18622.
SIR,
286
No. 205.
COLONIAL OFFICE to WAR OFFICE and ADMIRALTY.
[Answered by No. 218.]
Downing Street, June 27, 1899. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to inform you that he is desirous of bringing to the notice of [the Secretary of State for War] [the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty] the valuable services rendered by [Her Majesty's troops under the command of Major-General Gascoigne, C.M.G.] [the officers and men of Her Majesty's ships stationed at Hong Kong], in comection with the taking over of the new territory recently annexed to the Colony.
2. The Governor, Sir Henry Blake, has spoken in terms of the warmest praise of the promptness and energy displayed by all concerned, and I am to enclose an ex- tract* of a despatch recently received from him on the subject. [I am also to enclose To Admirally extractst from enclosures to a previous despatch relative to the grounding of Her
only.
Majesty's ship "Whiting" on the 4th ultimo, while conveying a detachment of troops and Government officials to Tai-po-hu.]
I am, &c.,
C. P. LUCAS.
287
Enclosure 1 in No. 207.
PARAPHRASE of a TELEGRAM from Mr. BAX-Ironside.
(D. 8.40 p.m., R.10.0 p.m., June 27, 1899.)
I made, on the 24th instant, a demand in writing for payment of the indemnity; and at aninterview to-day I conveyed the intimation as your Lordship instructed.
The Yamen informed me that claim could not be admitted, and that they would answer by note accordingly. They claimed that the affairs of the Northern Railway were being brought gradually to a satisfactory state, and that there would be no default of interest by the end of the half year. Railway accounts were also being dealt with in a manner more satisfactory to the Foreign Accountant. Governor of Kueichow, they maintained a firm attitude.
As regards the dismissal of
They were anxious to know whether our troops would be withdrawn from Sham Chun and Kowloon city if indemnity were settled.
I told them that I considered their reception of the demand of Her Majesty's Government most unsatisfactory, and reminded them of our action in 1895 regarding the dismissal of Governor of Szechuen.
I promised to submit their views to you, at their urgent request.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TEC.O. 882
וווןוויין יין
5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
16649/S.
No. 206.
GOVERNOR SIR H. A. BLAKE to MB. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 11.27 a.m., June 28, 1899.)
TELEGRAM.
(Paraphrase.)
Paragraph 19 of my despatch No. 107 of 28th April,‡ further investigation shows that three men were murdered at the time, because they favoured the British; bodies of all three found. May informe me that the villagers in the Sham Chun valley, who have been friendly and supplied food, &c., to troops, are terrified at the rumour that the valley is to be abandoned, believing that they will be sacrificed for having helped us. I do not consider their fears groundless, remembering the former murders. They quote a proclamation which General Gascoigne issued when he occupied Sham Chun, as justifying their assumption that they would incur no risk in helping the troops.
16742 8.
(Confidential.)
No. 207.
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received June 29, 1899.)
[Answered by No. 209.]
Foreign Office, June 28, 1899. Tax Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and is directed by the Secretary of State to transmit, for the information of Mr. Secretary Chamberlain the accompanying copies of two telegrams, as marked in the margin, relating to the occupation of Sham Chum.
Mr. Ironside,
No. 195. June 27.
To ditto.
No. 128. June 28.
• Para. 24 of No. 171.
• No. 171.
From enclosures 2 and 3 of No. 141.
Enclosure 2 in No. 207.
Paraphrase of a TELEGRAM to Mr. Bax-IRONSIDE, Peking.
(D. 4.45 p.m., June 28, 1899.)
Referring to your telegram, No. 195. Until there is evidence that Chinese Government intend to observe their engagements in regard to the Northern Railway and other matters, we shall not withdraw from Sham Chun,
17043.
SIR,
(No. 129.)
No. 208.
GOVERNOR SIR H. A. BLAKE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
(Received July 3, 1899.)
[Answered by No. 227.]
Government House, Hong Kong, May 31, 1899.
I HAVE the honour to enclose for your information a copy of a letter forwarded to me to-day by Major-General Gascoigne, from Mr. Schaub, a German missionary, in charge of the Basel Mission at Li Long, a village about nine miles north of Sham Chun, as also a copy of my letter to Her Majesty's Consul at Canton.
2. I telegraphed the purport of the letter to you to-day.*
3. I am disposed to think that the rumours are exaggerated, or that the gathering of the people at Pan Then was for the purpose of resisting any attempt to arrest the three members of the Tang clan who were implicated in the murder at Ha-Tsun on the 18th April of the Chinaman who was killed because he had posted my Proclamation see my despatch, No. 107, of the 28th April, 1899.† The Viceroy of Canton has issued orders for their arrest, and I am informed that they have taken refuge in the Tung-Kun district where a large number of their clan reside.
4. However, until the limit of our advance has been finally decided upon, we must expect troubles on the borders, or at least excitement among the inhabitants. I have been under the impression that this Tung-Kun Valley north of Sham-Chun Valley was a densely populated district, but Mr. Bagnall-Wild, R.E., who has just come down through that distriot from Canton with the party surveying for the Canton-Kowloon Railway informs me that the district is by no means populous, and that the villages are small
• No. 175.
† No. 171.
288