ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND CHINESE FLEETS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1211, 15 May 1885, Page 3

ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND CHINESE FLEETS.

The North- China ‘Uauy News’ states that the tugboat Full Ice arriv-d at Suanghai from Sheepoo on the 18th February, and reports that on tne loth, on arrival at Montague Island, she came upon a French fleet cruising. She was immediately boarded liy a steam launch from the admiral's ship Bayard, and the officers in charge of the launch refused to give any intelligence as to what had been done, o- as to the whereabouts of the Chinese fleet. Tde Fuulee was allowed to pi oceed next day. and she entered Sheepoo roads, where there were seen two vessels of the Chinese fleet wrecked, one of which was tho 23-guu frigate Yu Yuen. At that tune she was standing with her sails bent and hj r p'-n nant flying. At a little dis anoe lay the Olh-T vessel, the Cneng Chinu, he.-l d over to starboard, also with her pennant flying, while a steam launch, half tilled, lay upon the beach. The mhibitau’s of the village had already began to plunder the unfoi tu mite vessels. The mizzen-topsad of the Yn Yuen ha i been cut away, and the spanker was partly gone. Uu shore some of the villagers w. re dually engaged in hauling up one of the hatcUes f. om off the vessel The crew were found wretchedly hj used in ihe village, and from their ap pearance and statement it was evident that they had been received with wretched inhospitably. The villagers ha I tried their utmost to prevent the shipwrecked men from landing, and it was only ny their superior numbers and a display of firearms that the men of warsmen were able to induce their countrym n 10 receive them an 1 offer th-m shelter. Among the crew on bore was Mr Uichardsou, chief engnn er of VicesAdmira- Ting’s ship, the only foreigner on board of the ih-fated vessel I‘ho Fuhlee took on board Mr Richardson ami about a dozen of the crew from the vessels, but during the night, while the tugboat lay in the Sheepoo roads, the electric light from one of the French veseols was plainly seen, and about half of the Chinese ra “ii-of-wars men, who had gone on hoard, left for the shore, fearing least the Fnhlee, on her wav lack to Shanghai, should fall into the hands of the French. The Fnhlee left on Tuesday morning, the French fleet beinj then invisible. She arrived here about 22 hours later, when we were enabled t - gather the following partiou ars of the engagement which ended so disastrously for the Yu Yuen and Cheng Ching : The Chinese fleet, or relief squadron, comprising the Nanshan and N nshui. Ceimaii built rams, the Kaichi, Yu Yueng, and Cheng Ching, left Shanghai on the 23rd January for the ostensible purpose of raising the blockade of Form sa. Instead of pursuing that object, they made slow progress down the coast till they gut to Shv.poo roads keeping west instead "f going east, and the morning of the 13th found the fl a et anchored inside of Montague Island. Th y got up steam at five o’clock in the morning, and g d undiTivcigh at six o’clock, bound for Chnsan. Immediately after entering and rounding the southern end of tho island the French fle d were reported in sight and they prepared for action. The Chinese Admiral from the Kaichi signalled “south,” and the fl-et started at full speed in that ireetton ; the Ninshui, Nanshan. and Kaichi lending, the Cheng Ching following and steering to go outside, the Yu Yuen, a much slower vessel than the others, bringing up the rear. The French seeing this, crowded in between, and tried to cut off the Yu Yuen from Unrest of the fleet. As she rounded the southern end of the island, the weather being hazy, tho Yu Yuen los sight of her comrades ; while the French fleet followed her closely in line, the largest of her vessels, the Triomphant, being in the van The Cheng Ching, Vice-Admiral Ting’s ship, found herself unable to keep up will the Ninshui, Nanshan, and Kaichi, aim accordingly gave up the attempt, and steered the same course as the Yu Yuen, passing ahead of her, and taking the lead in entering the narrow strait to the westward of the island. The Yu Yuen is really only a nine-knot vessel, hut by the use ol extreme expedients she was forced to a spec.-' of 12 kimts. The tide being fortunately then liahc. both this ship and the Chong Ching 1 were enabled to pass into the narrow strait, where the Frenchman could not follow. Had they remained out-ide. however, there is little doubt that their file would have ! been the same, with the exception that the crews would have been lost instead of eettiug ashore, to become depen--1 dant upon the tender mercies of their un hospitable countrymen. By this time the French fleet had given up the chase aft“r the Nanshui, Nanshan, and Kaichi, and

turned all their attention upon the other 1 two vessels. At ten o’clock on the same moruing the Yu Yuen and Cheng Ching anchored off Shepoo village, and remaiue 1 there during the whole of that day. At ten o’clock at night three torpedo boats from the French fleet entered the middle pass and tried to reach them, but after an hour’s fire they were driven off, the Chinese using both large and machine guns. About four o’clock on the morning of the 15th a number of fishing boats coming home for the New Year dropped up with the tide, and came alongside of the YuYuen, two orthree of them coming suspiciously near. Wh*-n hailed from the man-of-war the occupants

replied in Chinese, and all at mice when the fishing ■ boats were 'within' h'alf\i» ships lengtu of the Yu Yuen..two to p«>lo lioats dirteil from between' them, and' Wore anything could ho done to pr event them hey shot underneath, so omse that no gun onul > be depressed sufficiently toVeaohth n.« The three torpeco Units reached tee {rig te at (he same time, but the torpedoes fiom one of them failed to explode, .She immediately steered for the Cheng Ching, leaving the frigate to her comrade,. when ihe l itter came so close under the -stern of Yu Yu n that the chief gunner, being unable t > use his gun, aud having no rifle handy, reached »ut of the pot and knocked down oneFrenchman with a gun sponge. The F.etich, however, succeeded in exploding a torpedo under the frigatd's.bottom. The shook was most territio, and seemed to lift the ship bodily out of the water During the whole of the brief time that the boats were within Aping distance the Chinese kept up a perfect hail of shots from rifles and pistols, the French re aming the (ire with revolvers A bullet from one of these entered the breast of a sailor on one of the yards of the Yu Yuen. This is said to have been the only casualty on the part of the Chinese, though the Chinese speak positively as to there having been some loss of life on the part of the French, apart from the torpedo boat, which is supposed to have been sunk. The Cheng Ching was explo ed by a torpedo at th same time, and both vessels gradually tilled; theCheng Chmg gradually settling find heeling over as the tide fell, while the Yu Yu n remained afloat until alf-past eight in the morning, when she steadily s .nit. All the men got safely ashore, with the exception of the second engineer of the Yu Yucu who was drowned by the accidental c ipsizing of one of the boats Or r was given to land as soon as the ships began to sink, Ah Yung being the last man to leave the frigate. The men were most inhospitably received, bui by dint of force effected a lan ling and obtained shelter un it half-past eight that evening. Th- pass ige was li.hte 1 1-y the electric hghtfrom the French vess Is, and the launch appeared provided with a light, her apparent purpose being to see the effect of the nioru’ng’a work, and to sansfy herself that the w rk had been sueces-fully arc raplished and the vessels destroyed. While there are no two opinions wi hj regard to the conduct of the Chinese admiral in giving orders to run away, and allowing be ihree faster vessels to desert their two slow and obsolete comra es, it does not appear that any blame can be at ached to 'he com manders of the Cheng Ching and Yu Yuen, left as they were tn protect thems Ives nd being unable to escape by speeu. There is little doubt that if any oihur course had been taken than that adopted, the vessels wool I st 11 have been destroyed and very considerable loss of life incurred. According to accounts received, nothing coni i hive been done batter than the defence off ;re 1 by the Chinese to the torpedo boats, considering the great disa I vantage they were placed at by the inky darkness of the night and absence of search lights.