The Hawaiian gazette., 1880-08-04
Aaluaiia1t 6azette.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4. 1880.
the Naval Resources OF china.

M tT
1t may with safety be assumed that prior to
the year ls60-6l, the guns, rifles, or munitions
of war, manufactured upon foreign principles,
in the possession of the provincial authorities
of China, were almost useless. The lesson that
the mandarins then received from the allied
armies was no. lost upon them. They saw that,
despite the number of men they could bring
into the field, the superiority of arms of pre-
cision, combined with skill III military tactics,
enabled the western soldiers to become con-
querors and although Tseng Kwo Fan and
the General, San Ko Lin San, in their mem
orials to the Dragon Throne, informed his
majesty that his troops were utterly defeating
the barbarians, and that the latter would never
reach the imperial city of Picking, the Chinese
learned to their cost the falsity of these repre-
sensations. The western cannon which were
found in the Taku forts upon the entry of the
British troops were of Dutch and British make,
small twelve-pounders, such as are used for
signal guns upon vessels. A few, however,
were of superior caliber, and were possibly Of
Russian manufacture. The rest of the guns
were of Chinese origin, and it has been stated
by officers engaged in the attack that the de-
Tense made by the Chinese, when we consider
the weapons used and their disadvantage in
point of inferiority of equipment, was matter
Taku forts that the Armstrong gun was first
used in action. The Chinese troops were also
armed with few smooth-bore muskets-these
articles, in common with the cannon, having
been purchased at Hongkong or Singapore, and
conveyed along the coast to the north in junks
The armament of the Chinese forces received
an impetus in the march of Improvement i'm
mediately upon the outbreak of the celebrated
TAPPING rebellion. This rebellion caused the
imperial generals and viceroys to search for
persons who would supply them with arms.
Numbers of European merchants engaged in
the traffic, and vast quantity of worthless re-
jected muskets were foisted upon the officials.
Sales were also made to the TAPPING leaders,
and in several instances large fortunes were
realized by those interested. The repairs of
these arms becoming necessary, the attention of
Ii, commanding general, who was then known
as Ii Futai {" Futai " meaning governor), and
who is probably better known to the reader as
Ii Hung Chang, Governor-General of Chilli,
was drawn to the want of an arsenal. Shot and
shell of semi-foreign make were being turned
out of small foundries at Shanghai for the use
of the imperialists, but it was reserved for an
official by the name of Feng, in the year 1865.
to establish, by authority from the central
government, yard for the building of vessels
OF war, and an arsenal for the manufacture of
small arms and cannon The whole of this un-
dertaking was under the auspices of Lii, who at
this period, having been removed from his
office of Futai OF Kiangsu Ii. e., Governorl, was
conducting operations against the Nienfei
rebels, in the northern provinces, and required
all the munitions of war he could obtain. The
locality chosen is near Shanghai, in the prov
ince of Kiangsu, being distant from the foreign
settlements about five miles. 1t was formerly
the site of an old temple, and to this day is
called "Kaou Chang Meaou." In official docu
ments its title is the Kiangsu Chi Chi Fang"
or " the province of Kiangsu machinery depot
or factory" 1t covers an area of five hundred
noo,c of ground, each n,oto equaling one-sixth
of an acre. 1t has a dock for ship-building
purposes, and large machine shops for the
manufacture aud repair of Remington pattern
rifles, capable of turning out, if pushed, about
five hundred rifles per week. The machinery
is of the most perfect kind, comprising every
requisite for boring, fitting, and turning bar
rels; also woodworking machinery, for the
stocks and butts of the rifles, and the manufac-
ture of cases for transportation and everything
needful for the general work required This
branch is at the present time entirely under
Chinese superintendent, the EngliShman who
supervised the rifle factory having been sent
home. The work turned out has elected the
admiration of all military and naval officials of
various nationalities who have visited the
arsenal. The same may be remarked of the
department for the manufacture of riied can
non. Within the past three years an expert
enced person has arrived from the Woolwich
Arsenal, and the result of his labors was lately
shown at the proof OF some six 64-pounders of
the Woolwich type eraser pattern), the test be
ing eminently satisfactory. These guns were
constructed from raw material, the steel and iron
havingbeen imported from Europe The machin
cry, steam-hammers, converting crucibles, and
retorts are capable of turning out 25-ton guns.
Everything is of the most improved type, the
rejected patterns having been either sent to
arsenal at Tsi Nan Foo, Shantung province, or
used for old metal
For the construction of iron-clad ships, there
is machinery for bending, planning, boring, and
riveting iron plates up to ten inches thick. A
portion only of this has been erected, but it re-
mains for the rising generation of enlightened
officials to build an iron-clad. A sample iron
turret ship was built by the foreign engineers
and naval constructors attached to the DEPART
ment, but she was not found to possess sea-
going qualities upon trial at the mouth of the
Whangpoo, and she now rides at anchor, sort
of white elephant. In all, the vessels con-
structed at this arsenal number seven, two of
them being ship-rigged frigates of 1000 tons
burden, mounting "a guns (Krupp 2O-pound
ersl as a broadside battery, one bow and one
STERN chaser of 9-inch caliber, Vavasseur pat
tern, all breach-loaders. The other ships are
either brig or schooner rugged. some of them
having Krupp 40-pounders, and the others
brass l2-pounders, cast at the arsenal at Nan
king. The whole of the naval force associ-
ated under the direction of this PROVINCES
authorities is as follows: 2 frigates of 1900
tons, 500 horsepower, 26 guns each; 4 gun
vessels of 800 tons, $50 horsepower, guns
each; iron turret vessel Of $50 tons, so horse
power, no gun; in all, vessels of $3.50 tons,
1880 horsepower, II guns, and manned by
1000 men. The arsenal also manufactured
shot and shell, and has been actively employ
ed for over twelve months past in turning out
war material for Tso Tsung Tang, the con-
queror OF Kashgar, and the Governor-General
commanding the troops in the northwest.
Attached to the Shanghai arsenal are extern |
sive works for the manufacture of gunpowder, |
ignition fuses for mines, and torpedoes, percus-
sion caps, signal and war rockets, and a small
building used for sulphuric acid chambers |
These mills are capable, when required, of |
turning out from ten to twelve tons of powder |
per week, rifle, pebble, and prismatic. The |
charges are here worked into cartridges, used |
for Remington, Snider, and the various arms, |
and also for heavy guns. The whole establish |
ment is under the superintendent of two Eng |
lishmen, but rapid strides have been made BY |
the natives in acquiring the methods for the |
manipulation of the dangerous substances. The !
raw materials-0is., saltpeter, sulphur, and the |
various chemicals are nearly all imported |
The charcoal used is burned at the works. from |