The following circumstantial report which reached as ye-terday by the courtesy of the captain of the British steamer Daybreak will be read with great interest, and should engage the serious attention of the foreign and native authorities in Shanghai. We trust that the vernacular papers will publish a translation of it T left Shanghai about ten days ago for Amoy and Swatow.. On our arrival at 'A-ey, before the ship was securely made fast to the buoy, three men deliberately took a Chinese boy aged about 4 years belonging to one of the passengers from the between decks and passed him through the cargo port into a sampan and made off. The cries of the chid attracted my attention, also the father's; another boat gave chase, caught, and brought the three men on board, and I had them locked up for the night. While this case was engaging my attention, one of the crew said to me there were four children in one of the passenger rooms in charge: f a woman, she he believed were stolen in Shanghai. Tat once made enquiries, went through the Passenger quarters, and found there were children on board ranging from 18 months or two years to about six; four were in charge of a woman and the others with three different mew; the children were in a very excited state; not tivo of them looke!l alike or seemed to be together, and the whole case seemed to me so suspicious, I decided on detaining them on board. The next morning I reported the case to the British Consal and told him of my suspicions regarding the children. He told me to send the three men on shore with the child's parent to give evidence, and he would send them to the Chinese officials to deal with; also that he would at once communicate with the magistrate and get him to come on hoard and enquire sbout the 14 children The three men were sent ashore and ina short while the magistrate came on board. When it came to enquiring, four of the children no one claimed; as to the others, the different parties gave different excuses. The magistrate spoke English and told me he thought the children were kidnapped and that he would take them all ashore and send them to the Taotai to examine. I reported to the Consul, who had given every assistance, and said he was viad I had brought the case to his notice; also, if other masters would take the same trouble, it would go a long way to stop this crime. The result of the enquiries I did nol learn, us I left that same afternoon. I was informed these children would have been sold in Amoy and then shipped off to the Straits. Probably any Chinese who have lutely lost children would do well to enquire of the Amoy offici-is. The children were by no means of the poorest class, they were well dr sed and looked very healthy; twelve were boys and two girls, I think."
Great praise must be given to Capta'n Best for his prompt and resolute action in this matter We understand that he was specially thanked by H-M. Consul, the Shinese authorities at Amoy hav ug' proviously begged Mr. Mansfield to give them all the aswstanee in his power in repressing kidnapping. It is to be hoped that the masters of other cousting steamers will not shut their eyes to what is woing fon but will ce-operate in checking this infamous crime, It is certain that the compradores of the steamers must be aware of what is going on, but they are as a rule so careful of their own skins that they can never he trusted to assist in the prevention of crime of any k ud on board the steamers to which they are attached.
The penalty in China for Kidnapping is decapitation; but unfortunately nowadays the authorities are too lenient and do not enforce he death penalty, though its enforcement wou d soon stop the; ractico,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.