nd fine run till we were in the latitude of
Loo-Choo. A gale then sprung up--rather unusual, I believe, at that
season of the year. It lasted two days. When the weather cleared, we
saw a huge, lumbering thing tumbling about at the distance of three or
four miles from us. It looked, as Fleming the gunner remarked, "like a
Martello tower adrift."

"If you'd said she was one of those outlandish Chinese junk affairs,
you'd have been nearer the truth," observed Mr Pincott the carpenter,
who, as of old, never lost an opportunity of taking up his friend. "By
the way she rolls, I don't think she'll remain above water much longer."

Captain Frankland thought the same, and making sail we stood towards
her. By that time she was evidently settling down. The ship was
hove-to, the boats were lowered, and, in spite of a good deal of sea
which then was on, we ran alongside. A number of strange-looking
figures in coloured silks and cottons, dressed more like women than men,
crowded the side. Some leaped into the water in their fright; others we
received into the boats, and conveyed them to the ship. Two trips had
been made, when Mr Pincott, who was in the boat with me, said he did
not think she would float till we came back. At that moment a person
appeared at the stern of the vessel handsomely dressed. He was a
fine-looking old gentleman. He must have seen his danger, and he seemed
to be bidding his countrymen farewell. I could not bear the thought of
leaving him; so I begged Mr Pincott to pull back, and signing him to
descend by one of the rope-ladders hanging over the stern, we received
him safely into the boat. Scarcely had we done so, when the junk gave a
heavy lurch. "There she goes, poor thing!" exclaimed Pincott. "Well,
she didn't look as if she was made to swim. But pull away, my lads--
pull away. We may be back in time to pick up some of the poor fellows."
It was heartrending to see the poor wretches struggling in the water,
and holding out their hands imploringly to us, and yet not be able to
help them. Many very soon sunk; others got hold of gratings and bits of
wreck, and endeavoured to keep themselves afloat, but some of those
monsters of the deep--the sharks--got in among them, and very soon
committed horrible havoc among the survivors. The moment we were able
to get the people we had in the boat up the ship's side we returned to
the scene of the catastrophe. We pulled about as rapidly as we could,