Captain BERGER's Force captured 3 guns and utterly routed the Chinese who fled over the Lam Ts'un Pass and on to Sheung Tsun at the head of the Pát Heung Valley, where BERGER, still pursuing, lost touch with them and bivouacked for the night.
8. At 8 p.m. Captain SIMMONDS sent me a messenger asking for food for 3 British Officers and 120 Indian soldiers, also for one blanket per man. I sent these things by coolies under a fairly strong escort. At 8.30 p.m. BERGER applied for ammunition by signal message. I saw that he must have ammunition at all costs as he was in the heart of the enemy's country, so I got 40 soldiers of the Hongkong Regiment, 11 Sikh policemen and all the coolies I could muster and despatched the lot under Mr. MAY, Captain Superintendent of Police, who had very kindly volunteered to proceed in charge.
9. My camp had now only 16 soldiers left in it, so I signalled to Commander DAVISON, R.N., of Her Majesty's Ship Humber in the Harbour, to land an armed party for its protection. This request was promptly acceded to and I felt that
Flagstaff Hill" and the Queen's Standard were safe.
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10. At about 10 p.m. firing ceased. I sent an order to BERGER that he must not move beyond his bivouac unless he could co-operate with a force that I thought might possibly be sent out to Castle Peak at daybreak on the 18th ultimo. I sent Your Excellency a signal message reporting particulars up to date. I also wrote in detail the particulars of the previous evening's action so far as they were known to me, and despatched the letter next morning.
11. At daybreak on the 18th April, after consultation with Mr. STEWART LOCKHART, Colonial Secretary, I determined to push on to Sheung Ts'ün to join BERGER, for I knew that the Insurgent Forces had all gone West and that the scene of action, having shifted from Táipó to the Pát Heung Valley, my place should be with the advance at Sheung Ts'ün. I informed Coinmander DAVISON, R.N., of my intention and nominated Major KOE, A.S.C., as the Cfficer in Military Command at the Base.
12. At 7 a.m. a portion of BERGER's troops were seen returning to camp, he having left BARRETT with a detachment at Sheung Ts'ün. He had cone in to get food and blankets for his men and ammunition. The men had a square meal after which we started, accompanied by STEWART LOCKHART, and pushing on rapidly reached Sheung Ts'ün where we found BARRETT all safe. A few rounds from guns had been fired at his men in the early morning but no attack had been made on his position. On the march we passed through the Lam Ts'ün Valley where Captain BERGER pointed out to me the details of the previous evening's engagement; he explained the absence of many casualties to our force by the fact that the Chinese kept firing in the direction of the mountain path, believing that troops would not be able to move over the steep hill sides.
They little knew the soldiers of the Hongkong Regiment. When they found out their mistake they became so disconcerted that their fire was wild and practi- cally harmless.
13. On my way to Sheung Ts'ün I sent a message to SIMMONDS to join me with two guns at that place. The other two guns were at Táipó Camp.
14. Reviewing this little action, I desire to bring to Your Excellency's notice the admirable manner in which Captain BERGER of the Hongkong Regiment handled the Infantry Force. I had at first believed that he had pushed on too far from his base and rather feared that the Chinese might have drawn him into an ambuscade; but reflection and a review of the situation convinced me that he was quite right. Some seven years' acquaintance with the Chinese character and the poor efforts that the enemy had made on the previous day, together with the knowledge that they were not well armed, must have shown him that the true tactics in dealing with a Chinese foe were to attack and pursue till their flight had made immediate concen- tration for concerted action impossible.
15. Lieutenant BARRETT also fulfilled his duties with ability and courage.
16. As for the Indian Officers and soldiers of the Hongkong Regiment, their courage and Military bearing under a heavy fire deserve the highest praise; and their natural qualities as hillmen have made them admirable soldiers for frontier warfare in this mountainous region.