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away two Russians, apparently officers. Bloodstained bandages were found scattered on the ground, and by these it is surmised that the Russian casualties were, at least, equal to those of the Japanese.
The Japanese entered into possession of the city."
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Notification published 10th February. Coa- [ traband of war divided into two classes :—
First Class-Military weapons, ammuni- tion, explosives, and materials including lead, saltpetre, sulphur, &c, and machinery for mak- ing them, uniforms Naval and Military, military accoutrements, armour-plated machinery and materials for construction or equipment of ships The following telegrams are from Northern of war, and all other goods which, though not contemporaries :—
NORTHERN TELEGRAMS.
Seoul, 15th March.
The Corean authorities in Pingyang province report to the Government that the Russian military officers there have warned them that if Corea does not maintain strict neutrality during the war, but aids. Japan by supplying the Japanese troops with provisions, etc., Russia will open hostilities against Coren.—Mainichi.
Tientsin, 16th March.
The Liaobo will be free of ice some time between the 20th and 24th inst., and it is expected that the British and American war. ships will leave Inkao o or about the 3rd prox. The Russian gun-boat Sivoutch (? Bobre) at Inkao has taken down her masts. It is believed that the Russians intend to 1130 her where she lies 85 fort. The British subjects at Takao have sent their families to Tientsin. These refugees report that the general belief at Inkao is that the Japanese troops will take possession of the place as soon as the river is free of ice. The mounted bandits are waiting for the arrival of the Japanese, to start destroying the railway. There is only a small Russian garrison at Inkao; and most of the men return to Giukaton in the evening. Asahi,
Tokyo, 23rd March. The Japanese infantry at first intended to cross the Tao Mua Kiang from Ching Hsing and other places thereabout in Ham Kiong Tao. Corea, thence to pass beyond Vladivostock. and attack Harbin, but, owing to the difficulty of the route, they were compelled to return to Pingyang, Anjou, etc. Again, as regards the Hai Tsen Wei sngagement, the intention of the Japanese was to make a landing; after a slight attack, they immediately proceeded to the North of Vladivostock, where they succeeded in finding a landing. But on account of the large ac- cumulation of suow they had to return to their ships.-Sinwenpao.
&
Tokyo, 25th March.
In reference to the Parliamentary papers laid on the table of the House, the enlightened private sections of members are amazed at the striking moderation of the Japanese proposals. But for the final decision of the Japanese Government, there would have been general disappointment. The Government, it is felt, were altogether too patient, and if a final con clusion had been come to on the terms Japan offered, it would have been more ruinous than war.-N.G.D‚N.
coming under this list. are intended solely for ase in war. Above-mentioned articles will be regarded as contraband of war when passing through or destined for enemy's army, navy or territory.
"Second Class Provisions, drinks, horses, harness, fodder, vehicles, coal, timber, coin, gold and silver bullion, and materials for con- struction of telegraphs. telephones, railways. Above-mentioned articles will be regarded as contraband of war when destined for enemy's army or navy, or in such cases where being goods arriving at enemy's territory there is reason to believe they are intended for use of enemy's army or navy. Exception has been made as regards articles manifestly intended, for use of vessel carrying them.
**
A Prize Court has been established at Sasebo with appeal to Tokyo."
RUSSIA AND NEWCHWANG,
A telegram has been received by the Hong. kong Government, from His Britannic Majesty's Consul at Newchwang. It reads as follows:-" Russian military authorities will allow vessels to eater the port at daytime only, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Vessels must stop at the buoy five-and-a-half miles below the Fort for examination."
THE MANDJOUR" CASE AGAIN. A Peking despatch quoted by the N.-C. Daily News states that the Japanese Minister, Mr. Uchida, has informed the Waiwupu that his Government is not satisfied at the way the dismantling of the Mandjour in Shanghai has been conducted, in other words, it is complained that only the breech-blocks of the big guns and the ammunition have been so far taken out of the vessel, while other most important parts of the machinery, etc, on board have not been touched. Under the circumstances therefore the Japanese Government do not consider that the Mandjour has been actually made harmless. This, no doubt, is the reason why the Japanese cruiser Akitsushima still remains at Shanghai.
JAPAN DURING THE WAR.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDET]
Tokyo, 15th March.
We have just received the official report of Admiral Togo of the last bombardment of Port Arthur. The report is dated the ilth instant. It appears that a council was held on the evening of the 9th, as a result of which the Tokyo, 25th March,
united squadron moved to attack the enemy. Admiral Baron Yamamoto, Minister of the
At midnight on the 9th, two divisions of des- Navy, made a speech in the House of Repre- troyers were sent on in advance. The one which sentatives this afternoon on the naval movements
consisted of the Saganami and Akebono, proceed and naval activity since October last, which, being to the harbour entrance, found no ships said, had accompanied perfectly the diplomatic developments. The Navy, he said, had still a hard task to undergo to accomplish the end desired. Baron Yamamoto was loudly cheered, and a most cordial vote of thanks to the Navy was unanimously adopted.-N.C.D.N.
RUSSIAN ACTION AT NEWCHWANG,
We received from the Colonial Secretary's Office on the 28th ult. a copy of the following telegram from His Britannic Majesty's Consul at Newchwang, dated 26th March :-
"Russian military authorities will allow vessels enter port daytime only, between six and six, vessels must stop at buoy ten and half miles below fort for examination.”
CONTRABAND OF WAR.
The following extract from the London Gazette of the 19th February was published in a Government Gazette Extraordinary yesterday:-
Foreign Office, February 19th, 1904. His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has received the following telegram from Sir Claude MacDonald, His Majesty's Minister at Tokyo, in reply to inquiries addres- sed to him respecting the intentions of the Japanese Government in regard to contraband of
war and the establishment of Prize
Courts:-
$
[April 4, 1904.
The
to take refuge in the harbour of Port Arthur In the engagement the Japanese losses amount- ed to seven killed and eight wounded, including the chief engineer of the Kasumi. Akatsuki suffered most; one of her main steam- pip:s was struck by a shot, the escape of steam from which soalded four men to death. All of the destroyers of the detachment remain fit for service.
the other division, which was made up of the there and remained on watch during the night; Asashio, Kasumi, and Akatsuki, visiting various previously appointed places, where they laid a special kind of mine, called in the official report a machine mine. While they were engaged in this occupation, a search-li.ht sud- clad hills, which was immediately followed by the denly fashed from one of the forts on the saow- booming of guns as the forts opened fire on the hurrying destroyers. The Russian fire, however, was remarkably bad, and they did not once succeed in hitting their mark. No soouer had the Japanese craft succeeded in laying their mines, in a locality which appears to be a good deal to the south of Port Arthur, than a squadron of six Russian destroyers came into sight, rounding Lao-ti-shan, & point at the most southerly extremity of the Port Arthur Peninsula. These immediately attacked the Japanese boats, which, though outnumbered two to one, did not hesitate to engage them. The fight, which lasted for twenty minutes, was a severe one, the combatants firing at point- blank range, their sides touching. The boiler of one of the Russians burst, fire broke out on another, amidst which they retronted, four returning to the place they had come from, and two more heading northwards, evidently intending
The division stationed at the mouth of the harbour was about to leave in the early morning when two of the enemy's destroyers were seen heading for the entrance. These were the two flying from the previous engagement. The divi- sion instantly put about, cut them off, and then commenced an action lasting for an hour, during which the Russians suffered heavily. One of the destroyers succeeded in escaping, but the other, the Steregustchi, when endeavour- ing to obtain shelter close under the land, was captured by the Saganami under the fire of the land batteries. The Saganami took her in tow but the waves were running high, and she was seen to be sinking, so that the Japanese cast her loose, and endeavoured to take off her oraw. This was no easy matter under the heavy fire the people on shore continued to pour into the two boats, and they only succeeded in rescuing four men, when the near approach of the cruisers Novik and Bayan, which had meanwhile emerged from the harbour, forced them to draw off. It would have gone badly with this division of des- troyers, but fortunately, the cruisers forming the advance guard of the Japanese fleet appeared over the horizon, on which the Novikand Bayan retired again into shelter. The cruisers took up their position close to the harbour's mouth, and by 3 a.m. the main body of the squadron had closed up, and taking up a position ander Lao-ti-shan, bombarded the forts and harbour until 1.40 p.m. The division of cruisers immediately in front of the harbour observed the results of this fire, and report that the damage done to the enemy was great. The Russian hill-forts occasionally answered, but did not succeed in inflicting the smallest damage on the Japanese ships.
Meanwhile another squadron of cruisers had proceeded to Talien Bay, at the head of which Dalay is situated, and bombarded the island of Sanshantao, at the entrance of the bay. All the buildings on the island were destroyed, and another account emanating from Chefoo says not a building was left intact in Dalay. At the time this bombardment was being carried on the Takasago and Chihaya searched the cast on the west of the Liaotung peninsula, but saw no signs of the enemy. They observed in Pigeon Bay, where she had been sank on the 25th Fe- bruary by the Japanese cruisers, the wreck of the destroyer Vnushitelni lying with her masts and funnel out of water. The various detach- ments ceased fire at 2 p.m. and returned to their base. Where this rendezvous is sitúa- ted is a mystery. It is reported that the re- turn fire of the forts grows feebler and feebler with each succeeding attack. There are rumours going about that all the ammunition Port Arthur, but this does not seem very likely. stored at Vladivostock has been transferred to
On the 6th inst. the Northern squadron attacked Vladivostock. Shortly after midday the Japanese entered the Bosphorus Strait leading to the harbour. The weather was bitterly cold, the thermometer registering 21 impossible to expose any part of the person, and, degrees below zero, The intense cold made itz
if any spray came on deck it was immediately frozen. The ice was heaped in huge masses to a distance of about 6000 mètres from the shore, The mountains were covered with snow, the only coloured object disseruible being the lighthouse on Askold Island. The lead ng ship broke her way through the ice, the others following in the canal so formed. The hills lining both sides of the passage are cove- red with forts; but choosing that battery known to be the weakest, the fleet headed directly towards it, and bombarded it, without however, eliciting any reply. There were absolutely no signs of life beyond a few soldiers signalling with the wireless te egraph. Having kept up the bombardment for some time, and seeing that the enemy did not reply, the Japanese squadron at 2.40 p.m. withdrew. No sooner had they gone when a ship emerged from the port, it is supposed for the purpose of reconnoi-
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