"I take that from the evening of the 8th of June until the morning of the 19th, there were two large Customs launches cruising in Stanley Bay. The Island of Lamma inside Stanley Bay is within Chinese Waters and I did, it is true, watch the 'Chuan tiao' together with a seagoing pinnace to cruise there, but on the evening in question I had no vessels there such as described, at that spot.
I would venture to ask Your Excellency to make enquiry and instruct the officers of Your Excellency's gunboats to find out if any of their vessels were there on similar instructions.
I would also observe that in Chinese waters, four or about Kowloon, in addition to Coast Cruisers, there are gunboats belonging to Your Excellency, likewise Revenue Cruisers belonging to the Salt Commissioner, constantly cruising to and fro. I have no idea what description of vessel it really was that cruised in Stanley Bay on the evening of the 8th of June during the day.
Might be given to the Salt Commissioner to see if any of his Cruisers were concerned. I am writing to the Superintendent on the subject asking them to let me know immediately if on that day any of his boats were at Stanley Bay.
On receipt of Mr. Alabaster's despatch, the Governor General called for explanations on the affair and received a report from the Kowloon Commissioner stating that he would call together the officers of all his vessels, make careful enquiries as to whether any such action had taken place, and then strictly enjoin them on the necessity...