not like the word "journalist." Some people are afraid to publicly express their opinions, and Aquinaldo is one of them. He becaino rather austere. He had nothing to say then, but if our representative would call in a few days he would perhaps be able to say something. What were the conditions of your sur. render?" asked the Daily Press reporter.
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"If you call in a few days-three or four days-perhaps I will tell you," he replied.
But you know them now ?" we persisted. Aquinaldo remained impassive and silent on that subject. In answer to another query he said he did not know how long he would remain in Hongkong, or what he would do in the future.
"Can you tell me what were the true causes of the rebellion ?"
The principal cause," said Aquinaldo, "was the antagonism of the priests; that is all."
We harked back to the original question with the hope of getting a definite answer, but Aquinaldo was not to be drawn, and our re- presentative retired.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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And what about the thousands of meu re- maining behind ?”
Que of the conditions is that the rebels still remaining within the small radius of the insur- rection must deliver up their arms to the Government, and in return they will be pars doned and a passport giren to them to return to their own native villages."
*4
Will any of the troops be withdrawn now that the rebellion is over?" asked the inter- viewer.
"The troops will not be withdrawn. We keep a strong shall always" said the Colonel, force in the Philippines, and we shall send At home only the sick and time-expired men. present there are twenty-two thousand troops there."
the
Colonel Rivera wished to lay stress on fact that the rebellion existed only in the five Tagalic provinces, which comprise a very small When the Governor- but monatainous area. General decided to call for volunteers there was
quite a rush of people anxious to help the Go- vernment, aud in the first buttle in which the volunteers took part there was a keen competi- tion amongst the different companies as to which should be the first to take the field.
The
[January 5, 1898. complaints had been received from the butchers be (the Medical Officer of Health) was prepared to move the continuation of the closure.
The SECRETARY said no complaints had been received and the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon reported that things had worked very smoothly. The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH then moved that the cattle depôt at Kowloon remain closed until a further report was received from the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon.
The PRESIDENT seconded. Carried.
ADJOURNMENT.
The Board then adjourned until next Thurs. day week.
ARRIVAL OF H,M.S. 'POWERFUL'
The first class cruiser Powerful, which left Singapore on the 29th December, entered Hong- kong harbour by Lyemoon Pass at one o'clock
Monday afternoon. 3rd January. large vessel, which is the largest warship attracted considerable bere,
on
ever seen
The
as she slowly steamed to her attention buoy, and her immense proportions dwarfed all the other vessels in the man-of-war anchorage, Asked whether any arms were surreptitiously even the Grafton appearing to be but a mita as compared with her. The l'owerful bad 1,090 imported into the islands Colonel Rivera said
seals on board, including reliefs for the fleet. he did not think so for one momen!. rebels armed themselves with either their own Immediately the buoy was reached the Captain weapons or with weapons they took in the first (Hon. Hedworth Lambton) paid a visit to Com- moment of surprise from the police outposts modure Holland. The Powerful will take in The rebels had little difficulty in obtaining nearly three thousand tons of coal and it is ex- food, which has always consisted simply of rice,pected she will leave for the North as soon as
possible. The Grafton leaves to-day.
The Colonel had now got to the end of his breakfast and as he had no more to say he cordially wished the interviewer good:bye.
Lieutenant-Colonel Primo de Rivera was far more communicative and be told his story while having his breakfast. As we have said, the Colonel is a fine specimen of the Spanish soldier. He is only twenty-seven years of age, and his rapid promotion was due to mauy igual services rendered to his country, particularly in Mellila, Africa, where, in the campaign against the natives of Morocco, he distinguished himself by rushing through the enemy's ranks and rescuing a cannon.
Through Mr. MacLeod, who acted as inter-salt fish, and a sort of dried meat, but latterly it was believed they were getting towards the preter, Colonel Rivera said that the war in the
end of their resources. Philippines was a very great evil, because, al- though the rebels were practically without means, they gave considerable trouble in the mountainous districts. At length a well known Philippino assumed the rôle of peacemaker and consented to act as mediator between the Spanish Government and the rebels. He found that the rebels were very anxious to give up their arms and the negotiations for peace were The quickly and satisfactorily concluded. Tebel chiefs were offered sufficient money wherewith to live abroad and surprised at this offer and confiding solely in the generosity of the Government, they consented to surrender. The proclamation of peace was received with great enthusiasm by the natives, who are anxious that the riches of the country shall be advantageously applied. While the negotiations for peace were in progress Colonel Rivera, alone and unarmed, with the exception of his sword, went to the rebel camp at Biad Na Bato, which is a mountain near the well known sulphur springs of Sibul. in the province of Bulacan, and distant about sixty miles from Manila: To reach this place one goes by rail as far as Calumpit, on the Rio Grande, and from there across very difficult country, which has to be traversed on horseback or in some vehicle. It was the mountainous and rough nature of the country that gave the rebels no little ad- vantage, their position being somewhat similar to that of the Afridis on the north-west frontier of India. At the conclusion of the negotiations Colonel Rivera conducted the rebel ohiefs to Sual, where they all embarked on board the Spanish steamer Uranus, which sailed for Hongkong on the 27th December. Throughout this journey the rebel chiefs were permitted to the good intentious of the Spanish Government. carry their revolvers as a sort of guarantee of the Spanish, officers being unarmed.
Asked about the future, the Colonel remarked that he did not know what the thirty-five men would do. They could please themselves on that point. They could go anywhere they wished, even to Spain, but they were prohibited from going to any Spanish colony for the pre- sent.
Colonel Rivera, in answer to another question, said no special conditions or promises were made by the Government. The chiefs had been until supplied with sufficient money to live upon such time as it was deemed expedient to permit them to return to the Philippines.
There is a rumour," said our reporter, “ that the men have been paid one and a half million dollars by the Government, Is that true?
No," replied the Colonel. "You may assure the public that the amount does not reach a third part of that sum.”,
OF WRECK
NARA MARU' THE WITH LARGE LOSS OF LIFE. [FROM OUR FORMOSA CORRESPONDENT.] Tamsni, 28th December. On the morning of the 24th instant the Nara Muru, a merchant steamer belonging to the a hidden rock Osaka Shosen Kwaisha, ran on of the Pescadore group and was sedly in- jured that she sank with nearly all on board Out of eighty passengers and crew, but seven of the crew were able to reach shore. As soon as the report of the disaster reached the authorities the Anping Maru was dispatche.! to the scene, followed soon after by the cruiser Tenryu. The weather was very stormy, how- ever, and the two vessels were obliged for their own protection to keep a distance from the wreck. The marine police of the Pescadores, by utilizing the native boats, were enabled to reach the wreck and a few bodies, including that of Captain Yasuda, were recovered. The drowned are all Japanese. Particulars will be sent later."
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held at the offices on 30th December, Dr. J. M.
Atkinson (Principal Civil Medical Officer) pre- sided, and there were also present-Hon. R. D. Ormsby (Director of Public Works), Dr. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. T. A. Howe
McCallum (Secretary). Deputy Superintendent of Police), Mr. H.
The following is the list of the officers of the l'owerful-Captain the Hon. Hedworth Lamb- ton Commanders A. P. Ethelston and Logan - S. Standsfield (N.) Lieutenants John Nicholas, F. G. Egerton (G), A. W. Heneage (T.), Halsey, P: Streatfield, M. H. Hodges, J. A. Ingles; Capt. of Marines, A. G. B. Urmston ; Lieut. of Marines, F. J. Saunders; chaplain and Nav. inst., Rev. E. G. Cull, M.A.; Fleet Sur- geon, J. C. Dow, M.B.1. Fleet Paymaster, W. H. F. Kay; Fleet Engineer, R. W. Edwards; Sub-Lieuts., B. V. Brooke, A. B. S. Dutton, and W. B. Compton; Surgeon, C. M. Beadnell; Assit. Paym., C. J. E. Rotter; Engineers, L. Wall, E. H. Ellis, C. C. Sheen; Assist. Engineers, L. Howell, F. J. Charlton, J. J, shirvell, H. C. Dowling.
HONGKONG HIGH-LEVEL TRAM- WAYS CO., LIMITED. The thirteenth ordinary general meeting of the shareholders in the Hongkong High-Level Tramway. Company, Limited, was held at the offices of the general managers, Messrs. J. D. Humphreys and Son, on 31st Dec., at noon. Mr. Hart Buck presided and there were also present -Messrs. J. Orange. C. Ewens, H. Humphreys, H. Wicking, G. Murray Bain, and A. H. Man- cell,
Mr. HUMPHREYS read the notice convening the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN-Gentlemen, the report has been in your hands for several days, so with your You will be permission I will take it as read: pleased to find that our returns are steadily in- creasing, and we are this year able to pay a dividend of 7 per cent. against 6 per cent. last
everything points to a continued steady increase in our earnings, particularly as the new r, ad now in course of construction will open up The minutes of the last meeting were read and Magazine Gap and its locality to the tram
year. I think I can safely say that almost
confirmed.
MINUTES.
PLAGUE IN BOMBAY.
The official return showed that from the 17th
November to the 1st December there were 213 cases of plague in the city of Bombay and 148 deaths.
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
For the week ended 18th December the death rate was 17.7, and for the week ended 25th December 18.7. as against 23.7 and 13.6 respec- tively for the corresponding week of last year.
THE CATTLE DEPOT-AT KOWLOON.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH said that at the last meeting an order was made closing the cattle depôt at Kowloon for a fort- night. It was closed for that short period, because Mr. Ede rather feared that the butchers of Kowloon might suffer a hardship. If no
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Bervice. The closing of the Mount Austin Hotel has, of course, been a loss to us since. 1st October, but when it is again inhabited we expect to more than recover any loss that has been sustained. I do not, however, wish share. holders to take too sanguine a view of the future for we must bear in mind that with the low ex. change one of the principal items of our expen- diture, that is the cable, costs us about more than it did when we first took the management of the Company. The price of coal also has considerably increased and we do not anticipate any reduction of prices for some time to come. At the same time we feel confident that share- holders will continue to receive a steady return on their investments. Before moving the adop tion of the report and statement of accounts I shall be pleased to answer any questions,