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murdered for his body kerosine oil and then set fire to, and stories that priests have been fastened to trees alive and then roasted to death. of the most diabolical kind have been com- impos mitted, one form of torture being to cut i priest to death bit by bit, while the others are too revolting in their nature to even hint at Dead bodies of friars, have been seen floating down the river and the number of the mur- dered victims has been estimated at as high a figure as a hundred. Allowances must, how ever, be made for the exaggeration which almost invariably accompanies panic.
which are absolutely necessary. We hear much of the snowfall on the Himalayas, but at the best this can only be one of the numerous observations, in the absence of which weather forecasting is but a mock- ery in India. After the experience of the present season, the Department would be wise to let weather prophecy alone; they cannot forecast the weather with any more accuracy than Zadkiel pro- phesies the events of next year." The justice of these comments depends upon what is meant by "weather forecasts." If the term is to be taken to cover prognos has been much activity on the part of the In Manila and the surrounding districts there tications of the weather for a period of some Spanish authorities, but the town has been free months duration the work might well, as
from any conflict пр to the present and it is our contemporary suggests, be abandoned, considered to be safe from attack. Between but forecasts for a few days ahead can now eight and nine hundred volunteers have been be made with tolerable accuracy and they enrolled and a few days ago they were presented prove very useful, not only to shipping, with their colours by Governor-General Blanco, but also on shore. With the progress
a good enough indication that the ramour about of the science of meteorology it may be his disappearance was false. The gates of the come possible to give a forecast of the city are strongly guarded day and night and general character of each season as it many people whose homes are just outside the walls seek refuge at night within the city arrives, and it would undoubtedly be useful boundaries. Almost daily rich natives are if Dr. DOBERCK could tell us, say in June, being thrown into prison on suspicion that whether the rainfall for the season was likely they are implicated in the insurrectionary to be scanty or abundant, so that the water movement and are supplying the rebels with consumption might be regulated in accord- funds. Some of them have been released, but ance with the probable supply; but the in the majority of cases they are still kept failure of the Indian prognostication shows under detention. The whole of their books and how impossible any such achievement is in papers are thoroughly examined by Spanish officials and their property, including money in the present state of the science of the bank, confiscated. These extreme measures meteorology.
have proved fruitful, inasmuch as incriminating papers have been discovered which clearly show that the natives had carefully planned all the various details of the rebellion and had gone so far as to appoint the numerous officers of the proposed republic. Pedro Roxas, who escaped in a Spanish steamer some days ago, was, it is said, to have been the President, and in rather a long list all the names of the elected military officers were given. Four prisoners were one day taken into the market place of Manila and shot in the back as traitors. Three of them died immediately, but there were signs of life in the fourth man and another volley of bullets was poured into his body. All the four died very heroically, particularly one man. It was proved that he had given assistance to the rebels and right up to the moment of being shot he boasted of his connection with the movement and seemed to think he was dy: ing a glorious death. He was a rich man and owned a rope manufactory somewhere in the neighbourhood of the city.
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THE GRANITE DRESSING“
NUISANCE.
In reference to the granite dressing case tried at the Police Court on Saturday, by a regulation made under Ordinance 10 of 1872 dressing granite or other stone within the city of Victoria is declared a nuisance "when such dressing could have been "executed at the quarry without render ing the granite or other stone liable to injury during its transport to the place where it is required for use." The only question for the Magistrate to decide, therefore, was whether the stone if dresssed at the quarry would have been liable to injury during transport. Mr. TOOKER Baid it would. On the other hand it is matter of common knowledge that dressed stone is frequently carried for long distances in the ordinary course of trade. The canopy for the Queen's statue, for instance, the stone of which is more liable to injury than granite, was transported from England to Hongkong.
THE REBELLION IN THE
PHILIPPÎÑES.
MANY FRIARS MURDERED.
NAMELESS ATROCITIES COMMITTED.
The reinforcements from Spain are expected to arrive on the 28th inst., but before they can get into action the whole country may be in the hands of the rebels, who are getting stronger in numbers and better supplied with arms every day. On one occasion they broke into a police station in Cavite, murdered some Spaniards there, and captured all the guns and ammunition in the place. They still hold the convent and a fort, but it is not considered likely that they can force the Spanish soldiers in the arsenal to surrender. The Spaniards have now taken means to make the arsenal more impregnable to an attack. It runs at right angles to a narrow strip of land projecting from the main land of the province and formerly the sea The difficulty of obtaining information con- bounded it on three sides. Now a cutting has cerning the rebellion in the Philippines is daily been made, so that the stronghold is entirely becoming greater. Most people who are in surrounded by water, the only means of com- possession of important facts decline to impart munication with the land being a bridge them, having doubtless received injunctions not which has been thrown across and which
can be drawn in at a to let out a single word. We have, however,
moment's notice. been able to gather from various reliable The Spanish warships are all on the coast sources additional particulars which no doubt of Cavite, but the troops have not yet could be considerably, augmented if such a ventured into the interior except for recon- general secrecy was not being observed. It is noitring. It was at first arranged to make an thought there are between fifteen to twenty onslaught on the rebels there, but the order was thousand rebels in possession of Cavite and it withdrawn at the last moment, the Spanish offi- is in that province that the most startling.cers not having sufficient confidence in the loyalty events happen. The convent which was cap of the native soldiers. On all sides it is considered tured by the natives, seems to have been a centre that no reliance can be placed on the native of much, bloodshed. Many friars were killed troops. They are wavering now and the least there and the details concerning the murders thing-may cause them to turn on the Spaniarde are of the most awful description and emphasise and throw in their lot with the rebel. Such in a terrible manner the intense hatred the an event would not cause the least surprise in natives have for the priests. It has been a Manila. Many of the rebels are armed with common occurrence after a priest has been German repeating rifles and it is now rumoured
'
landed
Manila at a fa
It is comfor residents in Ma
is anchored in the
[September
the
from the town, the Governor-General the British author residenta be in sond immediately people strongly depreca the part of the Governor further state that the gun greatest difficulty in reachin much loss of time would are of opinion that the chored in the anchorage steamers. Ne We take the following papers:
In one issue of the Comercio the names are given of twenty-two persons who had been prisoned that day awaiting trial by Martial. The list includes the names of doctors, one dentist, two chemists, four a retired lieutenant, and three proprietors sides tradesmen and others.
M
orve
from the Manila
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A Cavite letter of the 15th September st
that the gunboat Leyte had that day bom
the village of Ternate and the neighbo coast, and it is said the rebels had sixty When a gunboat approaches any point coast rockets are sent up by those on sh warn other places. The main body of the rebels in the province of Cavite is said to be con- centrated at Ternate Shells were also being thrown amongst the rebel forces at Noveleta and Old Cavite. On the isthmus joining town of Cavite to the province the engineers were throwing up fortifications as a protection against an attack by the In the town of Cavite itself com was being restored and many European families who had taken refuge in th arsenal or elsewhere were returning to their own homes. The supply of provisions coming more regular and abundant On the 17th September a reconnaisance on the rebel position at Noveleta was made by a body of artillery supported by a company of en The troops were opposed by a body numbering twelve hundred, but they their objective and then returned to Cav without being again molesteds supported the operation with her fire and t rebels lost heavily, being seen to carry off ma wounded. The Government forces wounded, but six of them only slightly
As to the other provinces, althong! them are reported quiet,, conside continues to exist. The following some idea of the position of affairs doro, in order to be prepared for all eve ties, the Spaniards had formed themsel a volunteer corps and had been provided with arms. At Iloilo and Albay volunteer had also been formed. The Nueva Ecija telegraphed that in on the 16th September five killed by the civil guard. · from the same province-sa of rebels which had arrived at of Anão had been reportedi to strong, but in reality numbered only and they were being pursued by From the province De la Laguns the reported that everything was quiet, and confident it would so continue, but never twenty-six priests had come in from villages of the principal town.
cienda belongi Lian, Batangas, Real Colegio de San José was rebel force numbering between fifty and two hundred. made, with the res "half of fighting
several wounded. 1088
The Manil
the com
Sep