PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
PLLC.O. 882
5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
will appear whenever called upon to do so. In the event of his failing to appear we, as sureties, are willing to forfeit the sum of two thousand dollars ($2,000). This is a true and genuine agreement.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
Enclosures 2 in No. 171.
Dated Signed
Taipo Hu, April 18, 1899, 3 p.m. I HAVE just hoisted the British flag in the presence of the General Officer Com- manding and Staff, the Commodore, and the Colonel, Officers, and 500 men of the Hong Kong Regiment, and a battery of Asiatic Artillery. Salutes were fired by H.M.S. “Brisk” and “Fame," and by the battery of artillery. I read the Order in Council and Convention after the flag had been hoisted.
All is quiet here at present.
J. H. STEWArt Lockhart.
A fine flagstaff has been erected and good paths have been made from the landing place to Flagstaff Hill. The silk flag will be sent back to-morrow.
J. H. STEWART Lockhart.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
Enclosure 3 in No. 171.
Tai-Po Hu, April 16, 1899. I SCRIBBLED a short pencil note to you immediately after I had hoisted the flag. The ceremony passed off very successfully considering how rapidly all arrangements had to be made. Salutes were fired from the shore and afloat by H.M.S. "Brisk" and H.M.S." Fame," which were dressed. I have arranged that the British ensign is to be hoisted every day at sunrise and lowered at sunset. The troops here and the police are in good health and excellent spirits. Mr. May is staying on board the "Wingfu" with me as are also two European members of the Police Force a sergeant and constable-- and Mr. Ts'oi and my Chinese writer. I propose to keep the "Wingfu" here until our tents on shore have been erected. It is anticipated that they will be in position to- morrow. I also propose to keep the "Praya" here for the present, and to retain Mr. Mudie at Taipo, so that he may superintend the construction of a bamboo jetty which is essential in order to facilitate landing arrangements. The Director of Public Works should know this. The General Officer Commanding is remaining behind, and we will together concert a plan of travelling throughout the territory without delay. So far as I can gather, the General Officer Commanding wishes the troops to rest to-morrow, but I will report later on what is decided. It is impossible to ascertain whether there were any casualties last night. There are many rumours, but without further examina- tion it would be unwise to rely upon them. Everything is quiet at present. I am sending this by the launch "Lee On," which will start from here at 5.30 p.m. Commander Hayes has taken my pencil note written in situ, directly after I had hoisted the flag, which is now flying to the breeze.
J. H. STEWARt Lockhart.
P.S.-Mr. Mudie has handed me the attached sketch. Will you kindly instruct the D.P.W. to send out at once the material and men requested by Mr. Mudie.
J. H. S. L. April 16, 1899.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
Enclosure 4 in No. 171.
Taipo Hu, 6.30 a.m.. April 17, 1899. EVERYTHING passed off quietly last night. We fancied we heard the sound of firing in the distance, but the military have not made any movement, so we may have been mistaken in thinking the sound we heard was firing. I hope we shall be able to get our tents erected to-day. The "Wingfu" is not altogether adapted for the accom- modation of so many Europeans and Chinese as have now to live on board of her. I will meet the General Officer Commanding early this morning, when we will arrange our plan of action. I think the General Officer Commanding wants the troops to rest
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to-day. My latest information is that the insurgents have scattered, and are not likely to show any fight. A flag has been captured by the Hong Kong Regiment with Chinese characters on it. They are of importance, and I will deal with this matter in a further memo. to-day. I am sending this to Shatin by a Police launch. It will be taken over the Kowloon Hills by a messenger.
J. H. STEWArt Lockhart.
Enclosure 5 in No. 171.
The Flagstaff Hill, Taipo Hu,
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
April 17, 1899, 2.50 p.m. SINCE writing my first letter there has been further firing on the part of the Chinese. His Excellency the General Officer Commanding is returning to Hong Kong, and will give you full particulars. I have had a further conference with the General Officer Commanding, and he will explain what his wishes are. Will you kindly cause the D.P.W to be informed that our beds have not yet reached us. As the troops are engaged to-day, I fear our tents will not be erected by this evening, in which case it will be necessary to retain the "Wingfu." The Harbour Master should know this.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
Enclosure 6 in No. 171.
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART.
Taipo Camp, April 17, 1899, [1.15 p.m. THE engagement to-day has ended by Berger reaching Sheung Ts'un in the Pat Heung Valley, and by Simmonds being stationed at San Uk Tsai, four miles from here. Major Browne has returned, and his account of the action is that the Chinese had chosen their positions well, and that if they had only fired well, the British troops would have fared very badly. Browne wounded slightly; and so is another man. No other casualties on our side. The casualties on the Chinese side cannot be ascertained, but some men have been killed. Captain Simmonds is stationed at San Uk Tsai in a posi- tion commanding both valleys. Berger wishes to advance to-morrow. I am strongly of opinion that the most effective manner of dealing with the situation is for the troops to be landed from Hong Kong at Castle Peak, and for them and Berger to advance simul- taneously, whilst the "Fame" could co-operate from Deep Bay. The leading villages which have been chiefly instrumental in creating the disturbance are Kam Tin, Ha Tsun, Un Long and Ping Shan. My information is that these villages are determined to resist. I think they should be brought to reason, especially Kam Tin, which is an old offender. So far as I can ascertain, the Chinese soldiers who engaged our troops are not regulars, but some more flags have been captured by Berger, which I will examine carefully when they are brought into camp. May went with a body of Police and a detachment of the Hong Kong Regiment to take ammunition to Berger. Major Browne reports that May had just arrived at Sheung Tsun before he left. A body of blue-jackets and marines has landed from the "Humber," and is encamped on the Flagstaff Hill. The "Peacock" is anchored in Tolo Harbour. I have been on shore all day, and will remain with Colonel O'Gorman in the camp all night, so as to know what messages are sent from Hong Kong before daybreak. I hope troops will be sent to co-operate with Berger. Dr. Thomson and Mr. Messer arrived by the "Hum- ber," and are sleeping on board the "Wingfu." Pending the present trouble, it will be impossible to make any progress with our administrative arrangements, and if the trouble continues I see no reason why the two officers referred to should remain here. It is raining slightly, which will not tend to make life here any more pleasant than it has already been.
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
Enclosure 7 in No. 171.
The Camp, Tuipo, April 18, 1899, 10 a.m. CAPTAIN BERGER and a portion of his men, with Mr. May and his Police, re- turned here at 8 a.m. They have brought with them four prisoners. I request in- structions as to whether these prisoners are to be dealt with by the civil or by the military authorities. Pending instructions, the prisoners will be detained under mili-
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tary guard. I am proceeding to Sheung Tsun with Colonel O'Gorman, Mr. May, Captain Berger and Mr. Tsoi. Captain Berger has left Lieutenant Barrett behind at Sheung Tsun.
I wish to urge once more the importance of dealing with Un Long and Kam Tin in a drastic manner, and also with Ha Tsun in the same manner.
J. H. STEWART Lockhart.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
Enclosure 8 in No. 171.
Sheung Tsun Village, Pat Heung Valley,
April 18, 1899, 3 p.m. We left Taipo Camp at 10.30 a.m. and reached here at 12.30, pressing forward as rapidly as possible in order to come to the relief of Captain Barrett, who had remained here. We passed through the Lam Tsun Valley, over the gap, into the Pat Heung Valley, at the head of which the village of Sheung Tsun is situated. Captain Barrett reports that there is a force of about 400 men lodged on a hill four miles distant. Colonel O'Gorman does not propose to move the troops to-day unless the Chinese invite an engagement. If the men are not moved to-day, it is proposed to make a movement to-morrow on the villages which are reported to be ready for attacking us. A leading man from Kam Tin has come in to ask for pardon, but he does not appear to be repre- senting the villagers, but himself. I am detaining him here pending further develop ments. If the troops had landed at Castle Peak Bay early this morning and advanced towards this point, the insurgents would have been caught in a trap, and the "Fame" could have dealt with the runaways in the direction of Deep Bay. The villages through which we passed to-day were practically deserted, a few old women only appearing in each village as we went through. May and Tsoi are here with me. Thomson and
Messer have remained behind at Taipo. We are living in a temple, which makes a fairly comfortable abode, but the flies and mosquitoes are showing too much apprecia- tion of our presence. There is no doubt now, I regret to say, that many of the leading villages have taken part in resisting our troops. I am gathering what information I can on this point, but as you may imagine, under present circumstances, it is no easy matter to induce the natives to speak. I hope, however, to get at the bottom the whole affair
shortly. After we have dealt with this valley, in which are situated the villages of greatest importance and size, I anticipate the trouble will be practically ended, and the civil administration will be able to proceed. Please let my friends know that I am well; also Mrs. May that May is well, and Mr. Wei Yuk that Tsoi is all right.
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART.
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they have been used to resist our troops. At 1.30 p.m. we proceeded to the village of Ha Tsun, about a mile distant from here. We were met with a salvo of crackers and two of the elders came out to receive us. One of them was among the party that kotowed at Government House. He said he had not been imprisoned, but had been unable to restrain the villagers. I demanded the production of the ringleaders. They said they had fled over to Nam Tau, and one to Canton. I asked him to surrender any arms there might be in the village, but none were produced. Some may be surrendered this evening. A villager of Ha Tsun informs me that British troops were at his village this morning, having landed from Deep Bay. This is the first intelligence we have re- ceived of the landing of additional troops. To-morrow we propose to allow the troops to have a rest which they very much require, and in the hope that we may receive de- finite information regarding the other body of troops. All of us are well.
J. H. STEWART Lockhart.
7 p.m.
Captain Berger and Mr. May have just joined us here. They went to the top of the Ma On Kong Pass, overlooking Tsun Wan, which could not be seen on account of the fog. Whilst they were there they sent a party to the top of the Tai-Mo Shan Pass, be tween Tsun Wan and Pat Heung. This party has returned to Sheung Tsun, where there are 150 men of the Hong Kong Regiment. We have 250 men here. The present position, therefore, so far as I know, is
20 men at Taipo Hu
140 men at Sheung Tsun, 250 men at Ping Shan.
Your letter of the 17th instant has just arrived. We have not been to Castle Peak, and as we are informed by the villager referred to above, troops went there to day, it would seem better for us to wait until we know exactly how matters stand. The villages we have passed through are sparsely inhabited at present, which shows that many of the villagers have not returned from the fight. Three cannons and three can- nonades have just been found in a pond here. They were discovered accidentally by Captain Barrett whilst bathing. Mr. May and Captain Berger report that they saw two British flags (locally made) hoisted in a Chinese village to-day.
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART.
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
Enclosure 9 in No. 171.
Ping Shan, April 18, 1899, 6.30 p.m. We left Sheung Tsun at 8.15 a.m. to-day. On reaching Kam Tin, sounds of what appeared to be Maxim gun firing in the direction of Tsun Wan were heard, so it was decided that Mr. May and Captain Berger, with a body of men belonging to the Hong Kong Regiment should go in the direction where the sounds of firing were heard, whilst the remainder of the party should proceed to Ping Shan. We reached here about 1 p.m. after a very hot and tiring march. We visited Un Long on our way. No resis- tance was offered either there or by any of the villages we passed before we arrived there. Nearly all the villages, including Un Long, fired crackers, and had a white flag flying as a sign of submission. I made the teaching masters in Un Long appear before me, and told them their action in taking part in the resistance to British authority would certainly involve them in trouble. The two main conspirators of Un Long had fled, and the inhabitants professed to have no arms. This may be true, as no doubt all their arms have been busily employed during the last few days. On arrival at Ping Shan we were met by a band of gongs and drums, and many crackers were fired. I sent for the elders, and about six of them appeared before me. Among them the four men from Ping Shan, who kotowed to Your Excellency, and who were reported to be under re- straint. They informed me that they were not imprisoned, but threatened with their lives. I have found here distinct traces of this village having been mixed up in the disturbance. Powder, bullets, &c., were discovered in their ancestral temple. I called upon them to produce the large guns used by them to salute me when I paid a visit here last August, but they are not forthcoming, which is strong presumptive evidence that
THE GOVERNOR,
Enclosure 10 in No. 171.
April 18, 1899, 10 p.m.
SINCE I sent my last message, Chinese attacked our troops, who swept down the valley to a point two miles from Kam Tin. Casualties on our side nil; on side of Chinese not known. I was present throughout engagement, after which we proceeded to Kam Tin and blew down two gates of walled villages. We returned to Sheung Tsun where we will remain to-night. To-morrow we proceed to Un Long and Ping Shan, where we will stay for night. Simmonds has arrived from Fan Ling; reports all quiet there. We are well though tired.
LOCKHART.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
Enclosure 11 in No. 171.
J
Sheung Tsun village, April 19, 1899.
I ENCLOSE Copy of message which I am sending to the Camp from here. We are just about to start for Un Long, where we will stay for the night. I hope we will also reach Ping Shan, and release any of the villagers detained on account of having come to Hong Kong to kotow. I anticipate that after to-day the villages will have had enough of their so-called resistance. Over a thousand men offered resistance yesterday, and if their weapons had been of a modern type, would have given our troops a warmer time of it. Even as it was they showed great courage by the manner in which they fired their primitive weapons, several of which have been captured. The villagers here have voluntarily surrendered their arms. Simmonds reached here last night. He met