5
605
that 5 strange junks, believed to belong to Chair-cher or thereabouts, had anchored off the village on the evening of Wednesday 10th instant; that some of the crew had landed the following morning for water, and that the junks left shortly afterwards, making supposed to the Eastward, that they had never been seen there before, and had had no communication with the shore than as stated, and that the villagers, who are all fishermen, were completely ignorant of any attack having been made, not even aware that the Namoa had been anchored in their vicinity during the night of the 10th instant. The selectives assured me that they had every reason to believe that their informants were speaking the truth.
Seeing that there was nothing to be gained by remaining any longer at Aarlem Bay, having no clue as to the destination of the junks to follow, I considered it advisable to return to Hongkong at once and acquaint you with what I had learnt, and now beg to report my arrival at this port.
6.
I would desire to add that Captain Stewart, commanding the Chinese Revenue Cruiser Kaipan, has rendered me every assistance in his power, and that his advice was most useful to me, also that Detective Sergeant N... as well as the Chinese selectives did all that was required of them in a very satisfactory manner.
I have &c.
(signed) V. A. Fisdall.
Commander.