AN EXCITING CHASE.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 116, 13 November 1900, Page 5

AN EXCITING CHASE.

China papers by the last mail gave particulars of an exciting chase by one of the British squadron on the China station. At 7 o'clock one evening the pilot had' come 'aboard to take H.M.S. Bonavenburo up with the tide to Shanghai, when H.M.S. Undaunted, lying about two miles away, signalled, "Get steam up for full speed and intercept General Gaselee and bring him in to Woosung." The Zibenghla (formerly the Tongariroi of the New Zealand Shipping Company's service) had left Hongkong two days previously with General Gaselee, and was bound for Wei-hai-wei, out Li Hung-chang, it is supposed, had suddenly expressed a desire to see the General at Shanghai. At 2 a.m. next day the Bonaventure started 1 , and zig-zagged about the whole day. At last,- at 1 o'clock on the following morning, a small speck was sighted away to the eastward, and the Bonaventure gave chase. No sooner did the carrier of the speck of light see this intention than she put on all steam, and aisoi hoisted her sails, in an effort to escape from what ishe imagined to be a Chinese cruiser from the Yangtse. However, the. Bonaventure, with her eighteen knots, was not long in running down the Zibenghla, for phe it was, and in an hour General Gaselee was snugly on board the Bonavenlure, on his way to the conference with Li Hung-chang. .