Rediscovering the Kowshing

Historically, Korea has long been known as a land of great mineral wealth. Gold was, and still is, found scattered throughout the peninsula. But it is not only the wealth found on land that has attracted fortune hunters but also the fabled wealth that lies hidden in the seas. Over the past couple of years, there have been several accounts of "gold ships" discovered around Korea. Except for their archaeological value, none of these ships has yielded much wealth; in fact, they have proven detrimental to their discoverers. One such treasure ship was the Kowshing.

On July 23, 1894, the docks at Taku, China, were busier than normal. Vendors called out the virtues of their wares -- mainly watermelons and large cakes -- and the exited chattering of the new soldiers and the bellowing of their commanders filled the air. The soldiers, dressed in traditional Chinese uniforms, carried an assortment of weapons that almost looked comical. Many carried old Austrian muskets, Martinis and Tower rifles but often with incorrect ammunition. Others were armed with ancient weapons, mainly bows and arrows and long spears. Perhaps more surprisingly, many of the officers went about with large fans and umbrellas.

Many of the Chinese soldiers were not even real soldiers, but coolies who had enlisted at the last moment, or boys anxious to participate in the Chinese expedition to Korea. The Chinese government was supporting the Korean government in putting down the Tonghak Insurrection -- a rebellion that broke out in the southern provinces of the peninsula and quickly spread throughout Korea.

The Japanese also reacted by sending more than 7,000 troops to defend Japanese interests in Seoul and Chemulpo. The sudden infusion of foreign troops into Korea made the country even more unstable -- especially considering that China and Japan were vying for more influence in Korea.

Captain Thomas Ryder Galsworthy, commander of the steamship Kowshing, looked down upon the deck of his ship as his crew prepared to load their latest shipment -- four battalions of Chinese infantry and artillery soldiers (a total of 1,100 men), 10 old-fashioned mountain guns and a supply of rifles and ammo.

Galsworthy was unsure of his destination -- his orders were sealed in an envelope that he was to open once at sea -- but he was confident that he was bound for Korea. Galsworthy was unaware, that the Kowshing was one of 10 ships that had been chartered by the Chinese government to transport troops and equipment to Korea. Three British-flagged ships were to proceed to Asan, Korea, while the remaining seven Chinese-flagged ships were to proceed to the northern part of Korea near the Chinese border.

A few days ago, on July 19, Japan had warned China that any additional deployment of Chinese troops to Korea would be viewed as a hostile act. It has been speculated that the Chinese sent the British-flagged ships to Asan assuming that if they were discovered, the Japanese would not attack them because of their flags and let them pass through. They were wrong.

That night, under the cover of darkness, the Kowshing left Taku, the last of the three British-flagged ships bound for Korea. Prior to departing, a German national by the name of Major von Hanneken boarded the ship. He claimed to be nothing more than a passenger (the only passenger) and was bound for Korea. Despite his claims, Galsworthy and the crew noted that their "passenger" spoke excellent Chinese and was shown a great deal of respect by the Chinese soldiers and sailors. Major von Hanneken was actually an employee of the Chinese government and was most likely going to Korea to act as an advisor for the Chinese.

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