H.M.S. _Ringdove_, Off the Chung-li Tao Group, Chusan Archipelago, _May_ 7th.
SIR,—In pursuance of your orders, I have the honour to report that I towed the two tenders, the _Ferret_, Lieutenant Trevelyan, and the _Sally_, Midshipman Ford, to a position five miles to wind’ard (the wind being SSW.) of the Chung-li Tao Islands, arriving there at 8 a.m. on the 2nd May.
At 10 a.m. I despatched the _Sally_ to search to the east’ard, and the _Ferret_ to the west’ard, and repaired to a rendezvous to leeward of them, giving them instructions which should meet any probable eventualities which might arise.
I waited at the rendezvous till the morning of the 4th May, and then sighted the _Sally_, and ordered her to come alongside. She reported that she had three men killed, Mid Morton and two A.B.’s severely wounded, and that she was much damaged by shot above the water line. She had chased a pirate junk and sunk her, but had then most unwisely attacked four others, and only escaped with the above losses. Her Maxim gun had been destroyed, and she had expended practically all her six-pounder ammunition.
Mr. Ford also reported having met the tender _Ferret_ the night before, and that Mr. Trevelyan, contrary to my orders, had at once altered course to the island where the _Sally_ had been attacked. The wind had veered to NW. by N. during the night, and was now blowing a strong breeze. As it was therefore impossible for him to beat back to me under three days, I took the wounded on board my ship, buried two of his men at sea, and steamed towards the island and channel in which Mr. Ford had engaged the four junks. The _Sally_ followed me at all speed.
I arrived off the entrance to the channel at noon of next day, and on entering it was fired at by a two-gun battery at close range. One shot came aboard me and wounded two men—one, Edward Larking, ord. sea. No. 867037, has since died. I silenced these guns, and proceeding up the channel, discovered that Mr. Trevelyan had wrecked his junk at the entrance to a small creek, and was in a desperate position, being attacked by rifle fire from both sides of the creek.
I made a hasty exploration of the creek, and found that a quarter of a mile inland it opened out, and that anchored there were a number of war junks, and a very large number of merchant junks.