The City of Peking, which arrived here on Friday, had a serious collision on the night of Sunday, the 15th inst., when in the Kii Channel on her way to Kobe, being run into by a Japanese man-of-war and considerably damaged. At about ten minutes to seven, just before dinner, the passengers were alarmed by a tremendous crash, and in a few moments it was found that the vessel had been struck on the port side by a man-of-war, afterwards discovered to be of Japanese nationality, about 40 feet of the rails and one of the boats being carried away. The force of the collision seemed tremendous, and it was feared that the steamer had sustained serious damage—in fact that she would sink. The most praiseworthy coolness was, however, preserved by all, and very noticeably by the ladies. Orders were given for the boats to be swung, and life-belts were served out, but, on examination, it was discovered that, fortunately, the damage was not so serious as had been feared and that the steamer could proceed safely to Kobe, where she arrived about midnight. The behaviour of the man-of-war after the collisionisinexplicable, for without stopping enquire what damage she had caused che went on her way.
An interesting function tuck place after dinner on Thursday night on board the City of Peking, when Capt. Smith was presented with an address by th- passengers. Mr. F. A. Blake, brother of the Governor of Hongkong, was made spokesman. He said: "Captain Smith, the passengers on this ship, having a vivid recollection of the fearful peril to which they were exposed at the time we were run into by the Japanese war-ship, deem it a duty and a pleasure to give some expression to the admiration they feel for the splendid manner in which you, your officers and crew, acted at that trying time. Phe coolness with which your orders were
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.