CO129-367 - Acting Governor May - 1910 [6-7] — Page 419

ONFIDENTIAL.

Hongkong.

My Lord,

417

REC

C O

20882

Red 22 AUG 10

Government House,

Hongkong, 21st. July, 1910.

I have the honour to inform Your

Lordship that on the 13th. instant news reached this

Colony that in attempting to effect the capture of some

Chinese pirates on the island of Colowan, which is part

of the territory concerning the sovereignty of which the

Portuguese and Chinese Governments are not agreed,

Portuguese troops had come into collision with Chinese

"}

troops. I immediately instituted enquiries as to the

truth of this rumour and on the following morning received

trustworthy information that no such collision had taken

place, and that the affair was nothing more than an attempt

by the Portuguese Authorities to rescue certain Chinese

youths of well-to-do parents who had been kidnapped in

China and who were held to ransom by robbers on the island

in question, which appears to be a well known resort of

pirates.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

THE EARL OF CREWE,

80...

&C.

2.