CO129-095 - Public Offices - 1863 — Page 497

Supposing possible being sent from Shanghai away as a precautionary measure against the recurrence of an incident similar to that which decimated the European Force last year, I beg therefore to suggest that, should you consider it practicable, 400 out of the 489 men of the 67 Regt now occupying Emarters in the Chinese City should be removed at once to Hong Kong, and that the remainder, consisting of the most delicate men, should be sent for change of air to Taku.

The Confucian Temple and the buildings in the City thus vacated, I would recommend to be occupied by 4 companies of the 38th Regt until the Detachment of the 3rd byth is withdrawn from Taku, when it, along with the 2 Companies, will be an ouzzicion for these Quarters. By this means, the 67th Regt occupying the Godowns in the European Settlement will be beneficially relieved, while sufficient space will at the same time be secured for the Troops in the Chinese City.

The better to give effect to the grant of the proposed arrangement here made, I further beg to recommend that the evacuation of the Taku Forts should be delayed as long as possible, in order that this very healthy station may be used as a sanitarium during the hot season, as the European Garrison at Shanghai will thereby be kept in numbers as low as possible during the season which proved...