9.
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if he was killed) received an anonymous letter mentioning the names of all four and saying "You are four heroes! But it is not allowed". This brought them out that day.
Even
At this time a lady from Singapore was staying with us with her child and an amah when she had
brought with her. The amah, a stranger to Hongkong, declared that she must leave when the others left.
when it was pointed out to her that her employer was taking her back to Singapore next day and that she would be
perfectly safe till then as she could stay in the house
till the moment of departure, she could not be dissuaded.
Somebody had told her that she would be cut in pieces if she stayed. Enquiries as to who was to undertake the cut-
ting elicited the answer "The big man in Canton" (? Sun Yat Sen). Beyond that nothing could be got out of her except "You can't understand. I must go". Eventually she com-
promised by proceeding secretly to the steamer and locking
herself into her mistress' cabin till the time of departure
next day.
I relate these trivial incidents as show-
ing the widespread extent of the intimidation and at the
same time its curiously indefinite character which made it
extraordinarily difficult to take any counter-measures.
Doubtless the organisers were out of our
reach in Canton but the fact that we could not obtain
information as to the identity of any of the local instru-
ments shows the abject state of fear to which the working
classes were reduced.
8.
The Colony has now resumed its normal
state but, as I have already observed, there is always the
danger that the Kwok Man Tong may seize any excuse for
similar action in future and I venture to urge that it is imperatively necessary that the Powers should take some