CO129-302 - Public Offices - 1900 — Page 420

(No. 9.) Sir,

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Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Acting Consul Fox to Mr. Bax-Ironside,

Samshui, November 17, 1899. I HAVE the honour to inclose, for your perusal, copy of a letter I have addressed to the Senior Naval Officer in Hong Kong on the subject of a recent piracy of a British- owned steamer on the West River.

Sir,

I have, &c. (Signed)

HARRY H. FOX.

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Acting Consul Fox to Commodore Gooch.

Samshui, November 13, 1899. LIEUTENANT - COMMANDER CARR, of Her Majesty's ship "Sandpiper," being at present engaged in conveying to a place of safety certain salt junks, which have been detained by pirates for the last three weeks at a place called Taiping Chan, 15 miles below this, I write to inform you that the river steamer "Cheongkong," owned by a British Company registered in Hong Kong, but flying the Chinese flag, was pirated yesterday evening about 6 o'clock at Howtong, a place on the river between Kumchuk and Kongmoon, about 5 miles above Chutou Shan, the notorious haunt of pirates.

The Cheongkong" having been secured without difficulty, her Chinese crew making no resistance, was then used to seize a native passenger boat in tow of the launch Kuongfat."

The launch cut her tow-rope and escaped; the passenger boat was plundered. The "Cheongkong * was afterwards allowed to proceed on her voyage to Hong Kong.

The district around Chutou Shan has had for many years a deservedly bad reputa tion, and it is here that many of the recent piracies have occurred. Vessels seized at other parts of the river are usually taken here and abandoned, the pirates dispersing into the adjacent villages.

This last piracy will probably form the subject of a representation to the Viceroy with claim for compensation, but I have no hope that the Chinese authorities will take

effective steps in the matter.

any

I venture to suggest that the only way to break up the bands of pirates who are now preying on the commerce of the West River is for our gun-boats to be authorized to proceed, in this case, to Howtong, summon the Headmen either to produce the offenders or pay a heavy fine failing which, and twelve hours' notice having been given, the village should be shelled and destroyed. It might be desirable that the Chinese authorities should be invited to co-operate by sending a gun-boat and a military official of some standing.

This would doubtless be a serious step to take, but as the Viceroy has been appealed to, warned and threatened for over a year without avail,

think that such action would be justified and approved by the foreign Powers interested in the West River. I accompanied Captain Carr on his recent visit to Taiping in connection with the "holding up" of the seventeen salt juuks previously referred to, and his report will doubtless have reached you by this time.

I venture to mention the two points which seemed to me chiefly remarkable in this

affair:-

1. That the Provincial Government should have tacitly allowed a band of pirates to practically confiscate and retain for three weeks seventeen large salt boats on the main river, within 60 miles of Canton.

2. That the pirates were able so to terrorize the boat people, that although the combined crews numbered over 500 men, with upwards of forty canon, these boats dared not weigh anchor or even change position for three weeks, and this at the mere orders of the pirates, as I was informed that none had actually been seen.

I have, &c. (Signed)

HARRY H, FOX.

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Inclosure 3 in No. 1.

Sir C. MacDonald to the Tsung-li Yamén.

MM. les Ministres,

Peking, December 4, 1899. ON the 18th February last, in renewing to your Highness and your Excellencies the serious representations which it had already been my duty to make with regard to the prevalence of piracy in the waters near Canton, I took occasion to point out that unless such outrages were prevented for the future, it would be my duty to submit to Her Majesty's Government the advisability of taking active steps to protect British lives and property.

Mr. Bax-Ironside subsequently addressed to your Highness and your Excellencies more than one communication respecting the piracy of the steamer "Wo-on" and the daily increasing number of similar outrages in that province, and he was on each occasion assured that the most stringent measures were being taken by the Viceroy at Canton to suppress the evil complained of. I regret, nevertheless, to say that the reports which I continue to receive from Canton and other places in the province show that the activity of the pirates is by no means decreasing. The most recent case reported is a piracy committed on a British steamer near Komchuk on the 12th November last, and with special reference to this case I have been informed, by telegraph, by Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, that the Governor of Hong Kong has, with the approval of his Lordship, now resolved to remove once for all the domination now exercised over this part of the West River by the pirate bands.

Feeling that the Chinese Government would no doubt be willing to give expression to their own desire to secure tranquillity in that district, the Governor of Hong Kong proposes to invite the assistance of the Viceroy at Canton in the task his Excellency is about to undertake, and Lord Salisbury has accordingly instructed me to urge your Highness and your Excellencies to send pressing orders to the Viceroy to co-operate with the Hong Kong Government in the matter.

In carnestly requesting your Highness and your Excellencies to send telegraphic instructions at once in the above sense, I need hardly point out that the cordial co-operation of the Chinese authorities with the British in this work of pacification, will rebound to the credit of both our countries, and should serve to strengthen the friendly relations now happily subsisting between Her Majesty's Government and the Chinese Empire.

I avail, &c.

(Signed)

CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.

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