Shanghai, 28th March, 1882.
Srr,—I have to honour to make the follows ing communication jo the 12th instant I received a communication from the Superintendent of Polici that the compradore of a foreign hong hi it to the lowder magazine in the Municipal Compound.
fe also wished to know if the powder should be returned to the compradore or not. I have replied that ho should ko for the present and cation.
Now shortly afterwards I reo tch from HE, the Taotai, stating Chi-ting, itary Department of th to the effect that he had in charge forty-two oases of gunpow: the vessel, wherein the same were ped, not Raving arrived in port, and rainy day, had ben taken by the Pol to the Municipal Compound 5 as he wat not acquainted with the rules of th hho requested that orders might the delivery of the cases in question. The Taotai therefore instructed me to investigate the matter. Whilst doing so, I received another despatch from the Taotai stating that Shengohtan, Supeintendant of he Powder he had received a letter from Major Chang
wanted for th ill of the right arks, to the effect that of the gunpowder
Aivision, on the 10th instant, at noon, Weiyuan had received 2,100 pounds in forty-two cases, which were all properly labelled and sealed and were brought on wheelbarrows to Shanghai. As this gunpowder received by Hai Weiyuan and the gunpowder Major Chang has been reporting on, is, according to weight, etc., one and the same, the Taotai directs' me again to get it back from the Police, Communicating to you the above facts, I beg to request you that you will kindly issue a document, by which you authorise me to rees ive the powder from the Police, in order to hand it over to the military authorities.
Hoping that you. will grant my request, I
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.