Tokio, 11th October,
floating mine in Pigeon Bay, Port The gunnery ship Heiyen struck a Arthur, on the 18th ult,, amidships on the starboard side. She sank in four or five minutes and there was no chance to rescue the crew, of whom only four were saved.—Our own c¢ lent, The Heiyon was formerly the Chinese cruiser Pingyuon, and was taken by the Japanese at Weihaiwei in' 1895, She was built in Foochow in 1890. Her displacement was 2,067 tons, and her peed 10.2 knots. She had an 8-inch armour belt, 12 guns, and " complement of 300.-Ep, We: have to thank: the Consul-General for Japan for the following official telegram received by him on Tuesday Tokio, 11th October.
Hosoya reports that the gunboat Heiyen en; out the'f8th September on Steak guuntetia near Pigeon Bay had been missed since that date, Four -of her crew were afterwards found on w neighbouring island. It appears that a storth was raging at nightfall on the 18th of Seplember and the -Heiyen, while returning, struck:.one of the enemy's floating mines and sank in a few minutes. All her crew are believed to have been lost except the above-mentioned survivors and seventeen others, who were detached for land service at Hokushin.
The Consul-General has: also received from the Japanost Minister at Peking, and has kindly communiecated to us, the terriis of the: Basperor of. Japan's rescript which. appearg above,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.