(14)
TO THE COMMISSION.
Yaumáti is a salt depôt. The salt may pay duty before coming into the waters of the Colony.
•
I
JOHN BUTLIN, Sergeant, states :—I have been in the Police Force over 7 years. have had over 5 years' experience of out-stations-Yaumáti, Hunghòm and Whitfeild. I have often boarded boats in the harbour, either because there appeared to be something suspicious about them, or because I had been informed that there was stolen property on board, or pirates. I have on several occasions found saltpetre, opium, salt, and once or twice Annamese Cash on board. I have also found opium on board sampans at night, and they have told me that they were going to smuggle the opium and were doing so by night, as they were afraid to do so during the day time as they would be watched. I saw one of these sampans deliver the opium on board a large junk lying, off Whitfeild Station. These sampans have always shown a bill of purchase when accused of stealing the opium. Annamese Cash used to be smuggled in stone boats from Sinshán behind T'òkwawán, where the cash were manufactured in great quantities. Opium smuggling is chiefly carried on by salt junks, some of which are very heavily armed. I have seen 36 or 37 of a crew with 20 or 30 rifles, spears, shields, revolvers, ammunition and 2 cannons. This is the largest I have seen. I do not think these junks are specially equipped for smuggling. These salt junks are built for fast sailing, but the stone boats, in which opium is also smuggled, are not so.
I think as a rule the crews are not specially chosen. They may be in some cases.
You could not distinguish the crews of the junks that smuggle from the crew of any ordinary junk by physique, though they are generally more numerous in the salt junks, but not in other boats that smuggle opium. I have never seen fights or firing between junks and Revenue Cruisers in British waters. On one occasion a man came to Yaumáti wounded, and he told me that he had been wounded by some men on board a Revenue Cruiser, who had attacked the junk on board which he was, somewhere in Chinese territory.
•
The above statement made to the Secretary is read over to Sergeant BUTLIN and declared by him to be correct.
JAMES CLERIHEW, Inspector of Nuisances, states :-I was in the employ of the salt Commissioner as Quarter-master in charge of one of the Revenue Cruisers for two years. and nine months, from 1878 to 1880. During that time I made many seizures of opium, salt, saltpetre, arms, ammunition, from on board Hongkong junks of all sizes, and rice coming to the Colony. I have often had fights with these junks, and several times people have been killed on both sides. I never made a capture in Hongkong waters, nor had any collision with junks in those waters. I have never known of Hongkong junks specially armed for the purposes of smuggling, but some of the junks with which I fought, were heavily armed with rifles, cannon, and fighting nets. The crews varied from 15 to 20. Our instructions were most strict about keeping away from the British boundary. We used to consider it a bad month unless we made 30 or 40 seizures. My pay was $50 at first and afterwards $60 per month, and I was allowed a share of the seizures, generally a third. I was allowed to seize any smuggled goods, and got a · share of the seizure in every case. In the case of salt, the launch got a half share. I have made as much as $240 a month, including salary, but as a rule did not make more than $30 a month, outside my salary. I have been offered bribes by junks to let rice