Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 887

[LXXIV]

Extract from Pó Léung Kuk's letter No. 201 to Registrar General, 20th May 1892.

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CHEUNG LUK and the woman CHEUNG T'SING who were, according to the latter's statement, the concubines of TSAU KUNG-WAN, were sent to the Society on the 8th December, 1891, and we received at the same time letter No. 328 informing us that CHEUNG LUK was to await the arrival of her mother in Hongkong before her case could be decided; and that CHEUNG T'SING might be allowed to leave if she desired to do so. On the 10th CHEUNG LAU SHI, the mother of CHEUNG LUK, came to the Society where she learned of the circumstances under which CHEUNG LUK had been detained. She then went back to Canton and the next day she returned and presented a written state- ment that CHEUNG T'SING had deceived her into contracting an unfortunate marriage for her younger daughter to a very old man, and requesting that CHEUNG LUK might be restored to her that she might be married to another person and promising to return to CHEUNG T'SING the betrothal money which she had received from her. She also presented a statement written on behalf of CHEUNG LUK explaining her grievances. We questioned CHEUNG LUK, and she positively and firmly refused to accompany CHEUNG T'SING to Hankow to be married to that old man. On the 12th, we gave instructions to have CHEUNG LUK and CHEUNG LAU SHI taken to your Office and reported on the case to you in our letter No. 363. CHEUNG LUK was then sent back to us with your letter No. 333 stating that CHEUNG LUK had refused to go to Hankow and directing us to take care of her temporarily. The next day CHEUNG LAU SHI left and on going said that after she had found some relatives she would return and ask that her daughter CHEUNG LUK might be handed over to her to be taken home, probably with the intention of more easily selecting a son-in-law. On the 24th CHEUNG LAU SHI returned, and, after making a full statement, asked permission to take CHEUNG LUK to Canton to select a husband, and said that after her daughter had been married, she would come and report to the Society. Having ascertained that her statements were true, we immediately complied with her request and then repaired to your Office and informed you of it. On the 3rd CHEUNG LAU SHI came to Hongkong and visited the Society. She produced $200 which she said was the betrothal money of her daughter CHEUNG LUK. Originally the betrothal money was $230, but the clothes which had been bought for her, had been all taken away by CHEUNG T'SING, and she had therefore been compelled to deduct $30 in order to partially provide for a bridal outfit. She asked that the remaining $200 might be temporarily kept for her and that when CHEUNG T'SING came, we should try to persuade her to accept the $200.

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On the 2nd February, 1892, CHEUNG LAU SHI and CHEUNG T'SING with TSAU WA-KUK, a relative of TSAU KUNG-WAN came to the Society on the same day. We thereupon produced the $200 of CHEUNG LUK's betrothal money deposited with us by CHEUNG LAU SHI and informed CHEUNG T'SING and TSAU WAN-KUK of what CHEUNG LAU SHI had said about providing for the expenses of her daughter's marriage. Both CHEUNG T'SING and TSAU WAN-KUK agreed without hesitation to this. CHEUNG T'SING then received back the $200 betrothal money and produced CHEUNG LUK's presentation card and her betrothal present card and they were cancelled by TSAU WAN-RUK and signed by CHEUNG T'SING with her finger mark and handed back to Cheung Lau Shi. This case was thus settled.

In answer to your request we now respectfully beg to submit a full account of the way

in which the case was dealt with from the commencement to the end and as in duty bound, we also forward for your perusal a copy of the statements of CHEUNG LAU SHI and CHEUNG LUK on record in our Office and present our best compliments to you.

* See Paper A.

† See Paper B.