Frou Our OWN Coneesronvest, Hongkong, Mar. 26.
In many ways the old Portuguese navigators who visited this region Jong ago had cause to name the group of islands at. the mouth of the Canton river system the Ladrones, or islands of thieve Tonday, despite the proximity of a British Colony on the second largest of the group, these "thieves" con-the piracies for which they are occasionally responsible with brigandage.
Thus, while one can admire the picturesque islands dotted bout Hongkong, and make eccas ional picnic trips to them, the idea of camping on the more lonely ones, even for a week-end, has to abandoned.
Most of the robber raids carried out in this vicinity are on a small scale, which create little interest because of their common occurrence, but news reached the Colony last evening of an affair on a very large scale, and possibly an indication of what' the pernicious arms traffic leading to, In this case no fewer than 60 armed men are reported to have raided a village from the sea, and plundered it completely, Killing one of the inhabitants und wounding several others.
"The scene of the outrage is Lantao, the biggest of the Ladrones group, and a favourite resort of pleasure parties from Hongkong. On the west of the island ix a small coast village, Tai O, inhabited chiefly by Aisherfolk, and it ix here that the brigandage took place, about a mile from a small police station.
Such details ax are available at present indicate that a mysterious Munch steamed into the small bay on which the village nestles, shortly after daybreak yesterday, and about '60. men, most of them armed with rifles or pistols, and the others with daggers and hatchets, landed and Immediately attacked the villagers, many of whom were not yet astir. Resistance of any kind wax of course futile, though a few of the inhabitants did not give up thei porsersions without showing fight, nda woman was shot dead and two men wounded, Within a few minutes the raiders had complete computed that the mei raided altogether 35 houses, from which they obtained a big haul of jewellery, money and various small articles, amounting in value to about $22,000, The booty was louded into a long boat which the launch had in tow, and as soon ay they could et Away the robbers decamped, making in the direction of Lintin, near the mouth of the Canton River.
The only description of the raiders which has been brought to Hons: Kong ix that they spoke what is termed the Panti dialect, and that their launch painted wi As oon fof the raid " party of them, under the Deputy Superintendent of Police (tr. PIP, J. Wodehouse), Mr. Booth, A, $"P, and. Inspector Angus, of the Water Police division, left in Inunches for the scene.
The police party returned tox after making investigations, It was discovered that the raiders had planned their coup well, for they had cut the telephone line linking up the village with the police station a mile away, so that immediate help could not be summoned. A surmise that the robbers were probably ex-soldiers seems to be confirmed by the statements of eyewitnesses that the men lined up on the beach when they landed, and marched to the village in military formation. In the present disturbed state of the mainland, it is doubtful whether hey will ever be brought to account, Wang Tientsin March 24 and days. rest before to Peking on the ground of indisposition, came to the Capital yesterday evening after all, He called on Marshal Tuan Chi-jui at ten o'clock this morning and dectarthat there was no misunder-
Standing at call between Marshal Chang Tso-lin. and. the Central Government—Reuter's Pacific Ser= vi
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.