This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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to gather them. This led to open strife between the parties, in which, I fear, the Protestants were the aggressors, they having forcibly entered the Catholic's premises and broken some flower-pots.
In replying to Mr. Rudland, I pointed out that so far the case appeared to be a purely native one, in which the missionaries had no business to interfere, and urged him to do his best to prevent the affair from assuming the character of a contest between Catholics and Protestants.
This matter appears to have been finally settled by the officials prohibiting the cultivation of chestnuts and handing over the pond to the care of the gentry.
In the early part of this month Mr. Rudland telegraphed that his converts had been attacked by an armed band of Catholics. I communicated this information to the Taotai, at the same time asking him to take steps to maintain order and protect the lives and property of British subjects. Shortly afterwards the Taotai sent his Secretary to ask me to instruct Mr. Rudland to restrain his converts, saying that the Catholic Bishop resident here had promised to deliver a similar message to the priests. This I accordingly did, adding a warning to Mr. Rudland not to participate himself in any lawless proceedings.
Next day I met the Taotai at lunch. He told me troops had been sent from Ningpo to the scene of the occurrence, and, as he seemed somewhat nervous about the affair, I thought it well to send you a short telegram on the subject. Subsequently I received another telegram from the China Inland Mission stating that the Protestants had been sent to Taichow under escort, the officials not being able to protect them.
I have now received from Mr. Rudland a somewhat incoherent account of the disturbances, in which he speaks of the "Roman Catholic Army" and "Catholic robbers." As it throws no new light on the situation and discloses no grounds for intervention on my part, I do not think it necessary to trouble you with a copy. I regard the affair as a local quarrel in which the missionaries on both sides have probably taken part, but to what extent is not clear.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
IL. A LITTLE.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[3108]
No. 1.
[January 28.]
SECTION B. C. D.
6412
p: 20 FEB 07
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received January 28, 1907.) (No. 522.) Sir,
Peking, December 11, 1906. WITH reference to my telegram No. 218 of the 14th November, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch which has been addressed to His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton by His Majesty's Consul at Wuchow respecting the piracy on the steam-launch "Feinau."
In view of the circumstances reported in Mr. Mansfield's telegram, which apparently justified the exercise of caution in dealing with the case, I have thought it wise to refrain from any action until his despatches reach me.
(No. 35.) Sir,
Inclosure in No. 1.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Consul King to Consul-General Mansfield,
Wuchow, November 11, 1906. IN reply to your telegram of yesterday's date, I have the honour to furnish certain information which I have gathered from various sources with regard to the recent piracy on the steam-launch "Feinam." I do not guarantee the absolute accuracy of this information, but it appears to me to be in the main reliable.
On the 28th ultimo, at about 9 P.M., the "Feinam," which runs between this port and Shuihing, stopped to take on board some passengers about a-mile above Fung Chuen Kong Hau.
A Sampan with twelve men, having the appearance of ordinary passengers, came alongside. These men boarded the launch and immediately drew revolvers, some of which they discharged in the air, and by thus frightening all on board were able to take possession of the launch without injuring anybody.
The pirates then turned the launch down stream, and, while steaming along, robbed every one of their valuables, the chief sufferers being said to have been four cattle dealers and seven medicine pill sellers, who lost respectively 400 dollars and 300 dollars. The total amount of booty taken is reported to have been of the value of about 900 dollars.
The pirates stopped the launch and landed somewhere above Yuetsing, and the launch then proceeded in charge of her crew to Wuchow, where she arrived early on the morning of the 29th October, but did not report the matter at this Consulate.
I am dealing locally with the failure of the launch people to report the case to the Consul here, but I should be obliged if you would kindly impress upon the owner, Mr. Fisher, the necessity of instructing his employés to report to me every occurrence of a similar nature in future.
There may perhaps have been some confusion between the above case and a different case which occurred on the previous day, in which two Chinese-owned launches, the "Tai Yik" and the "Do Sai," were concerned. With regard to this I have gathered the following particulars -
The "Tai Yik" left Shuihing for Wachow on the 27th October. Her chief ports of call for taking on board passengers are Takhing and Dosing. She passed Dosing about 4 P.M., and arrived above Fung Chuen, at a place called Fung Chuen Sa, at about 6:30 P.M.
Ten pirates, who had come on board at different stations as passengers, here drew revolvers, captured the launch, and, after robbing the passengers, made the crew turn the launch down strearn again.
At Sai Huen Sa, a place below Dosing, at about 2 A.M. they met the launch "Do Sai" coming up stream from Sainam on the run to Dosing. The pirates on the
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