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The cause of so much sickness is only too evident to the foreigner, who watches the Japanese coolies pass by with hair cropped close and no hat or even cloth to protect them from the fearful Formosa sun. Even the Chinese, who are as little affected by the elements as anyone, are rarely seen out in the sun unless they are wearing a big hat or have a cloth wrapped about their heads, and the few excep tions have their cues coiled about their heads, which affords considerable protection. Water of any kind and from any place is readily drunk, and even when under the supervision of some petty officers I have seen the water heated, but before it reached a boiling point was taken off to be poured down the throats of the thirsty men with the germs still alive and feeling heal- thier than ever. The men are all provided with hats and strict orders have been given regarding the eating of fruit and the drinking of unboiled water, but the ignorant coolies, who seem unable to comprehend that it is done for their own benefit, obey only while under the watchful eye of the officers. No one need be frightened over the unhealthiness of Formosa. The very little sickness to be found among the foreigners is evidence that with the precautions necessary inalmost any country with the same temperature, one can be as well and live quite as long in For- mosa as anywhere else.
The savages in the vicinity of Tansikak have been a little active, eighteen Chinese hav- ing been killed in six days. The villagers have been subject to raids and riots and for some time were forced to make an agreement with a band of robbers by paying a sum of money every month, the robbers guaranteeing the people safety from their own raids as well as from attacks by outside gangs.
Several officials are scattered through the country recruiting Chinese to go north to op- pose the Japanese, but the newly organized forces spend most of their time plundering the more peacefully inclined Chinese under the pre.. text that they are in league with the Japanese,
On the sixth a man was burned alive for rob- bing at Toasia. Previous to that two men were decapitated by the Hakkas, and apparently for no other cause than that they were Cantonese.
A Chinese official, who was formerly a Bokumkiok (Protector of the Savages), was ar- rested at Tangsikak and forced to pay two hundred dollars ransom morey. He then went to Changwha and reported the case to the magis- trate, who in consideration of the robbery ap pointed him tax-collector for several villages, including the one in which he had been forced
to
"shell out." He returned to this place accompanied by a lot of soldiers, who were in- formed on their arrival that the mandarins. had had their day and that no one paid any taxes. The soldiers then returned and the tax collector departed for other climes.
Three anti-Japanese societies have been or- ganized by wealthy Chinese of this district, and have been very busy distributing most blood thirsty literature. General Liu, the Black Flag Chief is also sending proclamations to all Hakka villages, agitating and imploring them to stand together, and stamp out the very memory of the Japanese from the island.
The village elders have notified the inhabitants that owing to the great number of dangerous robbers about, they are to shoot any person found prowling about the premises. Six robbers had their heads cut off in one village inside of a few hours.
After submitting to the extortion of a con- siderable sum, the natives of Tangsikak decided to dispense with the services of the robber band whom they had engaged at the rate of ten dollars a month each. man to protect them against robbers, and a plan was laid to get rid of them. When the robbers came to collect their pay, the inhabitants were to spread the alarm and one armed man from every house was to help to surround the men, and they were to be burned alive. Any house in which the oc- cupants refused to send a representative was to be pulled down and destroyed by the villagers.
The Chinese interested in the gold washing have petitioned the Japanese Government to appoint a tax-collector for the gold district, that they may be allowed to go on with the work without being interfered with by the host of robbers who do no work, but live off the gold washed by the labourers. Over a million
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
"F
dollars worth of gold was obtained by the washings" near Kelung last year, and under a system of taxing very disadvantageous to the labourer. With a fair system of taxation it is possible that the same locality could be made to yield double that amount.
JAS. W. DAVIDSON.
GREAT STORM IN FORMOSA.
THE GREATEST FLOODS FOR YEARS. [SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE "DAILY PRESS."]
TAIPER, 5th September, 1.40 p.m.
ye
The greatest storm experienced for years has passed over Formosa and floods are raging.
Much damage has been done..
[On the 4th inst. the Hongkong Observatory notified that the typhoon which had previously been advised was then in Formosa moving N.W.]
THE COLONIST'S FAREWELL.
Farewell, Hongkong! At length I'm free
To tend this wreck of brain and sinew. Farewell, you teacup colony,
And petty storms that rage within you! Farewell, Sir W-m Happy man! So Virgil's your consoler, is he? Plagues, lawyers, inkpots-haec forsan
Jurabit olim meminisse! Farewell, officials young and old-
The general this and acting t'other, Who vote exactly as you're told
And save your "chief" a lot of bother! Farewell, J-n J-h! Wrong again!
You chose to play for nought-or crosses: Succeed or fail, you can't complain
Of your pecuniary losses. Farewell, the Praya Future years
May hail the wondrous reclamations Confined, just now, to blocking piers
With mud, and worse abominations. Farewell, the Peak! What bliss to rise
By such a very trifling payment To such an earthly paradise-
Of fogs, typhoons, and mouldy raiment ! Farewell, dear isle! Twixt you and me ́ All bonds to-day are snapped asunder. Forsan-but could you ever be
A pleasing memory? I wonder.
s. S. Empress of India,
4th September, 1895.
THE "BELGIC" ASHORE.
Telegraphic intelligence has been received that the O. and O. steamer Belgic has gone ashore on Cape King, the eastern point of Tokyo Bay. The Belgic left San Francisco on the 24th ult. and was due at Yokohama about Monday. No particulars, beyond the bare fact of the vessel's being ashore, have come to hand. There is a lighthouse at Cape King, but it is not in telegraphic communication with Yoko-
hama.
SUPREME COURT.
3rd September.
IN ORIGINAL JURISDICTION.
BEFORE SIR FIELDING CLARKE (CHIEF JUSTICE).
THE BANK OF CHINA, JAPAN AND THE STRAITS, LIMITED v. CHEUNG KAI ESTATE.
The hearing was resumed in this case. Plain- tiffs sought to recover $100,000 from Cheung Yau To and Cheung Yau Pan, executors, and Lau Shi, executrix of the will of Cheung Kai, deceased. The amount was alleged to be due under a bond of suretyship.
|
[September 12, 1895.
Mr. Drummond-When you lent the money on these bills did you know the partners in the Chinese banks?
Witness-The money was not lent by me; the transaction was put through by the manager, Mr. Inchbald, and I paid the money under his instructions. I should authorise the compradore to pay
the money to the particular bank. Mr. Drummond-Had you any conversation with the manager with reference to making these advances or any of them?
Witness-I cannot remember that I ever had any special conversation on the subject. I looked to the compradore, who was the payee, to make any loss good.
Mr. Drummond-At the interview on March 27th between yourself and Cheung Kung Sing did he ask you whether you had a margin, at that time on Kan Sing Toi's account ?
Witness-I do not remember.
Mr. Drummond-At that time did you know that Kan Sing Toi was a partner in any of
these banks ?
Witness-I knew he was a partner in the Kwong Fuk Bank. I think he told me at the interview.
Mr. Drummond-Did the compradore do his best to get Kan Sing Toi to agree to something? Witness-The compradore appeared generally to do his best to help our bank at all times.
Mr. Drummond-Had you made any attempt to calculate on that day the value of Kan Sing Toi's securities in the Bank's hands?
Witness-It was probable that I knew then approximately the state of Kan Sing Toi's account.
Mr. Drummond-Do you know what balance there was in his favour ?
Witness-The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank compradore had bolted on that day and it was impossible to value Kan Sing Toi's securities then.
Mr. Drummond-Before the absconding of Lo Hok Pang, the compradore of the Hong. kong and Shanghai Bank,--if you had been asked two days before as to the general position of Kan Sing Toi's account what sum would you have put as the probable surplus value ?
Witness-Of course that would depend how the realisation was to be made.
Mr. Drummond-I am asking you about the value on those dates before the crash occurred.
Witness--I do not think there would have been any margin.
Mr. Drummond-Will you produce the monthly report of Kan Sing Toils account up to 31st January, 1892, and give me the total value of the securities and th⚫ total debit ?
Witness-The total amount standing to his debit was $604,437.85, and the value of the securities as shown by the account was $628,877; in addition we had a thousand shares of the nominal value of $8,500 in a mining company. The amount of his overdraft on the 29th February was $599,344.22, and on the credit side was $660,396, and collaterals $7,250; the surplus margin was $68,301.78.
Mr. Drummond-Were there not a number of new transactions during February
Witness-There was fresh business, but not to any very great extent, No advances were made after March 31st. We got no fresh securities from Kan Sing Toi after that date. We furnished him with copies of the account at the end of every quarter. Two or three days after the letter of May 31st was written I remember Cheung Kung Sing coming to me and asking whether he had rendered himself liable for the whole of Kan Sing Toi's account. I then had a conversation with Mr. Inchbald on the subject and the letter of the 3rd June was written.
Re-examined by Mr. Francis The usual form in paying out the money on bills is for me to fill up a debit slip which would contain an order to pay the money, and probably the name of the person to whom the moner was to be paid would be mentioned, but not necessarily.
Mr. Chantry Inchbald, manager of the Bank of China, Japan, and the Straits, Limited, Mr. J. J. Francis, QC., and Mr. H. E. Polin Hongkong said he had been in charge look (instructed by Messrs. Johnson, Stokes and Master) appeared for the plaintiffs, and Mr. W. V. Drummond and Mr. D. McNeill represented the defendants.
Mr. S. L. Darby, accountant at the plaintiff Bank, was called and Mr. Drummond proceeded with his cross-examination.
the Bank since February, 1892, and remember the crash on March 27th, 1892. He persons arranged with Cheung Kung Sing for the Chi nese banks who drew the bills, Witness then detailed the transactions and spoke of the instructions he gave in reference to them.
Cross-examined by Mr. Drummond-This suit