Sessional_Paper_1884 — Page 98

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To THE COMMISSION.

I have been in the Harbour Department since February 1st, 1877. I have had three years experience of out door work. I was nearly three years on Stone Cutters' Island at various times. The longest time I was there at a stretch was two years and one month, from 5th May, 1879, to 30th June, 1881. As to the reported salt smuggling junks, I have not found on them even the usual armament. I never saw anything of fights between junks and Revenue Cruisers during the whole time I was stationed at Stone Cutters' Island. I have heard and seen muskets fired off, as junks have been going through the harbour. This was done, I thought, either for the purpose of firing off charges, or as a demonstration against piratical attacks. I have never seen anything hike an engagement. These sounds of firing might have been bombs, a species of Chinese firework. I have never known from my knowledge as a public officer of any fighting in, or adjacent to the waters of the Colony.

Inspector ALEXANDER MACKIE, Inspector of Police and Harbour Officer at Sháuki- wán is examined on the following statement, made to the Secretary on the 23rd instant :--

page 96.

I have been at Shaukiwán nearly a year. On the 21st September 1882, I reported a case where about 100 Chinamen were employed to carry opium from Hongkong to See post T'ámshui viâ Sháukiwán. In this case a fight took place between the smugglers, whom I knew to be such because they told me so, and the Customs authorities, on the hill above Ch'akwoling, and one man was killed named CHUNG KAM, and buried at Ch'akwoling. A few days ago, that is on the 18th instant, I met the man who was in charge of the gang on the above occasion, and he told me that they were still carrying on Opium smuggling, but they had only 70 men at present, and that the gang who were arrested by the Inspector at Yaumáti the other day contained a number of the gang, who were engaged in the affray at Ch'akwoling. On the 17th November, 1882, a small junk came into Sháukiwán harbour, which I charged for making a false return of armament, and the Captain told me he was going to use the boat for smuggling opium, sulphur, and salt. During my experience of eleven years in the Police Force, I have never seen a fight either in or out of the waters of the Colony, but I have seen junks on several occasions pursued into Hongkong waters. The Revenue Cruisers do not as a rule come into Hongkong waters, though I did on one occasion report a Cruiser having come into Hongkong waters in pursuit of a junk, and was told through a minute by these post Colonial Secretary that, as no complaint reached me, I should not have taken any notice of the matter, (C.S.O. 2976 of 1879). Since then unless complaints have been made to me, I have never interfered in these cases. On the 11th December last year, I reported a case of a junk which complained of having had opium stolen from on board her by a supposed Revenue Cruiser. The junk was finally charged for leaving the harbour without a clearance pass, but the case was finally dismissed. I remember when in charge at Stanley, a junk coming into Táit'ám Bay, where she took her papers, and then sent to Hongkong for a launch to tow her into Hongkong harbour, for fear she might be seized by Revenue Cruisers. I have known boats with cargoes of saltpetre cleared at Stanley.

TO THE COMMISSION.

With reference to the case of the 21st September, when the men came back from Chakwoling, I saw about 12 muskets in the 3 boats and several men with revolvers.

'pages 93-95.