Y Taipo Camp.
0.0 13022 RECU REGEL MAY 17th April, 1899, 11.15 p.m.
Your Excellency.
The engagement to-day has ended by Berger reaching Sheung Ts'un in the Pat Heung valley and by Simmonds being stationed at San Uk tsai, 4 miles from here. Major Browne has returned and his account of the action is that the Chinese had chosen their positions well and that if they had only fired well the British troops would have fared very badly.
Browne is wounded slightly; and so is another man. No other casualties on our side. The casualties on the Chinese side cannot be ascertained, but some men have been killed. Captain Simmonds is stationed at San Uk tsai in a position commanding both valleys, Berger wishes to advance to-morrow.
I am strongly of opinion that the most effective manner of dealing with the situation is for the troops to be landed from Hong Kong at Castle Peak and for them and Berger to advance simultaneously whilst the "Fane" could cooperate from Deep Bay.
The leading villages which have been chiefly instrumental in creating the disturbance are Kam Tin, Ha Tsun, Un Long, and Ping Shan. My information is that these villages are determined to resist. I think they should be brought to reason, especially Kam Tin, which is an old offender.
So far as I can ascertain, the Chinese soldiers who engaged our troops are not regulars, but some...
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