NAVAL ACTION BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE IN FORMOSA.

Southland Times, Issue 1178, 18 June 1869, Page 3

NAVAL ACTION BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE IN FORMOSA.

It appears that, peaceful negotiations having failed to obtain satisfaction for the the recent outrages in Formosa, her Britannic Majesty's gunboats Algerine and Bustard proceeded to Amping, the port of Taiwanfoo, to take possession of that place and its fort, Zelandia, as a reprisal. The chief cause of this quarrel appears to be attributed to the opposition of the local authorities to the presence of European missionaries. The following particulars of the engagement are given by a correspondent of the * Overland China Mail' : — " After formerly taking possession of Amping, Lieut. Gurdon, of the Algerine, tfe-embarked his men, expecting to command the place by the guns of his vessel. On Wednesday, Nov. 25, the Taiwanfoo authorities sent down 500 men to reoccupy the place. This they did, and beganactively to mount guns to defend the place. Lieutenant Gurdon having been informed of this, sent a letter to the Chinese military commander in the place that if within an hour he had not evacuated the fort and town, he (Lieutenant Gurdon) must proceed to shell it. At the same hour lie warned the inhabitants to clear out. His remonstrance was in vain, so, for an hour and a. half before nightfall, he cautiously and slowly poured in shot and shell into the fort. In the evening Lieutenant Gurdon received Mr Gibson's letter detailing the conference of the previous day and its results and showing how much their speedy fulfilment depended on his keeping fast hold of Amping. Lieut. Gurdon seeing, however, be was being shut out of the place altogther, determined to storm it. About midnight be landed with a party of volunteers, 25 in all, passing through the •urf in safety themselves, but losing one of their boats in it. They lay in wait behind a bank on the shore until the moon was fairly down, and then all undiscovered, sallied right into the place. Making their way to the Hiaptai 'Szamen they found it filled with soldiers. The.lieut. invited them by an interpreter to lay down their arms, but they refused and 8 a owed fight, and in self-defence the assaulting party wa3 compelled to fire. They did so, killing eleven men and wounding six others ; the rest of the garrison took to flight. A few hours later, in the daylight of morning, Lieut. Gurdon while examining the approaches from Taiwanfoo, heard the noise of a large body of men in the distance, and having planted his men, they shortly descried a party, which was afterwards ascertained to be composed of 250 Honan braves — when at about 150 yards the Algerines with their Sniders opened fire on the advancing braves, who Btood for about five minutes returning the fire. After losing 6 men killed and 10 wounded, however, they turned tail and fled to Taiwanfoo, leaviDg Lieutenant Gordon and his blue-jackets in possession of the prize. The terms demanded have been fully complied with by the Chinese, and the local authorities have been suspended by the Foochow Viceregal Government." — Glasgow paper.