December 21st.—The Governor of Formosa furnishes a report of the circumstances connected with the loss of the Waiting The steamer had been commissioned on the 6th of October to convey to their respective posts the acting Magistrates of Taiwan and Chia-yi, as also the Prefect of the latter place who had been to the North of the island to consult with the Governor on official business. She started from Tamsui on the Jith October and a report of the casualty having been received very shortly afterwards, the s.s. Fei Chieh was sent to search for her. From the reports which were subsequently received from the Prefect and other officers on board, it appeared that the vessel started in the afternoon of the 11th and encountered a heavy sea and tercritic gales. On the following day at noon she sighted the Pescadores and immediately afterwards ran upon a sunken rock. Her hull was greatly damaged and the water was level with the hatches. Captain Peter? sen, the foreigner in command, ordered boat to be lowered, but it was dashed to pieces by the fury of the waves: Those on board rushed up on the quarter deck where they sat with the prospect of a speedy death staring them in the face. After a consultation, the foreigners again lowered a boat in which the Prefect and some others went against a head wind and raging sea to the Pescadores for assis tance. Reaching their destination at the second watch of the night they reported the to the authorities and Captain at once gut together eight boats rs and set of at once to the rescue.
Early next morning 40 Chinese and 10 foreigners were taken off, ten of the former and one of the latter being drowned. The fore part of the vessel was broken up, the stern rested upon the rock and was only two or three feet above water, and the bottom was stove in, Rewards were offered for the salvage of the cargo and twenty two pieces of the gear and fitting recovered. The word, however, which is stored away in the forehold is'all under water, and diving operations will have to be undertaken in order to recover it. The Governor had Captain Petersen brought before him and closely questioned as to the cause of the casualty. He stated that the wind and waves were so great that the ship got out of control and ran upon a hidden rock, and that there was no error or mistakes in the course steered by the compass. The Governor observes that the spot where the disaster occurred was the scene of the wreck of the Hong Hai, year before lust, and being studded ith hidden rocks, presents great danger navigation, and accepts the above statement as' representing the actual circumstances connected with the loss of the steamer. He has forwarded capi of Captain Petersen's evidence to the Tsung-li Yamen and to the Board of Adwiralty and he draws special attention to the services performed by Captain Li lin, by whose exertions more. than 50 lives were saved. Under the Fouchow rage Regulations a person who saves note than ten lives is entitled to have 1 statement made in his favour and evertior How asks permission to ad+ dress the Board separately on the subject of the reward to be conferred on Captain Li. Granted by rescript.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.