Amédée Courbet
The Chinese sortie was duly reported in the Hong Kong newspapers at the end of January 1885. Captain Baux of "Triomphante", who had been stationed in Hong Kong to monitor the news from China, immediately cabled the news to Admiral Amédée Courbet at Keelung (Jilong). The French, weary of the monotonous routine of the blockade and frustrated with their inability to get to grips with the Chinese, jumped at the chance of destroying half the Nanyang Fleet at sea. Courbet sailed north from Keelung in early February to hunt down the Chinese with the ironclads "Bayard" and "Triomphante", the cruisers "Nielly", "Éclaireur" and "Duguay-Trouin", the gunboat "Aspic" and the troopship "Saône".