CONFIDENTIAL,
Sir,
389
HONG KONG.
Government House.
26th May 1903.
With reference to my despatch No.264 of this date, the state of utter brutality to which some of the
people of Kwang Si have been degraded may be imagined from the following story told to Mr Clementi by one of
his guards during his journey through the province.
Information having been received of the whereabouts of
a robber family a party of 'braves' among whom was the
narrator, was sent out to destroy them. The house was
surrounded and the family caught. A man, his wife, and
some children, the number of whom was not stated. The
man's abdomen was cut open, his entrails taken out,
cooked, and eaten before his face while he was still
alive. The breasts of the woman were likewise cut off,
cooked, and eaten. The woman was described as 'sobbing'
during the operation.
Both were then killed. The
soldiers' or 'braves' did not care to kill the children
themselves, so they armed with knives some other child-
ren of the village who hacked the wretched little crea-
tures to death. This story was told as a fine exploit
to be commended. The province is going through the tri-
ple ordeal of starvation, torture and death but there is
a promise of a good harvest in July which will relieve
the famine conditions. As at present divided I see no
RIGHT HONOURABLE
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.
etc., etc., etc.
possibility