!
6
acknowledgment between Major Pan K'an-ting's Report and that sent in by Lieutenant Lloyd of the "Bouncer," and to report without delay to the Viceroy whether any misstatement or suppression of the truth is in reality chargeable against the said officer. In addition to these measures the Viceroy has to forward the present reply, for the honourable Consul's information, and avails himself, &c.
Inclosure 8 in No. 1.
Mr. Mayers to the Viceroy Jui-lin.
Canton, June 12, 1869, THE Undersigned has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's despatch of the 6th instant, with reference to the question of stationing a guard at the Prata Shoals, for the purpose of preventing acts of piracy on vessels in distress, a step which your Excellency declines to take, as not being provided for in any Treaty, &c., and, in reply, he begs to point out that his former communication appears to have been misunderstood, or, at all events, misquoted, as in your Excellency's reply reference is made to "stationing steam gun-boats at the Prata Shoals," whereas the Undersigned in his despatch made no mention whatever of gun-boats, requesting only that "one or two war junks" be stationed at the Prata Shoals. What he referred to was the ordinary class of armed junks, and he had no thought whatever of causing steam-vessels to be sent to a spot for which they are so ill-adapted as that in question. The matter is one, however, to which he has given careful consideration, and he must call your Excellency's attention to the fact of the Prata Shoals being perhaps the most dangerous spot on the whole coast of China, the natural perils of which are aggravated by the lawless conduct of those Chinese who lie in wait there for shipwrecked vessels, and who plunder any craft that may be stranded there of everything she contains. It is obviously right that measures should be taken toward insuring a fulfilment of the 20th Article of the Treaty of Tien-tsin, and the Under- signed perceives that your Excellency has issued orders in this sense to the authorities of the Lung-men military division and of the district of Ho-pu. If these instructions can, indeed, be carried actively into effect, there would undoubtedly be no reason to fear for the future safety of shipwrecked vessels, neither would the masters or owners of vessels have reason to urge claims for compensation against the Chinese Govern- ment on the score of neglect of duty on the part of its functionaries, but it must be borne in mind that the Prata Shoals lie at a distance of many hundred li from the coast of Kuangtung, where the officials named by your Excellency are stationed, and are so thoroughly isolated as to have remained hitherto completely ignored by the Chinese authorities.
Without taking exception to the orders of your Excelleney, which appear to be devised with the best possible intent, the Undersigned must express bis apprehension that, unless special measures be instituted for giving them due effect, the functionaries in question can scarcely be expected to exercise a constant supervision and control in the quarter where this is so much needed. If, however, the matter be dealt with in the ordinary course of routine, and a pretence only made of affording the required protection to foreign vessels, without any provision being made to insure this being actually done when necessary, the result must be that claims for indemnity on account of losses incurred through the pillage of shipwrecked vessels will be brought against the Chinese Government, which may find itself involved in unpleasant consequences from the neglect of very simple precautions.
The Undersigned, requesting that your Excellency will take this matter into consideration, avails, &c.
C
Office or Individual.
Foreign Office
1909
I June
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