[1861] Important Events

[Frymonmon]

The North Star Affair

Chinese pirates attacking the North Star
​

On the 13th of May, 1861 the British brig North Star was sailing away from Hong Kong, loaded with Gold bullion for trade in Japan. The ship was wholly unarmed by all accounts, except for a few guns that belonged to Captain Voight of the HMS Pearl, and the person weapons of other Europeans who were working on board the ship. Due to the difficulty of sustaining a European crew this far away in China, the majority of the crew members were Chinese civilians. After leaving Hong Kong and traveling for some amount of hours, a Chinese junk came up along side the North Star and proceeded to bombard it with hot metal pots full of flammable material.

From there, twenty to thirty pirates boarded the vessel with spears and swords, killing crewman and passengers who attempted to resist them. The pirates proceeded to rob the merchant ship of all they could find, bringing it back to their junk, along with Chinese crew members suspected of being pirates. Captain Voight was killed in the affair, and there was a peculiar amount of speculation that the raid was ordered carried out by Chinese merchants in Hong Kong, to both have the goods the British ship brought, and to get their gold back. Others believed that the attack came from the Qing hierarchy, with beliefs that the United Kingdom had been assisting the Taiping, despite the opposite being true. Regardless of why the attack took place, there were British merchants and an officer dead in Asian waters due to piracy, and it was up to London to find a way to respond to this assault on the United Kingdom.

 

[MastahCheef117]

A Declaration from His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the Great Qing Dynasty
as regards the Events involving the British ship North Star​

I have heard the news involving the British ship attacked by bloodthirsty pirates off the coast of the Realm, and I have recoiled at the story: sailors of both our Realm and of a foreign State have been killed at the hands of lawlessness. I regret deeply the loss of Captain Voight and his men, and I have instructed Admiral Li Hongzhang to deploy his warships to find and apprehend these pirates and their booty so that they may be punished according to the will of Heaven.

Furthermore, I must stress that the attack was not sanctioned by the Dragon Throne, nor was it ordered or funded by Imperial officials. The pirates were independent murderers and thieves and they shall be regarded as such when they receive their punishment.

Issued from the Imperial Throne on behalf of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the Great Qing Empire, Son of Heaven, Lord of Ten Thousand Years​

 

[Nax24]

Official Statement from the Portuguese Foreign Ministry
​

The Kingdom of Portugal is troubled over the events regarding the HMS North Star. The pirates that attacked the ship operated off the coast of Hong Kong. The reason for this event causing great concern amongst the Portuguese government is due to the fact that the pirates attacked a ship that departed the same area as the Portuguese crown colony of Macao. The Heavenly Kingdom is threatening the Portuguese citizens in Macao as it is, but this pirate menace has only added to the fear amongst the Portuguese citizens of Macao. We have the highest hopes that His Imperial Majesty can put down this pirate threat, nevertheless Portugal will dispatch patrol boats docked in Portuguese Timor to protect Portuguese traders and Macao from any further pirate threat. His Majesty Dom Pedro V has expressed that any lose of Portuguese life regardless of it being an independent force or a force loyal to His Imperial Majesty will be met with consequences for the Qing dynasty for allowing these lives to be lost in their waters. The Qing may not have been responsible for the attack on The North Star, but they must be called upon to protect their waters from any pirate attack to prevent more lives from being lost.

-Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Portugal António Jóse de Ávila

 

[99KingHigh]

Sir Fredrick Wright-Bruce, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to China​

I have received the official report from Number 10 and the Foreign Secretary; the following demands are thus pushed with sanction from Her Majesty's Government on behalf of Her Royal Majesty.

ACKNOWLEDGED that the Qing Court has been brisk in their condemnation of the pirates
ACKNOWLEDGED that the Qing Court has denied affiliation to the pirates
ACKNOWLEDGED that the their assertion cannot be hastily confirmed, nor denied
ACKNOWLEDGED that the lawless attack represents the failure of the Qing Government to enforce domestic security
THUS presses the following demands

• The Qing Empire shall repay the remuneration of gold on board the ship
  • And for every lost British soul, this expense shall be increased by a proportion of ten percent. We believe this compensation worthy for the distraught families.
• The Qing Empire shall pay for the damage of the North Star, in its fullest quantities, and a further payment, equal that original price, for construction of a new vessel.
• The Qing Empire will permit an investigation into the action, including a domestic inquiry, warranted by British intervention if such a search produces no result.

The United Kingdom shall press no further demands; we believe this reprimand is fitting and just for this most tragic loss of life.

 

[MastahCheef117]

A Declaration from His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the Great Qing Dynasty
in response to the listed demands of His Excellency Wright-Bruce for Her Majesty's Government
​

I receive warmly the message of His Excellency Wright-Bruce, representative of Her Majesty's Government and British minister to our Realm. I understand the grief and frustration borne by Her Majesty's Subjects, and wish to express that a similar frustration and grief is carried by myself and my own Subjects who have lost their fathers and husbands along with their possessions.

However, I must contend several points made by His Excellency in his message to the Middle Kingdom and myself. The first point I wish to contend is the claimed "brisk condemnation" of the perpetrators of the act of piracy in question off the coast of Hong Kong; the condemnation these pirates have received is indeed all that is necessary. They have, without thought, quickly broken the laws that Heaven has promulgated since the beginning of time, and so their condemnation and punishment must similarly be rapidly given out. Local administrations shall work in tandem to apprehend these criminals, working together with the Imperial Navy, and shall ensure the continued safety of foreign vessels in the territorial waters of the Empire.

Furthermore, I wish to remind His Excellency of the nature of the conflict against the self-labeled Taiping rebels, who are criminals that wish to upset the established order and the Laws of Heaven within the Middle Kingdom. The Empire is engaged in this great war involving large numbers of troops and the bulk of the Empire's navy. Though gains against the rabble armies have been made -- and will continue this year and in the future until they are defeated -- I must stress the need for Imperial Navy warships to concentrate in the areas that are experiencing widespread devastation and destruction at the hand of these upstarts. Renewed efforts will be made, when time and resources allow, to further combat these pirates and those like them in the area around Hong Kong.

However, I find myself amenable to the first two demands (to wit: a repayment of the gold lost aboard the vessel North Star, or a returning of all the original bullion, if found in its entirety; and a payment equivalent to all necessary repairs for the damaged vessel, along with payment to the families who have lost fathers and husbands). However, I shall order an investigation, carried out by Imperial officials and overseen by Imperial administrators and my own hand. Observers from foreign States may follow this investigation closely if their leaders so desire -- including any representatives of Her Majesty's Government.

I again thank His Excellency for his message and hope for the speedy return of the lost bullion and the swift vengeance against those responsible for the dastardly acts.

Issued from the Imperial Throne on behalf of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the Great Qing Dynasty, Son of Heaven, Lord of Ten Thousand Years​

 

[99KingHigh]

Sir Fredrick Wright-Bruce, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to China​

His Majesty's Government is thus satisfied with the conclusive resolution from the Qing Empire. We will, however, take great interest in the investigation; if there be undesirable forces at work, we fully expect for the Imperial administration to root them out.