36
(Colonial Secretary's Sixth Minute of the 17th April, 1899.)
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
TẢI PÓ CAMP, 17th April, 1899, 11.15 p.m.
The engagement to-day bas ended by BERGER reaching Sheung Ts'ün in the Pát Heung Valley and by SIMMONDS being stationed at San Uk-tsai, four miles. from here. Major BROWNE, R.A M.C., has returned and his account of the action is that the Chinese had chosen their positions well and that if they had only fired well, the British troops would have fared very badly. BROWNE is wounded slightly and so is a private. No other casualties on our side. The casualties on the Chinese side cannot be ascertained, but some men have been killed. SIMMONDS is stationed at San Uk-tsai in a position commanding both valleys. BERGER Wishes to advance to-morrow. I am strongly of opinion that the most effective manner of dealing with the situation is for troops to be landed from Hongkong at Castle Peak and for them and BERGER to advance simultaneously, whilst the Fame could co-operate from Deep Bay. The leading villages which have been chiefly instrumental in creating the disturbance are Kam Tin, Ha Ts'ün, Un Long, and Ping Shán. My information is that these villages are determined to resist. I think they should be brought to reason, especially Kam Tin, which is an old offender. So far as I can ascertain, the Chinese soldiers who engaged our troops are not regulars, but some more flags have been captured by BERGER which I will examine carefully when they are brought into camp. MAY went with a body of l'olice and a detachment of the Hongkong Regiment to take ammunition to BERGER. Major BROWNE reports that MAY had just arrived at Sheung Ts'ün before he left. A body of blue-jackets and marines has landed from the Humber and is now encamped on Flagstaff Hill. The Peacock is anchored in Tolo Harbour. I have been on shore all day and will remain with Colonel THE O'GOEMAN in camp all night, so as to know what messages are sent from Hongkong before daybreak. I hope troops will be sent to co-operate with BERGER. Dr. THOMSON and Mr. MESSER arrived by the Humber, and are sleeping on board the Wing Fu.
Pending the present trouble it will be impossible to make any progress with our administrative arrangements, and if the trouble continues I see no reason why the two Officers referred to should remain here.
It is raining slightly which will not tend to make life here any more pleasant than it has already been.
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART.
(Governor's Minute of 17th April, 1899.)
HONOURABLE COLONIAL SECRETARY,
Under the circumstance explained by General GASCOIGNE I approve
of your not coming in. You will remember in the operations that the New Territory comes within the terms of the Arins Ordinance and no person in that territory is entitled to have or possess arms. It will therefore be your duty to discover any arms and confiscate them. The troops acting in support of the Civil l'ower will have authority to search and disarm. As to the movement of the troops, in the suppression of active opposition and armed attacks upon Her Majesty's Forces, you will be guided entirely by the General Officer Commanding who returns to Tái pó Hu this evening. I am informed by Deputy WANG that there are some Chinese soldiers stationed in the district, who have not yet received orders to remove. I shall ask for inforina- tion as to the towns and villages to which they have been ordered. If you find them in those villages in the number stated you will direct them to proceed forthwith to Sham Chun except that you find them participating in any movement against our authority, in which case they should be made prisoners. In the event of prisoners being taken with arms in their hands they should be forwarded to ilongkong.
*
I send copies of last two letters from the Viceroy. As the troops advance it may
be well to pitch on the best site for the police station near Kam T'in without regard to the local objection.
HENRY A. BLAKE.
* Enclosures Nos. 1 and 2.