Des Vœux which is
Vowe
Resolution
which is referred to in the
ल
referred: 1.
the Executive Council quoted
"
in the Governor's letter of the 5th of April
1888, a copy of which is enclosed in
despatch above mentioned.
I have the honour to be,
• My Lord,
Your Lordship's Most Obedient,
Humble Servant,
Hemming
Sec
:
gu).
Page 512
Enclosure.
No. 2823
His Excellency the Major-General Commanding to the Governor
20 MAY 1888
Copy.
Confidential.
No. 369.
20934/1
Sir,
Head Quarters,
Hongkong, 27th February, 1888.
I have the honour to state with reference to
the Assistant Military Secretary's letter No. 1061 of the
29th October 1886, and enclosure, on the subject of enlisting Chinese for the defence of this Colony that the
idea of raising any considerable force of that description appears to have been quite abandoned on the part of Her
Majesty's Government.
We require, however, a small body of about 50 or
60 native auxiliaries of some sort to assist nearly an equal
number of Royal Engineers in the Submarine Mining defence
of the Harbour, and although every inquiry has been made we
have been unable to find any men of other races who are at
once so efficient for this special work or so satisfactory
in other respects as the Hakka coolies who have now been
employed for two or three years.
These men are admirably suited for the work they
have to do,
they are contented, well behaved and give no
trouble to either the Civil or Military Authorities.
They are not, however, enlisted and it is essential that whatever nationality we employ on this service,
the men should be regularly enlisted as soldiers.
The opinions which were previously expressed by
me