Sessional_Paper_1923 — Page 10

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HONGKONG.

REPORT OF THE "SUI AN" PIRACY COMMISSION.

No. 1923

2

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, 8th February, 1923.

We, the members of the Commission appointed by His Excellency the Governor to enquire into the circumstances attending the piracy on the Steamship Sui An on Sunday, the 19th of November, 1922, and to consider whether the existing precautions against piracy are adequate and efficient, have the honour to submit the following report and recommendations.

1.-S.S. "Sui An".

The S.S. Sui An is a River Steamer, Official Number 120,997 owned by the Hong- kong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Company Limited and employed in the conveyance of both cargo and passengers between Hongkong and Macao. The ship was originally built in Shanghai in 1899 by Messrs. Farnham Boyd and Company and was reconstructed in 1917, after a fire on board, by Messrs. Kwong Tuck Cheong in Hongkong. The hull is of steel with a wooden superstructure, and her net tonnage is about 1040. The engines have an indicated Horse Power of 600 and the ship is provided with twin screws. Her speed is about 11 knots.

2.--The Piracy Incident.

The S.S. Sui An sailed from Macao on her return voyage to Hongkong on Sunday the 19th November, 1922, leaving her wharf in Macao at 5 p.m. Until 5.35 p.m. the Master, Captain Birss, was on the navigating bridge with the Chief Chinese Quarter- master at the wheel, while the Chief Engineer, Mr. Cullen, was in control of the engine room. At 5.35 p.m. the ship was clear of the last buoy in the waters of Macao and the Master then left the bridge, handing over charge to the Chief Officer, Mr. Copland. At the same time the Chief Chinese Quartermaster handed over the wheel to the Second Chinese Quartermaster. The Chief Engineer also left the engine room, leaving the Second Engineer, Mr. Harman, in charge. The ship carried four certificated officers only, the Master, the Chief Officer, the Chief Engineer and the Second Engineer. It also carried a European l'urser, a l'ortuguese, Mr. d'Eca. After leaving his post of duty the Master proceeded to the stern of the ship on the boat deck, where, accompanied by some passengers, he was observing the sunset and the Chief Engineer went to his room on the boat deck on the port side.

There were on board a large number of first, second and third class passengers. The third class passengers travelled on the lower deck, the second class passengers on the after part of the main deck, and the first class passengers on the boat deck and also in the saloon and the cabins which were on the fore part of the main deck. All records of the number of passengers on board were destroyed during the piracy and it is now impossible to discover how many passengers there were.

The ship carried six Ship's Guards under the Piracy Regulations who were Indians. At 5.35 p.m. four guards were on duty. They were posted as follows:-Noor Mahomed, Guard No. 256, on the main deck guarded the after companion on the port side, which connected with the lower deck and with the boat deck; Rakhman Shah, Guard No. 211, was posted similarly on the main deck guarding the after companion on the starboard side; Fazal Din, Guard No. 13, patrolled the boat deck on the starboard side aft of the metal grille behind the smoking room; Cheggattah Khan, Guard No. 46, patrolled