-SPOUTS.

Tlio hoary myth that a waterspout can bo dispelled by shooting at it is nientione in Miss Joan Lowell's " Cradle of the Deep," where,, the heroine's father dramatically saves the ship by tliis timehonoured and perfectly ineffective process. The origin of tho practise, says Mr. Charles Fitzhugh Talman, ""VVhv the Weather?" has often been explained, il o says:— ' , "It is a survival of the ancient belie that waterspouts are living monsters o tho deep, which can bo scared away by loud noises. Before the clays of firearms sailors were wont to shout, beat drums, and clash their shields together when;a waterspout was sighted, from their slupCenturies ago Captain William :Damp;ei> tho English freebooter and explore l ; wroto of the custom: ' Men at. sea, when they seo a spout coming and know .jV> how to avoid it, do sometimes fire sjjf)out of their great guns into it, to Sj}'® . 1 -, air or vent, that so it may break. ~ l V: did never hear that it proved to bo Qi benefit, x " Undoubtedly many intelligent _ mai • ners clown to a recent time put wiy l this process, and probably some still do. Doubtless, too, it has seemed to ' v/or . in many rases, for the reason that 1 normal INo of a waterspout is only a le minutes, so that tho chances arc in of its breaking up soon after it at."- 4 11 See AVIATION WORLD on Page 3.