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for him to withdraw the prevations as requested. Later the negotiations between Jardine, Matheson & Co. and
Butterfield & Swire, and the representatives of their
workmen broke down, and a quarrel almost arose between
them. At the same time news was received that the
British Concession in Henkow would be resumed. The
British Consul then asked that a deputy be sent to
confer with him. Secretary Fan Yung was therefore
dispatched and a demand was made on him that all British
marines should be withdrawn as was done in Hankow and
that troops should be sent by us to maintain order in
the Concession. In reply the Consul stated that the
Concession was still peaceful and that he would not
require any Chinese troops until circumstances necessitated
them. Thus there was no result to the negotiations.
At 4 p.m. on the 6th two reports of guns were heard
on the River and a message was received from our gendarmes
that a picket named Ng Chik Shan had been wounded and
that the two rounds were fired by a British Gunboat.
On receiving this information troops were dispatched
to the River to take precautions, and our Secretary Fan Yung was again sent to make negotiations. I also went personally to the Concession to make inquiries as to the
real cause of the incident and then to the hospital to see
the wounded workman who stated that the British marines
took a hand in the fight and assaulted him in the back
with butts of their rifles.
I found that this was the reason why the
British gunboat had opened fire. A foreigner employed a
Chinese workman to have his belongings removed from the
Concession to a steamer. The coolie was stopped by the
picket Ng Chik Shan and a conflict ensured. The latter
was