بیه که چند
493
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the Kuo-min-Tang. In other respects they did not differ from those preceding them.
Immediately following on was a body of armed military cadets dressed in dark bluish-grey uniforms, who halted at a point some fifty yards east of the bridgehead. I had in the meantime noticed a man get on a box at the mouth of Shoe Lane, which debouches on the canal side, and wave a fan, and at the same time an excited person waving a flag shouted derision at our party.
Some members of the procession fell out, as I thought, to listen to what was being said, when suddenly a rifle shot was heard, and the procession broke up in disorder, rushing for shelter. Half a minute afterwards a volley was fired on to Shameen, and it was only when I found bullets spattering all round me that I realized that an attack was contemplated, and beat a hasty retreat, as did those with me. Finding the S.N.O. and myself under fire, which was likewise affecting them, one of our posts in a building to the west of the bridge returned the fire, which was stopped on Commander Maxwell Scott reaching it. As, however, firing at the island still continued, the other posts opened fire likewise, as did the French posts. This is all I personally witnessed.
(Sd.) J. W. JAMIESON.
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APPENDIX F.
Full text of the Note dated 13th July, 1925, addressed by Mr. C. M. Palairet, C.M.G., British Charge d'Affaires, Peking, to the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Sir, I had the honour to address a Note to Your Excellency on the 25th ultimo protesting against the firing by Chinese on the island of Shameen on 23rd June. I have
now received a dispatch from His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton relating what took place on the occasion in question. The substance is as follows:-
In the forenoon of 23rd June, knowing that a monster demonstration was to take place in the course of the day, the Naval and civilian guards charged with the defence of the British and French Concessions took up their allotted posts with strict instructions to keep as far as possible out of sight. All persons not on duty were forbidden to show themselves on Shameen opposite to the road along which the procession was to pass, in order to prevent any appearance of provocation. Those orders were strictly observed. At 11 a.m. two motor-cars passed along opposite Shameen distributing leaflets issued in the name of the commander of the Kwangtung
a army, of
violently inflammatory nature, calling on the public to rise and fight the Imperialist foreigners. At 2.30 p.m. whilst the procession was passing opposite to Shameen, the only persons in the vicinity of the bridge connecting the British Concession with the mainland were His Majesty's Consul- General and a member of his staff, several Naval officers, the Superintendent of the Shameen police and several un- armed Chinese police. On the mainland unarmed Chinese police lined the road at intervals of about fifty yards, and a company of armed soldiers took up positions under the verandahs of the Chinese shops in the neighbourhood of the