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It was decided, therefore, to concentrate all our resources on the routes chiefly used by British traffic, to provide increased convoy protection for British vessels and to leave the rest of the delta to look after itself. This method had the added advantage that concentration on the protection of British shipping would drive the pirates to other routes, and the resulting increased inter- ference with Chinese trade might induce the Canton authorities to take some active steps themselves for the suppression of the pirate bands.
At first British vessels were provided with escorts as far as Wuchow, but as traffic increased the strain on the gunboats became too great and escort was then reduced to the Hong Kong-Kongmun and Hong Kong-Samshui routes. At the end of November a further change was made to bring the system more into line with our very limited resources. Patrol areas for the armed launches were then established, the area between Kongmun and Wangmun being divided into two or three sections according to the number of armed launches available. Protection on the route from First Cliffs to Samshui and beyond was provided by a gunboat working in the vicinity of Samshui. The gunboats were thus given greater freedom of action, but they continued to be hampered by incessant trouble at the Treaty Ports, where there was much agitation and unrest among the coolie class and considerable danger of attack by disorganised soldiery or by pirate bands. As British traffic increased it was necessary to provide protection on numerous other routes, particularly those leading south-west from Canton and passing through the Saiwan and Tailung Channels or via Hamilton Creek. Special convoys for craft belonging to the Asiatic Petroleum Company were also provided as occasion demanded, since these vessels with their valuable cargoes were particularly liable to attract the attention of the pirates.
It may be mentioned here that there were two French, one Japanese and two American gunboats on the river, but these spent most of their time at Canton and Hong Kong, having but little direct interest in the trade on the inland waters.
As regards the general state of order in the delta, there was some small improvement at the beginning of January, 1927, when Chinese military forces made unco-ordinated attempts to pursue the pirates, but their efforts were not long sustained.
Our gunboats were continually being fired upon from the shore either by pirates or soldiery, despite the fact that it was our custom to return the fire in such circumstances. Indeed from
accounts available it seems that as the year wore on lawlessness increased in many districts, and that the pirates were gradually becoming bolder is shown by the resumption of attacks on British shipping at the beginning of the autumn.
On 1st September the Chinese-owned s.s. Kowchow, flying the British flag, was attacked by a gang of pirates who had embarked as passengers. In default of action by the Chinese authorities, and as a punitive measure, two villages near Yung Ki, which were implicated in the piracy, were bombarded by Cicala, Moth and
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Moorhen; naval parties subsequently landed and burned the waterfronts and several junks.
In October the s.s. Lee Tung and rice junks from Hong Kong were attacked and captured by pirates in the Sailam area. Though the vessels were subsequently recovered by Moth, pursuit of the pirates was without result.
On 8th November there was a rumour that the Treaty Port of Samshui was about to be attacked by a large body of pirates, who had been operating in the neighbourhood for some time. The old town of Samshui lies well back from the river within the protection of high massive stone walls, while the Customs Houses and attached buildings on the water front are quite isolated. On the night of 9th November the pirates burnt the small township of Wong Kong, some three miles south of Sainan, the glare of the burning town being observed by Robin when on passage to Samshui. Next morning a tow was fired upon by pirates just outside Sainan, Robin's presence in the vicinity being evidently unsuspected. On this occasion some seventy pirates had established themselves on a sand spit on an island flanking the channel, whence they directed machine gun fire on all tows which declined to pay the necessary immunity tax."* Robin was quickly on the scene and her fire accounted for several pirates, but the majority escaped to the mainland among the reeds and long grass, and joined the main body, which on the previous night had been engaged in the sack of Wong Kong town. This force, over 500 strong, possessed about 30 machine guns and was efficiently organised with an office, secretariat, etc.
On 17th January of this year there was another piracy of a British ship, the s.s. Sannam Hoi, Chinese-owned, Hong Kong to Kongmun, being seized by a gang which came on board as passengers at Hong Kong. The British mate and two Indian guards were killed and other guards were wounded. The pirates fled on the approach of a British gunboat, being accompanied by several members of the crew, who had evidently acted in collusion with them.
The Canton Government now have four launches under construc- tion at Hong Kong and propose when these are delivered to arm them with machine guns for anti-piracy work in the delta. Though it is impossible to avoid some doubts as to the extent to which the vessels will actually be used for the purpose assigned, it is at least encouraging to find the Canton officials apparently so interested in the piracy question that they are prepared to put down hard cash in order to provide armed launches for work on the rivers.
Summary of the Gunboats' work. It has not been possible in this account of West River piracy to record for the Navy any outstand- ing success. At the end things were much the same as when the
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* It is the custom for vessels which have paid an immunity tax fly a protection" flag, which will usually be recognised within a specified area. This practice partially accounts for the amazing number of flags flown by the average passenger tow.
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