CO129-334 - Governor Nathan - 1906 [5-7] — Page 603

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Piracy of S.S. "Sainam".

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Enclosure No. 1 in Consul-General Mansfield's No. 36 of 17th. July,

1908.

Report on the piracy of the British Steamship "Sainam" at Fu dan near

Samshui on the evening of the 13th. July, 1906.

The S.S. "Sainas" is a steamer of 349 tons belong-

-ing to the Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Company, Limited. She

plies between Canton and Wuchow in Kwang Si touching en route to land

and take up passengers at Yung Ki, Mahning, Kamchuk, kaukong, Sanshui,

Haulik, Shui Hing, Yuetsing. Loxto, Lokpo, Lo Tinghan, Takhing. Dosing.

Fangchuen. The only Europeans employed are the Master and Chief

Engineer. There are also four Indian watchmen. She has three decks. The

lower or main deck is used for the deck passengers, the lower spar

deck forward for 1st. Class Passengers and aft for 1st. Class Chinese.

On the upper spar deck is the wheel house and Captain's cabin, and here

are kept the arcs and ammunition. There is access from the main deck to

the lower spar deck by two companion ladders about amidships., one on

either side, and these can be closed by a strong iron grating.They are

in fact intended to be always closed at night, but it appears the

precaution has been more honoured in the breach than in the observance.

Indian watchmen are employed to guard the two companion lalifies against

any possible rush from the main deck. There is a clear space in the

bow of the lower spar deck, then come two cabins opening on to the

deck on either side. One of these is for the Chief Engineer, and the

other, the starboard one, for European passengers. Next to these

going aft is the saloon running athwart ship with a door and two

windows opening on to the deck on either side.

The "Sainam* left Canton for Wuchow at 8 a... on

Friday the 13th. July with 125 native passengers and one European, a British subject, the Reverend K. J. J. MacDonald, M.D., a member of the Wesleyan Missionary Society who has resided at Muchow for many

years.