Office of the Historian

Mr. Denby, chargé, to Mr. Gresham.

No. 60.]
Legation of the United States,
Peking, October 9, 1894. (Received November 19.)

Sir,: I have the honor to state that I am in receipt of a dispatch from the Tsung-li-Yamên, dated the 6th instant, in which they announce that the port of Foochow has been closed for purposes of defense.

One entrance, the Wu hu Men or Five Tigers Entrance, has been left open. A designated place is specified as an anchorage for foreign and Chinese steamers outside the mouth of the river. Here they are to discharge and load cargo, which must be conveyed to and from the city of Foochow by lighters registered at the customs, which lighters are to follow an indicated route and ply only in the daytime.

Burdensome to commerce as these regulations will doubtless prove, no objection can be made to them in view of the fact that China’s naval force is utterly demoralized and entirely inadequate to the protection of her coast. Foochow is an important naval depot, and must be guarded at all hazards.

A copy of the Yamên’s dispatch has been sent to the consul-general at Shanghai and to the consul at Foochow for the information of American shipping.

I have, etc.,

Chas. Denby, Jr.
[Inclosure in No. 60.—Translation.]

The Tsung-li-Yamên to Mr. Denby.

October 6, 1894.

Sir: Upon the 3d instant the prince and ministers received a telegram from the viceroy of the Min-Che provinces,1 stating that he has now taken measures for the defense of the port of Foochow by establishing a blockade. But the Wu hu Men (Five Tiger Entrance) will be kept open, and Chinese and foreign steamers will be permitted to anchor below Sharp Peak Point, behind Ho-keang Island, and there discharge and load cargo, which must be conyeyed by lighters registered at the customs. These boats must ply in and out by the route south of the Nan kuei Hill (or Island). They are not permitted to run during the night, in order to avoid their being fired on by mistake.

In addressing this communication to the chargé d’affaires of the United States the prince and ministers request him to issue a notification for the information of United States steamers, so that they may act in accordance therewith.

  1. The provinces of Fu-kien and Che-kiang.↩