CO129-353 - Public Offices - 1908 — Page 440

GEB

aaot eventmo s al 81ert boslat nism edt mo

nooanom

Jneupert ofw neuzenail ent yd betjene vidadong sapon

besiton Jnamtotni vn notasooo smo no bra,abelal ent

rol ne refait ent vo boar aasitduob,atur to gedmum a

-al et bootersonu ayawls bar eh

rait 119-13 grivib

."bris a'ms: on" STew abrel

.58 even I

.xoĩ H H

(berg18)

Larens-Irano0 gritoA

anslation.

Taotai Wen Tsung Yao to Mr. Fox.

C.O.

45417 436

bes

I FC08

CANTON,

September 16th, 1908.

Sir:-

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of

your letter in which you ask me to have a search made

in the archives of the Viceroy's Yamen and let you know

whether or not the island of Pratas, situated some

170 miles due South East

of Hongkong, belongs to China.

I have found that the Island of Pratas is situa-

ted to the South West of Formosa and to the South East

of Hongkong, and is a barren sand bank in the shape of

a horse shoe. On the Western side there is an inlet

which for many years has been used by Chinese fishing

craft as a storm anchorage. There is no doubt as to

its status as a Chinese island. Some years ago the

Viceroy of the Two Kwang sent a commission to make a

survey and chart of the island.

I am informed that recently a certain Japanese

visited the locality and that telegraphic instructions

were in consequence received from the Wai Wu Pu to en-

quire into the case and take such action as might be

necessary.

While