This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government]o
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[January 20.p
6211
Rec2 13 FEB 021
SECTION F
No. 1.
188
Acting Consul-General Scott to the Marquess of Lansdowne.—(Received January 20, 1902.)
(No. 42.)
Canton, December 10, 1901. My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to transmit, for your Lordship's information, copy of a despatch which I have sent to His Majesty's Minister in Peking, reporting certain recent cases of piracy in the Canton Delta, in one of which a French launch was attacked.
I have, &c. (Signed)
JAMES SCOTT.
(No. 45.) Sir,
Inclosure in No. 1.
Acting Consul-General Scott to Sir E. Satow.
Canton, December 9, 1901. I HAVE the honour to inform you that there has recently been a sudden recrudescence of piracy in the Canton Delta.
About a month ago the Viceroy, in a circular of instructions to his authorities, mentioned that the exertions of the Shun Tak and other district officials had lately been marked by increased vigilance, resulting in numerous arrests of criminals and a gradual decrease in the number of cases of robbery,
Recently, however, information has reached me of the following details of a case of piracy which occurred at Ma Ning, in the Shun Tak district, during last week.
On the 6th December the Chinese launch "Kung Hing" was at anchor in company with the registered French launch " Kuang Loi" at Ma Ning, near the entrance to the West River, when they were attacked, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, by a band of some sixty or seventy pirates. Both launches defended themselves, and the pilot of the "Kung Hing swam to a guard-boat, which opened fire on the pirates. An engagement ensued, lasting about half-an-hour; two soldiers were killed and one wounded, but the pirates succeeded in capturing and steaming off with the two launches.
I have not yet been informed what steps the French Consul has taken respecting this case vis-à-vis the Viceroy, but he at once dispatched a river gun-boat to the locality.
The German armed launch "Schamien "has also been sent.
The following are particulars of another series of piratical acts, all of which were committed within the Canton Delta :-
At 10 P.M. on the 4th instant the Chinese launch "Tung Yuen," while under way near Lamshek, was boarded by ten men, who, threatening the crew with revolvers, ordered them below, and kept them there. On the following day this same gang, still on board the "Tung Yuen" at o'clock in the afternoon, attacked the "Tsoi Sing," Chinese launch. The latter cut her tow-rope and escaped. Meeting a guard- boat, she returned to the scene to find that her towed junk had been robbed, and that the pirates had escaped in the " "Tung Yuen."
After this exploit these same pirates proceeded to the Ma Kong Ssu, and there, meeting the Chinese launch Kung Shun," attacked and rubbed her, afterwards allowing her to steam off.
The "Tung Yuen" has now been abandoned by the pirates, and has been found and brought back to Canton.
[1830 u-1]