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The report is as follows:-
"In reply to your letter of December the 18th last, requesting information as to the method of search of local river and coasting steamers, I beg to forward the following three notes which correspond to the three headings given in your letter:
(a). Present system of inspecting passengers and baggage on steamers plying
between Hong Kong, Canton and Delta Ports.
The searchers go to the wharf three or four hours before the ship is due to leave; they go on board and any passengers that may be there are told to go on shore with their luggage. When that has been done the ship is then searched under the supervision of a European Police Officer. In the meantime, one man is posted on each gangway to prevent any person coming on board, another on the seaward side of the ship to prevent people boarding the ship from sampans. After the ship has been searched all men except the man on duty on the seaward side, go on to the wharf where they search all passengers and their luggage. If found correct they are allowed on board the ship. The searchers remain until such time as the ship is well clear of the wharf. The man on duty at the seaward side leaves the ship at the last minute. All people coming on to the wharf, whether passengers or otherwise, and their belongings, are searched, unless they produce an exemption permit signed by the Captain Superintendent of Police. A female searcher is also on the wharf to search females but she does not search luggage.
All grilles are locked when the ship sails. The number of searchers on each wharf is from ten to fifteen. The same procedure is taken with the Douglas, O.S.K., coasting steamers and the s.s. "Hydrangea".
(b) Search of Ocean going vessels, to and from Overseas Ports, including
Straits Settlements and ports south of Hong Kong,
All deep sea ships operating under the Piracy Prevention Ordinance. searched. This, of course includes all such vessels bound for ports south of Hong Kong such as Kwong Chau Wan, Pak Hoi, Haiphong, Hoihau and Fort Bayard.
At the Water Police Station there are ten Chinese male searchers and one Chinese female searcher, all acting under a European Lance Sergeant for work in connection with the search of ships under the Piracy Prevention Ordinance.
An arrangement is in force between the Harbour Department and the Water Police, whereby information concerning times of intended departure of ships is com- municated from the former to the latter. The European Lance Sergeant and his squad of searchers thẹn go off and search the ship. All passengers in all classes are searched; also crews' quarters and any places on the ship likely to be used for smug- gling purposes. All luggage is searched and the searchers write their respective num- bers on each article of baggage they search. When necessary, the Indian Guards assist in the search, but they are only called upon when the number of passengers is great and time does not permit of a proper search by Police. When the search is completed, the European in-charge reports the fact to the Captain, supervises the locking of the grilles and sees the Indian Guards at their posts and is the last to leave the ship previous to slipping the cable.
As regards other out-going deep sea vessels there is no systematic search, such vessels only being searched when searchers are available and time permits, but some of these ships are searched by the Revenue Authorities. There are no regular Police searchers on ships running to and from the Straits Settlements and Java.
(c) Available information as to search at other ports.
The Indian Guards employed on ships under the Piracy Prevention Ordinance do not carry out any search of passengers in the port of Hong Kong, nor at Macau where a search system similar to that in Hong Kong is carried out. At all other ports within the piracy zone the Indian Guards on board search all passengers board- ing. The search is generally carried out under the supervision of a European Officer of the ship.
There are three ships which usually run from the South, which are fitted with grilles and carry guards. These are the s.s. "Borneo", "Mingsang" and the s.s. "Taming". No search is made of passengers or baggage at Singapore or other