CO882-(4-5) — Page 607

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

THITEC.O. 882

|| || | / | | | | | | | | | | | | ||

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

16463/S.

(Confidential.)

238

No. 201.

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received June 26, 1899.)

[Answered by No. 210.]

SIR,

Foreign Office, June 24, 1899. IT appears from the telegram enclosed in your letter of the 21st instant that the Governor of Hong Kong doubts the expediency of evacuating the Sham Chun valley at the present time.

I an directed by the Marquess of Salisbury to state that he sees no reason to depart from the decision arrived at with regard to Sham Chun, viz., that the place should be held for the present as a pledge for the fulfilment by the Chinese Government of their engage- ments in respect of the Northern Railways and other matters recently under discussion with them, and I aim to enclose, for Mr. Secretary Chamberlain's confidential information, a telegram addressed to Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Pekin on the 20th instant, in which Mr. Bax Ironside was instructed to intimate to the Chinese Government that the attitude of Her Majesty's Government in regard to the territory now held by the Hong Kong Government outside the Conventional Extension will greatly depend upon the regard paid by the Chinese Government to his representations in the question of the Northern Rail- ways and other matters under discussion with them.

Enclosure in No. 201.

I am, &c.,

FRANCIS BERTIE.

PARAPHRASE of a TELEGRAM to Mr. BAX-IRONSIDE, Peking.

(D. 6.5 p.m., June 20, 1899.)

ACCORDING to statement of British and Chinese Corporation, one month's interest in outstanding, which, with a further month's interest, must be provided by July 16th to enable 1st Coupon to be met on August 1st.

Press Chinese Government officially to make good the required balance in pursuance of their guarantee.

You may intimate to Yamen that our attitude in regard to territory now held by us outside the Conventional Extension of Hong Kong will depend greatly upon the regard which they pay to our representations in the matter of the Northern Railways and other matters recently discussed with Chinese Ministers.

16383.

No. 202.

GOVERNOR SIR H. A. BLAKE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received June 26, 1899.)

[Acknowledged July 21, No. 134; Copy to Foreign Office and War Office, July 27, L.F.]

(No. 123.)

SIR,

Government House, Hong Kong, May 27, 1899. In continuation of my despatch, No. 107, of 28th April,† I have the honour to inform you that no time was lost in visiting and inspecting the new territory and making

• No. 195.

† No. 171.

239

preliminary arrangements for the divisions into districts and sub-districts into which it is proposed that it shall for the present be divided.

On the 5th instant, it was reported by Mr. May, the Captain Superintendent of Police that a large body of men had assembled at Sha Tao on Deep Bay for the purpose of making an incursion into our territory, and that the people of Ha Tsun Valley on our side of the river were all leaving their homes in consequence. The same report reached Mr. Lockhart at Taipo Hui, who sent a messenger to inquire. I was at Taipo Hui on the 4th May, and saw the messenger on his return, who informed me that the people were much alarmed, and there was no doubt that an attack was in- tended. As I had sufficient force in the district to repel any attack the report was not alarming; however I requested Mr. Mansfield, our Consul at Canton, to inform the Viceroy and call upon him to prevent any incursion.

3. On the 10th it was reported that the exodus from the valleys had ceased, the major portion of the population having departed.

4.

On the 16th May in accordance with your instructions, I directed that Sham Chun and Kowloon City should be occupied. To Sham Chun 2,000 men proceeded in three columns: one moving from Deep Bay; one from Starling Inlet, and one from Taipo. Nothing could have been better than the arrangements made by Major-General Gascoigne and Commodore Powell, R.N., by whom the blue-jackets and marines who composed the Starling Inlet column were supplied. At the same hour as the three columns were timed to meet at Sham Chun (3 p.m.) a force of 300 men consisting of Royal Welsh Fusiliers and 100 Hong Kong Volunteers, with their guns, proceeded to Kowloon City. Both places were occupied without any opposition, and during the march of the columns they were everywhere received with civility.

5. It was found to be impossible to proceed by river from Deep Bay to Sham Chun. The Deep Bay column therefore disembarked at Sha Tao and marched to Sham Chun past several towns or villages, each as large as Sham Chuu. Near this town a camp has been established where a force of 400 infantry, engineers and artillery are stationed with four guns, while 200 men of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers have been stationed at Sha Tao, the entire force being under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel The O'Gorman. I visited both camps on the 19th and 20th, and traversed the road from the base at Sha Tao to Sham Chun. The people were all apparently friendly, and Lieutenant-Colonel The O'Gorman informs me that all along the line the inhabitants are most cordial and show every confidence in the force.

As

6. Until it has been decided whether the boundary originally suggested be adopted I have determined not to exercise any civil jurisdiction north of the river. to the question of boundary, in my opinion the river boundary, as adopted tentatively by the Commissioners appointed was a fairly satisfactory boundary. But it has been demonstrated that numbers of people can collect in the populous line of villages im- mediately north of the river and proceed to make incursions into our territory and in consequence of such an incursion, unchecked by the Chinese authorities, we have pushed beyond the river, occupied Sham Chun and Sha Tao and hoisted the flag at the former place. Having done so it will be difficult to retire, as such a course would possibly invite attack in the future, and would certainly be put down to weakness by the Chinese. On the other hand, if we determine to remain at Sham Chun, I fear that it will be necessary to occupy the valley and up to the summit of the hills as proposed by Mr. Stewart Lockhart, for the small river running west of Sham Chun is not a practical boundary. I attach Major-General Gascoigne's report of the proceedings, with a corre- spondence bearing upon this subject of the boundary.

7. As to the question of increasing the garrison, General Gascoigne is prepared to hold the Sham Chun valley so long as there are no complications in Hong Kong in- volving possible attack upon the garrison. In that event neither the hills nor the river would be made a line of defence, and the garrison would be probably withdrawn to Victoria and Kowloon, with its outposts on the passes of the hills immediately north of Kowloon city. But in the absence of such complications the valley north of Sham- Chun offers an admirable camping ground and would probably, if used, increase the practical strength of the garrison by a considerable number who are in hospital in Hong Kong from venereal diseases. In Hong Kong the men must suffer from want of exercise and confinement, for they have to go two miles at least to a recreation ground. The consequence is a temptation to licentious habits and a serious weakening of the garrison by disease.

8. Should the boundary be extended, it will necessitate an increase of at least 50 police beyond the number estimated for.