(b)
The Flag has to be shown in other ports and British
interests in general protected.
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Armed Launches. At present these are tied down to convoy-
ing the Hongkong-Kongmun river steamers. They run on a
regular time-table and convoy ships through the most
dangerous areas. In between their convoy work they patrol
adjacent waterways. As long as they are with a convoy no
piratical attack is likely to be made but I am convinced
that they can be far more efficiently employed with equally
good protection to the river steamers and far better
protection to the many small craft under the British flag
if conveying is abolished and officient patrolling instituted
instead. At present every pirate and local inhabitant
knows exactly when the convoy and its guard launch will pass
and can make their plans to pirate a tow before or afterwards
in perfect safety.
(c)
Armed Guards on boardships. When piracy became serious it
was obvious that some means of protection had to be provided
and against internal piracy in particular. The danger of
any well-found ship being successfully attacked from the
outside was, and in my opinion is, very small indeed,
provided she was in the hands of efficient officers. I
should be very sorry to try an attack on any of the river
steamers by means of launches or junks as long as the river
steamer was under weigh and under control and the officers
wide awake.
It therefore came to a question of convoys or armed
guards. To convoy the regular river steamer traffic and
also the sea-gcing ship traffic to Canton and Kongmun means
a very large number of fast convoy craft continously employed.
Also as the speed of the convoy is that of its slowest ship
a great deal of inconvenience is caused to the better found
vessels. On the other hand to let all ships proceed
independently and yet be safe means a large number of armed
guards on cach ship.
{At}
13.