Dupl
pir,
Hong Long.
356
RECR
(REGO 9 NOV 12.
Government House.
30 September 1912.
143
4.33926
J.
29636
In continuation of my confidentiel despatch
instant,
or the 25th, ultime, I have the honour to confirm my
vistant.
telegram of the 19th.isimo, in which I informed you
that a joint Chinese-Portuguese expedition would be
aade against the pirates on wang un Island on the
I have had no official report from
20th.instant.
either side of the result of the operations, but I
learn from the Chinese Press and from one of the witnesses
sent with the Chinese troops to identify the place
where he and others had been held to ranson as described
in my despatch under reference, that at daylight on
tho morning of the 20th.instant, the island was
surrounded by a number of Chinese and Portuguese
armed vessels and that some 2000 Chinese and 300
Portuguese troops landed, only to find the island-
deserted by the pirates, who had obtained information
or the impending expedition. The witness identified
the place reported to me to be the headquarters in
the island of the pirates, as the place where he had
beon detained.
This unsatisfactory result of the expedition
was foreseen since neither party to it took any trouble
to keep secret their intention to make an expedition.
The Chinese especially published the fact in the news-
paper with the apparent intention of representing The Right Honourable
Lewis Velnoi! harcourt.ii.P.
40. wo. &C.
the