CO129-240 - Public Offices & Others - 1888 — Page 180

23

107

177

It is, perhaps, unnecessary for me to state that this copy is one of what are called "indirectly "obtained documents; and it is quite certain that if the Maps referred to in it did not also come into Mr. Alabaster's possession, they were not to be procured in a similar way. I, therefore, for obvious reasons, did not feel justified in advising any attempt being made to get them.

But as the explanatory description of the frontier without the Map was difficult to follow, I took steps here to ascertain confidentially whether there would be any use in my asking the Tsung-li Yamên to let me see the Maps of the Boundary Commission, which would naturally be of interest to Her Majesty's Government in view of the pending delimitation of the Burmah-Yünnan frontier.

The result of my inquiries, however, convinced me that I should gain nothing by making an application, and I have hitherto had good grounds for abstaining from the employment at Peking of indirect means to gain official information.

The accompanying tracing, for which I am indebted to Mr. Bullock, Acting Chinese Secretary, has been carefully prepared from the document furnished by Mr. Alabaster, and gives a clear idea of the boundary between Yünnan and Tonquin, which is the portion of the Franco-Chinese frontier that chiefly concerns us, as coming into the immediate proximity of the Burmah-Yunnan frontier.

There were two joint Commissions for settling the Franco-Chinese frontier, one of which went over the ground from Lao-kai on the Red River up to the boundary between the provinces of Yunnan and Kuang-si, the second Commission undertaking the line of the two provinces of Kuang-si and Kuang-tung down to the sea, but not actually examining the entire line, certain sections of it, which presented uo special points of dispute between France and China, being accepted as not requiring rectifi-

cation.

Your Lordship will at the same time observe that, although the Commission for the Yunnan boundary started from Lao-kai coastwards and left untouched the remainder of the Yunnan-Tonquin frontier in the direction of the Yunnan-Burmah frontier, the tracing I have inclosed shows that for a considerable distance in that direction the explanatory statement obtained at Canton, the authenticity of which I have no reason to doubt, considers the Yunnan-Tonquin boundary to run.

I know, however, that the reason for the Commission not working further inland was intentional, and originated in the difficulties with which it would have had to contend on account of the limited control exercised by the Yunnan authorities over the tribes occupying the south-western borders of the province; and I have fair grounds for believing that, notwithstanding the apparent settlement of the boundary line up to Meng-pang Tu, it has not been virtually arranged upon the basis of mutual acceptance, as is the case with those sections of the line along the Kuang-si and Kuang-tung frontier, to which I have alluded above, as not having been subjected to inspection by the Commissioners.

That the French will assert their right to it is more than probable, and I am not aware that any harm would result, as far as Burmah is concerned, from their retaining the frontier as traced, because, curiously enough, as your Lordship will see by referring to the Sketch Map sent to me from India, and a duplicate copy of which was inclosed in my despatch No. 90 of the 12th December last, Meng-pang Tu, the extreme point of the line, would be almost exactly the spot where the last cross is marked to show where the boundary between Burmah and Yunnan would be supposed to terminate.

But I fear trouble is to be apprehended should the French succeed in the attempts they have been so persistently making for some years past to gain a footing in Upper Siam. Their close proximity on our Eastern Burmese frontier, and also to the south between Burmah and Siam, could scarcely fail to prove a continual source of disquietude.

I have forwarded a copy of this despatch to his Excellency the Viceroy of India.

I have, &c.

(Signed) JOHN WALSHAM.

Inclosure in No. 36.

Map of Yunnan and Tonquin Frontier.

Page 180Page 181