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standing outside the temple while we were inside, were separated from us by a portion of the crowd, and the use of wooden weapons rendering our position dangerous I ordered the Sikhs to draw their sword bayonets and charge.
This had the effect of driving the crowd back and the soldiers were thus enabled to join us. This they promptly did and placing themselves between us and the crowd and keeping the latter at bay with the muzzles of their rifles enabled us to retreat to the outside of the village whither the crowd did not follow us.
We regained our boat at the landing place close to the newly erected matshed which is about a quarter of a mile from the village.
From there I sent the Chinese Interpreter, the two Chinese District Watchmen who had been guarding the matshed during erection and a Chinese detective I had with me back to Hong-Kong as the crowd seemed to have more animosity against them than against the remainder of the party, and as I wished if possible to save the matshed from the destruction which would inevitably overtake it unless it were guarded I determined to remain by it all night with the 6 Sikh Policemen and 5 Chinese soldiers.
I sent a memorandum to His Excellency the Governor at the same time stating briefly what had occurred and what I had decided to do and asking for assistance.
The Chinese party left at 4.45 p.m.
When