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Inclosure 1 in No. 4.
186
Sir,
Acting Consul Spence to Sir H. Parkes.
Taiwan, January 26, 1885.
I HAVE the honour to report on the renewed blockade of the Formosan coast by the French, which commenced on the 7th instant. Three blockading vessels, the "Triom- phante," "Château-Renault,"
" and the ** Champlain," or "Nielly," have since that date patrolled the southern section of the blockaded coast from Kaisuikiang to South Cape. There is no blockading line of ships nor any "blockade" in the sense in which the text- books use the word. The squadron anchors nearly every night at Anping, or at Anping and Takow, and proceed south and north during the day. Anping has been effectually blockaded all the time, with the exception of one or two days. Takow is frequently without a ship, and the rest of the coast-line has no blockade at all, being simply patrolled occasionally.
I regret to have to inform you that the whole of the French ships, since their arrival here on the 5th instant, have been daily engaged in a most cruel attack on junks and junk people. I do not mean the large junks plying to and from the mainland-these it was their right as blockaders or belligerents to capture-but local boats with firewood, fishing smacks, and small craft of all kinds, which have been blown to pieces, burnt, sunk, scuttled, or turned adrift. The object of the French is not to make prize of war, because cargo of the most valuable kind has been salved from the wrecks, but to get hold of the crews. These are sent to Kelung to work on the fortifications.
Some of the captured sailors have recently returned here, sixty-seven of them having escaped from the French batteries on the 10th instant. I incluse a statement made to me
by one of them, a junkman from the Pescadores, a simple, straightforward man, whose tale of revolting brutality I have no reason to doubt.
Considering the behaviour of the French troops in Tonquin, as described in the French newspapers, there is nothing antecedently improbable in it, even were the witness not what he looks, an honest man.
Be that as it may, when I report to you that the shores of the south-west Formosan coast are strewn with junk wreckage I do not in the least exaggerate. Big guns and machine guns have alike been employed in this miserable warfare. Dozers of junks have been destroyed, and hundreds of men carried off to what is practically slavery. I inclose a list, showing you to some extent the nature and amount of this purposeless and wanton destruction. I use these words advisedly, because I can bear witness to the fact that, so far from having any effect on the ultimate issue of the attack on the island by crippling its resources, they animate the people with feelings of hatred towards their oppressors, and immeasurably increase the spirit of resistance. This list was sent to me by the Taotai, in a despatch, of which I inclose an extract, asking me to send it to you, and to all the Governments whom I represent here. I can corroborate much of it. and I have added to it the incidents reported at Anping and Takow.
Worst of all, the odium of this havoc extends to neutrals. The minds of the Chinese are inflamed by such deeds as the French fleet, before the eyes of all, are now engaged in ; and the good disposition towards neutrals which the authorities, with some success, have sedulously endeavoured to stimulate is vanishing in an excitement which may at any time boil over.
Our position in the midst of soldiers is not a very secure one, and this crusade
of the French has increased its difficulties.
As you are aware, the basis of the French fleet is the British Colony of Hong Kong, for which port the iron-clad "Triomphante" left yesterday to refit, after a fortnight of the work described in this despatch.
I am happy to be able to add that for the past day or two the French ships have not been so active, probably owing less to lack of zeal than to lack of opportunity, and the excitement on shore is proportionately diminished.
Blockade-running has been very successful during the past five or six days. Whilst the French have been chasing charcoal-boats during the day and carrying off their crews, five large junks, full of gunpowder, opium, and weapons, sent under special officers by the Canton Government, have arrived in safety during the night-three at Takow on the 22nd and two at Anping to-day.
I shall make attempts to communicate with you by junk in future, as there is no prospect of regular visits from Her Majesty's ships, except at long intervals.
I am forwarding this despatch under flying seal, through Captain Bromley, of Her Majesty's ship "Swift," and Her Majesty's Consul, Amoy. I am requesting Her Majesty's
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