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placing a sail over the injured part, but as this has to be effected, under the old system, by the use of keel ropes, much valuable time is lost and where a vessel is rapidly filling it becomes impracticable. To meet this Admiral Makaroff has arranged a piece of sailcloth with latha of wood and metal bars running Boross it, 80 that it can be rolled up or opened out like the chip blinds in use in almost every house in Hongkong. The weight of the metal bars causes it to sink in the water, so that when a vessel receives a rent in her side all that has to be done is to lower the apparatus over the side and it clings to the shape of the vessel. This is an operation that can be performed almost instantaneously and it will avert immediate danger, after which the work of securing the sail cloth by keel ropes can be proceeded with in safety.
Accidents at sea and consequent loss of life will no doubt continue as long as the world lasts, but any man who diminishes, in whatever degree, the risks of navigation deserves uni- versal thanks. Admiral Makaroff's invention appears to us to very sensibly diminish the risk of loss of life and property by collision, and it merits the serious attention of the Governments of maritime nations, of insurance companies, of shipowners, and of the travelling public.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
On the afternoon of the 10th Jan. Commodore Boyes and two Engineers of Her Majesty's Nary visited the Russian flagship Nicolai I. and were shown by Admiral Makaroff his invention for minimising the effects of collisions at sea, and they were, we understand, favourably impressed with ita utility. The experiment of the 9th and 10th were illustrative of the appli cability of the invention to men-of-war rams. Admiral Makaroff is now having a model con- structed with a vertical stem to represent a
merchant vessel, and we are authorised to state that when the model is completed His Excellency will be pleased to give a demon- stration of his invention as applied to vessels of this class to insurance agents, shipowners, or others interested in the subject.
FORMOSA.
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT WITH THE JAPANESE ARMY.]
TaipehFU, 27th December. Although I am still attached to the second division, the details of the almost daily skirmishes the troops have had with the scattered hands of rebels in the south will be of little interest to your readers; so only the main events will be mentioned. The description of one engagement
would apply to all.
After the escape of General Liu Yung-fu and the surrender of the so-called Black Flag Braves," a considerable number of the rebels, consisting of mainland and native levies, re- treated into the hill districts or to obscure little villages on the plains, where mingling with the Hakkas and dividing into bands they devoted their time to plundering and murdering the peacefully inclined Chinese, who in some instances for self protection were forced to join these banditti. The method of attack was to make an unexpected raid on a village-the people usually deserting their homes, glad to escape with their lives and then loot the place, carrying away everything of value. If the in- habitants had in any way opposed, the village was burnt to the ground. The band then re- turned to their strongholds, which were usually well fortified, where the spoils were divided. It has been with this class, which certain Oriental journals represent as peacefully inclined natives fighting for their homes, that General Nogi and his troops have been engaged during the last month, and the difficulties of transport with the almost impassable pathways the lack of knowledge of the exact location of their retreats, which were constantly changing that they might be more secure, formed a task which necessarily required much time, and that the innocent should not suffer with the guilty, one calling for great tact on the part of the Japanese Commanders. General Nogi, who is beloved by all for the great consideration he has shown the Chinese as well as the savages, made no attack until all efforts of conciliation by peaceful methods had failed,
Towards the last of November, a platoon of Japanese troops who were reconnoitering in the vicinity of the Ha-tamsui river, south of Tai- nan-fu, were surrounded by about six hundred rebels, but after a few hours' hard fighting they succeeded in driving them back, killing thirty of them, while the Japanese lose was three killed, two wounded, and two who disappeared, probably captured by the rebels and taken with them in order that the two unfortunate soldiers might be subject to a death by torture, to satisfy the thirst the Chinese have for cruelty and their delight in witnessing the sufferings of human beings.
An entrenchment of rebels situated on the So- bane-kai river was captured by the Japanese on November 18th with a loss of five men killed und wounded, the Chinese leaving twenty killed behind them. Yen 2,500 was found in the stronghold.
A platoon of troops encountered about 1,000 rebels in the vicinity of Banshorid November 23rd. So outnumbered, the Japanese found great difficulty in defeating them, but were eventually successful and with only the loss of one man, while the enemy's loss was sixty.
November 25th.-As detachment ap- proached to attack the rebel village of Nan- tosho, the rebels filed. The village was then burned and the troops returned to their camp.
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General Nogi seut a force, in command of General Yamagachi, to the south that the different bauds of rebels might be throughly cleared out. The force consisted of two battalions of infantry, one troop of cavalry, two battes of artillery, and two platoons of engineering corps.
On the 25th General Yamagachi sent a detachment to attack the rebels, who were pro- tected by quite an elaborate line of defence works in the village of Kwa-sho-sho. They resisted obstinately and it was only by advancing and driving them from house to house that the village was cleared. The rebels were then fol- lowed for some distance, when they fled rapidly to the S.E. and the troops returned. The Japanese loss was five men killed, one officer (2nd Lieut. Kusakari), five non-commissioned officers, and 27 men wounded. The bodies of about 200 rebels were found. Twenty old cannon, 340 rifles, 130 spears, and ten flags were captured. The stronghold was burned and the Japanese returned to headquarters.
Seven to eight hundred rebels crossing the river near Suiseisho made an attack on a re- connoitring party consisting of a platoon of infantry and engineers, but upon the Japanese being reinforced the enemy was defeated and which was then burned. Japanese loss three driven into and eventually from their village, privates; rebel loss about 50,
During the last of November many of the rebels came into the Japanese camps and sur- rendered. All firearms and ammunition were taken and the men released i
December 3rd.-General Yamagachi moved his troops further south to subdue the district inland from Pongliau, which will be remembered as the landing place of General Nogi's division when the attack on Liu and his Black Flags was intended. 140 savages with their chiefs came and called at headquarters, bringing with them many gifts. The friendliness of the savages must be of great satisfaction to the Japanese.
Kin-a-lock, a Hakka headman, who had been taken prisoner, was released by the Japanese, but falling into the hands of his own people he was in turn imprisoned by them.
Word reaching Ponglinu that rebels were assembling at a village in the interior from that place, a detachment was sent and defeated the enemy, with the loss of one man. Rebels left 20 dead. The main body retreated to the moun- taius.
Troops were sent to the north of Ponglian to recounoitre. They met with a little resist ance in the village of Kotansho, but the rebels
surrendered and the place was peacefully occupied. At Dai-kan-lon the resistance was more determined and the village was burned, the rebels retreating. Japanese no loss, rebel
loss 40 killed
December 21st. The last of the known retreats of the rebels was taken with some fighting and the village burned,
[January 16, 1996.
December 24th. All the rebel captured with the exception of one and Formosa was quiet.
The distribution of troops in the follows:
Second division Headquarters, General Nogi commanding.
Third brigade, Tainanfu.. Fourth brigade, Tainanfu.
South
ufu.
Fourth regiment infantry, 2 battalions, Pitao Fourth regiment infantry, 2 companies, Hen-
chun.
Fourth regiment infantry, 2 companies, Pong. liau.
Seventeenth regiment infantry, Kagi. | Sixteenth regiment infantry, Tainanfu: Fifth regiment infantry, Lokang.
2 battalions engineers, Tainanfu.
2 regiments artillery, Pitao, Kagi, and Lo- kang.
Cavalry, Tainanfu.
30th December: December 27th, I telegraphed you regarding the loss of the Japanese cruiser Kohei which was wrecked on a sunken rock at the Pescadores. Upon the arrival here of one of the officers of the ill fated ship I was enabled to obtain full particulars of the disaster, although the exact loss of life has not been ascertained.
Upon the arrival of the Japanese fleet off the Pescadores in March, many of the Chinese troops retreated aboard junks and sailed for China, as soon as the hostile intentions of the
Japanese were made known. Others, whether through lack of transport or confidence in their own strength, merely left Fisher Island for some of the smaller and less important islands to the south, where they stirred up the natives into providing them with sustenance, threw up entrenchments, and promised the simple people the delivery of the Pescadores, and even of For mosa itself in time, from the possession of the bated wojen. They then lay back in a state of semi-luxury and waiting the arrival of the Japanese, whom they had no intention of op- posing but would be in readiness to accept a free passage to the mainland.
Having more important matters at hand the clearing out of these bands had been left until after affairs were settled on the mainland, so it was not until the 21st of this month that the fint visit with the intention of disturbing these self esteemed braves was attempted. The party [consisted of the chief civil officer in charge at the Pescadores, the Commander of the Pesca- dores garrison, the Commander of Gendarmes and a force of Gendarmes and policemen in all
liberty, was selected to carry the party, and she numbering 36. The I.J.S.S. Kohei being at
with them aboard left Makung harbour at 9.30 a.m. for the southern islands. The north-east monsoon was blowing its strongest, and owing to this strong wind the ship was forced to change her course a bit, and while coasting around to the south-east of the Rover Group, she ran on to a sunken rock at 11.53 a.m. with fearful force. The engines were at once re- versed, but without success, while the heavy wind's action astern forced her farther and far- ther on at every wave. She began to incline forward, the water rushing into her with great volume, although owing to the air tight compart- ments, which were immediately closed, there was no water aft. Preparations were at once made for deserting the ship, two or three rafts were hastily constructed, and an empty water tank with cable attached was converted into a buoy to mark the location of the wreck, as well offering a refuge for a few men in case all wer unable to reach the shore. At 12.25 p.m. the engines and pumps, which had been constantly at work, were stopped. In ten minutes more the forward set of boilers was submerged. T civil chief and thirty-five other passengers the pinnace and second cutters were first under way heading for the nearest island of the Rover Group, distant about two milés,
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At 1.05 the Doctor and Paymaster with their assistants and four sick men left the ship, in the first cutter, followed fifteen minutes later by a gig carrying the ship's charts papers, etc. with the ship's clerk and the steward, chief cook, and their assistants, also a Japanese boat carry- ing seven firemen At 1.45 the last boat was lowered and the engineers and firemen were ordered to leave with it,
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