218 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. XIII. 
until about mid-day, when it gradually became less 
violent. In the evening, although the sky still looked 
wild, it was evident the gale had passed away, and the 
wind was then blowing from the south-west. The river 
soon returned to its former limits, boats began to sail up 
and down, and business, which had been entirely sus- 
pended, went on again as usual. Altogether, the ty- 
phoon lasted nearly twenty-four hours. 
The following morning was calm and beautiful, but 
the scene was one of ruin and devastation. The streets 
were strewed with broken tiles and mortar, many of 
the houses were completely unroofed, walls were blown 
down, and everything evinced the violence of the storm. 
In the fields the change was still more striking ; but two 
days before the trees and hedges were green, the gardens 
were gay with flowers, and everything bore the happy 
smiling aspect of summer ; now vegetation had changed 
from green to withered sickly brown, flowers had faded, 
trees were torn up by the roots and broken and shattered, 
and many of the crops were completely ruined. 
The accounts which reached us from sea after this ty- 
phoon proved that the loss of life had been very great. 
For many days after the gale had ceased, our vessels on 
the coast frequently met with large portions of wreck 
floating about, the remains of Chinese junks, which told 
a fearful tale. An English vessel on her way to Chusan 
was obliged to cut away her masts, and was towed into 
the harbour a day or two afterwards by one of the govern- 
ment steamers. Mr. Shaw, one of her passengers, in- 
formed me that during the typhoon they had a perfect 
calm for some time, and that then the wind veered 
