JAPAN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 188, 12 August 1869, Page 2

JAPAN.

■ „ A .CUTTING-OTJT AFFAIR. , V We, .Overland Mail, are in possession of full particulars of. a naval engagement, or rather a surprise, in Miaco Bay, in which the Eagle, the best ship of I2nomoto's piratical squadron, distinguished herself by a vmost gallant attempt to cut out the Stonewall. Our authority is the European captain of one of the Mikado's fleet, whose ship was iu the action, and the following account may. be relied on as accurate:— " About five a-.m, on the 6th, a strange sail was seen in the offing from the deck y of the Bushi Maro (late Filipino) .flying American colours. Captain Webster, an . English officer in command of the Filipino, immediately made her out to be the Eagle,, and warned his Japanese crew to prepare for action. The nativo officers maiutained (hat it could not be the Eagle, as that vessel had two funnels and three . masts, whereas tho stranger had but two masts and one funnel. The fact was that, after being dismasted, as we mentioned some time ago, she bad not received her full rig. No preparations were made on board the Bushi Maro, nor indeed on board any other of the Imperial ships, the Stonewall'a broadside guns in particular being still hampered up with firewood and tubs of saki and provisions, as on board all Japanese vessels under Japanese controlAfter reconnoitring for some time; and seeiug that no preparations were making to receive her, the Eagle put on a full head of steam and came straight into the harbor, passing close to the Filipino^ "which had hoisted the English colors, and drove stem on to the Stonewall. There is only one way of aecbuntiug for this piece of stupidity— -that, in the excitement.of the moment, the order' full speed astern' was mistaken for ' full speed ahead,' for before she struck the ironclad, she. was seen to stop her engines once. Of course the result was that the Eagle's bow was completely stove in, and we nave' probably heard the last of her, for she must have been in a sinking , condition when she afterwards fled. Very little damage was done to the Stonewall, of course, her bul- - warks only suffering. A gallant attempt , was then made by the Eagle's crew to board the ram under cover of a very heavy fire of musketry,, but it was unsuccessful every man who reached her deck being immediately cut down. Just thenj a young Satsuma man on board the Filipino foolishly fired his rifle, and brought down upon the transport the broadside, of the Eagle.' A fire vwas kept up on her from three guns, one loaded with heavy conical shot, the other two with grape and canister ; the crew, being unprepared to reply ran below, and had she been boarded she might have been taken "with the greatest ease. Two of her officers, two paymasters, two boatswains, and six inen cut the falls ;of a boat in the davits, dropping into it, and made for the shore. For fifteen minutes, the captain was -the only man left on deck. : One conical shot ,camein through the side, went through two y; Japanese cabins, the captain's cabin, the engineer's cabin* and the engjtne-rooin door, finally breaking off large iron bitts, and going through the other side. Another passed through the side of the. cookhouse, killed thiiee men and wounded four, and then passed thro ugh the European officers* mess-room, smashing their crockery and preserved provisions and finally.- through the other side. A third struck:.obput four inches above the water line making ahole, which had to be plugged and covered with lead and -copper before the ship could move. The whole of her starboard side was pitted with grape and cannister, aud the rigging, masts, and sails badly cut up.; The captain's steward got a' rifle bullet through his leg, being; the only;; other, man wounded. /By ■■ -.this'.", timeauother of the Imperial ships,, the Keangsee, bad prepared r for action, and opened fire on [ the Eagle, .[on, vij|nch she turned round; and steamed outi^bf the ; harbor. ' ; Sh^-jinust have suffered con-: siderably, besides * the probable; .damage, %' done to her bow,-; for what men; were; on. board the Stonewnll (part, of her" crew; ; were on shore); kf']>t up ay' shai^fire,:of : '.■';■ rifles upon her decks at about fpistblt shot distance. Of seven';, foreigners'^noticed^on r r : , herX bridge she^:^^^^^^^^!,;':; "■'. *;;ihree. were, seenl!ibyfaliyiiai^ .;rsaid;' : n£ne ; o£^ lto^take:4h^-Stbnewat^ '■^-->"^wo^pnb^q^ v : the^ay:^^,soonjas|:^e|js|eapp^ "#)t^p^bEo^r)i|fch'e^k^6 f s:^

toen^shlpped^tj^e ships got under way in pursuit, Filipino being sent down with 40 wounded "men— her .own and the Stone■wall's—to Yeddo, she arrived on the 9th inst. We have since heard of the arrival of the Imperial fleet in Awamori Bay, but nothing had been seen of the Eagle ; or her companions. There- is reason to helieve that Enomoto was made acquainted with the uDprepared state of the. lmperial fleet while it was lying in Miaco Bay."