264
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
We (Singapore Free Press) understand that the German steamer Amigo, which is at present under charter to the Borneo Co.. will on her arrival in Hongkong, vin Saigon, be chartered to Messrs. Kunst and Alber, the leading firm in Vladivostock, to run between Hongkong and that port. After being re-classed she will take | in a general cargo, consisting amongst other things of flour and stores, for Vladivostock.
The Manager of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China informs us that he has received telegraphic advice from the head office in London that at the approaching meet- ing of shareholders of the Bank the directors will recommend a dividend for the past half year at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum, free of income tax, making 9 per cent. for the year, that £75,000 be added to the reserve fund, and £12,000 carried forward as undivided profit.
Mr. St. C. Michaelsen and family left for Europe on 30th March by the N. D. L. steamer Bayern, and will carry with them the good wishes of a large circle of friends. Mr. Michaelsen, who has had a highly successful business career, has retired from the firm of Messrs. Melchers & Co., and will not, we believe, return to the Far East. He came out to the firm from which he now re- tires, in 1877, and has been the Hongkong resident partner for the last ten years. He has filled the chair of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank and several of our public companies
and in business as well as in social life has earned the respect of all who knew him. He also filled the office of Russian Consul and in 1891 had the honour of receiving the present Czar, then Czarowitch, on his visit to Hong- kong, for which he was decorated with the brders of St. Stanislaus and St. Anne.
£1
We have received from Messrs. Lane, Craw- ford & Co. a copy of Chinese Airs," arranged for the pianoforte by Mr. W. G. Bentley, A.R.C.M., Bandmaster of the 1st P.W.Q. West Yorkshire Regiment. The selection has been dapted to Western notation and harmonised from the original Chinese tunes. There are tight numbers, of which "Sin Fa" (Fairy Flower) is the brightest and the most popular with the Chinese. To Western ideas Chinese music is peculiar, but Mr. Bentley's selection of Airs will form an interesting item in any musi- oian's repertoire. Many of our readers will be familiar with the airs through hearing them played by the West Yorkshire Band; the piano- forte arrangement is perhaps not quite so pleasing, but that is only equivalent to saying that the piano is incapable of producing the same effects as a full band. In one of Mr. Bentley's remarks accompanying the airs he says "The So-na or Chinese clarinet is played with a reed similar to a bassoon, only smaller; the whole of the reed is inserted in the month and produces a tone which is better heard at a distance," a remark which may be applied to the generaty of Chinese musical instruments, though we have heard the yang-ch'ui (Chinese dulcimer) played very sweetly.
A game of American football was played at the Happy Valley on 29th March between teams representing the Olympia and the rest of the fleet. American football is, to the uninitiated Englishman an exaggerated and rough and tumble form of the Rugby game. There were innumerable sorimmages, each of which lasted on an average about half a minute, the ball no sooner being taken than all the men rolled on each other in a heavy mass and the whistle sounded. The Olympia won, as far as we could ascertain, by two goals and two tries to nothing, and the game was, according to one gentleman, remarkably good "considering that the players were green and out of practice." A bucket containing water or some other liquid played as important a part in the game as the ball. Players continually ran and refreshed them selves, even in the middle of the game, and if a player got injured, the same liquid was used to bathe the wounds and wash away the blood. It was a well fought game, and as far as personal injuries were concerned honours were easy. At half time only two of the players had their heads bandaged, but we did not stop to see how many more sufferers there were at the finish. One feature of the game was uite foreign to the spectators. Frequently one heard somebody shout " 18.4. 29.7," or other ngures, which it seems are a private code signal which only the particular side it is intended for understand.
|
[April 2, 1898.
COMMERCIAL.
TEA. EXPORT OF TEA FROM CHINA TO GREAT BRITAIN.
1897-08 1896-97
lbs. 5,887,884 6,277,740 14,058,989 17,809,185 12,309.801 12,518,868
Canton and Macao Shanghai and Haukow
At a special meeting of the Hongkong Sani- tary Board on Thursday it was decided, owing to the prevalence of bubonic plague, and smallpox at- Macao, to recommend the Government to institute a medical inspection of all Chinese coming to Hongkong from Macao. Dr. J. M. Atkinson (Principal Civil Medical Officer) has been to Macao recently with the object of getting information as to the prevalence of the plague there, and previous to yesterday's meet- ing his report was in the hands of the members. The report is to be considered confidential, and we are consequently unable to lay it before our readers. Only one paragraph was read at the EXPORT OF TEA FROM CHINA TO UNITED meeting, namely:-"For some months past smallpox and plague have been prevalent in Macao."
MISCELLANEOUS.
Amoy....
685,651
82,012,265
589,478
87,195,277
Shanghai..... Amoy Foochow
STATES AND CANADA.
1897-98 lbs. 18,823,511 .15,861,506
1896-97
IL:s.
18,241214,
19,022,415
AVANAN
7,516,003
11,405,219
42,201,920 48,671,758
The stock, goodwill, and fixtures of the Shanghai Daily Press were sold by auction by Messrs. Noel, Murray & Co. on 21st March. EXPORT OF TEA FROM CHINA TO ODESSA, The whole was sold in one lot, and was knocked down to Mr. Thos. Kingsmill, the price realised being Tls. 10,100.
The China Gazette states that the German mail steamer Bayern is taking home nearly £250,000 in gold bars from Chinn, the export by the "big" "bank alone representing £150,000 worth of the yellow metal from China. Our contemporary believes the bulk of this gold has come from Japan.
We (China Gazette) learn that cargo going home to Europe by a Russian steamer from Japan has been insured at home at war-rates. Whether the owner of the cargo in question is acting on a straight tip," or merely threw away his money in a sudden and unreasoning fit of terror, remains to be seen.
At Hêngchon in Hunan the soldiers took advantage the other day of a festival in honour of Longevity Buddha to pull down the chapel belonging to the London Mission, and carry off
everything they could lay their hands on. No with the chapel.-N. C. Daily News. personal injury was done to anyone connected
Fire broke out in two of the cotton mills at Shanghai on the afternoon of the 24th March, the first at the Laou-kung-mow Mill, and the second at the International. In both cases it occurred in the scutching rooms, but it was dis- covered before any damage to speak of was done through the alarm of Grinnell's sprinklers. The fires in both cases were put out without In the International two much difficulty. workwomen were injured in the rush.—China Gazette.
On
1897-98
lbs.
1896-97
lbs. 22,9 0,128
Shanghai and Hankow...19,162,293
EXPORT OF TEA FROM JAPAN TO UNITED STATES AND CANADA,
1896-97
1897-98 lbs.
Yokohams.................. 20,739,512
Kobe
lbs.
27,565,583
***
15,776,817
14,961,219
42,516,829
42,526,802
SILK.
SHANGHAI, 28th March.-(From Messrs. A. E, Burkill & Sons' Circular).-London telegrams to date quote a quiet market and Blue Elep- bants 10/3. Gold Kilings are quoted from Lyons at Fcs. 27.75. Raw Silk.-Again nothing to re- port. In Taysaams, a parcel of Chincum Tiger Tayhow has been settled of Tis. 450. In Yellow
Silk some 100 bales have been settled; the mar ket remains quiet. Arrivals, as per Customs
Returns, March 19th to 26th, are 165; bales
White, 63 balea Yellow, and 189 bales Wild Silk. Re-reels and Filatures.-About 50 bales Steam Filatures, market cargo, have been settled at Tls. 640 to Tls. 695. The Export of Steam Filatures to date is: 5,141 bales to America, 3,476 bales to the Continent, 47 bales to Japan and 23 bales to London. Waste Silk.-Nothing doing.
Prices calculated by Maerten's 'l'ables at 11 per cent.; Exchange 2/64; Freight Tls. 7.45 ver bale:
Chinonma-Tiger, Tayhow Yellow Silk.-Meeyang No. 1
Wongchow Steam Filatures.-
Market Chops, 18/15 den.....
to
Tis. Stig. per pol. per 15.
350 9,91 880 7/8 ..270 a 280 6:0} a 6/8
640 a 685 13/91 a 14/117
EXPORT OF SILK FROM CHINA AND JAPAN
Shang! ai Canton
Yokohama...
At Asan, in the Marianne Islands, a British subject named Galo Kaminga was murdered on the 9th January last. From the report of the occurrence given by the Manila Comercio it appears that the victim and his wife were taking a walk when they met & drunken native ex-convict named Francisco Cruz, who attempted to kiss the lady's hand. Thereupon Kamings knocked him down. getting up the ex-convict said, "You had better look out," and ran to his house, which was close by. Kaminga went to give information to the Gobernadorcillo, who ordered the arrest of the ex-convict, but when they were going to execute the warrant the criminal gave Kaminga a stab Shanghai in the heart which proved instantly fatal. He then escaped and fed into the mountains, but was arrested two days later.
An accident which might possibly have ended- in a sad disaster occurred in the Lyceum Theatre at Shanghai on Saturday evening. 19th March, but was averted through the pluck and promptness of Madam Portier and Mr. Lefarriere. It appears that one of the wings dropped upon a lighted gas jet and immediately caught fire. Madame Portier seeing it rushed and seized the wing: endeavouring to remove it from the gas bracket and Mr. Lefarriere coming up rendered assistance and on getting the scene from the gas beat out the flames with his hat. No one else appeared to observe the scene fall and had it escaped the notice of the lady and gentleman in question it is terrible to contemplate the possible result, with so many children on the stage and such a full audience. They deserve the thanks of the community. Shanghai Daily Press,
TO AMERICA.
1897-98
1896-97
bales.
bales.
11,240
5,0184
10,908
3,950
80,851
17,277
52,999
25,711
EXPORT OF SILK FROM CHINA AND
JAPAN. TO EUROPE.
1897-98
1896-97
bales.
bales.
46,588
44,557
20,915
20,481
Yokohama......................................................... 18,068
16,976
82,014
85,871
CAMPHOR.
HONGKONG, 1st April.-There is little change in this market to be reported. Quotations for Formosa are $46.00 to $46.25. Sales, 300 piculs.
SUGAR.
HONGKONG, 1st April.-A further fall in prices is reported, the market being very dull. Quota- tions are:-
:
*
hekloong, No. 1. White...$7.30 to 7.88 per pol. Shekloong, No. 1, Brown... 3.87 to 3.90
2. White... 7.00 to 7.03
do.
*
do.
2, Brown... 4.76 to 4.80 swalow, No. 1, White... 7.22 to 7.25
do.
2. White..... 6.92 to 6.95
Swatow, No. 1, Brown... 4.82 to 4.85
do.
2, Brown... 4.72 to 4.75 Foochow Sugar Candy......11.80 to 11.85 Shekloong
..............10.20 to 10.50
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