238
[14th witness Ernest Harold Histed.]
40
41
[15th witness Francis Brett.]
[15th witness Francis Brett.]
1050. On the 26th September were you on board your ship? 1051. Where was she bound from, and where was she going to?
Hong Kong.
Yes.
From Shanghai to
1052. Is she a passenger ship? Yes.
1054. What sort? Refugees from Shanghai to Canton.
1053. Carrying many passengers? Yes.
1055. Mostly Chinese? Mostly Chinese.
1056. About 6 o'clock on the evening of the 27th September did the 2nd officer make a
Yes, report to you?
1057. What is the name of the 2nd officer? W. Noble.
1058. And as a result of that report what did you do? I went on the bridge and I saw
two men on a raft.
1059. About how far away were they when you saw them?
About 1,000 yards.
1060. Then what did you do? The ship was stopped and manoeuvred, a boat was
lowered in charge of the Chief Officer and the men taken on board the ship. 1061. Can you tell me what your position was when you picked up these two men?
Lat. 22.27 North, Long. 115.11 East.
1062. Are you reading from your log book? Yes.
A raft of some
1063. Please read out the whole entry. 18.10 that is the time-lat. 22.27 N., long. 115.11 E. observed two men on wreckage, ship stopped, accident boat lowered in charge of Chief Officer and two men picked up-18.30 ship proceeded." 1064. What sort of wreckage were these two men picked up from?
description. 1065. Will you describe it in a little more detail, please? I did not look at it in detail- it was dusk, It was about 6 timbers lashed together-about 4 ft. wide and 18 to 20 ft. long.
1066. What was the weather like on that day? Very calm-extremely calm. 1067. What sort of condition were these men in when you picked them up?
dition of extreme exhaustion.
In a con-
1068. Did you discover what their names were? No, they were handed to me, but only
by the compradore.
1069. You have forgotten what their names were? I never entered them in the report. 1070. Would you remember them if I mentioned them to you now? No.
1071. Then you proceeded to Hong Kong? Yes.
1072. What did you do with these two men when you arrived?
We only stopped at
Hong Kong to drop the British Consul from Shanghai, and we took these two men to Canton and returned with them the following day and landed them for the Tung Wah Hospital.
1073. That would be the 30th September? Yes. 1074. What do you say happened to them?
I sent them to the Tung Wah Hospital under the escort of one of the compradore's staff.
(Witness left the witness box).
1075. Fifteenth Witness. Francis Brett, duly sworn, states:- 1076. Mr. Whyatt: What is your full name? Francis Brett, 1077. What is your occupation? Assistant Chief Junk Inspector. 1078. Have you made a search of your records?
Yes.
1079. And can you give me particulars of certain junks with which we are concerned
in this inquiry? Yes.
1080. Have you a list of them? I have them tabulated. (Produces junk licence
registers and reads from them).
1081. Fishing Junk 2955 H.W. 1082. Chairman: 'H.W.' means? Registered at Shaukiwan. 1083. This vessel was first registered on 22.7.29 at Shaukiwan.
Name of Junk
Cheung Lee
Name of Owner
Name of Master
Shek Kai-cheung Native of Ping Hoi. Shek Kai-cheung
Junk was last relicensed on 18.7.37. Capacity of Junk 1370 piculs.
Crew 26.
Arms on board:-1 cannon, 30 lbs. shot, 10 lbs. powder. 1084. Chairman : This is the ammunition they are allowed?
declare.
This is what they
1085. Fishing Junk No. 3407 H.W. Licensed at Shaukiwan first on 22.7.29.
Name of Junk
Li Mun Li Mun
Name of Owner
Li Mun
-
Native of Shaukiwan.'
Name of Master
Junk licence last renewed on 18.7.37.
Capacity of Junk 1664 piculs.
Crew 20.
Arms on board :-
5 cannon
1 rifle
90 lbs, shot
6 muskets
I revolver.
1086. Fishing Junk No. 28 H.W.
Name of Junk
Name of Owner
Name of Master
Capacity of Junk 1468 piculs, Crew 25-
Arms on board:
100 rds. ammunition
45 lbs. powder
8 rds. ammunition.
Licensed at Shaukiwan first on 18.7.33.
Licence last renewed on 26.6.37. 1087. Fishing Junk No. 36 H.W.
Name of Junk Name of Owner
Name of Master
Capacity of Junk 1828 piculs. Crew 23.
Junk last relicensed 7.7.36.
Lam Yung-shing
Lam Yung-shing Lam Yung-shing -
-
Native of Shaukiwan.
3 cannon, 75 lbs. shot, 50 lbs. powder, 4 muskets, 15 lbs. bullets, 2 boxes caps,
t rifle, 189 rds. ammunition.
Licensed at Shaukiwan first on 27.7-37.
Lam Fat-po
Lam Fat-po
Lam Fat-po Native of Shanmei.
Arms on board: I cannon, 30 lbs. shot, 10 lbs. powder.
alias for Lam Chu, sir.
1088. Chairman: From the name, this junk is not one with which we are concerned?
There is no Lam Fat-po. 1089. Mr. Whyatt: This is an 1090. Fishing Junk No. 615 H.W.
Name of Junk Name of Owner
Name of Master
Capacity of Junk 1468 piculs.
Crew 23.
Licensed at Shaukiwan first on 10.5.27.
Yeung Yat-hei
Yeung Yat-hei
Yeung Yat-hei Native of Shanmei.
Junk licence last renewed on 26.6.37.
―
Arms on board: 2 cannon, 20 lbs. shot, 15 lbs. powder.
1091. Fishing Junk No. 611 H.W. Licensed first at Shaukiwan on 9.9.13.
Name of Junk
Name of Owner
Name of Master
Fung Hing-lam
Fung Hing-lam
Fung Hing-lam*— Native of Shaukiwan.
This is an alias of Fung King-wo.
239