May 6, 1897.]
INDIAN FAMINE RELIEF FUND.
The Honorary Treasurer of the Indian Famine Relief Fund begs to intimate that he has forwarded to the Hon. Secretary Central Com mittee, Caloutta, the sum of Rs 651.29, equiva lent at Ex. 160 of $407, amount collected in North Formosa by H.M. Consul, Tamsui, as per the following list :
H. A. C. Bonar Mrs. Bonar
Rev. C. L. Mackay, D.D.
10
10
$50
25
25
Rev. W. Gauld
25
É. P. W. Shrimshire
25
F. Ashton
25
Robert Hughes
25
C. M. Chin (Lapraik, Cass & Co.)
25
Lee Choon Sing
25
Choa Tek Hee
25
Dr. Merz
J. W. Davidson
J. M. Tait
E. Harold Low
10
J. E. Siebermann
10
Dr. A. N. Wilkinson
10
E. N. dos Remedios
10
Yung Ke Niu
10
Kian Song
10
Kiam Joo
10
Yong Kem Ches
Casa & Co.)
Yung Cheong Toon (Lapraik,
Chii Shun Tiu (Lapraik, Cass &
Co.)
Ling Senteng (Lapraik,
Co.)...
Y, Theanlye...
Cass
Kee Yok Kwon (Lapraik, Cass &
Co.)
Shoon Choo Cheong
J. C. Cheetham
M. Isoda
10
2227
$407
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THE DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRA- TION AT TAMSUL
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]
Taipehfu, 27th April. Tamsui has not in the past been particularly famous, that I know of, in getting in ahead of her eastern neighbours, but she surely has made a record for herself this time.
It was the "Celebration of the 60th Year of the Reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty The Queen of England" as the invitations, most tastely printed in gold and bronze, in formed us. The date was set for St. George's Day, 23rd April, and the celebration passed off without hitch or mishap. It was quite the greatest social gathering that has ever occurred in Formosa and will be long remembered by those who were so fortunate as to be present. The Twatutis community, which is really the only foreign community that counts up to a dozen in the island, made their way down river to Hobe, where is situated the English Con sulate, which had been selected as the most suitable place to hold the day's festivities. The British steamer Haimun was there to give her assistance and the Japanese gunboat Sokogo had come around from Kelung to fire a salute and engage in the festivities generally.
The Japanese guests, as well as some half dozen foreigners who had accepted the kind invitation of H.D. the Governor-General to join them, departed from Twatutia at 2 p.m. in a large Government launch, accompanied by a launch carrying guards, servants, etc., and a third launch carrying the capital city band. Light refreshments were served on board and with pleasing musical selections by the band the trip down river, which is usually to be avoided, was made quite a pleasant part of the day's proceedings. Arriving at Hobe the city was found to be in holiday attire, the old Dutch fort standing out above all with two long lines of flags brought down to the ground on two sides from the high flag staff which rises above the building. The Haimun was dressed up in her very best. The party proceeded to the Consular grounds, where Consul Bonar and wife, Mrs. Gould, and others received them. The lawn between the old Dutch fort and the Consular residence had been dotted with chairs and-settees, while from a table at one side
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355
has ever known, were witnessed by both guests and populace.
After a splendid day of pleasure the up-river guests departed in the small hours of the morning with the feeling that the little British community only fifteen in all-had furnished a grand day of pleasure and fully done their share in commemorating the 60th year of the reign of their beloved queen..
The guests present were H.E.. Governer- General Baron Nogi, Lieut. General Tatsumi, Chief of the Military Department, Rear- Admiral Tsunoda, Chief of the Navy Depart ment, Mr. Izawa, Acting Chief of the Civil Department, Mr. Sagimura, Chief of the Foreign Affairs Department, Mr. Nomura, Commissioner of Customs, officers of the Japanese gunboat Sokogo, and other high Japanese officials, the Consular representatives of France, Germany, and America, and Consul Kenny of the British Consulate at Anping, Captain Bathhurst and officers of the steam. ship Haimun. In all there were 25 Britishers, including four naturalized Chinese, 23 Japanese,
Germans, 2 Americans, and 1 Frenchman.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. were provided light refreshments and drink ables. At 4 p.m. a Japanese fencing match, in which four of the most skilful fencers the island affords took part, furnished most interesting amusement for an hour or so, after which several group photographs were taken. The whole party then climbed the two pair of narrow staircases, which brought them to the roof of that most interesting relic of Formosan history, the old Dutch fort." This structure, with its walls of seven and eight feet of masonry and lime was built by the Dutch about two hundred and fifty years ago. It is as firm and solid and as imposing as in the days when the Dutch were battling with the Spanish and Portuguese for the supremacy of trade in the China seas. That it has lost nothing in strength and is still for- | midable the French bombardment of 1884 has given evidence, for during that engagement it was struck hard and true, but the shells did no damage, and scarcely left a mark to show where they had struck. It is a most impressive monu- ment of longevity and as such was a fitting place to celebrate the long life and reign of good Queen Victoria. From its ancient battle-3 ments a display of day fireworks was wit- nessed and a historical song of old Japan sung to the accompaniment of the ancient string instrument, a biwa. A splended view of the surrounding country and village could be obtained from this point and the decorations erected in honour of the day showed to great advantage. The Oxford School erected by Dr. Mackay was prominent among them, with a big arch bearing the words " God Bless Our Queen," and the various Japanese Government establishments were flaating their newest and biggest flags. Leaving the fort, the guests were entertained for a brief half-hour by Mrs. Bonar at the Consular residence, where a splendid display of Japanese works of art, rare brocades, embroideries, etc., formed a pleasing contrast to the blank warehouses which, with a few exceptions, are used as residences in Formosa.
•
OLIVERS FREEHOLD MINES, LIMITED.
The first ordinary annual general meeting of the shareholders in Olivers Freehold Mines, Limited, was held at the offices of the Company, on the 30th April, at noon. Mr. Hart Buck presided and there were also present Messrs. G. R. Stevens, C. Ewens (Consulting Committee), H. Humphreys, H. E. Allen, J. S. Hagen, A. P. Nobbs, P. Jordan, H. É. Pollock, Sin Tak Fan, Fung Wah Chuen, Lan Chu Pak, G. H. Potts, C. Georg, J. M. E. Machado, C. H. Dann, and S. S. Benjamin.
The notice calling the meeting was read by Mr. Humphreys,
I
The CHAIRMAN-Gentlemen, with your per- mission, I will adopt the usual course and take as read the report and statement of accounts. At half-past seven in the evening all You will see in the working account a sum of reappeared in the chambers of the old $594.96 charged to Olivers wages; this I may Dutch fort. which by the use of flags and explain to you was the amount paid for prospect- flowers had been transformed into a banqueting on the Olivers Freehold. This work was ting hall such as Tamsui had never seen before, discontinued as we deemed it advisable to make The half-a-hundred guests ate and drank a success of the Eureka Mine before doing heartily, after which Consul Bonar in a very very much on the Freehold. The cost of sink few words proposed the toast of the Queen, ing the new shaft and driving to intercept which was drunk to the strains of "God save the reef of the Eureka Mine has been charged the Queen" by the band. His Excellency to the Mine as an asset and not to the debit General Baron Nogi, the Governor-General of of working account. From the time we Formosa, then arose and in a short speech commenced taking out stone from the reef, stated that he considered it a great honour to be wages will of course be charged to working present at such a splendid celebration and for so account. You will notice under the heading of good & cause. Mr. Bonar, Her Britannic assets an item of $11,641.54. This is an amount Majesty's Consul, and other loyal subjects had which was due from the New Balmoral Gold gathered together at Tamsui, in the island over Mining Company at the end of the year and which he in the service of His Majesty the has since been received. Accounts payable Emperor of Japan was Governor, ten thousand $7,683.61 represents the amount due to the miles from their homes. This gave him great General Managers at the end of the year. pleasure and he wished to join them all in may add that the General Managers are: en- praying for the continued health of Her titled to charge the Company with office rentand Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria of the United clerks' salaries in Hongkong, but have made no Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the charge for the year under review. I think, Empress of India. After drinking to the gentlemen. I have said enough respecting the health of Her Majesty the Rev. Dr. accounts, and should like to say a few words Mackay, as the oldest resident in Formosa about our property. With regard to the Free. then present, in a few words proposed the bold itself, as I have already told you, nothing health of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, has been done so far as mining is concerned with which was drunk while the band played the the exception of a little prospecting. Our idea Japanese national air.
is first to thoroughly develop the Eureka Mine and then commence on Olivers Freehold. The Eureka Mine was carefully examined in March, 1896, by the late Mr. Willmott, and it was at once decided that the existing shaft was unsafe, and that it would be necessary to sink a new shaft 40 feet from the old one. This as you are aware has been successfully carried out, and the shaft sunk to a depth of 200 feet; and I am very pleased to be able to inform you that the re- sults up to the present time have been most satisfactory. We have had two ornshings amounting in all to 246 tons of stone which gave us 282 ounces of gold, an average of about 1 ounce 3 dwts per ton, worth roughly $11,000. I hear there is an impression among some of our shareholders that these results:had been obtained from picked stone, but I have it on the anthority of Mr. J. D. Humphreys, who was at that time in Sydney, and in daily/com- munication with the mine, that in the first crushing, which gave 1 ounce 9 dwts to the tor,
Elaborately printed menus with a collotype portrait of Her Majesty and three illustration of Tamsui scenery afforded elegant sonvenirs for the guests.
Could the old Dutch Governors have looked down upon the scene, it must have proved a rare surprise for them. There in their oitadel, standing on the ground which had only been gained to them after a hard struggle with the Spanish, its very walls now hidden by flags other than their own, were gathered about the festive board the representatives of Eng land, Japan, Germany, France, and America, and had they sought for one of their own nationality it would have been in vain even had they searched the whole island,
After the tables had been deserted the guests again climbed the tower-like ladders to the roof, from which illuminations, including a large “V.R." some thirty or forty feet in height and the largest display of fireworks that Formosa