152
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY. PRESS AND
My readers will remember that some eight months ago I mentioned that the Leal Sena. do's Conductor of Municipal Works was re- pairing the street called Travessa de P. Narciso and making a parement of sand and cement. A great sum of money was spent on the work, but it has all been thrown away and yesterday the street was again closed and a commencé. ment made of the breaking up of the pavement- The street is now to be paved with stone in square blocks, This is a good testimonial to the experience of the youthful Conductor! And why is it this particular street that is always being repaired Is it because it is just below (the windows of Government House and that it is desired to throw dust in the eyes of His Excellency and give him the impression that the Leal Senado is an energetic body always at work effecting improvements ?
By the last Timor mail news was received of the election of a Deputy to represent the two colonies in the Lisbon Chamber. The joint election is absurd, as only 101 voters exercised the franchise here against over two thousand in Timor. We might as well let Timor elect the Deputy alone and save ourselves all trouble in the matter.
CANTON NOTES.
FROM THE "CHUNG NGOI SAN PO."| The revolt which, as reported sometime ago, broke out in a place named Po-ling, in Chiu- ohow district, is becoming very serious. The rebels number over ten thousand. Telegraphic information has been received in Canton saying that if reinforecments are not sent the place will be in great danger. The Government has sent a military officer named Kiang Chi-wa with a large number of soldiers by the gunboat Fou- Po, and another batch is under orders to follow. On the 10th instant the gunboat Fou-po, laden with rice, arrived at Canton from the province of Hunan. The rice has been delivered to the rice merchants to be sold at low prices. It is said that the gunboat Nam Mo will also shortly arrive with a cargo of rice. It is reported that as the charitable in- stitutions have sent in several applications ask ing for the prohibition of the export of rice, which is now exceptionally dear, the Govern- ment has granted the prayer of the petitioners. A notice prohibiting the export will soon be issued, the draft having been already prepared.
The river in Shuihing, Namhoi, and Suntak districts is exceedingly high. Tho navigation is difficult, and the people of the said districts are keeping watch on the embankments day and night, fearing that the water may at any
moment make a breach. ́
A fire broke out ou the 6th instant in a mat shed where a theatrical performance was going on in honour of the god Tsz-sui, in the village named Si utong, in Pun-u district. The whole mat shed was destroyed, but luckily no lives were lost, with the exception of that of a small child, who was trampled to death during the panic. It is said the fire was caused by in cendiarism.
A few days ago a large band of criminals broke into a brothel in Sanchau, near Whampoa, and stole serou prostitutes. The robbers came from other places by two junks towed by a steam-launch and were all dressed in uniform like that of soldiers. When they got in they seized the seven prostitutes and dragged them away. The keepers of the brothel at once gave the alarm, and the police came on the scene and fired at the robbers, who returned the fire Three robbers were fatally shot and two were captured alive. The other robbers carrying the even captives got to the junks and sailed away, The case has been reporteil to the Pun-u Magistrate.
We (Nagasaki Shipping List) are sorry to learn that the Russian S.N. Co.'s steamer R ladimir, Captain Ericksen, commander, has gine ashore on a rock near Possiet, about 70 miles from Vladivostock, and will in all pro- bability become a total wreck. Her passengers and crew, however, have been saved, and were brought on here by the Volunteer Fleet's steamer Saratov, which arrived at Nagasaki on the 6th August.
HONGKONG.
We have had more than our share of rain lately. Already twenty-two inches have fallen during this month, and on four days the fall was over three inches. Of course the reservoirs are overflowing, and there need be no fear of a water famine during the forth- coming dry season. The past week has been very quiet, the most important event being the meeting of the shareholders in the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, which was held on Saturday,
There were 2,439 visitors to the City Hall Mu- seum last week, of whom 187 were Europeans.
Mr. J. T. Lauts, of Messrs. Lauts, Wegener and Co., has joined the Board of Directors of the National Bank of China, Limited.
The inquest on Frank Beckett, bluejacket Kowloon on the 6th inst., was held on 11th whose body was found near the ferry wharf at August, by Hon. H. E. Wodehouse. A verdict
of "Found Drowned" was returned.
The China Sugar Refining Co., Limited, has declared an interim dividend of 4 per cent. for the half-year ended 30th June last.
Captain W. E. Clarke has resumed command of the Heungahan, having completed his work in connection with the 'West River trade.
The maximum temperature last month was 90.3, on the 23rd, and the minimum 74.6, on the 1st, the mean for the month being 82.1. The rainfall amounted to 5.565 inches.
A man was sent to gaol on Monday for six weeks for assaulting another man with whom he quarrelled at West Point. The prisoner stuck a long pin into the complainant's back.
We hear that Mr. Thurburn, as well as Mr. Herbert Smith, has resigned his membership of the Light Dues Commission. Mr. Smith's letter of resignation will be found in another column.
A barber and a cook quarrelled in a shop at 350, Queen's Road Central on Sunday after- noon, the result being that the cook struck the barber with the glass chimney of a lamp. The glass broke, cat the poor barber's throat and be He was taken to the lost a lot of blood. Government Civil Hospital, where his injuries, which are of a very dangerous nature, were dressed.
The proposal to establish a new club, to occupy the premises lately vacated by the Hongkong Club, has now been carried into effect. At a meeting held on Monday afternoon the club was definitely formed and the name adopted was "The New Club." It was inti- mated that a portion of the premises, including the reading room and bar, would be open for the convenience of members in a few days and that the whole building was expected to be ready by the 1st October.
An old P. and O. friend, a retired Captain, in a private letter makes mention of Mr. H. M. Thomsett (late of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank) who will be well remembered here (says the Singapore Free Press) and in Hongkong. The news, we are sorry to hear, is not good. He :-" Poor fellow, he is in a very sad
says: state now: I fear he will never be well again. The Bank has behaved very generously towards him. It is very sad to see a young man thus crippled in the best of his days. The fall from his horse in Singapore has affected the spinal cord, and the poor fellow is never out of pain, which he bears with the greatest patience."
|
|
(August 18, 1897.
The wind blew very fiercely at two a.m. on 11th Angust. As a consequence the American sailing ship Isaac Reed, which was anchored in the kerosine anchorage at Causeway Bay, dragged her anchors and it was not until the boat was within a few yards of shallow water at Kowloon Fort Point that the anchors held again. A junk was also smashed in the harbour, but fortunately no lives were lost.
At the Magistracy on 12th Aug., Henry Wil liams, a private in the West Yorkshire Regi- ment, was charged with stealing a silver model of a chair from a jeweller's shop in Queen's Road Central. The prisoner went into the shop and at his request the chair was placed on the counter. He then suatched up the article and ran away, but was soon afterwards canght. He was sent to gaol for six weeks with hard labour.
addition to the fleet of the Messageries Mari- times, arrived here on 13th Aug., and in a very short time the following notice in big type was posted at the stern of the vessel:-"Prenez garde aux deux bélices." The sampan and cargo people looked studiously at the words and we have no doubt they took hold of the warning and avoided all danger.
Such s notice has not been previously necessary on the vessels of the Messageries Maritimes, as the Laos is the first of their ships to be fitted with twin screws. She is about 466 feet long, 51 feet wide, and 31 feet deep, and is a very fine boat. On her trial trip she attained a speed of 19 knots an hour, and her nominal speed is 17 knots. She made very good time on her out- ward voyage as, although she was detained 36 hours at Colombo waiting for the Australian boat, 24 hours at Singapore, where she connected with the Batavian steamer, and 24 days at Saigon, she completed the journey from Marseilles to Hongkong in 27 days. speedy vessel will prove of great service in time of war as she can be converted into an armed cruiser, there being eight stands for quick- firing guns. The internal fittings and arrange ments are exceedingly good, every care having been taken for the comfort of
The passengers. first class compartments are handsome and commodious and the decorations particularly good, the dining saloon presenting a very picturesque appearance, while the library and smoke room are tastefully set off with very fine wood-work and paintings. The engines are of 7,200 horse power and the boilers are of the Belleville type. The gross tonnage is 6,000. It is intended to build three more vessels of the Laos class for the Chius line.
The mail steamer Laos, the most recent
·
This
At the Police Court on 14th Aug., before Hon. H. E. Wodehouse, the compradore of the. Public Works Department was charged on remand with being in unlawful possession of eighty-nine ingots of copper, of the value of 5616. Mr. K. W. Mounsey appeared for the 'defendant and Mr. Hastings appeared for a Macao trader, who claimed the ownership of the copper. In 1894 the steamer Bellona was wrecked on the Paracels and at the end of last year the steamer Himiji Maru was wrecked near the same spot. There was a large cargo of copper on each vessel and part of it was insured in the China Traders' Insurance Company and also in the Canton Insurance Company. When the Bellona came to grief a schooner was sent down to guard her, but the schooner sustained some damage and she returned to Hongkong for When the sailing ship Abner Coburn arrived repairs. Upon going to the Bellona again it in port on the 13th August, from New York was found that the steamer had been looted by her crew had a sad tale to tell. On the 19th fishermen and the assistance of the Viceroy of June, when in Lat. 44 S., Long. 62 E: a heary Canton was obtained, the result being that about gale sprung up and during the tempest the $5,000 worth of the stolen copper, all of which
washed overboard by a
was marked, was recovered at Macoo and brought wheel-house was tremendous sen that shot over the stern to Hongkong. The copper found in the posses- of the vessel. The result was that the sion of the defendant was seized by Detective Captain, Mr. H. Nicholls, was thrown heavily Inspector Kemp in the Government Store and on the deck and both his legs were
the defendant was thereupon charged with hav- broken. He suffered other injuries and ing it in his unlawful possession. On Saturday notwithstanding the tender treatment he the question was raised as to whether the Ma- received at the hands of his wife and daughter,gistrate hud jurisdiction in the case, the copper who were making the voyage with him, he having been stolen in Chinese territory, and his Worship advised Mr. W. H. Ray, the Secretary died ten hours after the accident and was buried at sea. A sad gloom was cast over the ship, of the China Traders' Insurance Co., who ap which was taken charge of by the first officer, peared to prosecute, to consult with the Captain – who brought her to Hongkong. The first and Superintendent of Police and the Crown Soli second officers and two seamen also sustained citor as to what was the proper course to pursue. injuries, but fortunately they were of a slight The case was thereupon adjourned until Thurs- nature.
day, the accused being allowed bail,