澎湖 Iles Pescadores 1885

The above is a rare glimpse of the French feet congregating in 馬公Makung of the Pescadores澎湖 in 1885 [source: Paulus Swaen Internet Auction, a dealership of ancient maps].

On March 14, 1885, the French Gov't stopped supporting the battle in Keelung and ordered Adm Courbet to take the Pescadores instead. On March 29, Courbet led the ironclads "Bayard" and "Triomphante", the cruisers "d'Estaing" and "Duchaffaut", the gunboat "Vipère" and the troopship "Annamite" plus 400 Fusiliers Marins commanded by Capt Lang and invaded Makung. The small town was defended by Gen 梁景夫Liang Jing-fu, 周善初Chou Shan-ch'u, and 鄭膺杰Cheng Ying-chieh. There seemed participation of foreigner-advisers, including one Brit whose diary was later recovered by the French. The Qing garrison fought back with Armstrong guns firing from Fort Shi-jiau-tze四角仔要塞 and several other coastal gun batteries. The French fleet bombarded and destroyed the defense in the morning of March 29. The French Fusiliers Marins landed in the afternoon in the southern cape of the island and began to march on Makung. With the support of the naval gun-fire, they eventually defeated the main Qing force on March 31 and proceeded to occupy the whole Pescadores. And Makung Bay became the base for as many as 30 French warships by the summer of 1885.

The casualties for the French were 5 dead and 12 wounded, and for the Chinese, 300 dead and 400 injured. The Chinese foot soldiers who retreated to Tainan for medical treatment were noted to have sustained frontal wounds indicating a noble but futile stand against the French.

In the painting above, the harbor is seen packed with French ships, Volga, Destaing, Bayard, Atalante, and Volta. In the background is Fort blindé [most likely Makung]. In the background, in the mountains, are the positions of the Chinese troops (marked Chinois).

Underneath are notes in brown ink: Mouillage d'une partie de l'escadre de l'amiral Courbet.
Iles Pescadores (Chine) - Kelung Mai 1885. So this painting was apparently drawn from memory or finished 2 months later in May in Keelung - the artist also had neglected to sign his name.

Adm Courbet died on June 11 from either illnesses or injuries. This is the memorial in his honor in Makung:
And the French Fusilier Marin war-dead (including those died from diseases) are commemorated on Mt Snake Head蛇頭山:
The French evacuated the Pescadores on July 22. And as any good tourists, they loaded up on souvenirs purchased from local entrepreneurs. Among the favorites were bronze Buddhas, hand-carved screens, and other Oriental trinkets, most likely at a much inflated price. The French were under strict orders to pay for what they needed, souvenirs included. And many islanders made a fortune as a result. It would not be surprising if these treasured items now show up in the antique shops or flea markets somewhere in France.