72 CUEEBNTS AND TYPHOONS. 



their decks washed, and their engine-gear severely 

 tested. Small ones get literally thumped and knocked 

 about. If an unlucky sailing ship gets drifted into one 

 of these troublesome patches in a calm, she is very 

 roughly handled; and to small vessels they are ex- 

 ceedingly dangerous. New-comers have often been 

 sorely puzzled by these rough patches suddenly appear- 

 ing in their course, and innumerable reports used to 

 come to me of dangerous shoals having been dis- 

 covered. 



When these overfalls occur so fat from the land as 

 to be out of the influence of local disturbance, probably 

 they are the effect of the diurnal tide-wave acting in 

 opposition to the course of the main stream. 



The worst part of the coast for tide-rips is in the 

 vicinity of Eock Island, at the entrance to the Gulf of 

 Yedo. Nine times out of ten, in passing here, these 

 disagreeable things will be met with. I remember a 

 friend of mine going out to look for a ship which was 

 reported to have been seen dismasted in this neighbour- 

 hood. On his returning, after five days' search, I went 

 on board at once to hear the result, and shall not easily 

 forget his appearance. On asking him where he had 

 been to, he answered, " Been to ? — the Lord knows ! I 

 hardly know myself; in fact I don't know. I was 



