221
make the Chinese incur the risk of a frequent collision with men of war
: piracy as in everything else the balance of profit & loss is the surest
& In
index to the Chinese character.
I will suppose therefore the
Convoy system punctually persevered in
Then
strike at the
real root of the evil by issuing a proclamation declaring that after a time therein specified no Chinese craft whatsoever except
those belonging to the Imperial Navy shall be allowed to carry guns or ammunition or stinkpots.
that there will be stationed at Hongkong for Hongkong headquarters not less than 4 gun-boats whose sole occupation shall be the protection of the trader the suppression of piracy the disarmament of all.
The law.
When the limited time shall have expired carry out with the Cooperation of the Macao authorities which will
be joyfully & faithfully given a disarmament of all vessels in
harbour & let the
cruising
gun boats be
on defined beats with orders to board & search all
Chinese vessels not being Mandarin
war junks & remove or destroy
all ammunition of war found on such search being made. But let the interference be strictly confined to this, let no prizes be made & no detention caused beyond that necessary for making a search. Vessels at anchor in harbours on the main land not to be visited but with regard to the islands the search to apply equally to all craft whether at sea or at anchor.
Every notorious haunt of pirates