i
P.S.
Intelligence has reached
Hongkong that a French Frigate
L
has attacked the White Fort
the mouth
near
of the river Min, and
suffered some damage.
2
The Viceroy of Canton has
notified that night traffic
on
the
Canton River is prohibited for the
present
as will be seen
enclosed letter
from
British Consul.
the
from
the
Acting
MB.
Enclosure 2.
Enclosure 1.
THE FRANCO-CHINESE WAR NAVAL ENGAGEMENT AT PAGODA"
ANCHORAGE.... BOMBARDMENT AND DESTRUCTION OF THE MAMOI ARSENAL, By the courtesy of the chief officer of the China Navigation Company's steamer Woosung, which arrived here yesterday afternoon from Foo- chow, which port she left on the 24th inst., we are enabled to place the following details of the recent startling events in the Min before our readers.
For a long time before Saturday, the 23rd inst., both sides had appeared ready to commence hosti- lities at a moment's notice, and every day it was reported firing would commence, so that on Saturday the report that hostilities would be opened that day was received much the same as others until the British Consul came from the Custom House, and having stated his be hef that hostilities would commence, ordered ashore the women and children who were on board the vessels in port. The Freuch Consul also caused a circular to be sent round Foochow giving notice that firing would commence, and be came down to the anchorage, and remained. on board the British steamer Taku during the operations.
At two p.m. the first gun was heard-a signal gun from the cruiser Volta, which was being used as the flagship of Admiral Courbet-and immediately the French men-of-war opened fire upon the Chinese gunboats, which were lying within the vicinity of the Pagoda. The French men-of-war which took part in the action were the cruiser Volta (flagship), the cor- vette Villare, the corvette Daguay Trouin, the crniser D'Estaing, the gunboats Lyne, Vipère, and depic, and just as the first gun was fired, the ironclad Triomphante was sighted, and very soon she came up and joined in the melée; in all eight The Chinese men-of-war numbered vessels. eleven, all but one of which were gunboats. They included the Alphabetical gunboats Hook Sing and Kung Sing, the corvette Yang Woo, and the gunboats Fu Poo, Chian Woo, Chu Án, Fru On, Fah Sing, Wang Kwo, Sam Hong, sud Ngai Sam. The French coufined their attention at first to the Chinese mon-of-war, and met with
a most contemptible resistance. In all cases but one, the Chinese crews fired what guns they had bearing upon the French, and then, appalled at the effects of the French fire, slipped their cables and jumped over- board, so that the water was covered all around with human heads bobbing up and down, mak- ing for the shore or various craft about. The one exception was the little gunboat Chian Woo; her crew did stick to the work a bit, and it was only when she was in flames from the French shella that her cable was slipped, and she was desorted. Thus in a few minutes all resistance from the Chinese men-of-war was at an end, and not one of them escaped, being dis- posed of as follows:--The two Alphabetical gun- boats were sunk by the fire from the French men-of-war; the corvette Yang Woo was burnt and destroyed by one of the French torpedo bosts; the Fu Poo was set on fire by the French ́shells, drifted ashore on Flat Island, got off, and then drifted out of sight burning; the Chian Woo was sunk by a torpedo boat, after being set on fire by the French shells; the Chu An was destroyed by the fire from the French ships; the F On went ashore higher up the river;
23
the
(2.)
the Foh Sing blew up while drifting down the river; and the Wang Kwo, Sam Hong, and Nyai -Som, were set on fire and sunk by the shells from the French ships. Shortly after the Triomphante arrived, one of the French torpedo boats was seen to come darting through the smoke past her bows, and she was cheered by the sailors on board; from the Woosung it could be seen that the officer in charge was wounded and covered with blood, and one of the crew also appeared to be badly wounded. Both torpedo boats were very fast, and appeared to do good service.
230
At about 2.40 p.m. the French vessels turned their fire upon the Arsenal, and the fort under the Pagoda on the hill at the end of Losing Island. The gunboats Lynx, Aepic, and Vipère went round first, and it was here that the corvette Yang Woo and two of the Chinese gunboats were lying. They were abandoned at once, and the manner of their destruction is given in the list above. The gunboat Foh Sing was seen at about 3.30 flying French colours, and in charge of a prize crew, but she had been set on fire by the firing of the French men-of-war, and was des- troyed. She drifted past the Wooning quite close, and two of her crew swam on board; many were seen lying on board wounded or dead. Her sides and her fannel were riddled with shot. Shortly after she passed, one of the Alphabetical gunboats came drifting by helpless, and one was sunk by the fire of the French ships just under the stern of the Glen- finlas. The second Alphabetical gunboat was sunk atabout 4 p.m. in asimilar manner. At this time a large number of war junks, which were collected off the Arsenal, were seen to be all in flames. Another man-of-war was sent to engage the Arsenal junks lying on the other side, and made short work of them. During the afternoon | burning junks and gauboats came drifting in close proximity to the merchant vessels which were lying at the Anchorage, but though one got foul of the German barque Sin Kolga, the exertions of boats' crews of British men-of-war's mon saved the ship. The British bluejackets did great service in this way, for the burning vessels drifting down the river, and back again with the turn of the tide at 10,30 p., caused the vessels at anchor there to be in the greatest danger of being destroyed by fire. At 7.30p.m. one Chinese war vessel was drifting, while in flames, right on to the merchant shipping, but the French riddled her sides till it was a wonder how she kept together, and she finally sank right across the bows of the Glenfinlas. A great num- ber of lives were saved by the British men-of- war's boats picking up the crews of the Chinese gunboats who were swimming about.
Firing coased about six p.m., having been slackoning very much before that time, so that the roar of the guns was kept up for about four hours. The Arsenal and forte replied to the French fire but little less feebly than the gunboats; their firing was at long intervals, and they were silenced in a short time, and the fort under the Pagoda was com- pletely destroyed. The forts did not appear by results to be of much account; as far as could be seen from the ships, they were built of stone, and their sides faced with sand-j bags. The Chinese gunners were so cowardly that on board the gunboats they did not stay to fire all the guns, which were ready loaded, and many of them exploded from the heat of the! flames which destroyed the ships.
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