The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-09-10

IHE CHINESE FLEET.
China's navy is composed of four divisions,
namely: The Pei-Ho and North Coast the Foo
Chow, the Shanghai and that of Canton
In the PeI-Ho division the only sea-going vessels
are the steel deck-armored cruisers Yang Vol and
Iehao- Yung, built in England in 1881 Each car
ry two 26-ton lO-inch Armstrong guns on center
plyots, commanding Il nearly all-around fire.
Their speed Is l6 knots and they carry coal sufi-
Gent for continued speed of about s knots for a
period of four weeks.
The Foo-Cheng and Chen Cheng are Cunboats
also built IN England in 1875 They are of 26O-tons
displacement and carry one 10-inch Vavasseur gum
There are also thirteen gunboats built in Eng
land during 1861, varying in displacement from
3l9 to 44O tons. The last four and the largest
were named by the Chinese, the Chin Nang Chin.
Pei, Fei-Fung and Lung-Lang. The others are
known among foreigners as the Alpha, Beta Gam
ma, Delta Iota, Kappa, Lambda, etc According
TO size they each carry 11-inch or one Pinch
Armstrong gun and two 12-pounder rifles
Inc Foo Chow division consists of unarmored
cruisers and gunboRts only.
The neet at Shanghai embraces some of the best
vessels TO be found in any navy The ironclads are
The Teng- Huen and Chen-Yuen, ironclad fri
gates, built at Settin, Germany, in 1882 400 tons
displacement built of iron and clad with compound
plates ii inches thick at the water-line They
have citadel amidships, protected with S-inch
compound armor. Above the citadel are two bar
bette towers, in each of which are mounted two
y inches of iron at 1000 yards. On the bow and
stern Is 5S-lnch long-caliber Krupp gun. Their
speed is about IA knots. These vessels, if han
died by any others but Chinese, would be capable
of destroying the entire French fleet.
The Nan-1hin steel armored, cruiser built in
Germany in 1883, is 800 tons displacement ar
carries two 81 5-inch Krupp guns in barbette pro-
tected by 1O-inch armor
The Nan-Shuin built in Germany recently. is of
ZNO tons displacement, and carries two 11-inch
Armstrong guns.
The Hay-An and Yu-Yuen were built at Shanp-
hal IN 1874 and 1875. They are of 800 tons dis
aanl trru inch Arrac
and twenty-fOur Finch Navasseur guns. They
have speed of u knots and complement of 372
officers and men.
The Yung- Woo is a composite built corvette
built at Shanghai in 1870. Her battery is one O.
inch Armstrong, eight 5-inch Vayasseur and four
S-pounder slnOothbore guns.
There is also an ironclad gunboat of 195 tons
carrying one 6Si-inch Krupp gun in fixed turret
forward.
The Shanghai feet further consists of number
of transformed merchant steamers, of which no
reliable data are obtainable.
The Canton fleet is composed of about fifteen
gunboats, averaging $50 tons, which are used in
suppressing piracy and smuggling. They are near
ly all vessels of obsolete designs.
The whole Chinese fleet, exclusive of Canton's,
Is in round numbers, IS vessels of all kinds, car.
rying so guns and $500 officers and men. Most of
the officers are foreigners, who received orders
from their home Governments to withdraw from
the Chinese service at the time real trouble began
between China and France. Most of the engineers
were offered treble pay to remain and participate
IN the war, an offer which was undoubtedly ac-
cepted by many. The Chinese navy composed as
1t is of many fine vessels and excellent guns lacks
is one essential part-that of proper organization
Its weakness is in the scientific, medical and COM
nissarat service; their native skilled officers are
few and up to latest adyices not single surgeon
had been appointed to any of the ships.
THE STATUS BEFORE THE WAR.
Wong He Chong, one Of the wealthiest Chinese
merchants in New York, describes the status
before the war. He said Anam was progressing
when the French secretly made treaty with She
dissolute and drunken Governor, who signed a
concession making France Governor and master