CO129-294 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [10-12] — Page 558

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

555

down firmly, but justly. But then arose a far greater difficulty. Every Chinaman who had a private grudge against his neighbour took the opportunity of our presence to have his revenge. The forces of law, such as they were, had disappeared on our arrival, and yet it was extremely difficult for the troops to settle private differences.

Major Prendergast, acting by my instructions, endeavoured, and with success, to gain the confidence of the Elders, and principal people of the villages, and to impress on them the necessity for their own sakes of preserving order, but the Chinese are a peculiar people, and though they are very quick to grasp the policy of our non-intervention in their own internal affairs, yet they were slow to take any steps towards their own protection. Also it became apparent, after a time, that they were cunningly using our non-intervention in their internal affairs to their own ends, for it reached me that a number of bad characters were gathering under the protection of the troops, as it was,

and from thence were making raids outside, sometimes even in British Territory. This could not be tolerated for an instant, and yet it was difficult to know under what law to punish offenders. I had many instances that they were

156

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555 down firmly, but justly. But then arose a far greater difficulty. Every Chinaman who had a private grudge against his neighbour took the opportunity of our presence to have his revenge. The forces of law, such as they were, had disappeared on our arrival, and yet it was extremely difficult for the troops to settle private differences. Major Prendergast, acting by my instructions, endeavoured, and with success, to gain the confidence of the Elders, and principal people of the villages, and to impress on them the necessity for their own sakes of preserving order, but the Chinese are a peculiar people, and though they are very quick to grasp the policy of our non-intervention in their own internal affairs, yet they were slow to take any steps towards their own protection. Also it became apparent, after a time, that they were cunningly using our non-intervention in their internal affairs to their own ends, for it reached me that a number of bad characters were gathering under the protection of the troops, as it was, and from thence were making raids outside, sometimes even in British Territory. This could not be tolerated for an instant, and yet it was difficult to know under what law to punish offenders. I had many instances that they were 156

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555 down firmly, but justly. But then arose a far greater difficulty. Every Chinaman who had a private grudge against his neighbour took the opportunity of our presence to have his revenge. The forces of law, such as they were, had disappeared on our arrival, and yet it was extremely difficult. for the troops to settle private differences. Major Prendergast, acting by my instructions, endeavoured, and with success, to gain the confidence of the Elders, and principal people of the villages, and to impress on then the necessity for their own sakes of preserving order, but the Chinese are à peculiar people, and though they are very quick to grasp the policy of our non-intervention in their own internal affairs, yet they were slow to take any steps towards their own protection. Also it became apparent, after a time that they were cunningly using our non-intervention in their internal affairs to their own ends, for it reached me that a number of bad characters were gathering under the protection of the troops, as it was, and from thence were making raids outside, sometimes even in British Territory. This could not be tolerated for an instant, and yet it was difficult to know under what law to punish offenders. I had many instances that they were 156

2026-05-31 10:53:19 · Baseline

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555

down firmly, but justly. But then arose a far greater

difficulty. Every Chinaman who had a private grudge

against his neighbour took the opportunity of our presence

to have his revenge. The forces of law, such as they were,

had disappeared on our arrival, and yet it was extremely

difficult. for the troops to settle private differences.

Major Prendergast, acting by my instructions, endeavoured,

and with success, to gain the confidence of the Elders,

and principal people of the villages, and to impress on

then the necessity for their own sakes of preserving order,

but the Chinese are à peculiar people, and though they

are very quick to grasp the policy of our non-intervention

in their own internal affairs, yet they were slow to take

any steps towards their own protection. Also it became

apparent, after a time that they were cunningly using our

non-intervention in their internal affairs to their own

ends, for it reached me that a number of bad characters

were gathering under the protection of the troops, as it

was,

and from thence were making raids outside, sometimes

even in British Territory. This could not be tolerated for

an instant, and yet it was difficult to know under what

law to punish offenders. I had many instances that they

were

156

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