CO129-331 - Public Offices - 1905 — Page 363

2

You will observe that the Return officially establishes the fact that at two points at least-Mong-kha (IIsi-ming) and Leng-k'an the Chinese continue to maintain garrisons on the western side of "Scott's Line." It is noted in the original Return that this disposition of the P'u-ting Right Battalion dates from before the foray of the Wild Wa last winter.

Ting Chih tai, in sending me the Return, expressed a wish that I would supply him with a similar list of the military posts maiutained by Burmah along the K'a-wa Pale, and, in view of his Excellency's courtesy in acceding to my request for a Return of the Chinese forces, I trust that your Government will see its way to providing me with such list for transmission to the Governor-General. As regards the position, at any rate, of the British posts there can, I imagine, be no secrecy, and our claim to "Scott's Line" is independent of the question of actual administration.

Ting Ta-jèn would, I gather, be prepared to consider suggestions for concerted action against the Wa, though his inclination is to regard the Wa Hills as a district independent both of Yunnan and of Burmah, much as the Lolo country on the left bank of the Yang-isze, opposite Chaot'ung Prefecture, is, in effect, independent both of Szechuan and of Yunnan. It has not, apparently, occurred to him that the acceptance by his Government of "Scott's Line" would make Burmah liable for all damages caused by Wa forays into Yüunan territory.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

Inclosure 3 in No. 1.

W. II. WILKINSON,

Return showing the Stations of the Regular and the Local Battalions of Chenpien.

(Translation.)

1. The Pu-ting Front Battalion ("ying ").—The Centre, Rear, and Left Companies ("shao"), are stationed at the main camp of Nan-ch'a; the Front Company at Chan-ma-p'o; the Right Company at Nan-tai.

2. The Pu-ting Left Battalion.---The Centre and Left Companies are posted on the bank of the Na-chat River, in Mien-ning Sub-Prefecture; the Right Company at San-ch'a-lu ("Three Cross Roads"); the Front Company at Chenpien; the Rear Company at Ssümao.

3. The Chingpien Local Battalion.-The Centre Company is stationed at the main camp of Nan-wa; the Left Company at Sian ("Lesser") An-kang; the Right Company at Shang (Upper") Kai-hsin; the Front Company at Chenpien Town; while the Rear Company is partly at Tien-pa, partly at the Nan-pen Hill.

NOTE--These three battalions were stationed at the above posts (from Nan-ch'a

to the Nan-pen Hill) after the foray of the Wa last winter.]

4. The Pu-ting Right Battalion.-One picket ("p'eng") of the Centre Company is stationed at Chenpien Town; the remaining four pickets of this company are at Leng-k'an. The Left Company is stationed at Man-law; the Right at Kung-hsin; the Front at Hsi-ming; the Rear at Lung-k'an.

[NOTE. This battalion was stationed at the above posts (from Chenpien Town to Lung-k'an) previous to the Wa foray of last winter.]

Notes by Translator.

1. P'u-ting is the name of the battalion, derived from the "P'u " of Pu-erh (the Prefecture in which Ssimao is situated) and "ting" (to settle); so Chingpien comes from "ching" (to tranquillize) and "pien" (the frontier).

2. Battalions (ying") in the Chinese Army are distinguished as (a) "chung" (the centre); (b) "tso" (the left); (c) "yiu" (the right); (d) "chien " (the front); (e) "nou" (the rear).

Each battalion contains five companies ("shan"), similarly distinguished. In the same way, each company is divided into five pickets ("p'eng").

Properly speaking, a battalion should consist of 500 men; so that a company should number 100 and a picket 20. In Yunnan Province, 70 men are reckoned to the company, and often only 10 to the picket. The numbers actually employed, morcover, would vary with the venality of the Commanding Officer.

*

3

356

3. Nan-cb'a will be found marked (as Nan-cha) in both Chinese and English on Inclosures Nos. 4 and 10 to the "Report on the Work of the Burmah-China Boundary Commission, Season 1899-1900" (Political Department, No. B.C. 1900—7).

44

Chan-ma-p'o I can find on none of the maps in my archives, unless, as is most probable, it is to be identified with Cha-ma-p'o in Survey of India, Yunnan Province," Sheet No. 4 S.E. (Reg. No. 797-8./03), at about latitude 22° 52′ north, longitude 99° 45′ east.

Nan-tai 1 cannot discover.

Mien-ning Sub-Prefecture is adjacent to Chenpien Sub-Prefecture, on the north. It should be shown on Sheet No. 12 N.W., which is not in my archives.

San-ch'a-lu cannot be identified here.

Nan-wa appears as in Inclosure No. 10 and as in Inclosure No. 4 (latitude 23°, longitude 99° 50′). An Ankang is marked just below it (as Mon Inclosure No. 10, and as ti on Inclosure No. 4. There is another Aukang north- cast of Nan-ch'a (sec tracing of the map of Cheapien Sub-Prefecture, inclosed with my despatch No. 11, Burmah, of 1905); but the "Lesser Ankang" of the Return is probably that of Inclosures Ncs. 4 and 10.

Shang Kai-hsin will be found on the same tracing of the Sub-Prefecture, due north of Cheupien Town, and in latitude 23° 14′.

Tienpa is almost certainly the Tienpa of Captain Renny-Tailyour's "Rough Map to accompany the Commissioner's Report" (Political Department, B.C. 1900---7), in latitude 22° 41', longitude 99° 54′.

The Nanpen Hill I cannot identify.

Leng-k'an is marked almost due north of Mengma on Inclosure No. 10. Man-law appears on the map of Chenpien immediately to the north of Shang Kai-hsin, of which it may be a Shan or Lolo equivalent.

Kung-hsin is marked on the same map in the angle between the Nam-ma and Nam-kha Rivers. It is probably the Kawn-hin of Sheet No. 4 S.E.

Hsi-ming is the well-known Mong-hka (see Report of the Boundary Commission, as above, and compare Inclosures Nos. 4 and 10).

Lung-k'an I cannot discover.

A reference to Inclosures Nos. 4 and 10 of the Boundary Commission Report for 1900 will show that, out of the places identified as above, two at least-namely, Hsi-ming (Mong-bka) and Leng-k'an (probably the Lon-kham of Sheet No. 4 S.E.) — lie to the west of "Scott's Line." In other words, the Chinese are certainly maintain- ing military posts, though of no great strength, in part of the territory claimed for Burmah.

It is only right to add, however, that these posts are on the east of the frontier as claimed by the Chinese Commissioners in 1900, and that "Scott's Line" has never been admitted, even as a provisional boundary, by the Governments of China and Yunnan.

W. H. WILKINSON,

Yunnan-fu, July 28, 1905.

(Signed)

Consul-General.

Oct.