CO129-220 - Governor Sir Bowen - 1885 [1-3] — Page 280

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vessels.

of

the Chinese squadron

escaped owing

Crews

to a

fog; and the

of the ships destroyed

reached the shore in their boats.

The French loss was inconsiderable.

In account of this engagement

engagement Enclosure

is annexed.

5.

The prolonged inactivity

of the French forew for

some

m

months past has certainly been detrimental to the interests of - pease by encouraging the Chinese

to both active and passive resistance. The highest and most

experienced

experienced (English) authority i

in

China recently intimated his... opinion that this inactivity had -gone far towards creating Chinese mind a feeling of contempt

in the

in

for any thing that the French Fleet

(and possibly any

other foreign Heet).

could effect. To make a real

impression

on the Chinese Imperial

Authorities, - the blows of a foreign

enemy

should be sudden, sharp,

and swift, and should follow each

other rapidly at points not remote from the seat of the Imperial

Government

-