CO129-302 - Public Offices - 1900 — Page 113

C. O.

189

&

PE 3 JAN CI

H.M.S."Robin", Kumchuk,

28th September 1900.

108

ommodore

Sir,

I have the honor to report that acting on your

instructions I left Samshui at 9 p.m. on 26th Sept arriving

at Kurchuk at 12.30 where I anchored for the night.

2.

3.

H. A. Little Esq., 4.B.M.Consul at Samshui accompanied me as interpreter. The case being in the hands of Consul General at Canton he would not come officially.

We arrived at Luklao at 8.30 a.m. 27th Sept.. and steamed through the town and finding no place to

anchor north of the creek I turned round and steamed back.

The natives were very abusive, and one man threw stones,

five of which fell on board. I fired a few shots from a

maxim into a dustheap close to him, and the whole crowd dispersed. I then anchored just clear of the town, and

sent for the Mandarin who came on board.

4.

Having told him about the S.S.LungKiang being

fired on and myself being stoned I asked him what he proposed to do to bring the offenders to justice. He replied that having no soldiers he was powerless but would call a meeting of the pentry on board the "Robin"

to discuss matters.

5.

At 4 p.m. having got five of the leading gentry or literati on board, and the Mandarin, we weighed and

steamed through the town arain and back, showing them the house from which stones were thrown. I then made them

Francis Powell C.P.

promise

HONG KONG,