PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
TITIT
C.O.
Reference -
882
3
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC.
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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report to that cruizer in the raan-of-war anchorage the intended movements of the various junks leaving this harbour.
7. With this additional information your Lordship will now, perhaps, feel justified in onsidering the Hoppo's cruizers as coming within the scope of the opinion given by the Law Officers of the Crown in October 1872 in reference to the Spanish cruizers at Gibraltar, and adverted to in your Lordship's despatch to the Foreign Office of 29th February last.
8. In reference to Mr. Tonnochy's statement that certain Chinese had been tortured by the Canton Government, I have the honour to transmit that officer's explanation which I regret to say, I had to inform Mr. Tonnochy was far from satisfactory.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Inclosure 1 in No. 23.
A. E. KENNEDY.
Memorandum for the information of his Excellency the Governor.
ON the 24th ultimo four men were brought before me by Inspector Youngsou, of the Shau-ki-wan district. The first three were charged with attempting to extort money at Shau-ki-wan from the master of the "Shan Lee" fishing junk on the previous day, by accusing his son of piracy and murder on the 9th August, 1875.
The fourth prisoner was charged with piracy and murder. During the progress of the case, it transpired that the first three defendants were Chinese Customs spies, occasionally giving information to the Mandarins in the employ of the Hoppo.
The fourth prisoner, who is the son of the master of the "Shan Lee" junk, I discharged after hearing some evidence, but the other three I have committed for trial för the offence of having accused Kwok-Po-Lee and Kwok-a-Lu of piracy and murder, with the view of extorting money thereby.
A witness named Wong-a-Pang, who is now a sergeant interpreter, was called in the case, as he knew something of the first prisoner.
The first prisoner is named Lai-a-Leung. The sergeant interpreter was employed at one time as linguist on board the customs cruizer "Peng Chai Hoi." He seemed under the impression that the first prisoner had deceived him and his colleagues in that vessel, by giving them false information in reference to Chinese smuggling junks. I therefore took advantage of his readiness to give information against the first prisoner to obtain some knowledge as to the operations of the "Peng Chai Hoi" from 1871 to 1874.
It appears from the sergeant interpreter that he joined the cruizer at Macao in June, 1871, and having remained there a short time, they went to Canton. The cruizer was then ordered to guard the three stations, Fat-Tau-Chau, Kap-Sing-Num, and Cheung-Chau. The first-named of these stations is situated just outside the Lyeemoon Pass; the second is at the entrance of the Canton River; and the last-named is that little island in the Mandarin's Station, to the south-west of Hong Kong.
At each of these stations a couple of Chinese officials specially deputed resided. One appointed by the Viceroy collects the Lekim or War Tax on opium. The tax was then four mace each ball. The other appointed by the Hoppo collected duties on the various products which are dutiable.
The "
Peng Chai Hoi," maintained by the Hoppo, is officered by Englishmen. That cruizer moves about these stations, and occasionally comes into the harbour of Victoria, nominally for provisions and water.
The tax-collecting mandarins receive 80 taels per month each, and all their subordi- nates are paid by the Hoppo and Viceroy.
Every junk or sampan that passes out of the Sycemoon is required to go to the Fu Tan Chau Station to be searched by the mandarins for contraband goods. If any junk or sampan refused to go, the "Peng Chai Hoi" sent her armed boats and brought her by force. The proportion of those searched which are innocent traders, as compared with those which have dutiable goods, and no duty paid, is about 1,000 to 1.
A junk that has opium, and which has not got a Customs receipt to show, is towed to Canton. If there are more than forty balls of opium, the junk and goods are confiscated; if less than forty, the junk is released, the opium confiscated, and the junk master fined. The innocent trader, in order to prevent delay in the search, almost invariably makes a present to the employés, and these presents are never rejected.
A large number of unattached informers, who work for the cruizer, would seem to
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live in Victoria. These informers are armed with tickets, or passports, from a Mr. Brown, of Canton. These tickets simply certify that the holder can give reliable information with respect to some smuggling junks. Some of this staff, who are considered confidential, have got permanent tickets; but, for the most part, a person seeking to give information proceeds to Canton and reports the intended departure from Hong Kong of some junk with contraband goods, and a special passport is given to the informer to take to the commander of the cruizer. In the meantime somebody else watches the junk's movements. If the suspected junk endeavours to run "the blockade," she is soon brought-to by the Peng Chai Hoi ;" and sometimes the "Peng Chai Hoi" goes from her station and lies in wait for some days. Often these informers report that some junk, which has been unsuccessfully searched at the stations, had opium concealed, and the "Peng Chai Hoi" follows and captures her. A search is made by taking out all the cargo, which is placed in fishing-boats, brought alongside, and if any contraband goods are found, the junk is taken to Canton. One of these searches generally takes twelve hours.
According to the sergeant, Chinese vessels entering the port are not searched by the mandarins; but if the commander of the revenue cruizer has got information, or suspects them of carrying goods on which duty is payable, he seizes and searches.
The information of an expected arrival from the north is got from Hong Kong. One case is mentioned where a junk with some Chinese metal rice-boilers, and a cargo of 100 pigs, was seized outside and conveyed to Canton; three-tenths of the prizes taken through the volunteer informers are paid to them by way of reward, and a scale for distribution of the remainder is arranged, giving a portion to each of the crew, varying as his rank.
The average number of this irregular staff of spies in Hong Kong seems to be about ten; and they make their reports to the steamer as anything turns up. Even when the cruizer is in the man-of-war anchorage, it appears that the captain receives reports of Chinese ships leaving this port, and takes action upon them.
It was testified that, about two years ago, the first prisoner was armed with "Brown's ticket,” but it turned out that he had obtained real owner's name.
improperly, and assumed its He gave information on several other occasions, which quite, misled the cruizer, and one time, leading them to expect a big haul, he induced the commander to lie outside for four days under steam. He lived at the expense of the avaricious crew, who, when disappointed in obtaining the plunder, hunted him from the ship, and there reason to think that he was employed by intending smugglers to get the gun-boat out the way.
(Signed) J. RUSSELL, Police Magistrate. Magistracy, Hong Kong, May 3, 1876.
Inclosure 2 in No. 23.
Extract from Depositions taken at the Magistracy on the 24th of April, 1876. WONG A PANG declared, states :—
I am charge-room interpreter, I know the first defendant. Some two or three years ago he used to go on board the " Peng Chai Hoi" and give false information about smugglers. I was then employed in the "Peng Chai Hoi." I joined in June 1871, and left in September 1874. I was employed as a linguist to the captain. I was put there by Ho-a-mee. I was to look out for informers who wished to see the captain,-persons who offered themselves as informers. I recollect the first prisoner. He used to come and offer information about opium smuggling and other sorts of cargo leaving the Colony. The "Peng Chai Hoi" was then stationed at Fü-tau-mún. The first prisoner came to the ship there, and also while anchored in the harbour. He was not regularly employed by the ship, but was a volunteer. The rule at that time was to give 5-10ths of the prize- money to an informer who gave such information as led to the capture of smuggled goods. I could not say if the first defendant came to us while in the anchorage in the Hong Kong harbour more than once, because there were so many informers. I recollect once the first defendant giving information. He brought a letter from Mr. Brown, of the Customs, that had been given to another man, stating that the bearer could give informa tion; and I recollect that we steamed out from Fü-tau-mún on one occasion, and remained four days. The first defendant all that time was with us, and he lived on the other men of the ship, and the opium junk expected never came. The sailors were angry, because He made
he had on previous occasions given information which had turned out useless.
all sorts of excuses for the non-appearance of the prizes, and he said some of the seamen must have given information to the smugglers that we were on the watch for him. The