Hongkong, 28th October, 1898.
My Dear T.—As you are desirous of obtaining my account of the above, being one of thie defenders of the Settlements an a volunteer for the Woosung naval cop, Twill give it you as succinctly as possible. I may, perhaps, later on, go in for a more detailed description and publish, if no abler pen meanwhile undertakes the task, but just now I am not sufficiently at leisure.
'You are aware that since '90 we have had various difficulties with the Chinese, brought about by missionaries; and which wore, of also know, settled very unsatisfactorily by money indemnities and a few coolies' or convicts' heads—bought by the officials, presumably, at about Tls. 50 per capt. Viewed in the light of late events it would appear that although the reparation exacted for the Sungpu murders differed in no sense from that obtained for prior outrages, yet on account of the storm of indignation Yaised by these particularly barbarous and atrocious crimes, they, the Chinese ruling classes and literati, concluded the strain had almost reached the breaking point, and that henceforth the foreigner would. have to be dealt with radically, in his strong hold, when the opportunity presented itself, as it was evidently impossible to rid themselves of the hated presence by attacking the offshoots, and that fitfully and in their heretofore desultory manner. They are a patient and apparently a stolid race, but they are in reality a remarkably astute people, and, as a rule, never lose sight of an object they have once in view. Hence the comparative quietude prevail the outports and elsewhere since the Sungpu murders, and which had led many to believe that a new order of things had been inaugurated at last, and seemingly for good. And more strange still, while Shanghat was passing through her fiery ordeal, peace was absolute for the foreigner elsewhere throughout the Empire, doubt. they thought that with the foreigner driven out of Shanghai all the rest would have to {follow and without much coercion. But they, as usual, were blinded by their hereditary vanity, and had e oblivious of. past lessons, and unquestionably ce: sidered it a matter of armaments and drill—aud not race. At all events the pill they have just had' to swallow, and the drastic medicine they will yet have to take, stand them in good stead for at least another generation, even if it does not wean them altogether from their suicidal habits.
It had been suspected by a few of those best acquainted with their Chinese environment that an opportunity was waited for to make a clean sweep of the foreigner; to drive him away if possible by scare, but to drive him away atoll events, no matter-what extremes had to be resorted to in effecting that purpose. The Shanghai community, generally, pooh-poohed the idea of any con-carted raid being made on the Settlements, or at least any that would not be easily repelled by the forces at our disposal, Towards the end of June (98), however, rumours were rife that contemporaneously with the breaking out of war in Europe, which imminent, and considered unavoidable, ign-drilled native troops would be massed in the vicinity of Shanghai, and a demonstration made, which not having the desired effect, the Settlements would be attacked and destroyed by fire. If the foreign population took the hint and quietly vacated the place and took passage for Hongkong or Japan, they would expe-nonce no molestation, otherwise they would have to take the consequences of their obstinacy. Such was the programme freely circulated for some days, and at last when news arrived that general eonflagration had broken out in Europe, the rumour began to take form; an advance column some thousands strong being met, on the 20th July, by two residents out for a ride some 10 miles from the Settlements. We had only six men-of-war of all nationalities in Shanghai at the time, therefore Hongkong, Japan, and the various treaty ports were communicated with, the authorities advised of the state of affairs, and all the assistance procurable requisitioned. The few ships of war in China and Japan waters representing the belligerents in Europe, on receiving the intimation, were at once in accord as to the necessity of suspending hostilities as between themselves, in order to make common cause in aid of their fellow-countrymen at the mercy of China's villainous soldiery and mobs. The Chinese authorities sented not to impede, but rather to facilitate, communication, xs no obstacle occurred over the Chinese Telegraph lines; the reason to be assigned for such courtesy being no doubt. their knowledge of the utmost strength of the naval force that could possibly be brought against them. They in fact felt that the moral effect of their fleet anchored at Woosung, and their 100,000 foreign-drilled troops, was quite sufficient, therefore, afforded. us every' fnoility for to make us depart in peace, and they,
doing so, never dreaming' for a single moment that we could have the tome: and foolhardiness to.try conclusions with them in the face of such overwhelming odds; therefore, as time was never of much' consequence from a Celestial point of view, they were contented to look on with apparently dignified unconcern, and watch the course of events at their leisure merely advancing their land forces grad: ually, and now and then making a demon: tration as an intimation that they were in earnest.
'There was no time lost by the authorities at Hongkong, Japan, and. the various treaty ports, as they considered the situation pregnant with danger; so within six days there was congregated at Woosung all' the foreign naval force in China and Japan, exclusive of those in Shanghai, amounting in all to 21. vessels—mostly British—ranging from 2,000 tons down to 450, There were, however, only three over 1,200 tons, and only one armoured. The remainder were gunboats. The total displacement of the whole fleet as about 17,000 tons; while that of the Chinese, being the cream of the Tmperial Navy, consisted of five ironclads with a total displacement of 35,000 tons, four armoured cruisers with 17,000, four corvettes of 12,000, and nine gunboats, whose aggregate tonnage amounted to 8,500; a balance against us of 53,500 tons, or more than four times our bulk and immeasurably superior in fighting equipment and capacity; an undoubtedly magnificent force, that lucked but one factor vf suecess—the men to handle As the foreign vessels reached the anchorage at Woosun or as near as they could got, they were boarded and berthed from the Chinese Admiral's flagship, and each commander informed that his' ship could not be allowed to proceed to Shanghai if attempting to do so in spite of that intimation they would befired on, A meeting was therefore signalled to take place immediately on board the British Admiral's flagship Chanticleer, and it was there and then suggested to simultaneously slip cable by signal and each vessel to board that of the enemy marked out, and the giants of the fleet being in their hands they would at once be masters of the situation. But there were many dissentient voices; the reason assigned being, that although no doubt existed in the minds of any present of the success of the enterprise, yet, such a course might jeopardize the lives of the residents at Shanghai, by whetting a desire for vengeance, reckless of ulterior consequent ces; and,' after an animated discussion, during which precautions were taken there should be no Chinese eavesdroppers, discretion won the day, and it was resolved to despatch whatever force the Chinese would permit to Shanghai, to reconnoitre and consult with the authorities there as to the issest measures to adopt in the impending risis. The smallest gunboat, on applica: tion being made to the Chinese Admiral, was allowed to go up to the Settlements with the French and English Admirals, ith their staffs, on board, and there it was unanimously resolved to send the women, children and other non-combat ants on' board the merchant shipping in harbour and defend the Settlements against the enemy; and if eventually we
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.