again with renewed vigour. Admiral Roze, being now ready to take up the matter of obtaining redress from Korea for the killing of the French priests, sent three boats to the Korean coast to make a preliminary survey of the situation. This caused a panic in Seoul, and thousands fled to the country. But the boats sailed away to China, and reported among other things the fate of the General Sherman. The real punitive expedition was now ready, and on October 11 the blockade of the Han River was announced to the Chinese government and the other powers. Seven men-of-war sailed for Korea and began their work by attacking the island of Kang-wha. The town was soon taken, and a large amount of war material was seized; but the Koreans were not disheartened. They sank junks in the river channel to block the approach to Seoul, and they sent a force of some five thousand men to the island of Kang-wha, consisting for the most part of tiger-hunters and other hardy fighters. These took their stand in a strongly fortified Buddhist monastery near the south side of the island, some twelve miles from where the French were stationed. The latter determined to attack this position, and a detachment of one hundred and sixty men was sent for this purpose. This was a serious blunder, for the whole French force would have been unable to dislodge five thousand men from the natural stronghold of the Koreans. Arriving before the walled fortress that was approachable only up a steep hill in the face of a double flanking fire, the French rushed up to the attack; but a withering fire of musketry and of rude cannon, made from models taken from the French wrecks, put nearly one-half the small French force instantly hors de combat. In a very few minutes the survivors were struggling back toward their main position, heavily burdened with their dead and wounded. The Koreans gave chase, and the day would have ended with a massacre had not the remaining French force come out to the relief of their comrades. The French Admiral, for what reason is not known, but probably because he recognised that his force was utterly unable to cope with the Korean army, fired the town of
