28
Enclosure
with our Ministers in China and
Japan, and with the offiens.
our Naval and
commanding Military Forces in
carr
carrying
out
the instructions of Ster Majesty's -Government, and in the general promotion of British interests,__ which I believe to be identical
with the interests of Peace and
Commerce.
I have the honour to be
My Lord,
Your Lordship's Most Obedient Humble corvant,
3. Bowen
(11)
THE NAVAL ENGAGEMENT AT
SHEIPOO.
The Shanghai Courier gives the following ac- oount of this event-
On Thursday afternoon, the 12th February, the Chinese fleet was at anchor in the outer roads of the Sheipoo harbour, inside of Montague. Island. and the order was given that at daylight on Friday morning they were to proceed north- wards. While the Chinese fleet was getting unler-weigh, the French fleet hovo in sight to the eastward of Montagno Island. The Chinese Admiral, who was on board the Kui-chi, imma- diately signalled for his foot to proceed south- wards, and the Nan-shen and Nan-shurn shaped a course for the Heishan Islands, the Yu-yuen and the Chin-cheng following in their wake, The Kai-chi, Nan-shen, and Nan-shuan, being snart steaming vessels, the cream really of the Nanyang squadron of the Chinese fleet, were 2000 a long away ahead of the Yu-ques and the Chin-cheng, and as the French fleet were making a good storm chase, these two vessels, thinking the French would pass them by sad pursue the other thren, steamed round Cape Conway and entered Sheipoo harbour by San Mon Bay. The French did not pass them by, however, but directed all their attention to them, and eventually gave them " A New Year's cumshaw,” as their destruction has been irreverently term- ed. The Chin-cheng is the Foochow built boat known as No 26. She was commanded by Vice- Admiral Ting, who has bee: to Europe and bal some training, we baliere, in the British Navy. The Fu-yuen is the old frigate No. 6 that was moored at Woosung for several months, and she was commanded by Kin-yung, but better known to foreigners as "Mobi" who has rison from the ranks, bis first experience of warfare being in the Pluto and Confucius during the Taipingj rebellion. Both these vessels were of wood, with no armour whatever, and their speed was not more than 9 kuots, so refuge in Sheipoo harbour was the best move they could take with the French coming rapidly down upon them. But when they got inside the French blocked the four entrances, and made them an easy prey for their powerful weapons of destruction, and superior skill in naval warfare. Novortheless the Chinese commanders, if they lost their ships, as they must inevitably have done under the circumstances, saved their crows.
It was about ten o'clock a.m. on the 13th Fe- bruary that the Chin-cheng and Yu-yuen anchored about two hundred yards apart in Sheipoo harbour. The French allowed them to romain quietly there till about ten o'clock at night, when four French torpedo boats attacked them. The Hotchkiss ma- chine guns on the two Chinese vessels were quickly
at work and the fire was too much for the torpedo boats, which were driven back. Athalf-past twelve o'clock the torpedo boats returned to the attack, and were again beaten off, and at 8 p.m. on Satur-
day
$
(2.)
day night they returned again, and for the third? time the Chinese were too much for them. But Admiral Courbet was undaunt: and he is as well: skilled in strategy as he is heave, and at four o'clock? on Sunday morning, the 15th February, China. New Year's Day, a number of Chinese fishing boats came into the harbour for their crews to spond the day on shore. Under cover of these boats, four torpedo boats stealthily stole a march on the Chinese mon-of-war's men. These fishing boats coming suspiciously close to the Chinese war- vessels, were bailed, and a reply was given “Fishing .boats.” But immediately afterwards four torpedo boats shot out from their hiding places, and were alongside the two Chinese vessels before an effective fire could be blased into them, the result being that torpedoes were exploded under the two Chinese ships. The ressols were not blown out of the water, the explosions making holes in their bottoms, and causing them to fill. This done the torpedo boats returned to the French ships; they had done their work against foes they found more persistent and brave than had been expected. The Chin-cheng drifted on abore and filled with the tide, ber crew escaping in boats to the land, and not a single man be- longing to her was lost. She had no foreigners on board. The Fu-yuen did not sink for four hours afterwards. All her crew got safely into the boats and with the exception of the second engineer, a Chinaman, they reached the shore. The boat in which the second engineer was capsized and he was drowned. This was the only death caused by the engagement on the Chinese side; the logs on the part of the French is variously estimated, nine and fifteen Filled being the Squiền given.
The tugboat Fuh-lee arrived at the scene of the engagement on Sunday night. Mr. Richardson, who was the chief engineer on "the Yu-yuen, and the only foreigner on board the two Chinese men- of-war, and about a dozen Chinese came up to Shanghai in the Fuh-lee, with instructions to re- port the engagement to the Chinese authorities here. The French fleet were then outside, cruising round after the other Chinese men-of-war, and as Admiral Wa signalled for them to proceed south; there is little doubt that they did so, but after- wards turned back as we hear of the following telegram from Admiral Courbet at Matsou:-- "MATSON, 15th February. "Seen on the 13th inst.. at about five miles dis- tance, the Chinese, fleet of three cruisers, one corvette and a frigate. The three cruisers could escape on account of a thick fog; as to the frigate and corvette, which had made for Sheipoo Har- bour, they were sunk on the 16th at 4 a.m. by the torpedo-boats of the Bayard, though a heavy fire of musketry and artillery was discharged upon them by the Chinese,"
The bravery of Captain Kin-yang, alias "Mo- bi," is highly spoken of. as indeed is the conduct of the Chinese generally. "Mobi" fought his ship to the last and at each attack by the torpedo boats he worked a Hotchkiss gun.
283
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.