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his most essential premises. He is good enough all through his Despatch to express himself "very anxious to effect" a saving "to the Hong Kong Community and secure Hong Kong itself" against "the loss of trade likely to result to it, from the operations of the preventive service about to watch the Coast of Hong Kong." And he treats these operations of the Chinese cruisers as something not yet begun, and states that the preventive service was about to commence its campaign in "seas about Hong Kong".
8. It seems incredible that Mr Wade should be so ill-informed on a point of such importance and bearing so directly on the subject matter of his argument. It is almost superfluous for me to remind you that the archives of the Colonial Office contain full descriptions of the establishment, with the secret assent of Her then Majesty's Minister at Peking aided by Her Majesty's Consul at Canton three years ago, of a Cordon of Revenue Stations around Hong Kong at every point of the compass. Ample evidence has also been forwarded that Chinese Revenue Cruisers habitually pursue and seize native craft near Hong Kong.