Cuar. XV.] DESCRIPTION OF A TYPHOON. 281 
with a dead heavy swell, and every thing portends a 
coming storm. When these signs appear, the fleets 
of fishing-boats on the coast take their nets in, crowd 
all sail, and make for the shore as fast as they can, 
where the boats are hauled up on dry land, or into 
some creek which is sheltered from the force of 
the winds and waves. The coasting junks, which 
are ill fitted for bad weather, lose no time in getting 
into some sheltered port where they can ride out 
the storm in safety. And, luckily, as a safeguard 
from the fury of these winds, nature has provided a 
great number of excellent well-sheltered harbours 
on the coast of China, all of which are well known 
to the pilots who are employed on board the 
junks. 
During my residence in China, I witnessed two 
of these terrific gales—once at sea, and once on 
shore. Luckily, in the first instance, we were able 
to run into a deep bay, and with three anchors down 
rode out the gale in perfect safety. The other oc- 
curred on the 21st and 22d of August, 1844, when 
I was at Ningpo. I observed the Chinese running 
about in great consternation, and calling to each 
other that the “great wind” was coming, and to 
make preparations for it. Mats and rattan work, 
which had been placed over the doors and windows 
to afford shade from the sun, were hastily removed, 
and many of the houses, which were known to be 
in a weak state, were, in a rapid way, propped up 
and strengthened. Nor were the husbandmen less 
busy in the fields. The heads of the tall millet, 
