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December 22, 1897.)
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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THE THAMES LANDS A CASE AT PENANG.
[SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE "DAILY PRESS."}
Singapore, 17th December.
The P. & O. steamer Thames arrived at Penang to-day and landed a case of plague.
The passengers were not allowed to land nor cargo to be discharged.
was terribly mutilated. The gang landed in four ¦ PLAQUE ON THE MAIL STEAMER, separate parts of the town and at once pro. ceeded to set fire to a large number of houses, which were completely destroyed. Mr. Gauthier | was killed by a blow with a coupe-coupe, which is an Annamite sword, and not content with merely taking away his life the murderous gang cut off his nose and left ear, lincked his arms and legs, and also struck his lifeless body with a pick-axe. The scene of this brutal murder waS, In as may be imagined, must sickening. various parts of the town there are ngly traces of the work of the incendiarists, the road leading to the cemetery being simply a mass of burnt rains. The funeral of Mr. Gauthier was to have taken place on the 17th inst. Precise information as to the exact motives of the gang and of how the attack was quelled has not yet come to hand.
EXTRAORDINALY ADVENTURE
WITH SMUGGLERS.
THREE DAYS WITHOUT FOOD,
The launch Fi Wan, which had been previously reported as missing, arrived in the harbour on Sunday, 19th December, in tow of another launch. The crew have given an account of a most startling adventure they had with a number of smugglers. On Wednesday, 15th Dec., some men went to the Chi Wo Company's wharf on the Praya and engaged the launch Fi Won for the purpose of towing a junk laden, as they said, with coal from Laichikok to Aber
deen.
[The Thames is from Bombay and is bring. ing on the English Mail of the 26th Novem- ber, having connected at Colombo with the Himalaya.]
THE STRAITS CHINAMAN IM- PRISONED AT AMOY.
[SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE "DAILY PRESS.",
Singapore. 16th December.
The Minister at Peking. replying to the Governor of the Straits Settlements with re- ference to the case of Khun Yiong, the Singa- | pore Chinaman imprisoned at Amoy, says that Khun Yiong holds land at Amoy, has a wife there, and passes as a Chinese subject.
Before the above telegram was received the following was in type:-
E+
name
every assistance and protection of which he may stand in need." This passport the Legation and Consular officials decline to recognise as establishing the man's right to protection and the Tantai of Amoy has been informed by the Consul that he is not a British subject, although he was registered at the Consulate as such on the 1st October, 1897.
The snit against Khun Yiong has been in stituted by Messrs. Pasedag & Co.. in connection We understand with the charter of a steamer. the defendant claims that he is not a member of the Pochun Hong. the firm chartering the steamer, but that another mau of the same name, who is at large and nnmolested. is the head. The Pochun firm is said to be registered at the Consulate. Before news reached Khan Yiong at Singapore of the sequestration of his was what brought him to property, which Amoy, a relation of his was arrested and is still detained in gaol. It is said that large sums of money are being extorted from Khun Yiong.
We learn that the Governor of the Straits Settlements has telegraphed to the home Gov- ernment in reference to the case of Kbun Viong, the Straits _Chinaman imprisoned at. moy, whom the British Consul there has, by direction of the Minister, declined to The pass- The launch was despatched in charge recognise as a British subject. of a pilot, the master, and four men, while port issued to Kann Yiong by the Governor states that he is a British subject born in the men who had engaged her of course went with her. When Laichikok was reached. Singapore and that his father and mother were both British subjects. In the usual form it a tow rope was made fast to a junk which, as
of Her Britannic far as outward appearances went, was heavily requests in the laden with coal, and the launch was then steered Majesty all those whom it may concern to in the direction of Aberdeen. When nearing allow O Khun Yiong (British subject), travel- Green Island the crew were suddenly alarmedling in China, to pass freely and to afford hin by the men simultaneously drawing their revolvers and ordering all the crew below. The crew could do nothing but obey this peremptory order, and they were then imprisoned, as the batch was firmly nailed down. The launch pro- cecded on its way and, as was afterwards proved, was taken to Deep Bay, Castle Peak. When the launch stopped the men below heard a great commotion ou board the junk as if unloading operations were going on. This continued with occasional quiet in- tervals until Saturday morning, when, no further noises being heard, the imprisoned crew concluded that the desperadoes had left the scene. The hatchway was burst open and one of the men went ashore and made his way to Hongkong, where he arrived on Saturday afternoon. He at once informed the launch owners of the extraordinary adventure of himself and the other members of the crew, and another launch was thereupon despatched to Deep Bay. It was night time when the missing launch was reached and as it was thought that the gang might still be in the vicinity it was deemed advisable to lay quiet until dawn. On Sunday morning the launch was boarded and then brought safely back to Hongkong. It is inferrel that the junk really contained fire-arms or dynamite and that the coal was only a misleading top dressing. Whatever the illicit cargo was it is certain cbar- that the smugglers are determined acters, for they kept their captives entirely without food during the whole time and also deprived them of any means whereby they could see what transpired. The Custome officials, too, were apparently completely de- ceived as to the nature of the cargo où the junk, or they failed in the darkness to notice the launch and junk passing the station. It is to be hoped that the police will soon succeed in It effecting a capture of the whole gang. should be added that all the coal was taken out of the launch and the engines were damaged, slightly however, but sufficient to render them unworkable.
A fire broke out in the scutching room of the Alpha Farm Cotton Mill at Shanghai at about 11 o'clock on the night of the 15t December. The mill is fortunately fitted with a complete installation of Grinnell Sprinklers, fourteen of which opened automatically and extinguished the fire in something less than half-an-hour, The damage done was trifling.
The details of the case are at present of small importance as compared with the broad question of principle involved, namely, whether Khun Ying, being a British subject, is entitled to case tried by his own Consul, or have the whether he has forfeited that right owing to failure to register himself before the suit against him was commenced.
HOW HONGKONG WAS NOP CAPTURED.
It was late in the spring of the year 1900 that I accompanied my regiment down from Vladivostock in one of the Russian transports which conveyed our forces to Mirs Bay. I was at that time but a captain in an infantry regi- ment, though I have, by combined good luck and influence, since blossomed into Military Governor of one of our Chinese provinces. It was through distinguishing myself in the at- tack on Hongkong and our masterly retreat, overland northward, that I became acquainted of the commanders of that with Prince - One expedition, and to him I am largely indebted for my present position and influence.
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that important fortress is still in their hands, for if neglect and stupidity, on their part, could have their due, Hongkong must certainly have been ours and Mirs Bay with it. You bet As the Americans say!
I must, however, give these British bulldogs their due; they fought like very devils against overwhelming odds; and the Indian troops, too, fought well. The garrison simply did wonders, but it was the return of their fleet which saved them from final defeat.
Our forces numbered 10,000 men, carried in six transports, and we had in addition a fleet of war-ships. co-operating, numbering eight ships, including two battle-ships. There were also a fleet of torpedo boats and two torpedo destroyers. The French force co-operating with us numbered 10,0.0 men, half of these being Annamite troops. Their fleet of war- vessels was of about the same strength as ours.
Our forces were considered to be more than sufficient for the task, but having made sure of Hongkong we had then to undertake the cap- ture of Singapore, and we had allowed for heavy losses in capturing Hongkong and a garrison for Hongkong after it was taken, which would reduce the available fores for the capture of Singapore to about half the number employed against the former place.
It must here be mentioned that the Chinese were cognisant of the whole plan, they having been bought over to lend all assistance in their power by a promise that Hongkong should be banded over to them for a naval station in lieu of Port Arthur, a promise which there was no in- teation whatever of fulfilling but good enough to fool them with for the time being. We were to retain Hongkong and the French were to bare Singapore, "if it saited us," you under- stand.
On the night of the 9th May all our ships were to enter Tolo Harbour, Mirs Bay, having the previous day rendezvoused at a point to the S.S.E. of the Pescadores well out of the track of all vessels. The attack was to begin on the night of the 10th, after having communicated overland with the French forces, which were to enter and take possession of the Lantao Channel entering from the direction of Macao—like- wise, on the night of the 9th May.
The Chinese undertook to have an ample supply of junks and boats both at Lantao and in Mirs Bay for the landing of our men and guns. They also undertook to have a Canton gunboat squadion at our service in Mirs Bay, together with all their torpedo boats, and we were authorized to seize the two Customs cruisers which we would find at anchor in Bias Bay and Mirs Bay together with any Customs launches which might be about. The Chinese likewise undertook to furnish provisions for the forces, on due payment for same. They were quite jubilant about getting Hongkong into their possession again and onsting the hated Fan-kwai, They benignly considered us dutiful subjects of His Celestial Emperorship, but doubtless meant to foil us, as they thought, as. we were in reality going to foil them.
Towards the end of April, by pre-arrange- ment, serious troubles broke out in the neigh. bourhood of Tientsin. Mobs attacked foreigners off the settlements, and then repeated attacks were made, night after night, on the settle- ments then selves, and incendiary fires broke out from time to time. This was the signal for us to send a strong force of troops both to Peking and Tientsin, a simple matter now that the railway was completed. Simultaneously troubles broke out at Seoul, Korea, and we sent further troops there,
out
By the 1st or 2nd May all the British fleet had gathered in the Gulf of Pechili with the exception of the few ships left to police Hong: kong and the Treaty Ports. Now was our time! The troopships for the South had crept, one by one, of Vladivostock, almost unnoticed; if anyone did notice it was believed that they were bound for the Gulf of echili. The telegraph wires were, as far as the British fleet was concerned, practically cut, they were kept well occupied by bogus riots, etc, while our ships sped on their way south. None but How fast ships were employed on this mission, both However, to return to my theme. Hongkong was not Captured." I must first transports and fighting ships. tell you that our plans had been long previously prepared and every precaution taken against failure. The British have to thank their good lack more than their good management that
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On the night of the 9th May all our ships were snug in Tolo Harbour and on the morn- ing of the 10th our engineers were busy placing the guns on the gun platforms, which