Mr. Denby, chargé, to Mr. Gresham,
Peking, July 28, 1894. (Received September 11.)
Sir: I have the honor to report that the Tsung-li-Yamên received yesterday afternoon a telegram from Korea announcing that the ship Kowshing, having on board 1,500 Chinese troops, had been fired upon by [Page 42] Japanese men-of-war, near A-san (or Ya-san), on the coast of Korea, some miles south of Chemulpo, and that she had gone down, only 11 lives being saved. Amongst the drowned was Mr. von Hanneken, a German military officer, who had been many years in the viceroy’s service as military instructor.
The ship Kowshing was the property of the Indo China Steam Navigation Company and flew the English flag. She was chartered on or about the 16th instant by the Chinese Government to be used as a dispatch boat. The agreement between the company and the Chinese Government was that she should be, sailed under the British flag as long as it should be safe to do so; if captured, the purchase money already agreed upon was to be paid to Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., agents. On a formal declaration of war it was agreed that the vessel should run into the nearest Chinese port and hoist the Chinese flag. She was under the English flag when fired on yesterday.
It is not known what incidents preceded this act of violence on the part of the Japanese nor how it is regarded by the British authorities. The effect can hardly be other than an immediate declaration of war, between China and Japan. At this moment the Japanese chargé d’affaires is still in Peking and has no orders to withdraw.
The Chinese Telegraph Administration refuses to transmit cipher telegrams unless sealed by the Tsung-li-Yamên.
I have, etc.,