THE INDIAN OCEAN. 347 
been known, in which vessels that have been crossed 
by them have been instantly dismasted, and left a 
total wreck. 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 affect- 
ing narrative of a crew under such painful circum- 
stances 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 12th of January, 1837; 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 many persons 
on deck vehemently imploring assistance. The ex- 
hibition 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 
