Unauthorized Party of Chinese Try to Search for Opium Without authority, of any kind and unaccompanied by Customs offcials, an armed party from the Woosung Forts Defence Corps the L-C. S, Loongwo on April 25, "when the British vessel berthed alongside Hunt's Wharf, in "Broadway East, and at. tempted to conduct a' search for opium, armed party, on the bea:
Tonner sated post the Yaunth ne al was noted follow: taken' hee beth hall's diten and, after' the Loongwo had climbed on board and announced their intention to search for opium. These, men, by the way, were under the command of a foreign. oticer who was formerly a boatman the Customs and they were ace companied by men carrying loaded Thompson guns, Though it was nothing out of the ordinary to search for opium, the manner in which the men attempted to search the Loongwo, without the aid of Customs officers, without any Papers and without asking for leave, was resented by the shi who refused to permit the search except under proper authority.
Theve was considerable argument, ut the officers. were adamant and i ently realizing that they were in the wrong, did not search the vessel, but their Jaunsh, the Jue Tai, remained along.
Meanwhile, Bir. A. D, Blackburn, British Consul, visited the Loongwo and went aboard the Jue Tai where he had a conversation with the officer in charge. It is not known was, what the nature of the discussion
Tt was learned: on very—good authority that, until "recently, theye military parties were accompanied by a couple of Filipinos who were formerly in the Customs Service. But latterly, these two men have not been accompanying them,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.