impossible to undertake operations against liking except during the
Summer months.
I have the honour to be,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's Most Obedient
Humble Servant,
5.M.Bowen
Enclosure
THE FIGHTING AT KEELUNG,
The Shanghai Courier publishes the following partionlars of the fighting between the French and Chiness at Keelung received from the Gar- man steamer Welle:
The Welle left Shanghai on the 25th July. with guns and munitions of war from the Kiang- nsa Arsenal for the fortifications of Formosa, und on the 2nd inst, she arrived at Keelung, having called at Tamsni. Soon after anchoring in Kee. Inng harbour, the commander of the French cor- vette Villara came on board the Welle and asked the captain if he had any news. The captain gave him all the nows he had, and the comman der of the Villars then went on shore. Three or four hours afterwards one of the officers from the Fillars called upou the Captain of the Welle, and delivered to him the following letter:-- To Captain of German ship Walle.
KRELUNG, 2nd August, 1884. M. LE CAPITAIN,--I have the honour to inform yon that the convention entered into between France and China, until the expiration of the time fixed by the nitimatum shall have expired, reposes principally on the maintainance of the statu quo, that is to say, that every thing remains as it is.
tion
and not
Your consists of objects that are above all
cargo things considered as contraband of war, torpedoes and fire arms destined for the forts of Keelung. At the moment I bad
ment I beg of you not to disembark them till a soiu-
now
expected, rived at: in any other case I had far off, has been ar find myself compelled to absolutely oppose the debareation
have no doubt but that you will not voluntarily undertake the responsibility of disturbing the peace exlating
at the moment, and that this affair may be arranged amicably between us is my most carnest desira.
I am about to advise the general commanding the Chinese troops that it is by my set that you find your- golf unable to execute your contract.
Accept, M. le Capitain, the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.
(Signed) Captain de vaisseau,
Commanding the Villars,
VIVIELLE.
The captain of the Welle went and had an in- terview with the commander of the Villars, and they afterwards met the same evening at the Custom House, and the question of the dis- charge of the cargo was discussed with the Chinese authorities, and it is said to have been arranged that the cargo should not be dis- charged. The Commander of the Villars was satisfied, but the Chinese authorities were not. A change soon came over the aspect of affairs, as will be seen from the following letter :--- The Commandant of the Villars to the Captain of the
German vessel Wells.
M. LE CAPITAIN,I have the honour to inform you that in spite of the resolutions mutually entered upon by the Chinese mandarins and myself at the confer ence held yesterday at which you were prosent, the mandarin Son has intimated to me that it has been de cided to discharge from your ship the cannons and muzi tions of
of war of which
ich you were the bearer to Keelang. It is with great pleasure that I acknowledge the oor-
these of
the attitude the fullest confidence in your word of honour you have maintained, and I
to me, that
that nothing shall be discharged from yone whip until the question now pending between China and France shall be settled, and on my side you hare seen how desirous 1 am to use persuasion only rather than have recourse to more coercive measures which might complicate the situation.
You are of course conversat with the duties of Leutrals whose commerce is absolutely free as regarda belligerents except in cases where contraband of war is carried, which is your me desirable for ne to arrive
It appears therefore to me
#t
friendly understanding in case the Chinese should endeavour by to "hich you brought to them.
forcible means to disembark, in spite of you, the guns and
You are covered by
and the setual existence
of war with Geziany could alone authorise or warrant
compalary delivery.
Buch
You can therefore invoke the Law of Nation and the conventions entered inte by the European Powers, to guarantee you against the enforcement of the mandarin's orders. I hold myself at your disposal to maintain by force, if necessary, your rights of cum- mant: at your first requisition I will come to your 3.88istance.
Porbaps it might be preferable in order to calm the excitement existing at the moment that you should put to sea, but in any case I would willingly take charge, ander's formal receipt made out to your order, of all your apparatus for discharging, without which the Chinese could not proceed to disembark their mani- tions.
I would alan point out to you that if war was declared your flag would not cover your cargo, but that the eame would constitute a lawful prize.
I have placed before you all the eventualities that Oan occur, animated as I am by the most conciliatory intentions; and if it should happen, which I can scarcely believe, that you are unable to maintain your position as master of the vessel, come on board the Villars with
all
all your staff and such material as you choose to bring, and you will flud a most sympathetic reception, while as to your vessel I will take such stope as will prevent it ravisining long in the bands of the Chinese,
(Sigued) Captain de vaisseau,
Commanding the Villars,
VIVIELLE.
The two letters given above were written in French, and we have tranelated them for the benefit of our readers.
There were further negotiations between the commander of the Villars and the Chinese Mandarina, and it was understood that the latter sent to Tamsui for advice, and the answer was that the Welle was to go to that port to discharge her guns and munitions of war. This decision was communicated to the captain of the Welle by the Chinese, and he accordingly proceeded to Tamsui. A difficulty was thus averted. In case the matter had not been arranged in this way the commander of the Villars had expressed his willingness to the captain of the Welle to take all responsibility for the non-delivery of the cargo, the safety of the steamer, &c., apon himself, and we believe he even went so far as to put this into writing, the arrange- ment come to being that the Welle to steam out beyond the harbour limits and there await the orders of the commander of the Villars, who was scrupulously polite in his dealings with the captain of the Welle, and calm but determined in his negotiations with the Chinese Mandarins. He told the cap- tain of the Welle that he did not wish to have the least trouble with the German authorities, and was most courteous to him, fulsomely thank- ing him for his readiness to comply with his wishes. The captain of the Wells could soureely do otherwise, seeing that the commander of the Villara accepted the responsibility of the occa sion.
WAN
On the voyage to Tamani, the Welle wet the German schooner Johann Carl, Captain Schwartz, bound into Keelung; and the French ironclad La Gulisnonniere, Rear Admiral Lespes, and the gun-vessel Lutin arrived at Keelung the same day as the Welle left. At Tamaui the Welle discharged her guns and munitions of war into a Chinese transport and cargo lighters.
On the 4th instant Rear Admiral Lospos gavo notice to the Chinese Mandarins and Military Commanders that unless the forts were surrender- jed to him by eight o'clock the next morning he should take them by force. It was known at an early hour on the 5th that the Chinese had decided not to surrender the forts and the ma jority of the foreign residents-sevon, we believe accepted an offer of Captain Schwartz, of the Johann Carl, to take them on board. There were two ladies, Mrs. Bentley and Mrs. Jack, and five gentlemen, including Mr. Bently, Mr. Jack, Mr. Grant, and two Customs' employés. Sub- sequently they were transferred to a steam launch which started with them for Tamsui, but about midway they met H.B.M.'s gunboat Cockchafer, which took them on to their destination.
THE BOMBARDMENT.
There was no surrender by the Chinese and the bombardment commenced shortly after 8 a.m. on the 5th. Keelung harbour is a bay formed like an amphitheatre; it is entered through a strait with headlands on either side, capital places for forts, but there were none there on this occasion, and the country round is moun- tainona. There were four forts, all at the hond of the bay, two on promontories on the east side, and two on promontories on the west side. The forts on the east sido had Krupp guns, one five and the other three, and those on the west side kad guns made in China, three each. The Galis- soniere was stationed a little further up the har- bour than the landmark known as the West Cliff and immediately in trout of the five gun fort, while the Villars and Lutin were anchored further in almost between the west and east forts, but the guns in the east fort could not be laid on them, and those two vessels blazed away at the forts without receiving a shot in return. A red flag was run up on board the Qalissonnière, and the challenge was returned by a red flag being hoisted at the five-gun fort. The three French vessels commenced the bombardment by firing almost simultan- eously, and the fire was immediately returned by the two forts on the east side, the forts on the west being silent. Three rounds only were fired from the two eastern forts. One of the gunners in the five-gun fort made excellent practise, his three shots striking the Gallisson. niers within a few feet of each other, just above the water line, and the balls are said to have!
201
penetrated.
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