SEIZURE OF THE BRITISH STEAMER CARISBROOKE BY THE CHINESE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2082, 6 September 1875, Page 2

SEIZURE OF THE BRITISH STEAMER CARISBROOKE BY THE CHINESE.

In our issue of yesterday (June 15th) we were enabled briefly to announce that the British steamer Carisbrooke, (Captain M. G-. Scott) had been fired into by the Chinese Ee,venue cruiser Peng Chao Hai (Captain Palmer) and taken to Whampoa. The occurrence has, naturally, excited the greatest interest, and various conflicting rumours were circulated in the course of yesterday. Many of the statements were, however, more or less inaccurate. We ' are now enabled to lay before our readers the true and real facts of the case. The Carisbrooke belongs to the Bun Hin firm at Singapore. The owners are British subjects and the vessel is registered under the British flag. Her registered tonnage is 960 tons. She has been under the command of Captain M. G. Scott for eighteen months, and has traded between Singapore and China during the whole of that time. On the 6th of June the Carisbrooke cleared from Singapore for Hainan, Hong Kong and Amoy. It is important here to note that her clearance was obtained in the usual way from tho Master Attendant there, Hainan being among the places spepjfied tq which shu was going. She had a general and valuable cargo, and 500 passengers, 150 of whom were bound for Hainan. There was howevernocargo for that place; there were no European passengers. Nothing occurred on the passage to Hainan, and the vessel was

■jteered towards that Island, and arichoited between three and four miles from the shore on the East Coast. It may be stated that there is no port on that Coast, but we believe it has been the practice for vessels to stop and land passengers there, and occasionally cargo alip. A nuniber of fishing boats are always about ready to be engaged. The Carisbrooke did not lower any of her boats, nor did she have any direct communication with the shore, and no cargo was attempted to be landed from her. Immediately she had anchored, the passengers prepared to leave, and some of them did so. Soon after the Peng Chao Hai came albh£," and Captain Palmer and Mr T. M. Brown, the Deputy C<3mmissioner of Customs, serving under the Hoppo of Canton, boardfiJ the steamer^ Both these genffemen told ..Captain Scott thafche was violating the treaty between Great Britian and China, and that the steamer must follow them to Wbampoa. Captain Palmer added that he would put his Chief Officer and four quartermasters on board, and shortly afterwards the Chief Officer cam! with a letter from Captain Palmer statjojr that he represented the Chinese Custoiajt The tour quartermasters also came. .No attempt was then made to interfere "withthe working of the vessel.

Captain Scott was also told that if he would write to Mr T. M. Brown, requesting permission to land passengers at Hainan, he would be allowed to do so, on condition tjiat ,_.. passengers, iwitjb. tb^eii? luggage went alongside the Peng Chao Hai for the purpose of examination. Captain Scott thereupon wrote such a request, which was granted, and he told the passengers that they must with their luggage go alongside the Revenue .cruiser. These conditions were complied with. The passengers and their luggage w«re searched by the crew of the Revenue cruiser, they going on board for that purpose; and .a few dutiable, articles found upon them, such as cloth, &c, were seized. Not "opium whatever was found upon them, nor, as we have said, did the steamer herself attempt to Mud- either opium or anything else. -•-■-■.

Captain Scott, in the excitement naturally attendant on the unusual position in which he now found himself, gave a verbal promise that he would-follow the Revenue Cruiser. The transference of the passengers from the steamer to the boats occupied about an hour,-and at about 10 o'clock on the Saturday morning, both vessels got under weigh and steered towards Hong Kong. The Peng Chao Hai was ahead. It may be well hero to state that the Peng Chao Hai is a fast and powerful steamer, going at the rate of eleven or twelve knots an hour, whilst the Carisbrooke steams only about eight. This fact, of course, dismisses the idea that the Carisbrooke would attempt to slip away from the Revenue cruiser. Such a thing would have been impossiblel The two vessels kept company for some time but, as we may suppose, the distance between them gradually increased.. Captain Palmer then signalled to Captain Scott to slightly change his coursei and at the same time Captain Palmer put the ressel nearer the steamer. . When the two vessels were withjn speaking distance, Captain Scott said he intended to proceed to Hong; Kong (this being the port to which he was bound) and land the passengers; adding that the* matter could, be enquired jnto and^ettled there. At that time Captain '^ >cotfii^wa vs""steeririg direct for Hong Ko»g; Captain Palmer took no notice of what was said, but kept near to the steamer tlie whole ot Saturday night. The next morning Captain Palmer again told Captain Scott to alter his course. Several signals were passed betweeu the two vessels, and Captain Scott was told that he must bear the responsibility qt not doing as he was directed, and was threatened that if he did not comply force would be used to compel him. Captain Scott, who, on mature reflection, had thought it best to reach: Hong Kong, took no notice of these threats, supposing they were mere idle bombastic words, and that the Chinese Revenue cruiser would not on the high seas dare to fire on a British vessel. At this time they were about fifty miles or more from Hong Kong, and thirty miles at least from any land. Captain Palmer had asked whether Captain Scott would, stop to allow a boat to come alongside, and Captain Scott refused, remarking that there were already Custom House officials on board, and that they could signal any communication. Very shortly after this the Peng Chao. Hai; fired across the bows of the Carisbrooke. No notice being taken of this, the Revenue cruiser fired at very short intervals four shots at the vessel. Three of the shots struck the rudder, partly disabling it, and one shot went through the side of the vessel into the hold, just on the water line. The effect of this was to admit a quantity of water, and it was feared that at one time she would fill and sink. The damage to the rudder was so great that the vessel could not be steered from the wheel and tackles had to be fixed on the lower part, as the upper part was shot away. The vessels were only three or; four hundred yards apart at the time-afc the firing. No one was hurt. We uudti™ stand that Mr T M. Brown has the reputation of having fired the four, effective shots; and that they were not more effective, and did not, as they might have done, destroy many lives, must be a matter for.that gentleman's satisfaction and rejoicing. It need hardly be said that the state of affairs on board the Carisbrooke was at this time both unpleasant and exciting, and Captain Scott, probably thinking that discretion would be the bottei? part of valour, determined to ascertain iow far the revenue cruiser meant to carry matters. He spoke to her to come closer, and then the firing was stopped. Captain Palmer being asked what was want*-j^ said the steamer must follow him tb^ Whampoa. Capt. Scott said that in that case he must seize the vessel and take it entirely out of his hands. The vessel was then stopped and a bo,at came alongside with an engineex and a crew, and from that time Captain Scott and his crew ceased to have any control over the vessel. Oftp, tain Soott desired Captain Balmer and M* T. M. Brown to write him a letter to the - effect, that they had forciblytaken possession of the steamer, and this they did. The steamer was then taken in tow by the Revenue cruiser and on Sunday night was anchored off Tiger Island. She has since been taken to Whampoa. Captain Scott immediately proceeded to Cinton, and the next morning laid a written statement of the facts qf the seizure and the firing bofore the British Consul SirJßrooko Robertson. Capt. Scott came to Hong Kong by th c Powan yesterday. The facts have also been laid before Messrs. Russell & Co., the vessel's agents at Hong Kong.—Houg Kong Times, June 26.