CANTON,
21702 RECO
492
Rec 17 AUG 39
May 25th, 1899.
Sir:
I had yesterday the honour to send you the following telegram in code:-
"British vessel pirated West River will you give support to reasonable demand for compensation for loss sustained from Chinese Authorities?"
The details of the case as reported to me yesterday are as follows:
The large steam-launch "Wo On" owned by the British merchants Banker and Company of Hong Kong and Canton and flying under the Steam Navigation Inland Regulations left this port at 8 a.m. on the 23rd instant for the West River. At Kumchuk she took on board a number of passengers, 24 of whom, as the vessel came out of the creek into the West River,
...
0. Bax-Ironside, Esq.,
&c.,
&c.,