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▲ A rock inscription in Keelung — believed to mean "Talented People live overseas"
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"Talented People live overseas"
— Written in 1884 by a Chinese navy officer, in tribute to British engineer David Tyzack
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I. Background · The Call for Coal
On a rock face in Keelung, Taiwan, is a message in Chinese characters. These characters were written in 1884 by a Chinese navy officer, to pay respect to a young English engineer hired to build the first machine-operated coal mine owned by the Ch'ing government. It refers to David Tyzack, who came to improve the output of the local coal mine at Badou Zi (Coal Harbour).
British gunboats faced a fuel shortage during their deployment in Chinese waters. In the 1870s, intense interest focused on the island of Formosa (Taiwan) for a supply of coal to foreign gunboats. Sir Robert Hart (20 February 1835 – 20 September 1911), Inspector-General of China's Imperial Maritime Custom Service, wrote urgently to his London representative James Duncan Campbell:
"...send me an experienced mining engineer to examine the Formosan coalfields, advise scientifically as to their working and superintend practically paying mining operations... the iron is hot — the Chinese want us to work the Keelung Mines, and I don't want to give them time to change their minds."
— Sir Robert Hart, letter to James Duncan Campbell, 1874
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Campbell advertised the opportunity in a national newspaper on 31st October 1874, attracting fierce competition with more than 40 candidates.
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II. David Tyzack · The Engineer
Tyzack applied and was third in competition, but ultimately secured the position due to his qualifications and conditions of appointment. At the time he was just 26 years old, working as a qualified mining engineer at East Tanfield Colliery since 1873 — a coal mine manager with a first class certificate who had never left England.
The journey from Britain was long. The Taiwanese coast was treacherous — wrecking vessels and plundering foreign property. The British government patrolled these waters with men-of-war including HMS Dwarf, captained by Bonham Ward Bax, which regularly visited ports of Taiwan during 1871–1874, standing by to rescue shipwrecked mariners and escorting missionaries.
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▲ Tyzack's file — click to enlarge
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III. Arrival at Keelung
On Tyzack's arrival, Keelung's British Customs officers greeted him: "Welcome to Coal Harbour!" He was introduced to the Fuzhou Ship Councils and warned that local people were superstitious with some incompetent officials. A man named Xu Tingrui, an English speaker, was assigned as Tyzack's companion and protector. Tyzack settled on Sheliao Island (Palm Island) and found that local coal mining was still carried out in a primitive way.
By 1875 his plan — the Keelung Badou Zi Machine Mining Plan — was prepared and presented to Imperial Commissioner Shen Baozhen in Tainan. Despite concerns raised by officials about earthquakes and feng shui, Tyzack argued successfully and the plan was approved.
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▲ Keelung historical map — click to enlarge
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IV. The Mine in Operation
The plan required Tyzack to travel to England to purchase machinery. The machinery arrived in 1876 and was erected at Badou Zi, three miles east of Keelung. A circular shaft of 12.5 feet in diameter was sunk to 295 feet, intersecting the main seam at 270 feet. By year's end, output reached 30–40 tons per day.
In 1878 a guibal fan was installed for ventilation, requiring a further shaft 8 ft 6 in diameter and 88 ft deep. The mine was now producing 200 tons a day. A tramway connected the mine to a jetty and coal chutes in Coal Harbour. Staff and labour issues were problematical — dense jungle, heavy rains followed by intense heat caused great sickness among employees.
By 1880 Tyzack sensed growing suspicion and corruption in the garrison. His new wife was worried. Discussions between the British Consul and Chinese authorities acknowledged that the mine owed its success to Tyzack — yet a new figure, Liu ao, was charged with reducing costs and recommended dismissal of all foreign workers. Tyzack was duly dismissed and ordered to return to England.
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V. Departure & Legacy
In 1884, Tyzack and his wife Isabella boarded a ship and left Taiwan, waving farewell to Reverend Mackay at the dockside. Back in Britain, Tyzack presented his findings at a formal dinner: "Notes on the coal-fields and coal-mining operations in north Formosa." He remained a chartered member of the Institute of Mining until at least 1897.
A few years after returning, Isabella fell ill and died in 1890. David remarried in 1893 — Elizabeth Agnes Byrne of Lancashire. Meanwhile, in August 1884, the French fleet arrived at Keelung and bombarded the forts. Governor General Liu Ming Chuang ordered the mine machinery destroyed, shafts flooded, and some 15,000 tons of coal set alight — ending modern mining in Taiwan for some time.
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▲ Tyzack's formal presentation on Formosa coalfields (1884–5) — click to enlarge
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— ACCESS MAP —
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