FAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[May 26.]
C.O
SECTION 8.
20426
Rece
&
Acting Consul-General Scott to the Marquess of Lansdowne.--(Received May 26-be 12 UN 121
Jo. 37.) Lord,
Canton, April 21, 1902.
I HAVE the honour to inclose herewith copy of Mr. Consul Little's despatch to His ajesty's Minister in Peking, No. 7 of the 15th instant, giving further information 331 specting the disturbances in the Province of Kwangsi.
I have, &c. (Signed) JAMES SCOTT.
Inclosure in No. 1.
No. 7.)
I,
Acting-Consul Little to Sir E. Satow.
Wuchow, April 15, 1902.
I HAVE to-day had conversations with two foreigners who have recently been in the terior, one of them having left Nanning on the 17th March and the other having arrived m Kuei-hsien yesterday, but neither could furnish sufficiently definite information to how much light on the real state of affairs.
The latter stated that he saw no sign of trouble and that the officials informed him at all was quiet in that district.
According to the account of the former, trade north of Nanning is at a standstill, I the warehouses being full of goods stopped in transit. There has been no actual tack on the city, but the bandits have approached very near and some fighting took lace within bearing distance. For a time there was almost a panic, and the citizens stily subscribed 60,000 taels for purposes of defence. The garrison is weak, not ambering, he thinks, more than 2,000 men, and is moreover ill provided with rifles. The section of affairs appears to be chiefly in the bands of the Prefect, who treats all suspected eople in a ruthless manner, burning down their houses and depriving them of their roperty.
Quite recently two herds of 480 and 80 cattle were driven into the city from the untry, having been seized on the ground of the complicity of their owners with the ndits. On the way down, about 50 miles from Nanning, my informant says he saw a uge village of between 1,000 and 2,000 inhabitants in flames, having been set on fire by der of the Prefect for this reason. The country around Posé he reports to be in a ate of anarchy, being overrun by large bands of brigands, who rove about plundering and rning at will, and exacting oaths of fidelity from the people. He met with no molesta- on the journey, baving a strong escort and coming down just after Marshal Su's mily, who were accompanied by 300 soldiers, but he saw a party of about 100 robbers athered around a banner on the hills near the river.
With regard to the above I should observe that my informant seemed to have very ttle personal knowledge of the state of the country, most of his information being mere arsay; but he communicated one interesting item of news which he had himself obtained one of Marshal Su's officers, and this was that the French had warned the Marshal at unless the disturbances were promptly suppressed they would send troops over the ontier,
It is, perhaps, unnecessary for me to say that it is commonly reported by the natives ere and at Nanning that the Marshal is in the pay of the French, and to point out at it is possible he finds it more to his interest to keep alive the disorder than to ppress it.
The French Cousul at Lungchow was at Nanning last month; and be and the Bishop the stopped by brigands when travelling up the river from there, but were allowed to
when the escort of soldiers explained who they were.
Brigadier-General Huang reports three separate cucounters during the last ten days the borders of the Hsuan and Ling districts, in which twenty-eight robbers were killed;
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