94
No. 119.
231
1303
Colonial Office to Foreign Office.--(Received November 17.)
* 15 AM
THE Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and is directed by the Secretary of State to transmit to him, to be laid before the Marquess of Lansdowne, a despatch from Sir H. A. Blake on the subject of disturbances in South China.
Downing Street, November 16, 1900.
Sir,
Inclosure in No. 119,
Governor Sir H. Blake to Mr. Chamberlain.
Government House, Hong Kong, October 12, 1900.
I HAVE the honour to inform you that on the 12th September I received a letter from the Rev. Mr. Gussmann, of the Basel Mission at Li Long, a Mission station 7 miles north of our borders, informing me that a great number of Triad Society men were assembled at Tam Seui, a small town in Kwai Shin district, with the intention of rising in rebellion in a short time. It was reported that two Japanese and two Europeans were assisting the rebels. The Rev. Mr. Gussmann was very anxious about the safety of his people, and asked if I could protect them.
2. I requested Her Majesty's Consul-General at Canton to convey information of the state of affairs to the Acting Viceroy, to impress upon his Excellency the gravity of the situation, and to offer to him the assistance of Her Majesty's troops in protecting the Mission if necessary. At the same time, after consultation with Major-General Gascoigne, a small force of infantry and guns was held in readiness for immediate dispatch to our frontier should necessity for their presence arise, and the Commodore ordered Her Majesty's ship "Handy" to proceed to Mirs Bay, along the north coast of which are two Imperial Customs stations, in which several Europeans are stationed. Mr. May, the Captain-Superintendent of Police, proceeded on the 5th to the frontier station of Fu-ti-au, where there are thirty-seven police with a Maxim gun. As this and all other stations are in telephonic communication, I have received frequent reports from him from day to day.
3. On the 5th instant, the rebels, whose numbers were reported to be about 1,000, attacked Shawan, a small town east of Li Long, in which from 60 to 100 Chinese soldiers were stationed, a number of whom they killed. The Chinese soldiers fled. The rebels were reported to be marching on Sham Chun. Arrangements were at once made for the immediate dispatch of troops to the frontier. But later in the day Mr. May telephoned that he had visited Sham Chun, and found that there were 100 Chinese troops there and another 100 expected; that all the surrounding villagers had enrolled themselves for their mutual protection, and that the rebels had retired from Shawan, and would not, in his opinion, now come to Sham Chun. On this report I countermanded the order for the dispatch of troops to the frontier.
4. On the 7th instant the Commissioner of Customs at Canton telegraphed to the Commissioner of Customs residing at Hong Kong, conveying the Acting Viceroy's desire that he would inform me that his Excellency was fully alive to the requirements of the situation, and that he had ordered extra troops to proceed under the personal command of the Admiral in command of the Bogue.
5. To-day I have received information that the rebels, who had retired from Shawan to Liung Kong, leaving guards on the roads, had met and defeated a body of Chinese troops coming from Kwai Shin to operate against them. The fight took place at Ta Woh Kong, close to Liung Kong, and twenty Chinese soldiers are reported to have been killed. 2,500 troops have arrived at Sham Chun, 300 of whom have gone to the North, probably to Tung Kun district. The rebels, by latest reports, number about 2,000 men.
6. During the raid from Tam Seui to Shawan they have not plundered the houses, but have levied blackmail, enlisted men, and taken all the arms they could find.
7. It is reported that disturbances have broken out in the Province of Kwangsi.
94
No. 119.
231
1303
Colonial Office to Foreign Office.--(Received November 17.)
* 15 AM
THE Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and is directed by the Secretary of State to transmit to him, to be laid before the Marquess of Lansdowne, a despatch fror Sir H. A. Blake on the subject of disturbances in South China.
Downing Street, November 16, 1900.
Sir,
Inclosure in No. 119,
Governor Sir H. Blake to Mr. Chamberlain.
Government House, Hong Kong, October 12, 1900. I HAVE the honour to inform you that on the 12th September I received a letter from the Rev. Mr. Gussmann, of the Basel Mission at Li Long, a Mission station 7 miles north of our borders, informing me that a great number of Triad Society men were assembled at Tam Seui, a small town in Kwai Shin district, with the intention of rising in rebellion in a short time. It was reported that two Japanese and two Europeans were assisting the rebels. The Rev. Mr. Gussmann was very anxious about the safety of his people, and asked if I could protect them.
2. I requested Her Majesty's Consul-General at Canton to convey information o the state of affairs to the Acting Viceroy, to impress upon his Excellency the gravity o the situation, and to offer to him the assistance of Her Majesty's troops in protecting the Mission if necessary. At the same time, after consultation with Major-Genera Gascoigne, a small force of infantry and guns was held in readiness for immediat dispatch to our frontier should necessity for their presence arise, and the Commodore ordered Her Majesty's ship "Handy" to proceed to Mirs Bay, along the north coast of which are two Imperial Customs stations, in which several Europeans are stationed Mr. May, the Captain-Superintendent of Police, proceeded on the 5th to the frontie station of Fu-ti-au, where there are thirty-seven police with a Maxim gun. As this and all other stations are in telephonic communication, I have received frequent reports from him from day to day.
3. On the 5th instant, the rebels, whose numbers were reported to be about 1,000, attacked Shawan, a small town east of Li Long, in which from 60 to 100 Chinese soldiers were stationed, a number of whom they killed. The Chinese soldiers fled. The rebels were reported to be marching on Shain Chun. Arrangements were at once made for the immediate dispatch of troops to the frontier. But later in the day Mr. May telephoned that he had visited Sham Chun, and found that there were 100 Chinese troops there and another 100 expected; that all the surrounding villagers had enrolled themselves for their mutual protection, and that the rebels had retired from Shawan, and would not, in his opinion, now come to Sham Chun. On this report I countermanded the order for the dispatch of troops to the frontier.
4. On the 7th instant the Commissioner of Customs at Canton telegraphed to the Commissioner of Customs residing at Hong Kong, conveying the Acting Viceroy's desire that he would inform me that his Excellency was fully alive to the requirements of the situation, and that he had ordered extra troops to proceed under the personal command of the Admiral in command of the Bogue.
5. To-day I have received information that the rebels, who had retired from Shawan to Liung Kong, leaving guards on the roads, had met and defeated a body of Chinese troops coming from Kwai Shin to operate against them. The fight took place at Ta Woh Kong, close to Liung Kong, and twenty Chinese soldiers are reported to have been killed. 2,500 troops have arrived at Sham Chun, 300 of whom have gone the North, probably to Tung Kun district. The rebels, by latest reports, number
about 2,000 men.
to
6. During the raid from Tam Suei to Shawan they have not plundered the houses, but have levied blackmail, enlisted men, and taken all the arms they could find.
7. It is reported that disturbances have broken out in the Province of Kwangsi
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