CO129-123 - Sir MacDonnell - 1867 [7] — Page 92

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Page 90

SEIZURE AND CONFISCATION OF THE BRITISH STEAMER

"PRINCE ALBERT."

CAPTAIN GODSIL'S DECLARATION.

CANTON 30th March, 1866.

In Her Britannic Majesty's Court at Canton, Friday the Thirteenth day of March, 1866, John Godsil, Master Mariner, a native of Ireland, residing at Hongkong makes oath and says :

I am master of the British Steamer Prince Albert, the Colonial Register of which dated Hongkong, 10th August, 1863, I now produce. The owner of the steamer is Kwok A' Cheong of Hongkong,

The steamer has been under repairs, receiving new boilers, &c., for some seven months past, and I was appointed to command her on completion of her repairs, on the 22nd of the present month. On that day I was ordered by Mr. Kwok A' Cheong to proceed to sea, with a Chinese, whose name I do not know, on board, for the purpose of towing a native junk up from near Shuei Tung. Shuei Tung is a port on the West Coast, beyond Tung Pak.

I had been at that place before some years ago, and knew the coast. Having obtained a clearance from the Harbour Master's Office, at Hongkong, which I now hand in, I proceeded to sea, On the 23rd instant, about 10 P.M. I arrived off Shuei Tung, and anchored under the lee of one of the islands, distant about twelve miles from the port. The following morning I was requested by the owner of the junk to give him a boat to take him inside the River, off the mouth of which we were lying, in order to see whether his vessel had arrived. As I had but few hands on board, and a number of suspicious looking junks were in the neighbourhood, I declined to lend a boat, but told the Chinaman I would weigh anchor and go inside the bar to see whether the junk was there. Having gone inside the bar I gave the Chinaman a boat to proceed up the river in search of his junk. It was about 7.30 A.M. on the 24th instant when I anchored inside the bar; and at about 4 P.M. the boat I had lent returned without the Chinaman, with a message that there were no tidings of the junk, and requesting me to wait for a day or two, in order that he might go down to the place where he lived, further westward, to inquire respecting her. sent back a message by the boat, saying I would wait until the morning of Tuesday, the 27th instant, and if the junk did not appear by that time I would make the best of my way back to Hongkong. Not thinking the steamer safe where she lay, owing to the piratical appearance of junks that were in the neighbourhood, I proceeded up the river, to a distance of five or six miles above the batteries, and anchored below the trading junks, within sight of Shuei Tung. My object in proceeding so far was to be in a position to obtain assistance in case of a piratical attack. It was towards dusk on Saturday when I anchored there. On Monday, the 26th instant, about 5 P.M., the revenue cruiser Hai Ching came up the river, and anchored some two hundred yards from the Prince Albert. The Commander came on board my steamer immediately and informed me that as I was lying in a Port not opened by Treaty it was his duty to take possession of my steamer and to take her to Canton. He then took charge of the vessel with an armed force, to which, I of course, made no resistance. By order of the Commander of the revenue cruiser, the engineer of the latter disabled my engines, to prevent my getting up steam. On the following morning, Tuesday, the 27th instant, my engines were again put in working order, and steam was got up on both vessels, which proceeded towards Canton in company.

We arrived at Canton on the evening of the 29th instant.

The crew of the Prince Albert at the time leaving Hongkong was composed of the following individuals :

Captain, John Godsil; 2 Engineers, Chinese; 13 Firemen, sailors and boys, all Chinese.

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