488
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
last summer in the American tariff, to the extent of 40 per cent. it is understood, which gradually stimulated an unusual demand, and helped to maintain rates at a high level. The require ments of the American market were met by shipments of prepared drug, chiefly Patna, pro- cured through the Macao native opium farmer. The season closed with a prospect of further advances in prices for opium of all kinds." following summary shows the importations of foreign opium into Hongkong in the seasons 1888 to 1894 :-
The
were valued at Hk. Tis. 2,987,262, or Hk. Tls.nexion with the opium trade was the reluction, 35,494 more than in 1893, and those from Macao to Hongkong at Hk. Tls. 1,140.015, or Hk. Tls. 114,222 1988. From the British colony the increased shipments were represented by beas, bran, coke, cotton yarn, raw cotton (native). four, gypsum, liquid indigo, lily flowers, mo lasses, paddy, rice, shrimps, brown sugar, green tea, and leaf tobacco; whilst cotton and woollen piece goods, metals, star aniseed, betel-nut, Indian raw cotton, dried fish, fungus, gambier. ganpowder, hemp, medicines. kerosene and ground-nut oils, white sugar and sugar candy, black tea, and vermicelli and macaroni were not up to average. From Macao came sugmented quantities of palm-leaf fans, fire-crackers, packing mats, soy, green, tea. proposed tobacco, and timber; and decreased of straw bags, cement, dried fish, indigo, hints, ground-nut oil, brown and white gar (short, 28,026 piculs), samshu, and black and unfired tea.
SHIPPING.
-1888. 1880. 1890, 1891. 1892. 1893 1894.
Chests. Chests. Chests, Cheats, Chests. Chests. Chests. 71,513 67,430 62,464 58.419 56,861 39,098 41,678 (b.) Native. It would be surprising if, under the circumstances above related, an impetus had not been given to the traffic in native drug, and evidence is not wanting to prove that the op- portunity has been fully availed of. Vast quan- tities of the product of the Szechwan, Yunnan, Consequent on the gambling establishments and Kweichow poppy fields are reported as now at Shamshuipo and Kowloon city having re-reaching Canton via Wa-chou-fu and Fatshan, mained closed nearly the whole season, there and are thence distributed, either in the crude was, as predicted in the 1893 report, a large state or prepared and packed in jars, through diminution in the entries and clearances of steam-out the Kowloon district and along the ad launches at Kowloon, the total being 10,523, or jacent seaboard, but without data it is useless 3,623 less. Jank entries diminished by 2.66 per to attempt even an approximate estimate of the cont.. equalling 60,622-46,353 with cargo and annual supply. 14,269, in ballast. Between Hongkong and Macao 1,803 oraft found employment, or 101 more than in 1893. Of the larger type of sea- going junks, 2 entered from Annamese ports and 1 from Siam, whilst of clearances, 4 were for Singapore and 1 for Annam. The import cargoes of these consisted of hard-wood beams, and the export of kerosene oil (American), china- ware and pottery, tea and tea stalk, medicines, and a few native sundries.
PASSENGER TRAFFIC.
* There was a falling off of 23 per cent. in the number of passengers reported from the several stations, the total being 1,149,209. Of these, 226,163 (increase, 29,537, as compared with the total in 1893) proceeded via Capsuimoon; 38,254 via Changchow (increase, 3,165); 31,357 via Foto. chow (decrease, 7,192); and 853,435 via Kow. loon (decrease, 368,838). Doubtless the increase ria Capsuimoon and Changchow is due to the families of merchants and others returning home to escape the plague, whilst the closing of the gambling establishments on the Kowloon shore accounts for the deficit in that direction. The falling off via Fotochow to points along the north coast is not surprising, since, in their hurry to escape from Hongkong, gangs of coolies elected to try the overland route rather than wait for passage by either steam-launch or junk. In fact, in view of the troublesome times, the local authorities were averse to the visits of steam-launches filled with passengers who might, or might not, prove to be bona fide travellers.
OPIUM.
(a.) Foreign-Notwithstanding that the total (41,578 chests) reported as having reached Hong- kong during the season was in excess of 1893 supplies by 2,480 chests, the quantity brought to the Kowloon stations for examination showed a farther decline of 275 picnls, or, say, 30 per cent, and was represented by 641 piculs in all. The opium importations via Kowloon stations during the seasons 1888 to 1894 have been as follows:-
1888, 1889. 1890. 1891. 1892. 1893. 1894.
Piculs Piculs Piculs Piculs Piculs Picule Piculs
641 2,851 2,453 1,810 1,447 961 * 916 Speaking generally of the year's transactions in drugs. I have been kindly furnished with the following particulars:-"The season opened with a prospect of short yields both in Persia and Bengal. The Indian Government notified a short- age of 5,100 chests in the monthly sales for 1895, and later on found it necessary to reduce quantities for the current season by 420 chests per month from October. This afforded a good opportunity for Indian speculators, who forced up prices, which gradually advanced until in December they showed a rise in the Hongkong market for the 12 months of $230 in Patus and $210 in Benares per chest. Persian also advanced by $150 per picul. The crop of Malwa was excellent, but the daty in Bombay was increased by Rs. 50, and owing to this and other influences, this variety also participated in the improvement in price, to the extent of $90 per pical Another noticeable feature in con-
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MISCELLANEOUS.::
[June 26, 18 95.
HONGKONG.
Everybody is anxiously waiting for the rain to come. The water supply has been again limited to a few hours in the morning, and matters have a serious appearance. Drought at this time of the year is unprecedented. Since 14th June there have been thirteen cases of plagne, eleven of the patients have died, and two are under treatment. On Wednesday Inspector Mann, who has retired from the Police Force, was pre- sented with a gold watch by the officers of the Force. The Sanitary Board met on Thursday, and the restrictions on the passenger traffic from Swatow were removed, as there had been a de- cided decrease of plague in that port. The an nual meeting of the Hongkong Electric Col Limited, was held on Saturday, Bilasiz.
As a result of the amalgamation of the Choral Society and Musical Club a new Society has been formed to be called the Hongkong Phil harmonic Society, the prospectus of which has just been issued.
There have been several cases of plague at Kowloon city lately. As there is a good deal of passenger traffic between Пlongkong and Kow- loon city, measures should be at once taken to prevent importation into the colony of cises from that quarter..
The actions which two Chinamen had entered against Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hastings, The net value of the trade for the year totals Acting Captain Superintendent of Police, to recover certain money seized in a gambling raid, up as follows:
were not heard at the Supreme Court on Friday as a settlement was arrived at.
Foreign imports from Hongkong.. Native imports from Hongkong Native imports China to Chius. Exports to Hongkong Exports Hongkong to Macao Exports Macao to ongkong.
CANTON NOTES.
£1
Hk. Tls.
15,326,719 3,438,540 2,256,484 19,665.908 2,987,262 1,140,015
We have to acknowledge receipt from the Chinese Customs of the Returns of Trade and Trade Reports for the year 1894, the Customs Gazette for the January-March quarter, and the Medical Reports for the year ended 30th Sep- tember, 1893.
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The water is now turned on only between the hours of 6 and 10 a.m. Unless the rain comes very soon the plight of the colony is likely to become serious. A. dought extending so late in the season is unprecedented in the history of the colony.
The M. M. steamer Yarra, which left Mar- seilles on the 26th May with mails, has been detained in Colombo, owing to a slight accident, and she was expected to leave that port for will be brought here by the next English mail Hongkong on Thursday evening. Her mails
steamer.
Ten coolies took part in a clan fight at Hung- hom on the 11th inst, and at the Police Court on Thursday they were bound over to keep the peace. P.C. Kerr was complimented by Mr.. Wodehouse for his smart conduct in obtaining assistance and arresting the whole of the pri
FROM THE CHUNG NGÓI SẢN PO.” In the fight between the two clans of Li and Yung in the village of Ho Tong in San-ai district, the offers used all possible means to stop it, but to no purpose. A few days ago two San-as belonging to the said village were sum- moned to Canton by the high offers. When they arrived at Canton, they were asked why they did not try to suppress the fight. They said that most of the villagers were of a war- like disposition and that their feeling against each other was still very hot, so that they were unable to control them. On hearing this the Canton officers told the two gentry to return and tell the people to stop the fight at once and that if any one disregarded the ordere he would be severely dealt with. It was further ordered that the elan of Li must give compensa. tion to the clan of Yang, for the former destroyed a good many houses belonging to the latter.
The military officer who took the Canton soldiers to Formosa returned to Canton the other day. As soon as he arrived at Canton, he went to see the Tartar-General, who asked him why he allowed his soldiers to commit robberies and other serious offences. The military officer in question was unable to speak a word in reply. The Tartar-General gave him a scolding and then turned him out of doors.
On the 15th inst. several Chinese gunboats loaded with guns and ammunition were des patobed to Wuchow, in Kwangsi, because Gene- ral So Un-chan wishes to have the province of Kwangsi strongly fortified and some time ago he sent to Canton for the said arms.
The Canton officers have ordered all the opium divans in Canton and Honam to be closed. because robbers and persons of bad character often take refuge in them.
On the 15th and 16th inst. the West River was full of water and nearly overflowed its banks, but as there has been little rain these last few days the water has gone down a little.
On the 18th inst. at 9 m., in the village of Tai Sa-hu, in Nam-hoi district, the wind blew exceedingly hard and the sky became very dark. The gale did not cease till 11 am. of the same day. Some pawnbrokers' shops were blown down and trees uprooted. At 1 am. the gale struck the village of Nam-been-hu, in the dis- In that place more than trict of Sam-sui. twenty houses were blown down, and in a village | named Quon-in nine houses were destroyed.
It is notified that the following Ordinances have been approved by. Her Majesty :-An Or. dinance to Prevent the Sketching of Defences, an Ordinance to declare the effect of Urdinances repealing others, and an Ordinance to amend the Public Health Ordinance, 1987, in relation to Common Lodging Houses.
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A schoolboy named Chan Achu was charged at the Magistracy on Thursday with stealing $1.50 belonging to Mr. W. S. Frowde, engineer in the Naval Yard. The boy was caught by an engineer on the Linnet, who slept in the same room as the prosecutor, while he was helping himself to the money from a dressing table. The boy was. ordered to receive ten strokes with the rattan.
seaman on the Annandale were charged before Three privates in the Rifle Brigade and a Hon. H. E. Wodehouse yesterday with assault. On Saturday they took a launch to Tsimtsaiteui and quarrelled with the collector about the fare: One of them struck him in the chest, another gave him a blow on the arm, and the other two encouraged the attack. A fine of $10 was im- posed on the first assailant, and the remainder were each fined $5.
A “smasher" was charged at the Police Court on Saturday before Hon. H. E. Wodehouse, with uttering 420 twenty-cent pieces. On Friday night he went into a money changer's shop at 75, Prays Central, and asked for bank notes in exchange for the pieces. He offered them at a discount of two per cent. and when it was found that the coins were counterfeit he bolted, but was soon afterwards caught. He was remanded until Saturday in order that the Canton mint authori- ties might be communicated with.