CO129-294 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [10-12] — Page 416

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either at, or near the town of Dosing, and there they still were on the 21st instant awaiting a ransom of two thousand five hundred dollars demanded by the captors. I am strongly of opinion from inquiry made by me that this piracy, or cattle lifting, was arranged between the junk masters, the cow boys sent down in charge of the cattle, the persons responsible for the good conduct of the town where the boats are tied up, and the pirates. It is not conceivable that so barefaced a robbery could take place without the connivance of the local authorities.

4. I assume that failing to act in the matter himself the Viceroy of Canton would welcome the assistance of Her Majesty's gun Vessels on the river in suppressing practices so destructive to trade in general, and so injurious to this Colony. We draw a great portion of our meat supply from Canton, and I have been obliged to make representation to the Viceroy through the Consul at Canton in consequence of the robbery on the North River by pirates of a number of cattle consigned to the contractor for the Troops, who has represented that he cannot fulfil his contract if his cattle are

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