CO129-294 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [10-12] — Page 41

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

C

38

in ballast, was attacked by ten armed pirates in a boat, fired on, boarded, and completely cleaned out of everything on board, to the value of some $600.

On January 31st last, I reported that between that date and November 7th, 1898, the native papers had given accounts of 47 piracies. Since January 31st, 33 piracies, 5 cases of blackmail, and 184 cases of armed robbery are reported in the native press, and these are probably only a fraction of those that have actually occurred, for, in most cases, the sufferers are afraid to speak for fear of reprisals. Blackmail is being levied by robbers all over the country, and trade is falling off seriously. The matting dealers in one district have raised their prices by 20% to cover this levy. In the silk districts, the dealers are in the habit of collecting the cocoons from the small producers in order to bring them to Canton.

Bands of armed robbers visit the cocoon godowns and filatures and demand blackmail, failing the payment of which the goods are carried off. To such a pitch has this reached that the Chinese dealers are threatening to stop the trade altogether, and as an actual fact, contracts for the delivery of silk to foreign merchants are not being carried out to a very large extent. The enormous silk trade

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C 38 in ballast, was attacked by ten armed pirates in a boat, fired on, boarded, and completely cleaned out of everything on board, to the value of some $600. On January 31st last, I reported that between that date and November 7th, 1898, the native papers had given accounts of 47 piracies. Since January 31st, 33 piracies, 5 cases of blackmail, and 184 cases of armed robbery are reported in the native press, and these are probably only a fraction of those that have actually occurred, for, in most cases, the sufferers are afraid to speak for fear of reprisals. Blackmail is being levied by robbers all over the country, and trade is falling off seriously. The matting dealers in one district have raised their prices by 20% to cover this levy. In the silk districts, the dealers are in the habit of collecting the cocoons from the small producers in order to bring them to Canton. Bands of armed robbers visit the cocoon godowns and filatures and demand blackmail, failing the payment of which the goods are carried off. To such a pitch has this reached that the Chinese dealers are threatening to stop the trade altogether, and as an actual fact, contracts for the delivery of silk to foreign merchants are not being carried out to a very large extent. The enormous silk trade
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C 38 in ballast, was attacked by ten armed pirates in a boat, fired on boarded and completely cleaned out of everything on, to the value of some $600. On January 31st. last I reported that between that date and November 7th 1898, the native papers had given accounts of 47 piracies. Since January 31st. 33 piracies, 5 cases of blackmail and 184 cases of armed robbery are reported in the native press, and these are h probably only a title of that have actually occurred, for, in most cases, the sufferers are afraid to speak for fear of reprisals. Blackmail is being levied by robbers all over the country and trade is falling off seriously. The mat- ting dealers in one district have raised their prices, 20 levy! Dents aroll to cover this Ay, In the silk districts the dealers are in the habit of collecting the cocoons from the small producers in order to bring them to Canton. Bands of armed robbers visit the cocoon godowns and fila- tures and demand blackmail, failing the payment of which the goods are carried off. To such a pitch has this reached that the Chinese dealers are threatening to stop the trade altogether, and as an actual fact contracts for the delivery of silk to foreign merchants are not being carried out to a very large extent. The enormous silk trade
2026-05-31 08:42:43 · Baseline
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C

38

in ballast, was attacked by ten armed pirates in a boat,

fired on boarded and completely cleaned out of everything

on,

to the value of some $600.

On January 31st. last I reported that

between that date and November 7th 1898, the native papers

had given accounts of 47 piracies. Since January 31st.

33 piracies, 5 cases of blackmail and 184 cases of armed

robbery are reported in the native press, and these are

h

probably only a title of that have actually occurred, for,

in most cases, the sufferers are afraid to speak for fear

of reprisals. Blackmail is being levied by robbers all over

the country and trade is falling off seriously. The mat-

ting dealers in one district have raised their prices, 20

levy!

Dents aroll to cover this Ay, In the silk districts

the dealers are in the habit of collecting the cocoons

from the small producers in order to bring them to Canton.

Bands of armed robbers visit the cocoon godowns and fila-

tures and demand blackmail, failing the payment of which

the goods are carried off. To such a pitch has this reached

that the Chinese dealers are threatening to stop the

trade altogether, and as an actual fact contracts for

the delivery of silk to foreign merchants are not being

carried out to a very large extent. The enormous silk

trade

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