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Appendix No. 4.

PORT HAMILTON.

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Their Lordships have called on Admiral Shadwell for a further Report as to the state of civilization and form of Government existing among the islands.

Inclosure 31 in No. 104.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

ROBERT HALL.

Sir,

Admiralty to Vice-Admiral Sir C. Shadwell.

Admiralty, October 14, 1875. WITH reference to your letter of the 9th instant,* conveying your opinion as to advantages of the occupation by the British Government of the group of islands known as Port Hamilton, in the Corean Archipelago, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to request that you will communicate further to their Lordships any information which you may possess as to the race or races which inhabit Port Hamilton, their state of civilization and form of Government, and whether any Power has, or assumes to have, any sovereignty or jurisdiction over them.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

ROBERT HALL.

Sir,

Inclosure 32 in No. 104.

Vice-Admiral Sir C. Shadwell to Admiralty.

October 18, 1875.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential letter of the 14th instant,f requesting me, with reference to my letter of the 9th instant,* on the subject of the proposed occupation of Port Hamilton by the British Government, to "communicate any further information I might possess as to the race or races which inhabit Port Hamilton, their state of civilization and form of Government, and whether any Power has, or assumes to have, any sovereignty or jurisdiction over

them."

In reply, I request you will inform my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty as follows:-

1. No occasion arose during the period of my late command on the China Station rendering it necessary for me to visit Port Hamilton in person, or to send any one of Her Majesty's ships under my orders there. I have, therefore, no personal knowledge of the place, nor any information about it derived from the Reports of officers recently serving under my command.

We have no commercial intercourse with Corea, no interests to defend there.

A short time before my arrival on the station, the vessels of the United States' squadron had been in hostile collision with the Coreans, and although they claimed a victory, the termination of the affair -which led to no further results was not generally thought to have been successful or satisfactory.

My predecessor, the late Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Kellett, had declined to take any part in the matter, on the grounds that he had no instructions which would have justified his interference; and when I relieved him, in December 1871, he advised me to avoid the possibility of being led into any collision with the Coreans, unless circumstances should render it imperatively necessary. Concurring in this view, I therefore abstained from visiting Corea and its dependencies, having no object in so doing.

All the information in my possession relative to Port Hamilton and to its inhabitants, relation to Corea, &c., is therefore derived from books, or gathered from conversation with various persons resident in Japan and China.

2, The Island of Soole and Tunodo, lying off the south coast of Corea, whose juxtaposition incloses the harbour known as Port Hamilton,‡ belong undoubtedly to Corea, and form part of the outlying dominions of the King of that country, which justifies the assumption of the title of "King of Ten Thousand Isles," ascribed to that monarch.

These islands, which are very numerous, fringing the whole of the east and south coasts of Corea itself, are described as being all inhabited, and to be cultivated wherever practicable,

in

The Report of Sir Edward Belcher in 1845, and, more recently, of the Officer of the "Saracen 1856, agree in describing the natives at Port Hamilton as friendly, although timid, and not desirous of much intercourse with strangers. They are Coreans, and speak that language. They probably govern themselves, without much interference from the Central Government, beyond the requirement of cus- tomary dues, managing their affairs by aid of their "headmen" of villages, as is the case in the outlying islands on the Japanese coast and in the Inland Sea.

The King of Corea himself is a vassal of the Emperor of China, to whom he pays tribute, and from whom, on the demise of the Crown, the new King receives investiture. He is said, however, to be absolute in his own dominions, and the Chinese Court is reported never to interfere with the internal government of the country, provided the customary tribute is paid punctually, and homage duly performed by the Corean Ambassadors on suitable occasions.

3. If at any time the British Government should desire to acquire possession of Port Hamilton, the only Power with whom they would have to treat for their cession, or likely to take umbrage: at their occupation-if possession should be taken of them without previously treating for them— would be Corea.

*Inclosure 29.

Inclosure 31.

Lat. 34° 1′ N., long. 127° 18′ E., Admiralty Charts No. 1280 and No. 104.

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