The N.Y.K. Yokohania-Shanghai line str. Chikuzen Maru, Captain Yasuhara, which arrived in Shanghai from Nagasaki on Monday, was fired at by the British converted cruiser that took off the 38 Germans and Austrians from the str. China recently, One shot hit the Chikuzen slightly, and there was much confusion and excitement among the passengers and crew, as it was first thought that the cruiser was a German pirate. The Iyo Maru, of the European line, which arrived on Saturday, -was also boarded by officers from the same cruiser at noon lash Friday.
o'clock on Sunday afternoon as the Chikuzen Maru was passing about 12 miles NN.E of the Baddles, in latitude 90°, 37. N. 198, 61 E., the cruiser, which it was afterwards learned was _the Laurentic, formerly a White Star liner, was sighted several away. The weather w hazy, and not only could the ship's officers not read the signals displayed by the man-of-war, but they were not even sure that it was a man-of-war. Suddenly the captain, who was on the bridge, saw that " gun had been discharged on the distant solid shot pass This was followed by another shot that lightly hit the boom over the forward hatch and glanced the rail as it passed from port to starboard, narrowly missing several third-class passengers who were standing on the main deck. Prior to this, two blank shots were vessel new flag, must have been visible to the cruiser. As soon as the captain saw from the gun fire that the cruiser wished him to stop, the Chikuzen have to, snd at five o'clock she was boarded by two officers and t allers bearing side arms and wearing uniforms of the British Naval Reserve.
When the boarding party came on deck Captain Yasuhara inquired their nationality and demanded to know by what authority they were boarding. a Japanese ship, but the officers refused to reply to this question, saying that their mi was a secret one, and the only information they would give was that they were from the same cruiser that had stopped the China and the Tenyo Maru.
According tothe purser, Mr. Min-ogawa, who was seen on by a representative of the "North China Daily News," and whose account we quote above, the officers demanded full information regarding the Chikuzen, her tonnage, cargo, ports of call, destination, ete. The crew and passengers, with the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.