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gun-boats are, therefore, not to be affected by the verbal protests of the local Chinese authorities.
It is desirable, before proceeding to the lake, that His Majesty's Consul at Kiukiang should be requested to give a verbal intimation to the Taotai of the intended visit.
Gunnery practices are not to be carried out in the Poyang or Tangting Lakes. Commanding Officers of His Majesty's gun-boats employed in the Yang-tsze are to be informed accordingly, and this order is to be kept in the Senior Officer's box at Shanghae.
H. LAMBTON.
Sir,
"King Alfred," at Yokohamu,
May 29, 1908.
(Signed)
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Lieutenant and Commander Dixon to Vice-Admiral Sir H. Lambton.
"Snipe," at Nanchang, June 29, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to report that on arrival of Snipe on the evening of Monday, the 22nd June, necessary arrangements were made for calling on his Excellency the Acting Governor at 10 A.M. on Wednesday, the 24th instant.
Application was made to the Foreign Office for chairs, and we were informed that they had none, although on previous occasions of ships' officers calling, chairs have always been obtained from this quarter.
Private chairs were obtained from the missionaries, and one of these gentlemen, Mr. Thor, C.I.M., acted as interpreter.
On arrival at Yamên, the gates were unopened for fully three minutes.
The Governor received us in a verandah at the back of the Yamên, and informed us that, although very pleased to meet English officers, he could not entertain us officially, as Peking has informed him that no foreign gun-boats were allowed in Poyang Lake; and if he received us, other nations would ask why, and would all send gun-boats into the lake against the Treaty; and also, without orders from Peking, he might be spoken to for so doing.
I informed him that he was reading the Treaty in a wrong sense, and that the Commander-in-chief, on information from His Britannic Majesty's Minister at Peking, had given very definite orders that nothing was to stop us from entering, and I was therefore carrying out his orders.
He asked me to inform my Admiral that it was illegal to enter the lake without permission from Peking, and also to tell all British gun-boats that, although very pleased to see the officers if they came to see him in merchant-steamers, he requested they (the gun-boats) would remain at Hukau.
No return to my call was made.
Lieutenant and Commander Tennyson, His Majesty's ship "Kinsha," endeavoured to call on Acting Governor without success, and he therefore telegraphed to Senior Naval Officer, Shanghae, to that effect.
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an officer who requested me to stop at Hukau for two or three days, and talked a good deal, making excuse for delaying me. After a quarter of an hour's useless palaver, I decided to bid him good-bye; whereupon, the side being piped, he got into his boat, and the "Kinsha" proceeded.
I formed the opinion that, as this conduct of the officials at entrance to Poyang Lake has been of the same vacillating character for the last two years, it was best to meet their weakness with firmness, and my action was entirely successful.
Having no pilot on board, and the water being a suitable height, I decided only to stay a night at Wuching, and I arrived without any trouble at Nanchang on the 23rd. I was boarded by an official, who stated he came from the Governor, and I sent my card by him to the latter, asking for chairs, and informing him I would pay my respects to him in the morning; and at the same time, I ordered the "Snipe," which was out of sight of me, to shift berth and anchor near me.
On the morning of the 24th, Lieutenant and Commander Dixon informed me that his letter asking for chairs had been returned to him unopened, and that he had called on the Governor in chairs which were obtained privately by a missionary. He was received privately by the Governor, who informed him he could not possibly receive him officially, as he had no right to come to Nanchang—Nanchang being in inland waters not a Treaty port; the German Minister had promised not to send men-of-war into the lake, except in case of trouble; he would have no objection to British ships coming in case of trouble; and a lot of other remarks calculated to justify his not receiving in a proper manner. To all of which Lieutenant and Commander Dixon very rightly replied that he regretted not being able to agree with the Governor; he had his orders to come into the lake and had come.
The Governor repeatedly impressed on Lieutenant and Commander Dixon that he was conferring a favour on him by receiving him privately.
The same morning, my request for chairs having been ignored, I sent the Governor the attached letter, taking care to observe a friendly attitude, and guided in writing by the late Commander-in-chief's Memorandum No. 165 of the 2nd June, 1906. No answer having been received by 9 P.M., I sent to say I could not understand not having any acknowledgment of my letter, and requested chairs to enable me to call on the Governor by 10 A.M. on the 25th; these were more or less promised, but when that hour came, there were no chairs, neither was any answer to my letter forthcoming. I therefore again sent and requested the Taotai to return my card; this resulted in a visit being paid me by the Governor's two interpreters, to whom I gave a strictly formal reception, and sent messages by them conveying to the Governor that I should report on the reception two British gun-boats had received.
My card not having been returned, I sent my boy with the two interpreters, and had it returned to him.
I reported to you by wire, and sailed yesterday morning, arriving here without accident to-day.
Before leaving, I called on Mr. Hopkins, a missionary, and brother-in-law to Mr. Kingham, who was murdered two years ago. He gives a very bad account of the present Governor, as also do others I spoke to about him.
I have, &c.
(Signed) S. H. TENNYSON.
I have, &c.
(Signed) A. DIXON.
Inclosure 5 in No. 1.
Sir,
Inclosure 4 in No. 1.
Lieutenant and Commander Tennyson to Vice-Admiral Sir H. Lambton.
"Kinsha," at Nanking, June 27, 1908.
IN continuation of my telegram to you for information of the Commander-in-chief, I have the honour to forward the following details.
The "Kinsha" arrived at Kiukiang on the evening of the 20th instant, and on the 21st, I visited the Consul, who I found had taken up his summer residence at Kuling, leaving his constable in charge. I sent for that official, and he told me he would inform the Taotai of Kiukiang that His Majesty's ship "Kinsha" would proceed into the lake on the 22nd.
On the 22nd, I accordingly entered, and was signalled to by the fort and gun-boat to "stop engines." I, in consequence, stopped abreast the gun-boat, and was boarded by
Lieutenant and Commander Tennyson to the Governor of Nanchang,
Your Excellency,
"Kinsha," at Nanchang, June 24, 1908.
Having doubtless received my card by the hands of your messenger, whom I conclude you with kindly attention sent on board my ship yesterday afternoon, I also received my request asking you to send chairs for myself and three of my officers, wherewith I might be enabled to pay your Excellency a visit of friendship.
I now await your Excellency's pleasure, and trust you will give orders for chairs to be sent at once, so that I may become personally acquainted with you, which I much desire, having heard your Excellency's unvarying courtesy and friendliness to Great Britain much praised by the Commanders of British gun-boats and the British Consul at Kiukiang, who lately paid you a visit.
S. H. TENNYSON.
(Signed)
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