19th century Hakodate and the doomed voyage of the Remi: Part 2

A sketch of a steamship sailing through a storm in the East Sea in the late 1880s. Courtesy of Brother Anthony's collection

By Robert Neff

• Published May 24, 2021 8:52 AM KST
• Updated May 24, 2021 4:23 PM KST

By Robert Neff

Throughout the day of April 10, 1860, the two steamships, Remi and Japanese, sailed along the Japanese coast but as darkness began to fall, the ships went their separate ways. Over the next two weeks, the voyage was relatively uneventful. On April 24, the steamship (Remi) passed Tsushima and entered into the strait dividing the Korean peninsula from Japan.

Captain Laen was fairly unfamiliar with this area ― most of his sailing was done along the coast of China ― and was relying heavily upon his charts, but the charts were incomplete and often inaccurate. Earlier that year, an editorial in the North China Herald (an English-language newspaper published in Shanghai) criticized the British government's inefficient use of the navy to survey the coast of northeastern Russian instead of “having proper surveys made” of other areas essential for new trade and noted the most “pressing importance” was the strait between the Korean peninsula and Japan as it afforded a thoroughfare for shipping to Hokadate and the western Japanese ports.

On April 25, the inaccurate charts were not the only problems; a thick fog pushed by a “fresh breeze” caused the captain further concern. Late in the afternoon they passed an island that he supposed was part of an unnamed island group shown on his map. He was now convinced he was “well clear of danger” and set a course to pass just south of the Korean island of Gageo. He was wrong.

At about 8:20, while passing an island, the steamer struck a submerged ledge of rocks. Laen ordered the engines reversed but it was to no avail and within forty minutes the vessel was swamped as waves smashed violently into it, driving it further upon the rocks. The ship was beyond saving and the order for the lifeboats to be lowered was given. Within 30 minutes the four boats were lowered but not without difficulty and loss; one was stove in while it was being lowered and another boat began leaking ― threatening to sink.

Inexplicably, one of the Chinese crewmembers jumped into the sea and swam 300 meters to the rocks near the island, and one of his peers tried to emulate his feat but paid for it with his life. The passengers in the leaky boat managed to make it to the rock and spent the night clinging to it so as not to be swept from their tenuous sanctuary by the waves and swell. The remaining two boats remained in the relative safety of the deeper water and away from the wreck.

In the morning the fog lifted and revealed to the survivors (25 crew and 25 Chinese passengers) that the island was much bigger than they had originally thought. They made their way to the rocky beach and salvaged the items that were being washed ashore from the wreck and used sails to make tents.

There was, undoubtedly, a great deal of apprehension. They had survived the wreck but many wondered if they would survive an encounter with the Koreans. The Chinese crewmembers and passengers were probably feeling a little more confident than their Western peers as the Chinese were said to be better treated. At the time, it was generally understood (mistakenly) by Westerners that the Koreans killed or enslaved anyone unlucky enough to be cast upon the peninsula despite anecdotal histories of shipwrecked crews, out of Shanghai, being treated well. They soon received their answer.

After a short time, several hundred Koreans arrived and prevented them from leaving the rocky shore but, as Captain Laen later recalled, were “otherwise behaving in the most friendly manner, lighting fires for us to dry our clothes by ― bringing straw and sticks for our tents.” Others brought two large jars of warm congee (rice porridge) which they divided amongst the foreigners who, in turn, shared “a hearty meal” made from their salvaged goods but the Koreans preferred the foreign alcohol.

For the next couple of days, the castaways salvaged during the day and slept in their tents at night. At no time were they allowed to leave the shore ― a Korean guard of some fifty men ensured they did not wander.

On the fourth day the ship was completely broken up. Due to the weather conditions worsening, the castaways were finally given permission to move their camp farther up the slope and away from the waves. It was a wise precaution. Soon after their move, a gale wind from the east struck bringing with it very heavy rain and high waves ― had they not moved their camp would probably have been swept away. For the next couple of days the storm raged and all were wet and miserable ― especially the fifty or so Koreans who guarded them from afar.

While waiting for the storm to pass, the castaways repaired the three boats and sorted through their goods collected from the shipwreck. Despite the poor weather, their Korean hosts regularly trudged through the rain and wind to supply the strangers with warm congee.

Finally, on May 2, the weather cleared and in the afternoon smoke was sighted in the distance ― a steamship! Laen sent a boat to try and get to the steamer but the men with their oars and light sail were too slow and, much to their great disappointment, the steamer's smoke disappeared over the horizon. It is possible the steamship they saw was the Yang-tsze, an American steamship, which had departed from Shanghai on April 30 and was bound for Hakodate with a cargo of sundries.

According to Laen, over the next couple of days we “busied ourselves repairing our boats and making preparations for leaving, taking care not to give any uneasiness to the kind-hearted natives by showing any desire to stroll over the island or visit their village.”

He was probably aware how dangerous it could be if he and his fellow survivors overstayed their welcome with their local hosts ― it was, however, even more dangerous once bureaucrats became involved. The sooner they got back to sea, the better.

Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books including, Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.