CO129-451 - Public Offices - 1918 — Page 589

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there was a strong suspicion that foreign missionaries are being used by the southern forces as bearers of messages and carriers of information. Having satisfied the guard that he was not a missionary, he was allowed to proceed, There is no news yet of the fall of Chuan-chou; but reliable information that Hsien-yu is in southern hands, and Hsing- hua is being attacked does not afford much hope to Chuan- chou. If the Chuan-chou garrison is hard pressed, their difficulty will be that there is no way of retreat for them; the sea is their only outlet, and they have no means of transport.

At about 7 a.m. on the morning of the 16th September, rifle fire could be distinctly heard proceeding from the mainland opposite the south end of Kulangsu, some three miles from Amoy city. The firing increased, with the addi- tion of one or two field guns and a few machine guns, A force of some 500 southern soldiers, from Haich'eng near Changchow. had arrived within sight of Amoy without meeting any opposition, and were engaged with northern patrols from

the small coast forts in Amoy Harbour, A thousand soldiers

were sent over in small bodies during the day, from the Amoy

Fort, and the firing was incessant for nearly 24 hours, at

the end of which the southern force had retreated.

Chong, the Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, informs me that 200 of the southern force were killed or captured, the northern losses being only 9; but I think his figures may be regarded as optimistic. He further mentioned that the

southern force was composed of disbanded Hunan troops, whom he classed as 'tufei' (brigands). Foreigners from the in-

terior have corroborated the information that a very large

proportion of the southern 'troops' consist of armed vills-

gers, without uniform but with a considerable experience of

clan-fighting.

Mr. Lo

It was again noteworthy that the Chinese naval squadron

appeared to take not a vestige of interest in the fighting.

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