167
recorded in the Police Office. Hence there is reason to suppose the number of cases in those three years exceeded 400.
6. Nor is this all, for they included Piracies of Foreign Vessels, many of them attended with murders of a very atrocious description, and they involved the destruction of 87 vessels and robbery of 138 cargoes - Crimes in which some 6327 Pirates are reported to have been concerned, whilst all this, it must be remembered, is connected with only that portion of the cases, which were communicated to the Police.
8. Now as the Gunboats of the Vice Roy only came effectively on the scene of action during 1869, and as it would appear that their principal occupation has been blockading this Colony and attending to Revenue business, I hope I am not underrating the effect, which they have practically exercised on the suppression of Piracy, if I regard it as extremely small in part; whatever it may be in the future.
9. I therefore do not consider Mr. Robertson's congratulations on the successful policy of "self help" fairly earned yet by the Chinese, nor do I think a fruitless cruise along the Fukien Coast, such as