steamer to stop, while confederates who have gone on board as passengers produce revolvers and compel submission, shooting those who attempt resistance. Where passengers have a considerable sum of money it is generally known, showing that they have been watched before embarking. These piracies are, so far, apparently effected with perfect impunity.
5. To prevent these attacks by adequate patrolling of the river will under present conditions be a costly proceeding, but, as the letter from the Chamber of Commerce of the 28th September shows, the necessary security would be to a large extent secured if the concession granted by the Chinese Government, but withdrawn by Sir Robert Hart by supplementary regulations that came into force on the 1st June 1899, were carried out as negotiated. By this concession vessels under the British flag and licensed for Inland Steam Navigation were entitled to call at all ports on the river for passengers and cargo. To avoid the possible friction between the Imperial Customs and the Provincial Officials, Sir Robert Hart issued supplementary regulations interpreting the original Inland Steam regulations in such a manner as to entirely change their character, and to deprive our merchants of all the advantages that had been secured by the concession. Under the original concession steamers licensed at Canton ran to Wuchow calling at the following places en route:
Place
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