H.M.S. CRESCENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 6, 8 January 1895, Page 2

H.M.S. CRESCENT.

ARRIVAL AT SYDNEY.

AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF HER

VISIT TO CHINA AND JAPAN

BELIEFS FOR THE FLAGSHIP, THE LIZARD, AND OTHER WARSHIPS.

{FEOM THE "SYDNEY MORNING HERALD,"

DECEMBER 31.)

iiONG looked for, the Crescenb, is ab last tenug in Farm Cove, with nearly 600 officer 8 bnd men destined to remain for three years •on the Australian station. It is a few days t)ver seven months since the same ship Came to Sydney with relief crews, <and in the ordinary course of events ehe would have boen here just months ago ; bub the unsettled state >t>f affaire in the Ear East caused a complete change of programme with regard to her movements after she bad lefb the English Channel for Sydney, as will be seen from the interesting account supplied by an officer of the cruiser. The Crescenb lefb "Plymouth on the 11th September for Sydney, having embarked 18 officers and <W5 men for the Orlando, four officers and S3 men for the Lizard, two officers and six .men for the Mildura, three officers and one man for the Rapid, and four men for the Curacoa. Despatches for the senior naval officer were landed at Gibraltar, and the ship made a stay of a little over 24 hours ab Halta, thence going on to Port Said. As it) waa necessary to go light through the Canal on account of her deep draughb of * water, coaling was postponed till, arrival at Suez, and the ship was pushed on through the night by the aid of her own electric searchlights. The Creecent arrived at Colombo on the Bth, and after coaling was to have proceeded to Sydney, where she was due on the 29bh October ; but when on the point of departure telegraphic orders were received from the Admiralty to go on to -Singapore, and further directions awaited ler there to re-inforce the China Squadron ■under the command of Vice-Admiral Sir Edmund Fremantle, K.C.B. Another death Jtook place here {a carpenter's mate), being the fourth since the ship commissioned. The ship was hurried north, and after a short stay at Hongkong to coal and complete with proviaions and stores she proceeded to join the Admiral at Chefoo. The arrival of such a fine addition to the fighting strength of the stabion was a .source of gratification to the Commander-Sn-Cbief, and the ship waa scarcely out of iiia sight during the time she was attached to the China command. Almost the first -act of the Admiral, after shifting hie flag to the Alacrity, despatch vessel, was to eelecb the Crescenb to escort him on a reconnoitring tour, proceeding firsb to Port Arthur, one of the principal Chinese aaval arsenals. The sudden arrival of an unknown man-of-war in the uncertain light which precedes the dawn brought a flotilla of torpedo boats abriub the ship, while the grey hulls of two Chinese ironclads could te detected wending their way oub of har*our. Soon after one of the forts signalled, " You ara standing into danger," the whole place being laid with sub-marine mines, so the British ships betook themselves to more hospitable waters. The Japanese fleet were fallen in with the same afternoon anchored behind the Elliot Group—some 13 or 14 battle ships, and several transports and colliers. .The Admiral had hoisted his flag on the Hasidate during the absence of the Matsushima, the vessel which received bo much damage and lost so many men at the battle of the Yaloo River. ....,;.' JAPANESE SHIPS CLEARED FOR ACTION.

The Japanese ships were all cleared ready for action-,—with steam up, and looked very serviceable in their sombre grey warpaint, which on the occasion of the Crescent's -visit was relieved by the naming red ensigns of Japan, hoisted in honour t)f the Emperor's birthday. It was noticeable thab very few of the ships carried boats, the facb being thab they were riddled by the quick-firing and machine guns in a recenb battle. After saluting and the usual exchange of courtesies the Admiral went on to Chemulpo. The masts of the ill-fated Kow Shing were

Been standing oub of the water a little to the northward of the porb, the only vestize itbat now remains to mark the spob where £he made the final plunge. A stay of five days was made ab Chemulpo, and on the 10th of November the Admiral pub to sea again, meeting the * Leander ab the entrance to the roadstead, who brought the intelligence that the Japanese had landed ab Ta-lien-whan-bay. This news decided him to send the Crescent at once to Porb Arthur, which would in all likelihood be the next point of attack.

THE VISIT TG PORT ARTHUR,

She arrived off the porb next morning, liub everything seemed quiet, and the Chinese did not appear apprehensive of any immediate attack. Commander Carter, Gunnery-Lieutenanb Murray-Ay naley, and Major Milne, R.M.L.L, were sent in bo try and gather information. From the local mandarin they learnt thab there were 20,000 troops present, though ib has since been considered doubtful if there were a quarter of that number. There appeared to be a considerable contingent of cavalry, judging from the number of shaggy little. Tartar ponies billebted in dockyard, the storehouses of which had been converted into barracks for the troops. The Chinese officers seemed quite sanguine of being able to hold the place, the approaches to which were guarded by strong earthworks mounted with breecb • loading ordnance. It was found thab the fleet had cleared out, and this they appear to have done on the responsibility of the Chinese naval officers, so the soldiers were—to me the mandarin'! expression—" like rats in a trap, with no means of escape," and ib was confidently anticipated that they would make a good stand (seeing thab a handful of resolute men should have been able to hold the arsenal againsb overwhelming odd 9). So bhe news came as a surpriee when ten days later the Porpoise brought the intelligence thab the place had fallen without the Japanese fleet firing a single shot.

Throughout the war the Chinese seem to have been completely demoralised. They have undoubtedly been badly armed, ill fed, and probably worse handled, whereas the organisation and equipmenb of the Japanese have been perfect, and they have invariably shown the greateab esprit de corps, a quality in which John Chinaman is woefully deficient. With the Chen Yuen (their besfe fighting ship) almost) hopelessly damaged by running on a rock while going into Wei-hai-wei, the Chinese fleet may be eaid to be non est, and if the winter does nob seb in boo early, ib is nob improbable the Japanese, may make a forward movement; on the capital. -' The arrival of the Edgar on the 21st November released the Crescenb from her duties in Chinese waters, and on the 23rd ehe parted from bhe fleet off the Shantuug Promontory, and proceeded to Hongkong, calling ab Nagasaki en route. After a short Btay to enable the ship to be coaled and provisioned, she quibted bhe station for Very few of the officers have visited Australia before. Commander Carter served on the station in the Calliope, fleeb-Surgeou Irvine in the Nelson and Espiegle, and ■Warrant-officers Flux and Tibheridge in the Wolverine. ...,-..

LIST OF PASSENGERS BY H.M.S. CRESCENT. For the Orlando :—Commander, Arthur W. Carter; lieutenants, Edmund P. E. Jervoise, John F. Murray Aynsley, Montagu Hulton, Archd. Deas, R.N.R. ; fleetpaymaster, Arthur S; D. Clarke; fleet surgeon, Gerard Irvine; Bub-lieutenant, Robert C. K. Lambert; assistant-pay-master, Leonard Harris; engineer, Albert E. C6x; assistant-engineer, J. J. Hare; gunners, Benjamin Titheridge, George J. Flux; boatswains, John V. Vinicombe, Samuel Kevern; assistant-clerk, Arthur Bumbury, John H. Roffey. For the Lizard :—Sub-lieutenants, William H. W. Boyle, Oswald English; assistant-paymaster in charge, Henry P. White; gunner, Edward C. Lee. For the Rapid:—Lieutenant, Fraa. A. H. Andrawa; boatswains, Barry Old, Jas. Sullivan.

For the Mildura :—Staff surgeon, Alfred H. Miller; Lieutenant R.M.L.1., Jno. F. V. S. Whibmarsh.

Lent'to the Crescent.—Chaplain, the Rev. Samuel A. Shone. LL.D., B.A.

Major Benjamin A. Milno, R.M.A., who waa in command of the Marine Detachment for the Orlando, left the Crescent at Chefoo, being ordered to Tientsin in command of a guard of marines for the protection of European lives and property in the settlement. •. . .-

Captain F. W. Fisher.is in command of the Crescent, but on arrival of the new Commander-in-Cbief he will take Over the duties of Flag Captain; whilo Captain Arbuthnob, of the Orlando, will take the Crescenb home.