CO129-297 - Governor Sir Blake - 1900 [1-3] — Page 194

No.108.

Sir;

COPY.

192

Canton, November 5th. 1898.

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of

your despatch No.2043 of the 4th. instant on the subject of a

piracy at Kong Mun."

On the complaint of Mr. H.L. Dennys, solicitor

of the Kwang Wan Steamboat Company, I had already addressed the

Viceroy, and urged, as strongly as possible, the absolute ne-

cessity of stringent measures not only in this particular ins-

tance but in the very numerous cases of piracy which have re-

covered on the Kwang Tung waterway during the past year.

I have exhausted all my powers of argument and

persuasion to induce the Viceroy to take some effective action

towards putting a stop to the extensive piracy now going on

in these waters, which is rapidly assuming proportions which

render it a very serious obstruction to trade in the inland

waters, and am now addressing Her Majesty's Minister asking

his assistance to oblige the Chinese Government to take drastic

preventive measures.

I. venture to suggest that His Excellency the

Officer administering the Government should, in the interests

of the trade of HongKong, also invite the Minister's aid in

this matter, offering any suggestions which may occur to His

Excellency as to the best means of obtaining the end in view,

I have &c.

(Signed.) R.W.Mansfield

The Honourable

The Colonial Secretary,

HONGKONG.

Consul.