December 25, 1895.]
NANKING.
12th December.
A serious stabbing affray occurred a few days ago just outside the South Gate. The pro prietor of a tea-shop was chatting with his neighbour, when a worthless, opium-smoking relative who had been constantly annoying him with appeals for money came up from behind and thrust a knife into his throat. The tes merchant is a diligent, prosperous man and had grown tired of such a "ne'er-do-well" and had lately refused any further aid. This refusal provoked this murderous attack. The wound was about two inches long and penetrated into the throat, so that the unfortunate man has been unable to take food through the mouth. The knife missed the carotid artery by a hair's breadth. Dr. Macklin was called in, and after the magistrate had made a formal investigation the patient was transferred to the hospital, where he is slowly improving. His assailant is in gaol awaiting sentence which will depend upon the recovery or death of his victim. The man
was already pulseless from loss of blood when the physician arrived. With the weakening of the pulse of course the blood had ceased to flow, becoming coagulated, as was natural. But the stoppage was attributed by his friends to the magical influence of a piece of chicken skin placed upou the wound.
For some weeks past the supply of silver in Nanking has been largely increased by the introduction of the Viceroy's new coins from Hankow. The dollar is a very neat piece and deserves to replace the rude Mexican. One result of the new coinage has been to put the ten-cent and twenty-cent pieces of Japan, Hong- kong, and the Straits at a discount, and the price of a dollar in cash has fallen to 950, the lowest in eight or ten years.
A French war-ship arrived here last Thurs- day and is still lying at anchor below Hsiakaan. The Governor of the province has been in the city for several days past at the invitation of the Viceroy. He left this evening.
13th December. Nanking horses are suffering greatly from glanders, which is epidemic here. Many of the German officers have been compelled to shoot their animals. They are also somewhat puzzled how to dispose of the carcasses, as the Chinese refuse to bury them, and there is fear that some hungry people may be tempted to eat the flesh and themselves contract the disease, which is known to be dangerous to man as to beast. Even the handling of the hides would be The Chinese refuse to kill their dangerous. ponies, believing that they will survive the attack.-N. C. Daily News correspondent.
MISCELLANEOUS,
The American ship Ivy, while on a voyage from Manila to Cebu in ballast, struck on a bank near Calatagan, but got off again with a high tide and returned to Manila.
The Chinese revenue cruiser Chuentias left Shanghai on the 18th inst. in quest of the Newchwang Lightship, which left that place for Chefoo some time ago and has not been heard of since. The lightship generally makes this trip under her own sail.
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The N. C. Daily News says:-The wretched condition into which government has fallen in China is shown by what has recently occurred at the Kiangnan Arsenal. It will be remem- bered that quite recently by Imperial decres the control of this arsenal was taken away from the Viceroy at Nanking and assumed by the new Ministry of War at Peking, the Tao- tai Liu Chi-hsiang being reappointed Director by the Throne. H.E. Chang Chih-tung's re- ponse to this was very simple and straight forward. "If this is no longer a provincial arsenal," he said, "let it get its funds from Peking." But Peking has no money. the Ministry of War has had to climb down," and the Kiangnan Arsenal is now once more a provincial institution, nader the control of the Viceroy at Nanking; while, as long as H.E. Chang Chih-tung has anything to say in the matter, the Director, Liu Chi-hsiang, has im- perilled his chance of succeeding to the Shang hai Taotai-ship.
去感
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.*
The N. C. Daily News says:--A consider- able robbery of some porcelain from the Imperial Palace at Peking has recently come
to light, it being alleged that over 300 large and small pieces of green jade, peach blow, sang de bœuf, rose pink, egg shell, black hawthorn, and other rarities, are missing, and that some of them have been disposed of to foreigners and others. The principal curio shops in Peking are said to have been closed and their owners arrested, whilst a number of pieces have been recovered from foreign collectors at Tientsin and Peking. A well-known Peking dealer who has been in Shanghai for about a month left for the North on the 19th- inst. overland at the summons of the authorities to answer for his subordinates. One execution is already reported.
Telegrams through native sources to Shang- hai from Peking announce that General Sung Ching, ex-Generalissimo of the Chinese armies in Manchuria last year, had received orders to start at once with his army corps of 20,000 men for Kansu to reinforce General Tung Fu. hsiang of Kashgar, who is reported to be pretty hard pressed by the Mahommedan rebels. General Sung's troops had but recently arrived at Tientsin from Shihsanchan (13th stage) near North Kinchou, outside the Great Wall, when the above-named orders from the Ministry of War came from Peking. The advanced corps of General Sung left for Kansu only a few days ago, which may be said to be very prompt when compared with other brigades despatched from Chihli and Peking for the same destination.-N. C. Daily News.
re-
The Shanghai Mercury of the 14th inst. says:- Yesterday evening a telegram was ceived by Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co. to the offect that the Lienshing and Wasang were detained at Tientsin and unable to leave, and this substantiates the report that the two steamers had been frozen in. It is now under. stood that the two vessels, with the Tungehow between. are frozen in at one of the bends of the l'eiho, being stuck fast at the neap tide, but it is hoped that they will be able to get free and out of the river with the spring side. The Chintung has got clear away and is now on her way down to Shanghai. The two China Mer- bhants steamers despatched recently to Tiên- tsin have touched at Chefoo, but there is yet no report of their having reached Taku, where they will be forced to remain, as they cannot proceed up to Tientsiu.
The Shanghai Mercury of the 14th instant says:-The German steamer Apeurade, which left here on Tuesday at daylight for Nagasaki, did not arrive there until this forenoon and the telegram which announced har arrival also con. tained the sad news that her mate, Mr. Jessen, had been lost by being washed overboard. Pre- vions to this voyage Mr. Jessen took the steamer, as acting master, from Shanghai to Moji and back, acquitting himself to the great satisfaction of everyone. He served his time as volunteer in the German navy, and apart from | being an excellent seaman he was a thorough gentleman, being esteemed by everybody whom he mot, Chinese as well as foreigners. Mr. Jessen was a relative of the owners of the Apenrade and leaves behind a largo circle of friends in the German community who will sincerely mourn his loss.
The writer of the "Entre Nous
notes in
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the Shanghai Mercury says:To be beautiful is a good thing; but to be beautiful and useful falls to the lot of few. The Shanghai Volunteers had an opportunity the other day of attaining this happy, consummation, but failed, alas, to take advantage of it. I mean the occasion when Mr. Chu, the cotton spinning dignitary, having spun off his coil mortal was interred with all the pomp and trappings of native funereal woe. That his friends should ask for the presence of our Volunteers-idle toers to increase the splendour of his last procession showed a proper appreciation of the aim and object of the corps, as of the virtues of the corpse and the offer to pay heavily for the honour was as original as it was unusual. Thus the opportunity of turning an honest penny was missed and will probably not occur again. But "money is a good soldier," as Falstaff hath it-perhaps in time we shall have an E. company reserved for the use of Chinese funerals. The latter should certainly be encouraged.
i
A new Town Hall is to be built at Saigon.--- Twenty Russian marines are reported to have arrived at Seoul.
+
Shimonoseki Straits have been taken up”
The torpedoes laid in the vicinity of the
At
The China Gazette says " A new steamship line has been started on the China coast with head office at Shanghai. The name of the com- pany is to be the Chinese Trading Steamship Co. and Messrs. Tung Kee & Co. of Széclinen Road, are the principal shareholders as well as the Shanghai agents of the firm. The company have already bought the Norden, whose name has been changed to the Kiangpak. Another steamer in port is expected to be taken over by ~ the new Company in a day or two and before the year (Chinese) closes the fleet of the Chinese Trading Co. will consist of four steamers. the beginning of operations the Company intend to go only on the Wuhu-Chinkiang-Canton line, but as time goes on if is the intention of the directors to extend their trade to the coast ports and throughout the Yangtsze Valley.' In another paragraph the same paper says:- "A new departure in the conveyance of oil on the China const is to be tried on board the steamship Kiangpak, late Norden, now owned by Messrs. Tung Keo & Co. of this port. The Kiangpak is being fitted with tanks and is to be engaged on the Wuhn-Chinkiang-Canton line. The oil is generally shipped in wicker- work drums, which are placed on the deck of the steamer and are at shipper's risk. These drums frequently get damaged, resulting in the loss of the contents. The introduction of tanks on this coast will benefit the trade and probably influence the Chinese to permit tanks to be built ashore for the storage of the article; and we have no doubt the day is not far distant when we will see the Shell line of steamers going through to Chinkiang and the other riverine ports and discharging their cargo. It will reduce the price of oil and save a lot of risk in the transport. It is a pity that some of the large foreign ship-owning companies do not follow the example of Messrs. Tung Kee & Co. and introduce tanks in their regular traders on the Yangtsze and southern line."
COMMERCIAL
TEA.
EXPORT OF EA FROM CHINA TO GREAT BRITAIN.
Canton and Mano
Amoy
Foochow
1895-96
15.. 6,9 12,824 440,573
..... 11,175,408
Shanghai and Hankow.20,252,570
38,771,375
1891-95
lbs. 6,797,829
719,368
11,357,219
21,179,428
43,033,872
EXPORT OF TEA FROM CAINATO UNITED STATES AND CANADA.
A moy
Foochow Shanghai
1895-96.
Thi 11,59 *,937
1891-95
Iba. 16,535,397
6,066,651
27,392,600
45,052,188
4.626,555 21,730,986
43,692 938
EXPORT OF TEA FROM CHINA TO
ODESSA.
1895-46 Ils.
1891-05 lbs. Hankow and Shanglini...27,240,863 22,555,223 EXPORT OF TEA FROM JAPAN TO UNITED STATES AND CANADA.
Yokohama
Kobe
· 1893-96
in Dig
- 1894-95
lbs. 28,956,080 27.719,037 18,012,100 16,158,509
146,968,180
43,875,546
SILK.
SHANGHAI, 19th December. - (From Mesars. is to 19 h current report the market firme," Crowie and Burkill's circular.)-Landon tele- Blue Elephant 10/7}, Raw Silk.The business continues small, but té Chine e show no is oŝi- tion yet to necept prices which would bring about the execution of orders to hind. During tho week about 500 bales were settle Tsatives — About 300 bals- have changed hunds and we quote Blue Elephants T. (32) and Gold Kilinga