Bergasse du Petit Thouars to The Captain, March 8, 1868

Mr. Petit Thouars to the captain commanding ad interim the squadron of the China seas.

Sir: I have the painful duty to perform to report to you the sad accident that at 5 o’clock this afternoon happened to the steam-launch of the Dupleix.

In obedience to your order, I sent the launch, with a whaleboat of the Venus in tow, to take you on board at Sakai, and also the consul of France, instructing Ensign Paris, in charge, and also Midshipman Guillon, to go along the coast taking soundings to ascertain with the whaleboat that there was sufficient water between the jetties and the inner harbor for the launch before entering, and to wait for you from 3o’clock to take you back on board. The. launch had a crew of fifteen men, among whom was one senior quartermaster, Lemeur, and one second-class engineer, Durel, in charge of the engine. As on the preceding days, each man was furnished with a revolver and ammunition, all kept in a chest to prevent accidents, the men of the Venus were not armed. Arrived at Sakai at 3 o’clock precisely, and without the slightest difficulty. Mr. Paris, seeing the population as quiet and good-natured as on the preceding days, anchored the launch in A, leaving Mr. Guillon in charge to watch the men. and recommending him to shift his berth to the center of the inner harbor, if the curiosity of the Japanese should become troublesome. He then left to take soundings in the vicinity. A little later, at ten minutes to 5 o’clock, he returned, and found everything perfectly quiet. He then proceeded to take soundings in C. Durel and Lemeur then asked Mr. Guillon permission to take a stroll on the wharf B, which may be about two hundred meters (French yards) in length. The permission was readily granted, as for two hours the population remained good-natured, and several persons had landed without the slightest annoyance having been shown by the natives. As soon as they came to point B, that is a distance of hardly fifteen yards from the launch, they met a two-sworded man, who invited them to come to the other side, and then this person uttering a yell, they found themselves suddenly surrounded by a troop of armed men, dressed similarly, among whom were two men bearing flags, as given in the diagram appended, and those men then took their hands in order to tie them. Lemeur at once attempted to resist, but Durel told him to let them do so. He endeavored to make them understand who they were, and during this parleying they were gradually being crowded towards the interior of the town. On perceiving this, Lemeur suggested to Durel to try to turn back, little by little, towards the launch. He then with a jerk turned back, and freeing himself at once from those who thought they held him, he began to run towards the launch. Fire was at once opened on him, and the entire armed gang then ran after him in the direction of the launch. He jumped in, cut the rope at the stem, crying to the stoker to start the engine, but at the same moment both tell dead. The steam-pipe was cut by the bullets, and then all those Japanese discharged their arms at short range in the boat, keeping up the fire for a few moments.

Our unfortunate men, thus unexpectedly attacked, only thought of jumping overboard on the other side to find protection behind the boat, and some of them must there have been drowned. No further signs of life being perceptible, the firing ceased, the Japanese retired, and seven of our men, all seriously wounded, with the exception of Durel, who, owing to the confusion, jumped in the water, where he would certainly have been drowned but for the faithfulness of one of our men, taking advantage of the first moment of respite shoved off, took hold of the oars, and succeeded in clearing the passage without again having been fired at; and once outside, they set sail and made for the ship.

At a quarter past 6 o’clock, Mr. Paris, from whom you will find a sketch of Sakai and also a note appended to the statement, reported to me the attack on the launch; and thinking that she might still be in the hands of the Japanese, and that you might perhaps be waiting for her at some point, and also if this assault was only the work of a robber, the people themselves would return us our men, I gave orders to arm the boats of the Venus and Dupleix, and leaving my senior officer to bring them, I went at once, accompanied by the surgeon and Mr. Paris, towards a boat which our quartermaster believed to be the steam-launch. At the same time I directed the officer in charge of the Venus to inform the minister of the occurrence, and also gave notice to the commander of the Ocean, whom I informed that it was not my intention to attack that evening, if I succeeded in recovering my launch. To act otherwise might have endan gered the safety of our ministers at Osaka, the lives of our men, if any were still alive, among whom I believed yourself might be, and might be also engaging a battle without certainty of success. Leaving the ship under those circumstances at twenty minutes past 6 o’clock, I met our launch half way, under canvass, having only seven men on board, of whom only one was unhurt; two dead bodies were there also; consequently seven men, among whom Midshipman Guillon had disappeared, probably wounded first and then drowned. I ordered the launch to be towed on board by two boats, and with the five remaining boats which had joined me I proceeded to the entrance of the passage defended by the two forts. I proceeded in the whaleboat, the other boats in double file. The two leading boats were to follow me in the inner harbor, and the others to wait at the entrance, and not to go through the narrow passage unless to assist us, if they heard firing. I soon perceived, however, that we were expected, although it was 10 o’clock in the evening. Men were visible along the parapets, the guns were armed, though their crews concealed themselves, and soon a field-piece was placed on the jetty to the left, which was simultaneously reported to me by the officers in the two boats nearest to my whaleboat. To proceed might be placing all the interests I have named in jeopardy; and my launch, being safe, I gave orders to the boats to return to their ships. Most fortunately, also, at the same moment I received a message from Mr. Giquel, informing me that you were safe at Osaka.

In summing up what I have learned of this sad affair, I think, first, that the population of Sakai is not implicated in the matter; second, that this assassination has been committed by a perfectly organized gang, who were in ambush near the bridge B for the purpose of capturing some of our men; third, that the firing was probably intended for Quartermaster Lemeur, and because he attempted to escape from those who held him; fourth, that the defense of Sakai was this evening regularly organized at an hour when Japanese have generally retired, the authorities of the town must have been informed accordingly; fifth, that the men firing at the crew of the launch have not furnished the shadow of a pretext to the abominable crime of which they have been the victims.

In submitting to you these heart-rending details, it is very gratifying to me to be able to say that among the survivors from this catastrophe several have given proof of the highest courage, and that the commander of the Ocean, as soon as he heard of it, kindly sent me his surgeon at once.

I have, &c.,