Anson Burlingame to His Imperial Highness Prince Kung, July 28, 1863

Mr. Burlingame to Prince Kung

Sir: The United States consul at Amoy has informed me that the American ship Iskanderia was lost on Formosa, December 27, 1861, on her way from Taiwan to Amoy, at a place called Pu-tai-tsin, in the district of Kia-i, distant about ten miles from the city of Taiwan. The ship was half imbedded in the sand when the villagers robbed her of everything, but did not wound the crew. The captain reported the wreck to the prefect of Taiwan, and besought protection and help; but he moved so tardily, that before any officials reached the spot the villagers had carried off everything, to the loss of more than $20,000.

I have also learned that the American ship Lucky Star, on her passage from Shanghai to Hong-Kong, went ashore on Formosa, last November, between Tanshwin and Kilung. When she was seen, more than two thousand natives arrived with knives and spears, assembled on the beach to watch her, and when the captain with his wife and son reached the shore with a boat’s crew, they were all robbed of their clothes, the female of her ornaments, and thus stripped, carried several miles into the interior and held for a ransom of a thousand dollars. The other sailors made their way to Tanshwai, and reported these proceedings to the officers, who declined to act on the instant. The foreigners there learning the state of the case, collected a party of men, and went to the place to bring away all the party, but they found that the ship and her cargo of cotton, valued at $80,000, had been entirely plundered.

I have learned the truth of these reports, and bring the circumstances of these two wrecks to the notice of your Imperial Highness, in connexion with the provisions of the XIIIth article of the United States treaty, which stipulates that when a vessel is wrecked, the local Chinese officers shall, on learning the case, afford all the protection and aid possible, and not permit the natives to injure and rob her. The coasts of Formosa are exceedingly dangerous to navigators, and it would appear from these two cases that the local authorities there have either no power to restrain the people, or are too dilatory and negligent to do it; and I, therefore, avail myself of the occasion to request that particular orders may be sent to the proper officers on Formosa to exert themselves to afford all the protection to shipwrecked persons and property they are able. It might be proper, too, to inform the natives generally, through their head man, that when they assist in saving persons and property from wrecked vessels, a portion of what is saved will be given to the salvors, as is the usage in western countries, according to the toil and danger incurred in protecting it.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,