Sessional_Paper_1899 — Page 523

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2. He was accompanied by five Chinese "braves sent with him in accord- ance with the promise made by the Viceroy to me that protection would be afforded by the Chinese Authorities to all such buildings and working parties, and had gone to remove the Police as I disapproved of placing our Police in an equivocal posi- tion lest there should be any conflict before the taking over of the extended territory.

3. I arranged with the Major-General Commanding and the Commodore to send a relieving force of 100 men as soon as steam could be got on a Torpedo Destroyer. They were accompanied by the Colonial Secretary to whom I gave the instructions enclosed and whose report I annex.† I enclose also the report‡ furnished by Major-General GasCOIGNE, C.M.G., who himself accompanied the troops, and Mr. MAY, Captain Superintendent of Police. §

4. I have considered in Executive Council the question whether it would be advisable, in consequence of the threatening attitude of the people, to hoist our flag at once, and the majority of the Members agree with me that it is better to wait until the 17th. Mr. STEWART LOCKHART, whose knowledge of the people is great, and who has means of obtaining special information, is of opinion that this attack is part of a general movement against our occupation on the part of the "literati" who have hitherto lived by irregular "squeezes" from the people, and of the gam- blers and bad characters banished from Hongkong, and I am disposed to agree with him. But the heaviest punishment that we could inflict, even if we could define the offence of which the people have been guilty, remembering that we have so far no legal standing, would not equal the expense and discomfort of having to sup- port the Chinese soldiers sent into the district to-day by the Viceroy in fulfilment of his undertaking. The probable result will be to welcome our appearance on the 17th instant with the disappearance of the Chinese troops. I know so little of the Chinese character and the possible action of their secret societies, that I find it difficult to judge of the probability of further disturbance, but the readiness with which the villages answered the signals to assemble render a reconsideration of the Police distribution necessary, as for the present it will be expedient to have fewer stations of parties so large that they will be able to repel any attack. It will also be advisable to have for a time a Military detachment in the district which can be arranged as the regiments can do their military training by companies there, and before the season is over we shall be in a better position to judge of the require- ments of the extended territory.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient,

humble Servant,

HENRY A. BLAKE, Governor, &c.

The Right Honourable

JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,

&c.,

f'c.,

&c.

ENCLOSURE No. 1 IN GOVERNOR'S DESPATCH OF THE 7TH APRIL, 1899.

(Governor's Instructions to Colonial Secretary of the 3rd April, 1899.)

HON. COLONIAL SECRETARY,

Midnight, 3rd April, 1899.

The interpreter who was with Mr. MAY has returned with a note saying that he and his party of Sikhs and Chinese were attacked by the villagers of Tái Pó Hi and that he has retired to the matshed at Tái Pó Hü which he will hold until morning. I have requested the General to send a Force of 200 men and the Commodore to have steam on two Torpedo Boats as soon as possible.

You will accompany the party and take immediate Civil charge of the expedition. So far as I can gather from the Interpreter who brought the note, there has been no actual attack, only a riot. About 40 to 50 men assembled with

• Enclosure No. 1.

+ Enclosure No. 2.

Enclosure No. 3.

§ Enclosure No. 4.