The excitement manifested for some hours before the start of the squadron from Shanghai for Tientsin, on the morning of the 9th instant, appears to have been maintained throughout the voyage to Taku, where the race may be said to terminate, though of course honours are counted by the steamer which first threads the mazes ofthe Peiho and moors first alongside the bund of the dusty Settlement of Tientsin. The start from Shanghai was made at about 5.30 on the morning named, and although eight steamers were announced, five only appear to have taken Bore in, Haining and Taku; and the wart in' the race, viz., the 0.C.S.N.
G.M.S.N. Gos Fungshun and Pautah, The order in which they got underweigh was—Zaku, 1; Fungshun, 2; Haining, 3; Pawtah, 4; and Appin, 8. They steamed along in this order until reaching the north end of Bush Island, where the Fungshun passed the Taku, and off Drinkwater Point the Pautah took second place. The two leading steamers now seem to have made a race of it between themselves, for no other changes were apparent; the "other three vessels maintaining their positions. The Fungshun, however, had to yield the laurel of victory to the Pautah, which vessel arrived at Taku bar on the afternoon of the 11th instant, abare quarter of an hour in advance of hor. The Taku arrived next, 2} hours after the Fungshun; the Haining followed, a hours after the Taku; and the Appin hours after the Haining. Tt will thus be seen that the race of 700 miles was pretty closely contested; but it should be mentioned that the Pautah and Fungshun were " flying light," each drawing only ten feet, whereas the Taku drew 13 feet 3 inches, the Appin and Haining being correspond ingly deep.
Contrary to expectation, the weather at Taku was found to be unseasonably warm, and the Peiho clear of ice! It appears that about a week before the arrival of the squadron, the cold showed signs of giving, and this, coupled with one or tivo high tides, 80 broke up the ice that it was nearly all swept away in one night, leaving the river open to navigation at a much earlier period than is usually the case. Indeed, it is said that such an early and sudden' break-up administering relief on a well formed plan,; had never before occurred within the meand on the same widespread principle that mary of the oldest foreign resident at Taku oF navigator of the Peiho.
The Pautah and Fungshun, therefore, drawing light, were at once enabled to cross the bar, and on to Tientsin, Steaming up the Peiho, the Pautah, it is said, collided with and sunk a junk, doing some damage to her own bow. The Fungshun was the first steamer to arrive at Tien-isin. The other thre steamers crossed the bar on the next tide.
The O.N. Co.'s steamers Foochow, Chefoo, and Newehicung, although started at nearly the same time as the five above-named, do not appear to have taken part in the race.
the return voyage to Shanghai, the Fungshun started some hours before the Tak, but was detained on the bar, which allowed the latter to come up with her. She crossed at about eight p.m. on the 13th, and the Taku half-an-hour later. The Tal: passed the Fungshun fifty miles to the southward of the 8.E. Promontory, and gradually increased her lead until she arrived at Shanghai, which port she reached at 4.15 on Saturday morning, the Fungshun arriving about three quarters of an hour later. The Pawlah and Haining were also to have left Tientsin on the 13th; but they had to call at Chefoo. The Appin did not leave Tientsin till 11 a.m, on the 14th, and arrived at Shanghai yesterday moning, having made the run in 60 hours.
But by a strange reversal of the usual course of events on the reopening of the Tientsin trade, the passage up the Peiho was on this occasion first made by the sailing vessel Hedvia, Captain John Davey, belonging to Mr. Nils Moller—the Hedvig being snugly moored at Tientsin three days before the steamers started from Shanghai. The Hedvig was followed by others of Mr. Méller's ships, the last of which arrived on the 9th inst.—the day the steamers commenced their voyage. But Captain Davey shall tell his story in his own words "T never saw the least sign of any ice during the. When We arrived at the Bar, the ice was two feet thick in the river, but the weather was very warm during the day, and on the 4th instant the ico commenced to break up at Tientsin. On the 5th, the weather being very fine, of course I was anxious to be at Tientsin first; and thinking it too much risk to send the Hilda into the river, made up my mind to chance it with the Hedvig. I lined the bows with poles, and having the towboat ahead we started. To our surprise there was very little ice in the river, and what there was had all drifted on to the banks, and we arrived safely in Tientsin on the 6th instant, with not even a scratch on the copper. The Zulu came in on the 8th, and the Hilda the same day; the Charley arrived on the 9th; all well, except the Zulv, a junk having run into her off the Promontory, but ten dollars will repair all damage."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.