THE CAPTURE OF THE "TSAO-KIANG." 545 Nanrwa picked up Captain Galsworthy and a quartermaster, the latter being wounded in the neck by a rifle bullet. Von Hanneken swam to the island, which a number of Chinese soldiers and sailors had succeeded in reaching, twoof them clinging to a sheep, which brought them ashore. A crowd of men were in the rigging of the Kowshing,which had gone down with the upper part of her masts above the water. These and the party on the island were taken off next day and conveyed back to China by the French gunboat Lion and the German gunboat Iltis. In all, about 170 survived the sinking of the ship, and about a thousand liveswerelost.

While the Kowshing was sinking, the Akitxushima had chased and captured the old despatch boat Tsao-kiang,without any resistance being attempted by the Chinese. On board her was found a Danish electrician, who was on his way to Chemulpo to assist the Chinese in torpedo warfare. The European prisoners and the crew of the Tsao-kiang were well treated by the Japanese. They were taken to Sasebo, near Nagasaki, where the Europeans were soon set at liberty.

The Japanesehad not waited for a declaration of war to begin hostilities. They hadcaptured a Chinese warship, destroyed another,and badly damaged a third, and had prevented Asan from being reinforced, and in doing this they had taken all the risks involved in firing on the British flag. The risk was serious, for though it covered contraband of war, it might well be argued that the state of war did not yet exist.

War was not formally declared till August ist, when both China and Japan published their proclamations, each representing the other as the aggressor in the quarrel. But before this date the struggle was already far advanced.

TIIE SINKING OF THE "KOWSHING.'

(As depictedby a Chineseartist.)

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