The Express.
London, England, 1863-10-29 00:00:00

THE FIGHT AT KAGOSIMA.

The Japan Herald gives the following account of
the tight :

All imps of any peaceful settlement being crushed, de.
mit and subterfuge appearing to be the only aim, Oolonel
Neale now 'topped aside, and Admiral Kuper took the
matter in hand. On the afternoon of the 14th, there was
a general shifting of the disposition of the fleet, the greater
part of which were placed under the island, out of range of
the guns on the fort in the middle of the channel, ear 1,700
yards on either ride. The Euryalus, although shifting,
still ,remained within range, as did also the Perseus. On
the morning of the 15th, the Pearl, Coquette, Argos,
Havoc, and Racehorse, proceeded up the Bay, and took as
hostages three steamers there at anchor—said to be the
England, purchased by Satsuma in 1881, for 120,000 dole.,
the steamer George Grey (for 40,000 doh.), and the Contest,
which cast him 65,000 dole. in May I.M. The locality of
the anchorage of these vessels was snugly behind Point
Wilmot.

The weather, which had been stormy during the whole
morning, now became worse; it was raining in torrents, and
the wind blowing a hurricane round the Bay. At ten
o'clock the above named vessels, English and Japanese, had
returned, and at twelve the men were just piped to dinner,
and nothing immediate expected, when suddenly, the bat-
tery on the main covering the Earyalos, and that on the
island covering the Perseus, opened fire. The three hostage
*tamers were forthwith fired (their crews having been pre.
"'lonely sent ashore, and one of the head officers on board
recognised as having belonged to the staff of the late am-
,
bassador' to Europe, and another officer, at their own re-
quest having been taken on board the flagship, where
they now remain). All the ships weighed and formed
line of battle. The Perseus then engaged the battery
that had been firing at her in beautiful style, as we are
Informix], knocking her antagonist's guns over, one after the
other, and when she had completed that, AS though she had
been only getting he• hand in, she passed over to the other
side, and engaged the battery on the opposite shore. All
the batteries (10) were then eopged by the ships at point
blank range, at from 400 to tOO yards respectively (the
Euryalus Wag within 200 yards), commencing with the
northernmost and passing down the entire line. About dusk
the tows was fired in several parts by our shells, and three
of the forte silenced. All the ships then returned to
their anchorage, save the ,Rsoshorm, which had got
ashore within 200 yards of the nearest battery, of which
accident she availed herself in true British style to pour
her metal into it until it was effectually silenced. The
Argos was sent to bring her off, which she accomplished
I titer about an hour's delay, during the whole of which time
the was under fin from one of the other batteries.

This was Saturday, the 13th, daring the whole of which
day it had been raining and blowing fiercely. The loss on
this day to us was 11 killed and 39 wounded. Amongst
the former there will be general regret that we have to name
Captain Josling of the fiagehip —an officer inteemed
and respected by all who knew him; in ordinary
times mild and gentle, but when the lion was
aroused within him he was bold and daring; • true
type of a British officer ; Commander Edward Wilmer
(late of the Agamemoon) of whose character all speak io
the like glowing tents, met a glorious death by the same
shot ; both were standing on the bridge of the flagship
about the middle of the engagement (3.30), when a shot
pared through the boat and struck them both iostantane-
ously into eternity ; the admiral escaped death by tie name
shot in a wonderful manner ; both be and the master were
standing on the narrow bridge when the caring) fell.
About V o'clock, the whole of one side of the town
was biasing. The following day (Sunday), the weather
cleared up, the dead (2 officers and 7 seamen) were con-
signed to their sailors' grave in Euryalus Bay, at 11
o'clock. and the fleet stood out, paring close to the batte-
ries os the bleed, which it armed the whole way. The
destructiou accomplished by the fleet appears to hate been
enormous. There can be no doubt that the whole city is
now one mass of ruins, including the palace, the factories.
and the arsenal sod warehouses; the batteries also bare
been seriously damaged • not ore of them which had bean
engaged during the first fired • shot on the second dry
IS the fleet passed out. The three destroyed ships aloe*
have cost Satsuma 245,00 C dole., upwards of half of which
be repaid very recently. Serial large junks also were
destroyed. The Japanese are said to have stood well to
titstignes, so bong as the play was at long range, but
somewhat takee aback whoa our ships mme to close
quarters.
The BA of cruelties is :—Euryslos. 10 killed, 21 woun-
ded • Perk 7 wooded ; Argus, S warded ; Coquette,
2 bind, 4 worded ; likaabarra, 3 wounded ; Perseus. 1
basil,' warded. Word Nearly omitted to modem that
ascend meat preming invitations were seat to Colossi Neale
boatload with as many of his suite as be abase or run, at

• malmsey, is a place prepared to receive than, • coarkey
deelieed with thanks. It is useless to attempt to speculate
at present what will bs the next steps taken to boas this
haughtyg prince to sewn.
Tao dmmiptiee of ammunition used b 7 abliaalel forts
must have been of • superior description. The quantity
expended by us was considerable, and al matters have err•
deotly net come to • conclusion we may eos`eatulate our-
seism that • large further supply bee arrived in the Coo
morant e•d Baross•,

The Shanghai Shipping List says s private letter,
written by an officer who was engaged in the late
action at Kagosima, gives the following details :

The engagemeat lasted for two days. the 15th and 16th
instant. On t►e first day the tire was well kept up for sin
hoard, but en hour and a half on the second day wee
sullidest to put an end to the action. The form mounted
93 gum sad mortars and when we take into consideration
amongst these were 10-inch guns and 13-inch mortars, and
further, that the position of the ships was 450 yards from
the torts, it seed sot surprise us when we are assured by
*Moen who have gone through the Criroesii campaign that
the float Sebastopol was nothing in compatison with what
whet was pouted upon the fleet opposite Kagosime.
_

. ..
It is God's mercy, says the Daily ivess, that the
whole fleet were not sunk. Satsuma had the best
United States guns and ammunition and had re-
ceived full instructions how to use them. His bat-
teries were armed with 13. inch and B.inch shell I
gnus—four 180 pounders, ten 80-pounders, and of
the remainder, none were of smaller calibre than
32- unders. We suppose the wind and the rain
the.46lisimaiiiiiitaik.at aloes quarters asneed
confusion, for if one shell caused such damage tothe
La:
Euryalua, what would 100 have done, and how all
the rest came to miss her is to us marvellous. We
regret to say that such victories as that of Keg's-
alma will not snit us. Gallantry is thrown away
on these Orientals—the loss of life on our side is
deplorable. Admiral Kuper has not half enough
force. The fleet, says the Shanghae Shipping Lid,
was on its way back to Yokohama.