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Buddhist portion of it, came very near being exterminated by a conspiracy amongst the Mahommedan battalions, who number a good third of General Tung's forces. It was intended to massacre the Buddhists on the night of the 16th of July last, the only one to be spared being General Tung himself, who is a Buddhist, and is much respected by his troops, Mahommedan and Buddhist alike.
As General Tung's influence is very great in Kansu-his native province, he being a native of Ninghsia-it was intended to carry him, along. by compulsion, thus preventing him from using his influence for the Imperial cause. After massacring their Buddhist fellow soldiers, the Malrommedans were to capture the immense supplies of arms and ammunition carried by General Tung for the arming of the Buddhist population of Kansu, who were expected to join his ranks in. large numbers, and then, after declaring for Mahmoud Khan, of Haich'eng, the Malom- medan rebel king, the mutineers were to attack the rear of the Imperial army under General Liu, who is opposing the rebels in Lanchou prefecture, and SO effect a junction with their co-religionists. All these facts came out through the confession of an ex-Buddhist officer. in one of the Mahommedan cavalry battalions of General Tung's army, who during the first Mahommedan rebellion in the sixties had turned Mussulman in order to save his life. It seems that this officer secretly, and three hours before the massacre was to begin, went to General Tung's tent and revealed everything. The latter took instant steps to arrest the ring leaders without causing alarm amongst the Mahommedan troops and then quietly sent these regiments on various errands, some to distances forty miles off to guard the line of communications between headquarters and Peking, while others--the cavalry-had orders to go to Chihli to escort the grain carts back for the supply of the army. So quietly was all this done by General Tung that the various Mahom- medan regiments had no time allowed them to communicate with each other before starting on their new duties, ser that by the time settled for the massacre, two o'clock in the morning, only. two Mussulman regiments of 650 men each were
left in an army of nearly 15,000 Buddhists. At daybreak the dozen or so ringleaders were executed before the army. But by the separa- tion of such a large force -6,500 men--from the main army at a critical moment, General Tung's plans were momentarily disarranged, which necessitated his waiting for a reinforcement of 5,000 men raised by his nephew from the pre- fecture of Ninghsia, before the forward move- ment of the army could be made Nearing Lanchon on the 23rd of August, General Tung's army had a serious battle with a superior force of the rebels, but he succeeded in driving the enemy towards Sining, which was at once besieged by the latter.
News has also arrived at the Board of War reporting that the civil and military authorities of Kuyuan, an important city of Kansu, had been murdered by the Mahomuiedan population of the city, which is now held by them. The telegraph lines were cut by the rebels and for a whole fortnight no news could be got from Kansu west of Kuyuan, but by his recent victory General Tung has been able to restore com- munication. The Szechnen Viceroy Lm has recently received orders to despatch a large force to the Shensingto prevent the rebellion from moving south-artis- great southern headquarters of the sect, Yunnan.-N. C. Daily News.
Thus the Japan Mail:- Great Britain has not at her command any servants quite up to the standard of local Oriental criticism. All are found wanting when weighed in the balance by the illustrious publicists that occupy editorial chairs in the Far East, and it must be a satis- faction to Sir Nicholas O'Conor to reflect that the signal promotion conferred on him by his Government not only benefits his reputation and his pocket, but also removes him to a sphere where his actions will be analysed by the com- paratively feeble and perfunctory light of journals like The Times, the Standard, and the Daily News."
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
MORE JAPANESE TROOPS FOR FORMOSA,
Shimonoseki, 21st September. Another brigade of the Sendai division, now garrisoning the Liaotung peninsula, will leave Port Arthur on the 2nd proximo for South Formosa.
been made to Formosa for military expenses. A further shipment of a million silver yen has A fresh batch of workmen and coolies to the number of 160 have been despatched from Ujina to the Pescadores, with all the requisite materials
there.
for builiding a permanent military hospital Police to the number of 785 have left Ujina and Kagoshima for Formosa within the past couple of days. Mr. Maki, one of the new dis- trict governors of Formosa, has left Ujina to take up his post.-China Gazette.
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION IN A HUPEH COAL-MINE.
¥
Shanghai, 24th September. Information has reached us that last week a
terrible explosion occurred in the extensive coal-mine opened by Chang Chih-tung at Man-gan-san, in Hupeh province, a little above Hankow. The mine was in charge of two Belgian experts, Mr. Koehne, the engineer in charge of the mine, and Mr. Baumogoger. the foreman coke burner. The explosion was caused by the ignition of "fire-damp" and the first report that reached Hankow was that 100 men had been killed. Dr. Cuypers immediately left Hanyang for the scene of the disaster in company with the chief mining engineer, Mr. Marx. A later report received by telegram states that the number of deaths is sixty, but that a very large number of men are seriously injured.-China Gazette.
HONGKONG.
[October 2, 1895.
A man named Tang Kwai-shan either jumped or fell overboard from the steamer Sing Ping on Wednesday night while she was lying at the China Merchants Wharf. His body was not recovered. Some time ago the man tried to hang himself.
On the 24th ult. Mr. D. Macrae, foreman at the China Sugar Refinery, East Point, made a desperate attempt to destroy his own He went to his bedroom in Blue Build another room, heard the report of a revolver and shortly afterwards his wife, who was in
being fired. She ran into the bedroom, where she found that her husband had shot himself through the head. The bullet had entered near and Dr. Stedman. The medical gentleman his right ear. She at once sent for the police
attended as soon as possible and ordered Macrae's removal to the Government Civil Hospital, where he was attended by Dr. Lowson, who succeeded in extracting the bullet. It is likely that Macrae will recover.
The Belilios Trustees have from the scholar- ship funds Nos. 1 and 3, established some years ago by Hon. E. R. Belilios, C.M.G., awarded seven scholarships to students at present pur- suing a medical course at the Alice Memorial
the College of Medicine for Chinese. Each and Nethersole Hospitals in connection with scholarship is of the value of £100, and is tenable for a year, but may be renewed yearly during the five years' curriculum, subject to re- port as to the conduct and progress of the scholars. The present Belilios medical scholars Ngai Leung, Li King Shan, To Ying Fan, are --Students of the third year, Kwong
Chan Kum Shing; second year, Ho Nai Hop, Tong Fuo Man; first year, Kong Wai Shin.
kong Cricket Club was held on Friday in the The annual general meeting of the Hong- Pavilion. Mr. A. Coxon presided, and there principal business was the election of officers was a large attendance of members.
The
and the consideration of a new set of rules which had been drafted by the Committee, for the confirmation of which an extraordinary meeting was held immediately after the pri- mary meeting. The following officers were elected for the ensuing season : Mr. A. Coxon,
Lowson, Hon, A. K. Travers, Mr. T. Sercombe Mr. FMaitland, Hon. Treasurer; Dr. J. A.
Smith, Mr. A. Anderson, Mr. S. L. Darby, and The new rules were then discussed and even- Captain Eccles, R.B.. members of Committee. tually passed with a few amendments.
There have been heavy showers during the past week, but they have not made much differ-President; Mr. E. A. Ram, Hon. Secretary; ence to the reservoir. The supply has been cut short, and it is almost certain that the re- sidents will be on short allowance until next
year. The Sanitary Board met on Thursday and transacted some important business. There was an attempted murder in Stanley Street on Friday. In the afternoon of the samne day the plague medals were distributed to the police by Hon. W. C. H. Hastings. The Victoria Recreation Club sports were held on Friday and Saturday in miserable weather. A meeting of the China Traders Insurance Com pany was held on Saturday. On Monday the shareholders of the Hongkong, Canton, and Macao Steamboat Company decided to reduce the capital of the Company; the directors were divided in opinion on the subject.
There were 2,128 visitors to the City Hall Museum last week, of whom 148 were Europeans. The postponed match between Captain Love- band's The Friar and Mr. Hart Buck's Vol- tigeur, owners up, was run on Monday after- noon and won easily by Voltigeur.“
As will be seen froin. the report of the meet- ing of the Sanitary Board ch Thaystay, the washermen do not take kill to di Valaw recently passed for the regulation of 1-r: Iries.
The new British dollar is rapidly coming into general circulation. In payments made in silver almost as many of these coins will now be found as of Japanese yen, while the unsightly chopped Mexican is gradually disappearing.
The first class gold medal for long service and good conduct in the Police Force has been awarded to Acting Chief Inspector reoran on the recommendation of Hon. Cortader W. C. H. Hastings, Acting Superintendent of Police.
A man named Marque, a native of Zanzibar, ar- rived a few days ago by the Ixion, and on Thurs- day he went to visit some friends at 14, Lower Lascar Row. On leaving the house he stumbled on the second floor and fell down the smoke hole a distance of about forty feet. tained serious injuries, which were attended to at the Government Civil Hospital,
Hė sus-
A very impudent and systematic robbery of coal was investigated at the Police Court on Thursday by Hon. H. E. Wodehouse. A coal merchant has a large quantity of coal stored at 10, Tai Wong Lane, and this house is joined at the back with 19, Tai Wong Street. The coal merchant was continually missing large quan- tities of coal from his store and he was at a loss to know how it went. A day or two ago he found that a hole had been made in the wall dividing his house from 19, Tai Wong Street, and further investigation led to the discovery. of two tons of coal in No. 19 and about three tons in 21, Tai Wong Street. The whole of this coal had been taken through the hole, and the police having been informed of the /robbery they arrested the thief. Yesterday he was sent to gaol for six months, and the coal was ordered tabe returned to the rightful owner.
Pawnbrokers in Hongkong are not a particn larly honest lot. They seldom assist the police in- tracing stolen property, and usually place all possible obstacles in the way of the police to prevent the capture of thieves. However, a straightforward pawnbroker has been unearthed. Some days ago a watch and chain belonging to Sergeant Ramage, of the Royal Engineers, were stolen from the East block barracks, and the police sent a description of the articles în the ordinary way to all the pawnbrokers in the colony. On Wednesday a coolie presented him- self at a pawnbroker's establishment in Queen's Road Central and offered the stolen watch and chain in pledge. The pawnbroker recognised the articles, went round the counter, caught hold of the coolie, and marched him off to the police station, where he was charged with
«unlawful possession of the property. Не was taken before Hon. H. E. Wodehouse on Thursday and fined $40 or two months' imprisonment.