Despite being relatively close in maritime terms, with no alarm being sounded there was no chance of the Northumberland being able to act.

BBC: y inflatable alongside the skiff

Few knowledgeable people dispute the growing evidence that BP was negligent in the way it bungled the completion of the well and caused this blowout, and that its negligence was "willful and wanton, " terms used in maritime law for centuries to provide for the award of punitive damages against this kind of egregious misconduct.

CNN: My son's grieving family deserves more from BP

And the President made the point about the shared interest the United States and China have in terms of making sure that there are clear rules of road, as it applies to maritime security.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

But in terms of the spread of commerce, culture, religion and empire, Asia's is a largely maritime history, carried on the monsoon winds.

ECONOMIST: Banyan