On the whole, Sergeant Ma has not shown any particularly clever qualities, though he served the food well, especially for sergeants in this matter.
To make up for that, naturally he could not attend to all John Wong and Mrs. Riley’s concerns, and I ought to have re-drafted his duties to lay down exactly what was expected of him.
At first, I hardly dared to do this until I saw how he worked, and he had a very heavy time just then with prosecutions related to part of the new work I had given him.
I was not exacting in the matter of patrols. Things appeared, however, to be working smoothly. I had no complaints against the water police either from the Harbour Master or other authorities from the public, while the casualties to the launches seemed fewer than there were under Map. Riley’s regime.
I allowed all things to continue in this state for 6 months after I left. Eventually, within a few days of laying down the command, I received a very grave dispatch for which I am to blame - severely, I might add - which I most profoundly repel, the more so as it appears to have got Cass. Lyons into trouble.
It was always my intention to have stationed the Wanchai Sergeant at Kowloon before my departure to supervise the coastal Police, as Cass. Lyons was new to the place and all too busy to undertake any fresh duties; the previous arrangement continued up to the time of my departure, and Cass. Lyons left the next morning, so the arrangement was fortunately made.
This matter, however, and my oversight in omitting to immediately report the death of a European policeman to his relatives at home, are the only instances…
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