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especially when the means at disposal of the Chinese are so limited and insignificant as reported at present.
14. At the same time, I have evidently seen that the actual reported piracies are not imaginary. Piracy is lifting its head, and cases are again becoming more numerous, whilst almost nothing is done to repress them by the Naval Representatives of Foreign Powers or by the Chinese Authorities. I therefore transmit this information to Her Majesty's Government, because it would seem that some procedure other than that supposed to be sketched in the existing Admiralty Instructions, of which I enclose a copy, is required to correct an evil which under other auspices had been put down, but which is now increasing so seriously as to hamper native commerce with this place.
15. Of course, it is quite impossible for the Governor of this Colony to sanction as a regular system expeditions such as those which, at comparatively trifling cost, I have allowed for the purpose of testing the fact whether pirates are not infesting our neighborhood. To give members of the Police Force leave of absence so that