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EXTRACT LETTER FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF
INDIA
DATED 14th APRIL 1898, PARA.14.
10810
RECT
REGE I MA 98
527
538
The Government of Bombay telegraphed on the 30th March
that plague rules had been applied in Egypt to arrivals
from Hong Kong. We thereupon enquired of the Hong Kong
Goverment whether plague existed at Hong Kong or in the
neighbourhood. In reply a telegram was sent stating that
210 cases had occurred this year up to the 2nd April, and
that plague was reported to exist also at Macao and Canton.
On receipt of this information we considered it advisable
to issue instructions for the imposition of regulations
in accordance with the Venice Convention against Hong
Kong, Canton and Macao at Aden and ports in the Bombay
Presidency and Sind, and at Calcutta and Chittagong and
ports in the Madras Presidency and Burma. We desire to
bring to your Lordship's notice that on the present
occasion, as well as on the occasion of the recrudescence
in 1896, the Government of Hong Kong failed to send us
information of the existence of plague at that place. It
appears to us to be very desirable that timely notice
should be given, in order that the precautions prescribed
by the Venice Convention may be at once adopted.
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