CO129-294 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [10-12] — Page 42

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

غولية

الراس

(

trade from this port, which has till lately been flourishing to an incredible extent, is threatened with dislocation, and I have exhausted all my powers of argument in trying to induce the Viceroy to take some radical steps.

A proposal of mine to place an adequate force of the old torpedo-boats at Whampoa and of drilled men in charge of a very suitable British subject for a campaign against the robbers and pirates, which proposal was being favourably entertained by the Viceroy, has fallen through owing to the jealousy of a German subject employed in the torpedo department at Whampoa, who was backed up by his Consul. Life and property are no longer safe in this district, and if the important trade of this wealthy province is not to be eventually completely ruined, I see no other alternative than that the British Government should undertake what the Chinese Authorities either will not or cannot do.

The robbers and pirates are numbered by thousands already, and encouraged by impunity are daily enlisting more recruits. I understand that the neighbouring province of Kwanghsi is suffering in a similar manner, and any scheme for the regeneration of Kwangtung should include it. It is hardly necessary to say that the country generally would welcome foreign intervention to rid them of this scourge, which has reached proportions

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2026-05-31 08:43:02 · NVIDIA / meta/llama-4-maverick-17b-128e-instruct

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غولية الراس 39 ( trade from this port, which has till lately been flourishing to an incredible extent, is threatened with dislocation, and I have exhausted all my powers of argument in trying to induce the Viceroy to take some radical steps. A proposal of mine to place an adequate force of the old torpedo-boats at Whampoa and of drilled men in charge of a very suitable British subject for a campaign against the robbers and pirates, which proposal was being favourably entertained by the Viceroy, has fallen through owing to the jealousy of a German subject employed in the torpedo department at Whampoa, who was backed up by his Consul. Life and property are no longer safe in this district, and if the important trade of this wealthy province is not to be eventually completely ruined, I see no other alternative than that the British Government should undertake what the Chinese Authorities either will not or cannot do. The robbers and pirates are numbered by thousands already, and encouraged by impunity are daily enlisting more recruits. I understand that the neighbouring province of Kwanghsi is suffering in a similar manner, and any scheme for the regeneration of Kwangtung should include it. It is hardly necessary to say that the country generally would welcome foreign intervention to rid them of this scourge, which has reached proportions

Baseline (Original)

غولية الراس 39 ( trade from this port, which has till lately been flowishing to an incredible extent, is threatened with dislocation, and I have exhausted all my powers of argument in trying to induce the Viceroy to take some radical steps, A proposal of mine to place an adequate force of the old torpedo-boats at Whampoa and of drilled men in charge of a very suitable British subject for a campaign against the robbers and pirates,which proposal was being favourably entertained by the Viceroy has fallen through owing to the jealousy of a German subject employed in the torpedo department at Whampoa, who was backed up by his Consul. Life and property are not longer safe in this district, and if the important trade of this wealthy province is not to be eventually completely ruined, I see no other alternative than that the British Government, should undertake what the Chinese Authorities either will not or can not do. The robbers and pirates are numbered by thousands already, and encouraged by impunity are daily enlisting more recruits. I understand that the neighbouring province of Kwanghsi is suffering in a similar manner and any scheme for the regeneration of Kvangtung should included it. It is hardly necessary to say that the country generally would welcome foreign intervention to rid them of this scourge which has reached proportions

2026-05-31 08:43:02 · Baseline

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غولية

الراس

(

trade from this port, which has till lately been flowishing

to an incredible extent, is threatened with dislocation,

and I have exhausted all my powers of argument in trying

to induce the Viceroy to take some radical steps,

A proposal

of mine to place an adequate force of the old torpedo-boats

at Whampoa and of drilled men in charge of a very suitable

British subject for a campaign against the robbers and

pirates,which proposal was being favourably entertained

by the Viceroy has fallen through owing to the jealousy

of a German subject employed in the torpedo department at

Whampoa, who was backed up by his Consul. Life and property

are not longer safe in this district, and if the important

trade of this wealthy province is not to be eventually

completely ruined, I see no other alternative than that

the British Government, should undertake what the Chinese

Authorities either will not or can not do. The robbers

and pirates are numbered by thousands already, and encouraged

by impunity are daily enlisting more recruits. I understand

that the neighbouring province of Kwanghsi is suffering

in a similar manner and any scheme for the regeneration

of Kvangtung should included it. It is hardly necessary

to say that the country generally would welcome foreign

intervention to rid them of this scourge which has reached

proportions

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