CO129-314 - Public Offices - 1902 — Page 321

No. 1.

Acting Consul-General Scott to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-~~(Received May 10.)

C.O.

Canton, April 2, 1020

1075

No. 30.) ly Lord,

I HAVE the honour to forward herewith copy of my despatch to His Majests! Minister at Peking, No. 30, with inclosure, relative to French activity in the Island of

RESP lainan.

I have, &c.

REG 29 MAY 02 (Signed) JAMES SCOTT,

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

317

(No. 30.) Sir,

Acting Consul-General Scott to Sir E. Satou.

Canton, April 2, 1902. IN continuation of my despatch No 11, Confidential, of the 10th February last, I have now the honour to forward herewith, under flying seal, despatch No. 3 from His Majesty's Consul at Kiungchow, regarding French activity in the Island of Hainan.

I beg to add that I am duly forwarding a copy of this despatch to the Foreign Office at Hong Kong.

I have, &c. (Signed)

JAMES SCOTT,

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

(No. 3.) Sir,

Consul Werner to Sir E. Satow.

Kiungchow, March 20, 1902. REFERRING to my Nos, 8 and 11 of 1901 and No. 1 of 1902, on the subject of French action in Hainan, I have the honour to report that it has come to my knowledge that the prospecting for mining purposes being carried on tentatively by Chinese in the Nodoa region, and in the Lêng-tui district in the extreme south of Hainan, is in reality under the auspices of the Fa-Hua Kung-Ssu, or Franco-Chinese Company of Kuang Chow Wan. I understand, however, that very little of a substantial character has been accomplished, but that the idea is, that when Concessions have been obtained and the mines started, representations will be made that a railway connecting the mines with some place near the coast (probably Kiungehow or Hoihow) is an absolute necessity, and that these representations would probably receive the support of the French

authorities.

A steam launch of about 60 tons has recently begun running round the island. She is nominally the property of a M. Laune, who is connected with the Fa-Hua Kung-Sau and receives a subsidy from the French Government of 1,000 dollars per mouth to make a trip round the island once in every thirty-six days. One of the accounts of the matter, which reached me privately, was that it was hoped that the vessel would fall into the hands of the gangs of pirates which infest the coast, but of this statement I was unable to obtain verification, and in any case the pirates are too cautious to touch foreign property. Of Frenchmen and French property the natives-

The object of the pirates and respectable citizens seem to stand specially in awe. new enterprise, which was given out publicly, was carriage of passengers and cargo. This vessel is, however, too small to withstand the rough seas often experienced on the

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