76 CURRENTS AND TYPHOONS. 



shore, owing to the course the storms almost invariably 

 take ; and in any case, if hove-to on the right tack — 

 according to her position in regard to the storm — a 

 good ship, properly managed, ought to weather it well. 

 I remember one vessel, through want of knowledge of 

 the general laws of circular storms, getting well into 

 the centre of a typhoon, which proved as much as the 

 good old ship could well stand. This, however, was not 

 all ; for it had no sooner passed over and cleared, than 

 the unfortunate vessel was steered right in front of its 

 track, and for the second time the centre passed over 

 her. This was simply inexcusable, and as blamable as 

 running, in broad daylight, on a rock well out of water. 

 It is a strange peculiarity of these storms that they 

 frequently travel in pairs. On two occasions I expe- 

 rienced this in a most remarkable and unmistakeable 

 way. On both occasions 1 was snugly at anchor, with 

 two anchors well ahead, steam up, and in good harbours. 

 The interval in each case between the passage of the 

 storms was three and four days. 



It is quite a marvellous sight to walk along a 

 stretch of beach after a typhoon has passed and gone. 

 Shells, crabs, fiish, and sponges are washed up in great 

 quantities ; most, of course, broken or damaged, but 

 some few perfect. Amongst the most curious things I 



