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Before the patrol reached the station, and opposite to the Con- vent in Chinese Territory, a shot was fired and a bullet struck the' road in front of the patrol.

7. On July 31st, at about 6.30 a.m., near Ta Ku Ling, two soldiers from Chinese Territory came across the border and fired three shots at men who were driving cattle. Three bullocks were seized, but after some parleying were given back.

8. On August 13th a gang of seven painters were at work on the British end of railway bridge number 49, which spans the Sham Chun River, when two men armed with rifles and a number of unarmed men came across the bridge, seized them and took them away into Chinese Territory.

9. On August 14th, at about 1 a.m., the police rowing-boat on the Sham Chun River near Lok Ma Chau was hailed from Chinese The crew Territory and ordered to come alongside the bank. shouted that they were police, whereupon a number of shots were fired at them from Chinese Territory.

10. On August 14th a man and a woman were carrying some baskets of fruit along the frontier road, within British Territory, opposite the Lo Fong Customs Station, and were fired at by a labour picket of three men. The man and the woman dropped their baskets and ran away. The labour picket then crossed the frontier and seized the baskets. The woman is a resident of British Territory, but the man has not yet been found.

11. On August 13th two junks. registered in Hongkong, bear- ing a mixed cargo valued at $1,600 and consigned to a shop in British Sha Tau Kok, arrived at Sha Tau Kok for the purpose of unloading. They were ordered by the officer-in-charge of the police station at British Sha Tau Kok to come up to the beach at a point about 500 or 600 yards on the British side of the frontier. On the following day, August 14th, a party of armed men in uniform assisted by labour pickets invaded British Territory and took possession of the junks. They ordered the coolies to take the goods, which had already been unloaded, into Chinese Territory for examination. This was done. On August 15th the soldiers ordered the crews of the junks to move them away into Chinese Territory. An attempt was made by the police officer-in-charge of British Sha Tau Kok Station, in the police rowing-boat to pre. vent this move, but the boat was driven off by rifle fire. By arrangement with the Naval Authorities H.M.S." Foxglove was ordered to assist in the recovery of the junks which were to be regarded as having been pirated. On August 17th this vessel arrived off British Sha Tau Kok, and under her cover a party pro- ceeded to recover the junks. This was done without opposition and most of the cargo was found to be on board.

12. On August 15th, at about 2.45 p.m., two rifle shots were fired at a range of about 500 yards from a tower at Lo Fong,

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Chinese Territory at Ta Ku Ling Police Station. One bullet A struck the wall of the barrack-room of the Indian police. number of persons standing by the tower applauded.

13. On August 18th a body of armed men, having the appear- ance of soldiers, raided the village of A Ma Wat and stole property to the value of $400.

14. On August 20th a gang of coolies, under the charge of a foreman of the Public Works Department were at work repairing a bridge on the British frontier road opposite Lo Fong Customs Station (Chinese Territory). Shots were fired at them and they scattered. Pickets crossed the frontier and took away a bicycle belonging to the foreman,

16. On August 21st several Chinese dressed in khaki and armed with rifles were seen to fire at the Lok Ma Chau Ferry on its passage across the Sham Chun River (British waters) from Chinese to British Territory. A party of police who approached the ferry with the intention of protecting the passengers were also fired on.

One passenger, who jumped overboard and tried to swim to British Territory, disappeared and was not seen again.

16. On August 27th, at about 2.30 p.m., a picket of Indian soldiers, which had as a result of a series of incidents in this neighbourhood been stationed on the frontier opposite Lo Fong, was fired on by a picket of Chinese soldiers. Fire was returned and one Chinese soldier was hit,

Later, at about 10.30 p.m., there was a demonstration against Ta Ku Ling Station, and a number of shots were fired at it from two sides. A relieving party was sent up from Sheung Shui. After the demonstration the attacking party retired without making an assault.

Two days later, on August 29th, communication by field tele- phone between the Indian picket and Sheung Shui was interrupted and 20 yards of wire were subsequently found to have been femoved.

17. On September 11th two Chinese drivers and two Chinese stokers employed on the Fanling branch railway were arrested As these men were by labour pickets at British Sha Tau Kok. returning to Sham Chun under escort an attempt was made by The road from Chinese a police patrol to effect their release.

Sha Tau Kok to Sham Chun passes through British Territory at Lin Ma Hang Gap, and at this point the police endeavoured to intercept the party. The attempt failed, but the captured men were released the next day.

18. On September 23rd a raid by armed pickets was made on the Yuen Tai Tsan shop, British Sha Tau Kok. It was to this shop that the cargoes of the two junks seized on August 15th were consigned. On this occasion 25 pigs, besides money and goods from the shop, were stolen. The officer-in-charge of the

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C.O.882/11

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