338 MORE CRUISING AFTER PIRATES. 



Doubtless electricity has a great deal to answer for in 

 connection with these great atmospheric disturbances, 

 if not wholly and entirely responsible for them. For 

 my owu part, I believe typhoons, cyclones, etc., to be 

 purely electrical phenomena. 



I have mentioned the barometer as being a never- 

 failing guide. I consider it, in fact, the greatest friend 

 a sailor has, though in these days of steam it is not 

 sufficiently considered. A steamer, for instance, cuts 

 across, goes through or passes the storm's course ; she 

 is independent of the wind, and, consequently, changes 

 in the weather are less watched and attended to. 



I often tried to ascertain how the great fleets of 

 fishing junks, which everywhere along the Chinese 

 coast are found working away diligently at all seasons 

 and in all weathers, knew the approach of a typhoon ; 

 for know it I always felt sure they did, first from the 

 fact that so few are lost during the passage of these 

 storms ; and secondly, because I had frequently seen 

 them getting to safe harbours well before the typhoon 

 had commenced. 



One answer was always returned to my queries on 

 this point, and no other ; and this was, that the water 

 always got thick on the approach of a storm. When 

 anchored at some of the out-of-the-way small porta 



