Sessional_Paper_1899 — Page 577

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The Viceroy of Canton might well be called upon to explain the presence of these men. If he did not send them he certainly must have connived at their assist- ance in the revolt.

24. I now consulted Mr. STEWART LOCKHART, who had been present at the action, about the advisability of blowing down some walls of the Kam T'in Villages, situated about 2 miles from the scene of the action. He entirely concurred in the desirability of blowing up the gates of the Fui Sha Wai village. We marched there at once, warned all women and children to leave the village, which they did in considerable numbers; a few old men also came out and "kotowed," but no young ones; they were probably among those who had been defeated at the action and were still on the run and far away over the hills.

Our two sappers applied some slabs of gun cotton to the walls and so effectually that the explosion made a large breach of crumbled bricks and mortar, bringing down the iron gates. We tried a like effect upon another wall, but its thickness, 5 feet, was more than our supply of gun cotton was equal to tackling and that, combined, perhaps, with haste necessitated by advancing night rendered the demolition less effective.

After this we returned to quarters, some 5 miles distant, arriving at 9.15 p.m. and finding there SIMMONDS and his guns. He reported having blown down the gates of Sheung Wai.

25. Lieut. HILLMAN and 37 men R.N. had arrived with a convoy of provisions for our men, but nothing for officers.

26. After consultation with STEWART LOCKHART we started early, marching through the Pát Heung Valley (the scene of the previous afternoon's encounter). I left 45 soldiers at Sheung Ts'ün, to be joined in a couple of hours later by 35 men from Táipó; detached a hundred under BERGER to reconnoitre the hills in the direc- tion of Ts'un Wan; and with 2 guns and 200 rank and file of the Hongkong Regi- ment and the R.N. detachment (who by the way were terribly sore at missing the little engagement at Sheung Ts'ün and were pining for a "go" at the enemy) we advanced through Kam Tin to Un Long, where a few old men came to "kotow." We entered the village, got hold of some of the elders, and Mr. STEWART LOCKHART addressed them, endeavouring to remove the feeling of disquietude evidently prevalent among them. All this neighbourhood was full of rowdies who stirred up revolt throughout the district, terrorizing the peaceful inhabitants and compelling them, under pain of death, to take up arms against the British. Plausible arguments were used by them that under British rule heavy taxes would be levied, their civil and religious liberties destroyed, etc., etc. Many of the villagers bad lost friends and felt they had been duped, but their passions had been roused and a couple of days were insufficient to allay their anger.

Thence we marched to Ping Shán where we rested awhile, found an excellent house for the men, another for officers, capital drinking water and some very good flour for the troops. The officers also got a meal which was truly acceptable after day and a half with practically nothing but rice and a little Chinese sugar. STEWART LOCKHART and I pushed on to Ha Ts'ün village 2 miles off, taking 20 men and resting the remainder at P'ing Shán to which place we returned after dark.

27. The affair at Sheung Ts'ün ended the Military Campaign, but sullen resentment was depicted in the faces of the people and, though they grovelled, I knew that the embers of revolt only smouldered and that the presence of a Mili- tary Force was essential to restore order.

The elders who "kotowed" to us declared that "there were no arms in the village, those which were seen there last year, having been taken off by the insur- gents. Lieut. BARRETT, however, when bathing in a stream hit off 6 small pieces of ordnance, which had evidently been thrown there on our approach, and STEWART LOCKHART found powder and newly made bullets in one of the temples.

28. I gave the men a day's rest-well deserved; they had ample food, were well housed and declared themselves quite comfortable.

29. Late in the evening 1 heard that Major MORRIS, R.A., with some guns and an escort of the Hongkong Regiment had arrived at Kam T'in and had pro- ceeded thence to Táipó, where I sent him Your Excellency's orders to embark and return to Hongkong.

19.4.99.

20.1.99.