P.S.-Since writing the above I have received a visit from the Viceroy's Secretary, who has supplied me with the Chinese version of the incident.
The gun-boat had, in accordance with the usual practice, anchored at Yin Keng, the anchorage mentioned in your despatch No. 23 of the 31st May last, a place hitherto always considered to be outside Portuguese jurisdiction.
It is apparently only since the "Tatsu Maru" case that the Government of Macao have claimed the place as part of the territorial waters of the Colony, and the Captain of the Chinese gun-boat considered himself perfectly justified in declining to comply with Portuguese Harbour Regulations.
An explanation having been called for by the Wai-wu Pu, the above is, I understand, the substance of his Excellency's reply.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Acting Consul-General Fox to Sir J. Jordan.
(No. 28. Confidential.) Sir,
H. H. F.
Canton, June 29, 1908. IN continuation of my despatch No. 23, Confidential, of the 16th June, I have the honour to report the substance of a further conversation which I have had with M. de Moraes, the Portuguese Consul-General at Canton, on the subject of the strained relations existing between the Governments of Macao and Canton.
Referring to the gun-boat incident, M. de Moraes said that the Viceroy's statement that the gun-boat in question anchored at Yinking, on the opposite side of the harbour—a place reserved as an anchorage for Chinese men-of-war—was incorrect. He was himself an eye-witness to the fact that this vessel anchored in the foreign men-of-war anchorage in Macao Harbour, a short distance astern of the Portuguese guard-ship.
There was not, he added, nor had there ever been, any portion of the harbour reserved for Chinese men-of-war.
That the Commander of the Chinese gun-boat had special instructions to act as he did, M. de Moraes considers is proved by the fact that another Chinese gun-boat entering the harbour a few hours later and anchoring in exactly the same place furnished the usual information required by the harbour authorities without demur.
As showing that the Viceroy, doubtless acting under instructions from the Central Government, is making a determined attempt to refuse to recognize Portugal's rights over any territory other than that comprised within the Macao Peninsula, M. de Moraes related to me the following incident:
About a month ago two Chinese officers, a small military official stationed in the Kongmoon district and the Commander of a Chinese gun-boat, came to Macao and invoked the Governor's assistance in capturing some robbers who had taken refuge on Colowan Island. The Governor dispatched a posse of police, Chinese and Sikhs, to the spot, who endeavoured, unsuccessfully, to capture these robbers. The police lost one Chinese constable killed and two Sikhs wounded. Reinforcements were sent for, and a company of soldiers proceeded to the island, only to find that the robbers had made good their escape.
On the Portuguese Consul-General, at the request of the Macao authorities, communicating the affair to the Viceroy, the latter in an official despatch animadverted in strong terms on the cowardly and incapable conduct of the Chinese officers who had invoked assistance from Macao, and, while thanking the Governor for his good offices and expressing regret at the casualties which had occurred, stated that the officers in question would be punished for their breach of discipline. The Viceroy went on to state, categorically, that neither the Island of Colowan, nor Taipa, Caprita Point, Koho, Wang Kum Island, Macarira Island, Maolochow, Shek Loksui, Ying King, or Lappa was under the jurisdiction of Macao, because, said the Viceroy, they were islands or parts of islands separated from Macao by the natural barrier of the sea.
M. de Moraes at once replied to the Viceroy's despatch protesting against this entirely novel and unjustifiable definition of the term "Macao and its dependencies," and pointing out, with regard to Colowan, that that island had been in the military occupation of Macao since the year 1868. It was therefore clearly Portuguese territory under the Agreement of 1887.
The Consul-General, in support of his contention, quoted a despatch from Viceroy Tsen, dated the 2nd October, 1904 (Kuang Hsü, 30th year, 8th moon, 23rd day), in which the latter, while thanking the Macao authorities for the assistance they had rendered in effecting the capture of a notorious robber named Lin Kua Ssu, who had taken refuge on Colowan, referred to that island as Ao Men Shu Ti, Macao territory.
The Viceroy, in acknowledging this despatch, again thanked the Macao authorities for the special assistance rendered on this occasion, but reiterated his former statement that he could not admit that the jurisdiction of Macao extended to any of the surrounding islands or to the waters appertaining thereto.
M. de Moraes takes a very serious view of the present situation, as the Macao authorities are, he says, determined to uphold their rights at all costs. The guard-ship would, he assures me, have fired on the Chinese gun-boat the other day had the latter not obeyed the order to leave the harbour, and he fears the recurrence of a similar incident may result in a collision between the naval and military forces of the two Governments.
M. de Moraes mentioned that in the last despatch received from the Viceroy the Governor of Macao is referred to as "Kuei kuo chu ao men tsung tu," the Governor residing at Macao, instead of the usual appellation of "Ao men tsung tu," Governor of Macao.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Altesse,
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Portuguese Chargé d'Affaires to Wai-wu Pu.
H. H. FOX.
Le 17 Juillet, 1908. A PROPOS des notes de votre Altesse Impériale du 18 et 22 Mai et 23 Juin et me référant à celle de la même date de son Excellence Na Tung, dirigées toutes à son Excellence le Baron de Sendal et conformément aux instructions reçues du Gouvernement de Sa Majesté, j'ai l'honneur de communiquer à votre Altesse Impériale que le Gouvernement Portugais nommera très probablement les Délégués Portugais, lesquels, d'accord avec les désignés par le Gouvernement Chinois, auront à procéder à la délimitation de Macao et de ses dépendances.
Le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté n'a pas voulu attribuer à une intention hostile du Gouvernement Impérial les derniers incidents, mais il ne peut cependant ne pas les considérer comme les violations du Traité et des offenses aux droits qu'il nous reconnaît, et il réclame donc le maintien strict du statu quo depuis longtemps établi, étant dans la conviction que votre Gouvernement retirera sans plus de délais ses troupes de Lappa et Vong Cam, bien comme de tout autre territoire non occupé par la Chine avant le Traité du 1o Décembre, 1887.
Le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté ne s'est pas opposé jusqu'à présent aux débarquements effectués dans le seul but de ne pas difficulter une solution, qu'il désire amicale, de la question, mais d'ores et déjà il proteste qu'il ne consentira pas Et il maintient, en outre, que la Chine en tire des arguments pour la délimitation. que tous les territoires occupés par le Portugal à la date date du susdit Traité de 1887 nous appartiennent,
557
I
1
!
2
P.S.-Since writing the above I have received a visit from the Viceroy's Secre→ tary, who has supplied me with the Chinese version of the incident.
The gun-boat had, in accordance with the usual practice, anchored at Yin Keng, the anchorage mentioned in your despatch No. 23 of the 31st May last, a place hitherto always considered to be outside Portuguese jurisdiction.
It is apparently only since the "Tatsu Maru" case that the Government of Macao have claimed the place as part of the territorial waters of the Colony, and the Captain of the Chinese gun-boat considered himself perfectly justified in declining to comply with Portuguese Harbour Regulations.
An explanation having been called for by the Wai-wu Pu, the above is, I under- stand, the substance of his Excellency's reply.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Acting Consul-General Fox to Sir J. Jordan.
(No. 28. Confidential.) Sir,
H. H. F.
Canton, June 29, 1908. IN continuation of my despatch No. 23, Confidential, of the 16th June, I have the honour to report the substance of a further conversation which I have had with M. de Moraes, the Portuguese Consul-General at Canton, on the subject of the strained relations existing between the Governments of Macao and Canton.
Referring to the gun-boat incident, M. de Moraes said that the Viceroy's statement that the gun-boat in question anchored at Yinking, on the opposite side of the harbour-a place reserved as an anchorage for Chinese men-of-war-was incorrect. He was himself an eye-witness to the fact that this vessel anchored in the foreign men-of-war anchorage in Macao Harbour, a short distance astern of the Portuguese guard-ship.
There was not, he added, nor had there ever been, any portion of the harbour reserved for Chinese men-of-war.
That the Commander of the Chinese gun-boat had special instructions to act as he did, M. de Moraes considers is proved by the fact that another Chinese gun-boat entering the harbour a few hours later and anchoring in exactly the same place furnished the usual information required by the harbour authorities without demür.
As showing that the Viceroy, doubtless acting under instructions from the Central Government, is making a determined attempt to refuse to recognize Portugal's rights over any territory other than that comprised within the Macao Peninsula. M. de Moraes related to me the following incident :----
About a month ago two Chinese officers, a small military official stationed in the Kongmoon district and the Commander of a Chinese gun-boat, came to Macao and invoked the Governor's assistance in capturing some robbers who had taken refuge on Colowan Island. The Governor dispatched a posse of police, Chinese and Sikhs, to the spot, who endeavoured, unsuccessfully, to capture these robbers. The police lost one Chinese constable killed and two Sikhs wounded. Reinforcements were sent for, and a company of soldiers proceeded to the island, only to find that the robbers had made good their escape.
On the Portuguese Consul-General, at the request of the Macao authorities, communicating the affair to the Viceroy, the latter in an official despatch animadverted in strong terms on the cowardly and incapable conduct of the Chinese officers who had invoked assistance from Macao, and, while thanking the Governor for his good offices and expressing regret at the casualties which had occurred, stated that the officers in question would be punished for their breach of discipline. The Viceroy went on to state, categorically, that neither the Island of Colowan, nor Taipa, Caprita Point, Koho, Wang Kum Island, Macarira Island, Maolochow, Shek Loksui, Ying King, or Lappa was under the jurisdiction of Macao, because, said the Viceroy, they were islands or parts of islands separated from Macao by the natural barrier of the sea.
M. de Moraes at once replied to the Viceroy's despatch protesting against this entirely novel and unjustifiable definition of the term "Macao and its dependencies," and pointing out, with regard to Colowan, that that island had been in the military occupation of Macao since the year 1868. It was therefore clearly Portuguese territory under the Agreement of 1887.
The Consul-General, in support of his contention, quoted a despatch from Viceroy
3
Tsen, dated the 2nd October, 1904 (Kuang Hsü, 30th year, 8th moon, 23rd day), in which the latter, while thanking the Macao authorities for the assistance they had rendered in effecting the capture of a notorious robber named Lin Kua Ssu, who had taken refuge on Colowan, referred to that island as Ao Men Shu Ti, Macao territory.
The Viceroy, in acknowledging this despatch, again thanked the Macao authorities for the special assistance rendered on this occasion, but reiterated his former statement that he could not admit that the jurisdiction of Macao extended to any of the surrounding islands or to the waters appertaining thereto.
M. de Moraes takes a very serious view of the present situation, as the Macao authorities are, he says, determined to uphold their rights at all costs. The guard- ship would, he assures me, have fired on the Chinese gun-boat the other day had the latter not obeyed the order to leave the barbour, and he fears the recurrence of a similar incident may result in a collision between the naval and military forces of the two Governments.
M. de Moraes mentioned that in the last despatch received from the Viceroy the Governor of Macao is referred to as "Kuei kuo chu ao men tsung tu," the Governor residing at Macao, instead of the usual appellation of "Ao men tsung tu," Governor of Macao.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Altesse,
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Portuguese Chargé d'Affaires to Wai-wu Pu.
H. H. FOX.
Le 17 Juillet, 1908. A PROPOS des notes de votre Altesse Impériale du 18 et 22 Mai et 23 Juin et me référant à celle de la même date de son Excellence Na Tung, dirigées toutes à son Excellence le Baron de Sendal et conformément aux instructions reçues du Gouverne- ment de Sa Majesté, j'ai l'honneur de communiquer à votre Altesse Impériale que le Gouvernement Portugais nommera très probablement les Délégués Portugais, lesquels, d'accord avec les désignés par le Gouvernement Chinois, auront à procéder à la délimitation de Macao et de ses dépendances.
Le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté n'a pas voulu attribuer à une intention hostile du Gouvernement Impérial les derniers incidents, mais il ne peut cependant ne pas les considérer comme les violations du Traité et des offenses aux droits qu'il nous reconnaît, et il réclame donc le maintien strict du statu quo depuis longtemps établi, étant dans la conviction que votre Gouvernement retirera sans plus de délais ses troupes de Lappa et Vong Cam, bien comme de tout autre territoire non occupé par la Chine avant le Traité du 1o Décembre, 1887.
Le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté ne s'est pas opposé jusqu'à présent aux débarquements effectués dans le seul but de ne pas difficulter une solution, qu'il désire amicale, de la question, mais d'ores et déjà il proteste qu'il ne consentira pas Et il maintient, en outre, que la Chine en tire des arguments pour la délimitation. que tous les territoires occupés par le Portugal à la date date du susdit Traité de 1887 nous appartiennent,
557
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