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Your Excellency to carry out the provisions of the 20th article of the Treaty of Tientsin, where it is stipulated that if any British vessel be wrecked or stranded on the coast of China the Chinese Authorities shall adopt measures for its relief and security, and extend friendly treatment to those on board. Such a consummation will be worthy of Your Excellency's benign disposition.
With reference to Major Fan Kan-t'ing's report the undersigned begs leave to observe that it does not tally in all particulars with that made by Lieutenant Lloyd, R.N. commanding His Majesty's Gunboat "Bouncer", who mentions that on reaching the Pratas, he found in the lagoon a Chinese Junk, having 16 men and 5 women on board;
and that on searching her in concert with Major Fan Kan-T'ing and Captain Edwards, Commander of the "Chen-to", he found her to be filled with articles forming part of the equipment of foreign vessels, besides a quantity of miscellaneous cargo. The master of the Junk, on being interrogated, stated that he had been at anchor there for two months. It is plain therefore that this vessel was lying at the shoal on the look-out
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