We had a typhoon at Hong Kong, Sept. 29. I was spending a fortnight
at the house of Dr. Legge. On Sabbath evening at sundown there was an
appearance of rain, with some unusual disturbances in the air; soon
the servants came into the parlor with planks and joists to strengthen
the windows, the same precaution being used outside. The wind rapidly
increased, till the strength of our gale at Boston, Sept. 8, 1869, had
but a faint resemblance to it. Instead of one blast, there were lulls;
then a renewed tempest increasing in strength while the typhoon lasted,
which in this case was from sundown on Sunday till Tuesday at daybreak.
Hundreds of lives were lost in Hong Kong harbor. The ships were almost
invisible from the shore, the spoon-drift being nearly equal to a
thick fog. We were grateful that the typhoon did not find us at sea.
We could understand the answers of old sea-captains, who, on some
one in our hearing saying that he should like to witness a typhoon,
shook their heads, looked grave, and said, “You will never wish to see
another.”[59]
[Illustration:
AVENUE AT SINGAPORE. Page 253.
]