ISLAND OF BANTAN. 287 



Storm. The rising sun discovered to us the 

 three high Richmond rocks, rising in the mid- 

 dle of the strait, between the Bashi and 

 Babuyan Islands. Soon after the island of 

 Bantan appeared, with heavy clouds still lin- 

 gering behind its cliffs. The weather was, 

 however, at present fine, the wind blowing 

 strongly from the north ; we therefore set as 

 much sail as the gale would permit us to carry, 

 and pursued our course through the strait 

 formed by the Richmond rocks, and the south- 

 ern Bashi Islands. In clearing these straits, we 

 had reason to apprehend serious damage to our 

 rigging, or even the loss of a mast. A heavy 

 squall from the north-east put the sea in great 

 commotion. The billows chafed and roared 

 as they broke over each other, and were met 

 in the narrow channel by a current, driving 

 from the Chinese Sea into the ocean. This 

 furious encounter of the contending waves pro- 

 duced the appearance of breakers, through 

 which we were compelled to work our danger- 

 ous way ; the ship, sometimes tossed to their 

 utmost summit, then, without the power of re- 

 sistance, suddenly precipitated into the yawn- 



