16
in his letter of the 6th Oct/85 states that the communities at the different Treaty Ports have from time to time remonstrated against the inadequate protection given to them by the Naval Authorities. I can only state that, during the period of my command, no such remonstrance has ever been made to me, except that contained in the letter from the Chamber of Commerce dated 16th April last, my reply to which is enclosed.
6. The Consul of Shanghai in June last requested me to detach a Corvette and Sloop to guard the settlement during the visit of the Viceroy, Li Hung Chang, as I considered that this would be an insult to that distinguished and enlightened statesman I declined to send the corvette, the "Wrangler" and Kestrel being already in the Woosung River.
4. Sir Harry Parkes in a letter dated 19 Sept: last, written at the moment of his arrival at Tientsin from Japan alluded to the presence of only two small vessels in the neighbourhood of Hong Kong, and I took the opportunity of pointing out to him that while the "Swift" and "Espoir" were at Canton, there were still available at Hong Kong the two Gunboats and the "Midge" in Reserve, not counting the "Wivern", Guard Ship.
8. I feel that it is not necessary for me