(ey ©. ime aver vant.)
At such time as newspapers speak of experiments made of torpedoes at the king Arsenal by order of Tao Tsung-t'a in case vf diplomatic complications with France, it would not be perhaps without Some interest to know at what date these destructive machines were introduced into China, and to mention the opinion of the Chinese officials who were ordered at that time to make a trial of them, This fact has been stated by Liang Chang. chit, Governor of Fukien, in a collection of miscellanies and essays which he published in 1845 under the title of Long-chi Tsung Han (Chapter V). This welter has devoted two pages of his work to the shui let or aquatic thunder" (the name given by the ow 4), and the following ix a translation of these two pa "Tt has be skitiui divers vessel ami emp tire. © Directly all bursts like thunder No vessel, however strongly built, could t being severed to pieces.
"One of the ' Hanists' of Canton, named his head to make this mode; bur he 14 for nine en to Peking submit them respectfully to His Majesty's inspection. During the Sth month of the year of 1 4's reign (1813) together.
Shortly after, these authorities sent the following report to the throne: During the Jth months we tried the torpedoes at the port of Taku (Tientsis cing had a raft made with four layers of trunks of coarse ines @ 8 tse in diameter and G chang in gth, we put it out to sea and fixed it y means of anchor chains; then we torpedo of the capacity of 120 chin placed under the cork out by webed, we heard after a few minutes something like a clap of thunder, and saw the sea suddenly rise high and the raft fly in pieces everywhere; pieces of wood flew towards the sky with the smoke, and (0 At that time it was supposed by the Chinese that the torpedo Was a sort of bultie well cxtkeal which Bre and blew cly aseoom as ths cork was taken the be tele Bud la with water.
1G) Shies ott, Be ents: me (Ceaniaphamia lance lade) of Southern China (8, Wells Willeanis Dictionary). the sea-water rose like a water-spent. The torpedoes are really useful as machines for war, ete.' The same authorities sent also to His Majesty an explanatory picture of a torpedo in order to have it engraved.
According to our opinion, this ma-chino is very good; but if one had not the ingenious ideas of the barbarians Europeans), it would be impossible to make torpedoes, and without the means (money) of Hanisis, torpedoes could not be fabricated. As the sen has a wide extent and its waters ran high everywhere, how could these machines be made to reach just under the keel of the enemy's vessel and blow up the whole of it without bei It is not a thing that.a blind lettre or a man having a superficial knowledge (like me) would dare to know."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.