As yet I could not see any pendulous cloud, from whence it might come, and was in hopes it would soon lose its force.
In four or five minutes' time it came within a cable's length of us, and passed away to leeward, and then I saw a long pale stream coming down to the whirling water.

This stream was about the bigness of a rainbow: the upper end seemed vastly high, not descending from any dark cloud, and therefore the more strange to me, I never having seen the like before.

It passed about a mile to leeward of us, and then broke.

This was but a small spout, not strong nor lasting; yet I perceived much wind in it as it passed by us.

The current still continued at north-west a little westerly, which I allowed to run a mile per hour.
By an observation the 13th, at noon, I found myself 25 minutes to the northward of my reckoning; whether occasioned by bad steerage, a bad account, or a current, I could not determine; but was apt to judge it might be a complication of all; for I could not think it was wholly the current, the land here lying east-by-south, and west-by-north, or a little more northerly and southerly.