Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/283

Rh Chinese public and to quell any disturbance which might arise. The circumstances which gave rise to this order were very deplorable. At that time there were about three hundred European sailors starving in the Colony owing to the employment of Malay sailors in preference to Europeans. On Monday, September 12th, the European sailors attacked a boarding-house in Hollywood Road, which was occupied by Malays. There was a terrible fight, knives were used, and three Europeans were killed. Later in the evening, a number of soldiers belonging to the 99th Regiment joined in the affray, and on the following evening a soldier was shot by an Indian policeman whose identity was never established. An inquiry was held into the conduct of the soldiers, and, as a result of their unfortunate interference, they were ordered to Kowloon, and the Volunteers were directed to mount guard at the barracks. On the 19th the Volunteers were called upon by the Governor to patrol the streets in order to re-assure the minds of the natives.

On Saturday, November 19, 1864, the Volunteers, in response to an invitation from His Excellency the Governor of Macao, proceeded to the Portuguese Colony fully equipped and armed, and remained there until the following Monday. There were on parade, including both artillery and rifles, 109 members. At the close of 1864 the corps had a strength of 267 of all ranks, including the Canton detachment of 91, and 67 honorary members.

From this time up to the year 1893 the Volunteers had a very chequered career. On June 1, 1866, the corps was disbanded by Sir Richard MacDonnell owing to the non-attendance of members, and it was not re-organised until 1877, when Sir John Pope-Hennessy was Governor. In 1882 it was again disbanded, and re-organised by Mr. William Marsh.

It was disbanded a third time in 1893, and was immediately reformed by His Excellency Sir G. Digby Barker, C.B., placed under the supervision of the military authorities in England, and made subject to the Army Act in the same way as the Volunteers in the British Isles. It consisted then of a field battery of 7-pounder R.M.L. guns, and a machine-gun company of Maxim guns. The strength on reconstruction was 92.

In 1895 the first camp of instruction was held at Stonecutter's Island, where the camp has since been held each year, with the exception of 1900, when the corps went under canvas at Kowloon.

In the beginning of 1899 the corps had a strength of 12 officers and 169 non-commissioned officers and men. In the spring of that year, when many of the regular troops were called away to Taipohu, owing to the disturbances in the hinterland, the Volunteers were required to guard against a danger nearer home, and the corps has every reason to be proud of its response to the summons. An attack by disaffected Chinese on Yaumati and Kowloon was threatened and expected on April 16th. The order to mobilise reached the Volunteer headquarters at 10 p.m. (Sunday), and by midnight 7 officers and 87 men with 3 Maxim guns of the corps were at Tsim-tsa-tsuiTsim-sha-tsui [sic] with half a company of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Piquets were thrown out, and the guns took up strong positions, the hills being swept by search-lights from torpedo destroyers. The force, by its prompt appearance, prevented any disturbance, and returned to Hongkong early next morning. Exactly a month after, the corps was called upon to assist in the taking possession of Old Kowloon City from the Chinese, and, owing to the presence of the troops, the opposition which was expected did not take place. On these two occasions the Volunteers, under the command of Captain (now Major) Chapman, did yeoman service and amply justified their existence. The calls on the services of the corps, showing its value and the necessity for its existence, exercised an excellent effect on recruiting. During the same year two additional machine-gun companies, one engineer company, and an infantry company were formed, and the total strength on March 31, 1900, had risen to 311 of all ranks. The six obsolete 7-pounder R.M.L. guns and the Martini-Henry carbines were replaced by six 2·5-inch R.M.L. mountain guns and L.E. magazine rifles and M.E. carbines. The Boxer troubles and the feeling of unrest throughout China brought fresh recruits, and at the beginning of the financial year of 1901 the strength was 366 of all ranks.

On May 14, 1902, a contingent of forty members of the corps under the command of Major A. Chapman proceeded to England to represent the Colony at the coronation of H.M. King Edward VII. They travelled