Copy.
From O. C. Troops Frontier Field Force.
To Chief Staff Officer, Hongkong.
Sir,
Cheung Po.
8/7/99.
401 (9)
I have the honour to forward a letter received from Mr Schaub. According to his information the plague is not very bad in Sham chun.
The headman of Shan chun however came in to me on the sixth of July to ask permission to wash the idols & fire guns and crackers on three consecutive nights to appease the gods and so diminish the plague which he reported to be bad.
I sent yesterday (7/7) to enquire how many deaths had occurred in the last 7 days. The headman said he could give me no idea as all cases were not reported to him and many sick people on being attacked with sickness immediately left Sham chun town to return to their own villages, as they preferred to die surrounded by their relations.
Mr Schaub's information on this subject must I think be incorrect: as the people would not be offering special propitiation to their gods if sickness were not rife.
(2) The result of Lt Peiniger's search of junks & the Chinese launch was negative. Only one man living at Chang kai, 50 or 60 miles North of Sham chun was arrested with 100 rounds of pistol ammunition & two boxes of percussion caps. He said...
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