414
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
appearance. A couple of seven-pounders and two machine guns were got out, the rest of the members of the corps acting as infantry, At two o'clock, under the command of Captains Chapman and Sanders, they marched down to the Commissariat Pier, taking with them an ambulance squad in charge of Bombardier Nobbs and accompained by Surg-on-Captain Lowson. At the pier several launches and junk were waiting, and the Volunteers got aboard, together with about 150 men of the Welch Fusiliers, a few Royal Engineers, and about half-a-dozen Chinese sappers, the last- named taking with them a flagstaff for erec- tion in the new acquisition. Though the descent on Kowloon city had been kept very quiet, the inhabitants seemed to have got wind of it, for as the launches neared the landing place opposite the Police Station (latterly Customs House) it Was seen that the beach was crowded and that people were also congregated on some of the adjoining hills. On landing the troops formed up on the square in front of the Police Station
forward willingly enough and seemed to enjoy the fun as much as any one, whilst others who perhaps had not had so much to do with Britishers come forward with fear and trembling, their fears being increased by some of the troops mischievously shaking their heads ominously and drawing their hands across their throats. All, however, soon recovered confidence, and when told that they could go hung about in a way which showed that any fear of injury which they might have had at one time had left them. There were no signs, however, of any Chinese soldiers. No doubt many of them were dressed as civilians and were among the crowd collected together.
At about six o'clock the Volunteers and some of the Fusiliers started for home, about 100 Fusiliers being left to garrison the city, and the Commissariat Pier was again reached at about seven o'clock.
The trip was immensely enjoyed by all who took part in it. The force was a fairly for
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May 20, 1899.
expected at Kowloon walled city, and there- fore but a small force was sent there, under Colonel Mainwaring, on Tuesday, though it was amply sufficient to cope with any obstacles which might be placed in its way. This force, as our readers will be aware, was composed chiefly of Royal Welch Fusiliers a
s and members of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps, and num- bered about 350. It met with no opposition whatever, and most of the men returned in the evening, some 50 or 60 being left to garrison the place. The following day the inhabitants were cleared out and set sail in junks for a place in the neighbourhood of Swatow.
Major-General Gascoigne was anxious, how- ever, to make such a display of force at Sham- chun that all idea of opposition would be aban- doned, and he was also anxious to make the. descent on the city still more effective by com- ing upon it simultaneously from three different routes in three different bodies. Therefore he arranged to send two columns of his own men and get a column of blue-jackets
ceded to his request with alacrity and sailors worked with the laudsmen admirably, as they invariably do.
and when the guns had been got ready the march | midable one-such a force as many of the operate with him. The Naval 77%:00-
was begun, some men being left to guard the pier. These naturally had a somewhat dull time of it, and when their comrades returned and gave a glowing account of the outing they had had the men who had been told to stay behind grumbled at their fate in not being allowed to go forward,
The march to Kowloon City was made by two or three routes, the troops being split up. The Fusiliers, with Colonel Mainwaring (in command), Major Prendergast, Captain Super- intendent May, and other officers went first, and as no one had any idea what sort of a re- ception would be accorded the troops a sharp look-out was kept as the narrow stinking lanes were passed through and the corners were turned.” No obstacle was however, ex- perienced. The natives, evidently much im pressed by the display, mostly kept indoors, leaving the whole of the streets to the troops. The latter were not sorry when they reached the paddy fields, as the open sewers which ran down the centre of the streets were filled with stagnant dirty filthy water which gave out an
odour which caused not a few of the not over- fastidious Tommies to apply their handkerchiefs to their nostrils. On reaching the walled city the troops found the gates open as usual and hardly a soul was to be seen. Colon-l Main- waring hunted out the Mandarin, and told him what he had come to do. The Man darin listened to what he had to say and then practically told him he could do what he wished, as he was powerless in the face of such a fores. He seemed anxious, however to be left alone and to be seen as little as pos- sible during the proceedings, and his wish was respected, no attempt being made to make a show of him.
The next thing to be done was to collect all the arms in the place. A couple of magazines. each in charge of a solitary old man, were visited. The doors were broken down and the contents piled up in an open space. And a mis cellaneous assortment of articles there was, too! There were a few decent rifles, but the majority were of an antediluvian character, and not only were they old, but they were thickly covered with rust. Several gingals were unearthed and some cannon similar to those captured beyond Taipuu recently, together with a number of old rusty pistols. Box after box of ammunition was brought down by the men, who also brought spears, rusty swords galore, bows and arrows, war flags, and soldier's uniforms. We understand that it is intended to forward all the stuff collected to Canton; ⠀.
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inhabitants of Kowloon City had never seen before, and they could not fail to be impressed by it. Both the Regulars and the Volunteers looked smart and workmanlike, and were alto- gether a body of men who did credit to the fag.
SHAMCHUN OCCUPIED,
KOWLOON WALLED CITY CLEARED OUT.
18th May.
We are officially informed that the object of the military expedition on the mainland has been quietly effected and that consequently the majority of the troops will be back shortly. What the object of the expedition was has never been clearly stated, but we presume it was to take possession of Shamchun and Namtau, in addition to Kowloon walled city, all of which place have been occupied without opposition.
As a precautionary measure the inhabitants of Kowloon walled city have been cleared out. They left in junks at about one o'clock yes- terday, making for a place in the neigh. bourhood of Swatow. There was quite a scene when they were embarking, They took with them as many of their household goods as they could carry, and what with squealing pigs and bawling children there was a lively time.
Major-General Gascoigne and Major Pren. dergast went over to the city yesterday after
noon.
We notice that a British gunboat is an. chored in Kowloon Bay.
OFFICIAL VERSION OF THE OPERATIONS.
19th May.
The majority of the troops engaged in the' expedition to the mainland have now returned and we are by this time in a position to lay before our readers the official version of how the expedition came about and how it resulted. We have already stated that when the pre- parations were being made the greatest secrecy was maintained by the authorities, who declined to give any information, and in consequence we were obliged to content ourselves with in- telligence about the correctness of which we were not absolutely certain. The object of the expedition having been accomplished the need for secrecy has disappeared, and the authorities are in consequence more communicative.
At about five o'clock the troops formed It having been established beyond a doubt up behind the wall overlooking Kowloon that the hands of the Chinese officials were by Bay preparatory to the flag hoisting no means clean in respect of the disturbances ceremony. The flagstaff had been erected which took place on the taking over of the new -near one of the embrasures. The troops pres-territory, the home Government determined to ented arms, a royal salute was fired, and the mark their sense of the duplicity of the Chinese good old Union Jack, hoisted by Major Prender- in a suitable manner, and orders were accord- gast, was soon floating in the breeze."
ingly issued to the military authorities here to seize Kowloon walled city and Shamchun. For humanitarian reasons it was desired that blood- shed should be avoided if possible, and it was accordingly directed that the preparations should be conducted with the greatest secrecy and that | a force sufficiently overwhelming to show the futility of opposition should be employed. It was known that no great opposition was to be
Up to now hardly any of the inhabit ants of the walled city had been visible, and accordingly the soldiers were sent to scour round for
them and bring them up to the scratch, This was a work which both the Fusiliers and the Volunteers enjoyed hugely. Some of the natives who evidently knew that, no harm was meant to them came
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The first lot of troops to leave was composed of 500 men of the Hongkong Regiment, who, under the command of Colonel The O'Gor man, left for Taipohu on Monday afternoon. The same evening a Naval Brigade of 500 men, under Captain Clarke, set out for Starling Inlet (Mirs Bay). The Pathans bivouacked at Taipohu for the evening. The following morn. ing the General and a force about a thousand strong set sail for Deep Bay, and ultimately landed at Shatao. The water being very shallow it was a work of the greatest difficulty to land such a body of men. Many of them had to wade for over a mile, up to the waist in water. Admirable order was, how- ever, maintained, and had this not been the case the landing could never have been effected so successfully as it was. The march on Sham- chun was commenced without loss of time, and the three different bodies that from Deep Bay, that marching up from Tai pohu, and that coming from Starling Inlet way--arrived at Shamchun simultaneously. The place was taken completely by surprise, but the inhabitants apparently were not averse to the British occupation, seeming in no way dis- concerted by the arrival of the troops.,
Before entering the oity Major General Gascoigne hoisted the British flag, a Royal salute was fired, the troops presented arms, and the General delivered an appropriate little speech. There were about 300 Chinese troops in the city and the officers came and surren- dered to the General. They then accompanied him into the Armoury, which be ordered to be cleared out. The arms brought forth included about 200 of a very good class of rifle, various kinds of swords, and a great deal of ammunition.
The troops were very much exhausted by their march. The weather was exceedingly hot, and some of them had come a long distance. Accordingly the General ordered a bivonac for the night.
The following morning the General, issued a proclamation, saying that the district was now under the Queen's dominion, that justice would be done to everybody, that the inhabitants were no longer to pay any taxes to Chinese officials, and that if any Chinese officials came
them for taxes they were to report the matter to the cfficer commanding the troops.
The troops stood the work very well, there being only five cases of slight sickness" among the whole camp. The sailors came back the following morning and the General brought back with him a portion of the troops, leaving amply sufficient, ander Colonel The ("Gorman, to look after the place.
The regular general meeting of shareholders in the Nippon Yusen Kaisha will be held about the 26th inst. From Japan papers we learn that the last half-year is considered unsatis- factory. The returns from the foreign runs are good, but the coasting service shows a gro falling of, due to the general depression in trade. The dividend proposed will be at the 'rate of 8 per cent. per annum.