CHAPTER IX. 



HAITAN STRAITS AND COAST OF CHINA, 



Red Discoloration of the Sea— Haitan Island and Straits — Middle Island — 

 New Anemone— Black Islet — Its Fauna and Flora — Chinese Pirates — 

 Rumbling Fish — Slut Island — New Nudibranohs— Iridescent Seaweed — 

 Trigger-Shrimp — Comatula — The River- Min — Pagoda Anchorage — 

 Chinese Pagodas — Shwin-gan Passage — Luminous Sea— Plague of Flies — 

 Insects at Sea — "Wosung River — Shanghai. 



On June 22nd we crossed the Formosa channel for Haitan 

 Straits on the Chinese coast. The only noticeable occur- 

 rence on the passage was a remarkable discoloration of the 

 water — for once of a red colour. The se^ swarmed with 

 vast numbers of small gelatinous worms, about half an inch 

 in length, and of a pinkish colour, which accumulated under 

 the sides of the ship in immense quantities, as she drifted 

 for current in mid- channel. The towing-net brought them 

 up in solid masses of red jelly, and when placed in a basin 

 they swam about with great activity and with a vermicular 

 movement. This was, with one exception, the only occa- 

 sion on which I observed a red discoloration of the sea. In 

 the other case, when between Aden and Galle, the water 

 appeared in many places to be alive with myriads of minute 

 Crustacea, which formed reddish patches ; and when the 

 sun shone upon the sea they could be discerned from the 

 ship's side darting rapidly about below the surface. 



The following morning at daybreak we sighted Haitan 

 Island, and coasted along it for some time southwards. 



