426
submitting that if he proved that the vessel was one of over 60 tons burden, and that she carried over sixty tails of prepared opium, it would lie upon the defendant to prove that, in the words of the Ordinance, "
every reasonable precaution was taken to prevent the unlawful use of such ship and that none of the officers or their servants, or any of the crew, were impli-
cated therein." As a matter of fact it was
practically impossible for anyone to have placed opium in these places without the knowledge of the officers if proper precautions had been taken, P. C. Langley spoke to searching the vessel assisted by the excise officers and finding the opium in the places mentioned by Mr. Dennys. The first officer, in answer to a question, said "No one has access to my cabin except the boy." At that time the defendant was not on board.
By Mr. Pollock-The panelling was part of the vessel. He found traces of opium in the chief officer's room, and they consisted of bits of paper,
similar to that on the tins, with opium adhering to them; he found them all behind the panelling.
Mr. Dennys, in summing up his case, asked the Magistrate to inflict a heavy penalty as the steamers of this line were frequently in and out of the harbour trading between Swatow and Bangkok. The object of the Ordinance was to prevent Chinese from using a ship, and then the captain being able to say I know nothing about it. and the Opium Farmers thereby being unable to get anybody punished. In other places where breaches of the law of a similar nature were committed, the ship was liable to forfeiture; in Singapore this was the
case.
Mr. Pollock said it was quite true that opium was found. but there was no evidence upon which the defendant could be convicted. There was no evidence that he was cognisant of the presence of the opium, that the ship was being used for the conveyance of opium, or that the captain was privy to the opium being concealed. The probability was that some evil-designing person used the ship as a store-house for the time being with the object of smuggling the opium off elsewhere.
A summons against the second officer for un- lawfully having in his possession the two tins of prepared opium found in his cabin was then heard, and similar testimony to that given in the last case was taken.
no
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
His Worship reserved his decision until Monday, when he said that there was evidence that the captain had taken every precaution to prevent smuggling, and a fiue of $250 would be imposed. The charge against the second officer of unlawfully having two tins of prepared opium in his possession was dismissed.
THE HECTOR"-“ ROHILLA" COLLISION.
On the afternoon of Friday, 22nd ult., the Hector, inward bound from Japan, collided with the Rohilla at anchor at Woosung. It appears that the incoming vessel took a sheer and struck the P. & O. boat about amidships. The Rohilla has three of her plates cracked, but it is an- ticipated the repairs can be effected without the vessel going into dock. The Hector has her stem twisted to starboard about two feet above the water line extending a similar distance up, while the rivets are knocked out of the plates on the port side for several feet, and there is a hole in one of the upper plates. The Hector after the accident came up to Shanghai.
The damage done to the Rohilla by the Hector running into her, the N. C. Daily News says, has been found to be more serious than it was at first thought to be, and she has to go into dock. For this purpose she was towed up to Shanghai by three tugs on the 23rd November, and was expected to go into the New Dock on the night of the 24th. Two of her plates are broken and others cracked and she was leaking.
**
The steamer Bjorg, which stranded near Bakan on the 13th inst., got off successfully on the 14th. She was found to be so little injured that the captain determined on proceeding with the voyage to Vladivostock, and the Bjorg was to leave for that port on the 15th.
OBSTRUCTING THE HARBOUR.
DIFFICULTIES OF THE ARRATOON
APCAR.
Captain J. E. Hansen of the Arratoon Apcar, getting the above steamer made fast to her buoy writes us in reference to the trouble he had in
Docks in tow of the Fame. on Thursday afternoon, coming out of Kowloon
Captain Hansen says:-"To the eastward of Kowloon Point a number of steam-launches with cargo boats in tow tried to make fast alongside my steamer. I myself, officers, and crew combined could not possibly keep them line carried away away. The consequence was that first my tow new 7-in. line) and nearly get other lines on board the Fame. Then pro- brought me on top of a buoy, before we could ceeding towards our buoy the number of boats increased to a great extent. Captain Stopani of the Fame said that he had never seen any- thing like it. When we did get a line made fast to our buoy, we could not possibly heave on it, on account of cargo boats and steam launches being mixed up in the most endless confusion, it being dearly dark by this time.
Fame being of no use, as she could not get any- Our line to the buoy then carried away, the
where near the steamer. anchor and paid out 30 fathoms of cable, which I then dropped my brought her up close to the buoy astern of us, it being flood-tide running about two knots. Í sent for the Police who turned up shortly after, but the only thing they could do was to take the number of some of the several boats. I myself took the number of several coming across from Kowloon. serions case if there had been more steamers It might have been a very about andmy anchor had not brought the steamer of the new paint scraped off her bottom and up as quickly as it did, to say nothing of most perhaps some plates dented by our buoy being under our starboard side for some time. We' eventually got two lines run out to our buoy fast safely at seven o'clock." with the assistance of a steam-launch and made
Captain Hansen concludes by saying he con- siders some one ought to be held to blame for allowing about a hundred cargo boats to lie at the buoy all day on Thursday,
Three sides of a square were formed in the Police Court on Saturday by twenty-six boat- men. They were charged with making fast to the Arratoon Apcar without the sanction of the master on the 28th ult. Each defendant admitted the charge and a fine of $5 was imposed.
MARINE COUKT OF INQUIRY.
On Friday a Marine Court of Inquiry was held at the Harbour Office to investigate charges of misconduct brought by Captain Robert Buchanan, of the British barque Torrisdale, against David Gordon, first mate.
The Court was constituted as follows:-Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hastings, RN.. Pre-
sident; Lieutenant John F. E. Green, R.N., H.M.S. Daphne; Captain James Ross, steam- ship Mascotte; Captain James Crowe, ship Selkirk, and Captain W. H. Farrand, steamship Propontis.
The following was the finding of the Court :-- We find that David Gordon, whose certificate of competency as a master mariner is 04,558, dated 22nd April, 1881, at Dundee, is chief mate of the British ship Torrisdale, official No. 99,828, of Glasgow; that a charge of being drunk and incapable of performing his duties from 3.30 p.m. on the 20th June last to noon on the 22nd June last has been brought against the said David Gordon; and the Court finds the said David Gordon has been guilty of mis- conduct and drunkenness and has been in- capacitated from his duty by the effects of drink during the period aforementioned, and the Court therefore orders that his certificate be suspended for a period of three months from this date (recommending that should he apply for a certificate of second mate it be granted to him during the period of such suspension). The Court further censures Henry Gundy and John Archibald Campbell, holding that their evidence was unreliable and insincere.
[December 4, 1895)
THE PUNJOM MINING CO., LIMITED.
The Secretary of the Punjom Mining Com- pany, Limited, advises that he has received the
manager at the mines following progress report for October from the
August Shaft 200 ft. Level,-Almost the only work carried on here has been the extend- ing of the No. 1 crosscut and opening out on the ore body found there. Of course my regular weekly letters will have kept you advised as to the results and that we have not reached any- thing which can be accepted as country or enclosing rock. Sufficient has been done, how- ever, to show us that we are in a strong body of ore, which, although of low grade, is, I think, payable.
There is now no doubt that this is the con- tinuation of the ore chute we are working between the 110 ft. and Intermediate Level and which we have followed from the surface. It is impossible to tell the extent of the payable ground, however, till it is further opened on. All preparations are made for resuming driv ing on the course of Gillies' Reef, but owing to miner Clegg having been called away to Singa- elsewhere, I have no one to take charge of the pore and the other miners being fully occupied
work.
Intermediate Level. All stopes and drives here have continued to give their usual quantity think that the various points have somewhat of ore for the mill and taken altogether I improved.
drive on the course of the North and South The ore found in the crosscut off the South
reef shows a strong body of ore and is being drawn on largely in keeping the mill supplied. of low grade ore.
The stopes, too, are still giving fair quantities The payable ore found in the Reef, and duly reported on in my weekly letters, West Drive on the course of the East and West
is opening up fairly well and gives promise of adding considerably to our reserves,
Better progress is being made with the new shaft, and I am hoping to see the connection with the 200 ft. Level made at an early date.
110 ft. Level. The winzes we were sinking below this level for the better working of the west stopes coming up from the intermediate. have been connected and men are now on stoping out ore for the mill. The absence of miner
Clegg has prevented our going on with the
crosscut to go out to Gillies' Reef at this level also.
New Leader. This point continues to give' fair grade ore in increased quantity, but I see the quality this month is not quite so good as hitherto. It is payable, however, and gives promise of assisting our output of gold for some time yet.
Two prospecting shafts are being sunk on the course of the ore found, and two other small shafts for ventilation and the better handling of the ore, and carrying on of the work; and as these prospecting shafts are to the West of our present workings on the course of this Leader, I am watching the result with interest.
The total drivage for the
month is
Ore mined Made up as follows August Shaft. Mill Gully
Now Leader
..466ft. 6ins. 1,010 tons
884
3
123
Milling-This was carried on during 37 days. crushing 1,000 tons yielding 390 ozs. 8 dwts. of. smelted gold. This is about 50 ozs. less than I expected and is, I think, accounted for by the new leader giving a smaller proportion of coarse gold.
New Winding Plant.--This has been com- pleted and is now ready for use.
*
General. All work coming under this head has had the usual attention. The godown at: the river has been finished and is now in use, and a fence has been put up to secure our tailings against heavy floods.
Labour.This has been fairly plentiful. Health. This has been fairly good Rainfall-The total rainfall for the month was 114 in.
¿
Page 10Page 11