Fu Yun, Governor of Shantung, states that in accordance with the instructions of the Tsungli Yamen, ordering the officials having jurisdiction' along the seacoast and those at the head of the life saving stations along the coast, to be ever on the look out to render assistance to shipwrecked people, be they native or foreign, irrespective of nationality, and offering rewards to the energetic who have saved at least thirty lives and punishment to the indifferent, the memorialist now desires to bring to the notice of the Throne the following circumstance and asks that the promotions named in the memorial may be granted the energetic officers concerned. On the 26th of June, 1892, the China Merchant's Steam Navigation Co.'s steamer Hsinsheng while sailing past Heilu-iitao or Black Donkey island, to the north-west of the city of Yungch'éng, during a thick foy, came across some sunken rocks and having a hole made in her was in immediate danger of sinking. The passengers and sailors hurried to the ship's boats for safety on account of which many were dashed into the sea. Fortunately for the zeal and energy of the expectant Chehsien Cheng Chih-ch'ang thea acting magistrate of Yungeh'éng; Ch'éng Ting-liang, Capt. Commanding the Naval forces of Yungch'éng district; and the expectant' subnmgistrate Chiang K'ui-t'ai, head of the life saving station there, who hurried tothe rescue of the shipwrecked people, at the head of their soldiers and runners, they succeeded in saving thirty-nine men belonging to the crew of the Hsinsheng, including the European Captain and officers, and fifty-four of the passengers on board that steamer, The three officials above-named also em: ployed a num! of divers who hin fifty days, with considerable difficulty managed to salve at various times the sunken cargo valued at over Tls. 20,000, all of which was told out and returned into the hands of the China Merchants Company. All this was i reported to the memo: ist who kept a record of these officials' doings. When one comes to think of the great 1 t the time home by these officers and their men, and that regardless of comfort they remained aniongst breakers and huge waves directing their men with unflagging zeal und holding watchful care over the shipwrecked property day and night for so long atime, so that nothing that could be helped was lost or stolen, the memorialist cannot bnt acknowledge that these officials have distinguished themselves by extra zeal and energy, and that they relly deserve the rewards due them according to the Tsungli Yamen regulations above-named, and that, moreover, the rewards should be accorded to them in order to encourage the emulation of others. Memorialist therefore, at the recommendation of the acting Intendant of the Teng-lai-tsing, Li Chen-yung, now requests that the former acting district magistrate of Yungch'énghsien, the expectant magistrate Cheng Chih-ch'ang, be made an. independent. sub-prefect, after shall have filled the post of de facto district magistrate, with the privilege of wearing Leforehand the button (crystal) of a subprefect; that the Chihli expectant sub-magistrate, Chiang KCai-tai, head of the life saving station, may be made a full district" magistrate with the brevet button of a sub-prefect, without the necessity of filling a de facto sub-magistracy, and that the Captain in command of the Yungch'éng-hsien Naval forces should be made expectant Commodore for their services in the present instance. The Imperial bounty is therefore now requested in this matter, and the memorialist also takes the oppor: tunity of sending to the Boards of Civil Appointments and War the official antecedents (hi-lich) of the officials named in the present memorial. This memorial has also received the approbation and bears the name of Li Hung-chang, Peiyang Superintendent of Trade.—Rescript: Let it be as requested and let the yamen concerned take note.
29th August.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.