INS. Woodcock visited Chungking 1900. During the upward voyage both ships came to grief at the Yeh tan Rapid. The Woodlark in trying to avoid a downward-bound junk, sheered In the rapid and struck the rocks, seriously damaging the bow. She was eventually secured alongside the bank below the rapid, and the damaged bow was repaired by the ips company after ten days of dif fault work and proceeded on the voyage in company with the Woodcock,.which had damaged both her propellers at the same rapid. No Court of Inquiry or Court Marliel was called for these accidents as. the Commander-in-Chief Sir E. H. Seymour, realized the dangers and dif-faulty In navigating the first steam vessel which reached Chungking other than a small steam launch which had previously ascended. the rapids with the assistance of trackers.
Thanked by Admiralty In this connection it te interesting to note that although both gunboats were identical the Woodlark steamed all the rapids without the assistance trackers, whilst the Woodcock required this help on two occasions Both Lieutenant Watson, now Admiral Sir H. D. Watson, and Lieutenant Hillman received the thanks of the Lords Commissioners of the ad-morally for their services in connection with the ascent of the Upper Yangtze.
During the Boxer Rebellion the Woodlark was stationed at Ichang for the protection of foreigners, and was there that Captain Hillman first met Sir Frederick Maze Inspector General of Customs then Mr. Maze who was at that time Commissioner of Customs.
Atter a short home leave Captain Hillman returned to China and was appointed British Admiralty Pilot after a training of six months in the "Indo-China 8, N. Ca. s. Kut Wo.
Ju 1906 Captain Hillman retired from the Navy and in February of that year joined the Customs Marine Department and was appointed as the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.