The ship vanished without a trace after putting out to sea.
Tips
history
Documented in the Ming-dynasty miscellany 《野获编》 by Shen Defu, describing search parties that scoured the Fujian and Guangdong coasts but found 'no trace, no news'. Lu Xun reused it in 《故事新编·铸剑》.
memory
杳 by itself means 'distant and unseen' - 日 (sun) under 木 (tree), like the sun setting beyond the trees. Pair it with 无消息 ('no news') for a vivid picture of disappearance.
