Viceroy Tan to Consul Mansfield.
Sir,
May 19, 1899.
381
+
With reference to your despatch in which you informed me that the Governor of Hongkong had heard that a large number of local rowdies were assembling in Chinese territory to the north of the boundary with the intention of making an incursion into British territory, and requested me to take measures to restrain them. I have the honour to state that I at once ordered Ideut. Col: Shin Yu-shan to despatch Sergt. Pang Pus-lin of the vanguard patrol of the Yi Battalion of the Canton garrison with 300 men of the Yi Battalion to take up their quarters in the neighbourhood of Samchun to preserve order. I also ordered the San On and Tung Kun Hsiens respectively to take action, whereupon they each reported in turn that they had been in person to several villages and had ascertained that no such incursion was contemplated. I then again instructed them to frequently warn the people and to restrain them from creating any disturbance, and forthwith ordered the troops despatched by Ideut. Col: Shin to return to the Canton garrison. Of all this, it will be remembered, I duly informed you.
But I have just now received from T'ang Fu-Lin, the sergeant in command of the Yi troops, and from the San On Hsien, Mr Chao, a report stating that British troops had congregated at Samchun, surrounded and occupied the building, forcibly taking away the arms, ammunition, uniforms, and military chest of the Chinese troops, whom they obliged to at once retire to a distance on pain of certain destruction.