Sir,
Enclosure 4 in A.O. 11402483 REP & MAY MAY 2
Police Office. 4th April, 1899.
I have the honour to report that yesterday morning I proceeded to Tai Po via Kowloon City and Sha Tin when I hired a small junk and sailed to Tai Po, with an escort of 4 Sikh Policemen, 5 Chinese soldiers from Kowloon City and a Chinese Interpreter. My object was to inspect the matshed under construction at Tai Po for the temporary accommodation of Police, to withdraw the Police Guard and exchange it for the Chinese soldiers, 6 more of whom were to follow the next day, and to interview the village elders regarding the site of the matshed.
I arrived at Tai Po at 3 p.m. and proceeded to the Temple where the elders hold their meetings and was met by them there. The Temple, in spite of the endeavours of Police and soldiers to the contrary, soon became filled with a noisy and turbulent crowd, so that it was almost impossible to hear oneself speaking. I gathered from the elders that they objected to the erection of the matshed on the ground that it would spoil the Fung Shui of the neighbourhood.
The Colonial Secretary,