THE INDIAN OCEAN. 329 



been known, in which vessels that have been crossed 

 by them have been instantly dismasted, and left a 

 total ^vTeck. It is supposed that any sudden shock 

 will cause a rupture in the mass, and destroy it ; and 

 hence it is customary for ships to fire a cannon at 

 such as, from their proximity, of course, there is any 

 reason to dread. They are seen in all parts of the 

 world, but are most frequent in the Pacific and Indian 

 Oceans. 



That a Chinese junk, so clumsily rigged and so 

 unwieldy, must be ill adapted to sustain the fury of a 

 typhoon, or to evade the rush of a waterspout, we may 

 well imagine ; and, doubtless, many are wrecked from 

 these causes. The following affecting narrative of a 

 crew under such painful circumstances will be read 

 with interest : — 



" The dark sullen waters of the China Sea never 

 looked less friendly nor more portentous than on 

 the morning of the 1 2th of January, 1 837 ; tempes- 

 tuous weather, and a sea rising in mountains around 

 and over the ship's side, hurled her rapidly on her 

 passage homewards, when suddenly a wreck was dis- 

 covered to the westward. The order to shorten sail 

 was as promptly obeyed as given, and the vessel was 

 hauled towards what was discovered to be a China 

 junk without masts or rudder, having maiiy persons 

 on deck vehemently imploring assistance. The exhi- 

 bition of their joy, as they beheld our approach, 

 was of the most wild and extravagant nature ; but 

 it was doomed to be transient, the violence of the 

 elements driving the ship swiftly past the wreck. It 

 became necessary to put her on the other tack, a 



