Enclosure No..
59
CONFIDENTIAL.
From.....
Date....
To......
The Senior Naval Officer, West River,
H.M.S. "MOTH" at Canton.
5th September, 1927. No. 115/129/5.
The Commodore, Hong Kong.
Subject.. OPERATION OF THE WEST RIVER FLOTILLA AGAINST
PIRATES OF SAI NAM, TAI PING HU AREA.
These pirates operate in the narrow waters between
Sai Nam, Rattler island, Tai Ping Chau and Tai Ping Hu. 'The
two important villages of the group are Sai Nam and Tai
Ping Hu.
2. In December, 1926, they pirated a steamer in Samshui
harbour while the Customs officials were on board and took
her to Tai Ping Hu, where they landed the Customs Officers
who were all Chinese, and kept them prisoners until one died
and the others paid their ransoms. The cargo which they
capture is generally sold in the market either at Sam Chau,
Tai Ping Hu or some other river village.
3. In August, 1927, H.M.S. "ROBIN" witnessed an
attempted piracy in which a native convoy was fired on from
Sam Chau Pagoda, Tit Nau Kok and Ha Lai Chuen. H.M.S.
"ROBIN* did not interfere until she was fired on from the
bund on south end of Tai Ping Hu, when she replied with a
few shells.
4. On September 1st, 1927, S.S. "KO CHOW" was pirated in the Ling Yan gorge by pirates (who joined as passengers)
and taken to Shek Ki, where more pirates boarded her. She
was looted and the cargo and passengers were landed by
boats from Tai Ping Hu, about 100 passengers being taken away for ransom. During the piracy Ir. Black (the Chief Engineer) was killed.
5./