284
His mission was now at an end, and there remained nothing for him to do but to return to Portugal, where news of the fleet was eagerly waited for. Duty, so faithfully and so nobly performed, could not fail to obtain its due recompense, and King Emmanuel conferred upon Vasco da Gama the title of "Dom" an honour which was seldom bestowed in those days. But what, to a true patriot like him, must have been of far greater value than the favour of his Sovereign, was the spectacle of his nation raised, by his discoveries, to the highest pinnacle of fame.
REVIEWS.
From Tonkin to India by the Sources of the Irawadi. January '95-January '96. By PRINCE HENRI D'ORLEANS. Translated by Hamley Bent, M.A. Illustrated by G. Vuillier. London: Methuen & Co. 1898. (Hongkong: Kelly & Walsh, Limited,) ADMIRABLY printed in large type and on good paper and profusely illustrated, the brightness of the Prince's narrative is enhanced by the ap- plication of all the resources of technical skill and good taste on the mechanical side. Illustra- tions adorn almost every page.
On the 13th Septemper, 1895, M. de Grand- maison and the Prince, having just returned from travelling in Madagascar, picked up M. Roux at Aden, where he had arrived direct from France. M. Roux was a naval lieutenant who had obtained leave of absence in order to ac company the Prince on his journey. From Aden they travelled eastward by the steamer Saghalien, After a month or so in Cochin-China and Cambodia, in the provinces of Battambang and Angkor, and in Annam, we were to make Ton- kin our base of departure. Skirting the northern or Chinese boundary of Tonkin and the Laotian States, we would endeavour to strike the Me- kong at the point where it enters Indo-China- that is to say, not far from the point where Garnier quitted it. Thence we should follow. the valley of the river, keeping as near As possible to its stream in order to determine its undefined course in China. Our highest goal was to be Tsekou on the frontier of Thibet. Above Tsokou the Mekong is known through the labours of missionaries: We should call at Talifu, the chief western mart of Yannan. And for our homeward route we would make the attempt to march due west," Unfortunately, before the final rendezvous M. de Grandmaison, who came up to Hongkong while his companions were visiting Hué, died here. The Prince and M. Roux decided to carry out the original project of the three, but while preparing for the start they were joined by M. Briffaud, one of the older Tonkin colonists, who was on the point of returning to France, but who, "being a pioneer at heart, was attracted by our enterprise, and asked to be allowed to join us as a volunteer," The expedition thus constituted set out from Hanoi on the 26th January, 1895, and, after eleven months of hard travelling, they reached Sadiga on the Brahmaputra, having fol. lowed the bold course they laid out for them. selves at the start. The journey was attended with a good deal of adventure and difficulty, but the explorers, the Prince at all events, always made the best of things, and seem never to have lost the sense of pleasure in their work. A good deal of interesting information is given as to the various tribes with which the journey brought the travellers in contact, and the book is a valuable addition to the geographical literature of Asia.
[April 9, 1898.
sent there is almost no competition. Were the lekin stations along the West River abolished by the Chinese, or if transit passes from Canton were used along that route, the trade of Mengtss would certainly suffer, unless a more liberal policy was followed in Tonkin. Then, too, it a Custom-house is opened on the Burma- Yunnan frontier, and the present rate : of transit charges continued in Tonkin, we may expect to see the trade of Mengtsz diminish yearly."
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
to the Empire of India. If you do this, you may perhaps retain your title, pleasures, and a shadow of authority; you will receive presents and become as one of the hired servants, but, dare to lift your head, and you will be smashed like a vase of which the pieces are thrown away and never spoken of again." Coming from a Frenchman animated by large ideas of French territorial aggrandizement in the Far East this is, perhaps, not singular-for all Frenchmen seem to entertain the same views regarding England--but it is certainly rather "cool." With a change of names the passage expresses exactly the ideas entertained by Frenchmen with regard to the countries bordering upon the French possessions in Indo-able as Chang-hai. China and more particularly with reference to Siam, a country which they covet most ard- ently, not because they have any trade there to protect or develop, or any material interest in it, but simply from a thirst for domination and a desire to keep England out.
Prince Henri is a believer in the tapping of South-western China by railways. He says:- I cannot too strongly insist on the danger there is of our playing the role of the hare to the English tortoise. Whilst writing these lines I have before me the last Report of the Royal Geographical Society, in which is marked by a dotted line the railway in course of construction from Mandalay to the frontier of China. The English have 275 miles in a straight line to traverse. We, who from Hanoi to Laokai have only 135 miles, or half as far,- what are we doing ?" And in another passage he pursues the same line of thought as follows:-
Our neighbours, who know full well that railways are the means of real colonisation, think to establish a line running from Mandalay in the direction of Xien-hong (Kenghung). Nay more, the first rails have been laid. It imports us to retort to this new move of England with a similar one of our own; and to this end it is absolutely necessary for us also to have a rail- way penetrating China. We had had a long lead in the matter of position; but again I repeat, beware of the fable of the hare and the tortoise. It is impossible to forecast the future. But a moment may be predicted when the framework of China will fall to pieces, and then,-first come first served, those that have the best perfected scheme of communication will win."
The accomplishment of the journey from Mengtsz to Ssumao appears to have filled the Prince with lively satisfaction, inasmuch as he had succeeded where Englishmen had failed, Hitherto," he writes, "we might congratulate ourselves: we had filled in the first portion of our work, and that in a country declared by the English to be impracticable. Colquhoun had written that notwithstanding the promise of his inception, he could not advance from Manhao by the right bank of the Songkoi; while, according to Bourne, the district which we had just traversed was without any means of communication. This statement is errone- ous, Roads abound-the most insignificant village is connected with the one next to it."
*
In reference to the trade of Mengtez Prince Henri makes an error which shows that he is
not so careful as he ought to be in repeating information conveyed to him. He says:-
The translator of Prince Henri's book, who has otherwise done his work well, has unfortu- nately followed the French spelling of the names of places. Shanghai is hardly recognis-
THE STRAITS INSURANCE CO.,
LIMITED.
The following is the fourteenth annual re- port for presentation to the shareholders at the twenty-first ordinary general meeting, to be held in the Company's Offices, Singapore, on the 12th April
To the shareholders of the Straits Insurance
Company, Limited.
Gentlemen,-Your Directors beg to submit the annexed balance sheet for the year ended 31st December, 1897.
The accounts have been adjusted at the ex- change of 2/0 per dollar.
1897. The Net Premiums for the year amonnt to $742,669.56 (£74,266.19.1) on which claims have been settled up to 31st December last amounting to $303,776.59 (£30,377.13.2). Commission
and Expenses amount to $219,719.52 (£21,971.19.0). The balance $219,173.45 (£21,917.6.11) is carried forward.
+
1896. The settlements on accouut of 1896 and previous years amount to $777,878.62 (£77,787.17.3). To meet the deficiency on this account, the sum of $110,000 has been trans- ferred from the reserve fund and reserve for exchange and investment fluctuation, and of this sum $30,000 is carried to underwriting re- serve to meet further claims on account of 1896 and previous years, the balance of $347.66 carried to new profit and loss account.
Interest on Investments amounts to $50,332.74 (£5,033,5.6),
DIRECTORS.
On their departure from the colony, Messrs, D. W. Lovell, P. C. Hoynek van Papendrecht, and Lee Chong Yan resigned. Mr. W. Naef was appointed in the place of Mr. P. C. Hoynck van Papendrecht.
In accordance with the provisions of Clause No. 105 of this Company's Articles of As- sociation, Mr. A. W. Stiven and Mr. W. Naef retire from the Board, but offer themselves for re-election.
AUDITORS,
In accordance with Clause No. 146 of the Company's Articles of Association Mr. J. Lyall and Mr. R. Dunman retire, but offer themselves for re-election,
T. C. BOGAARDT, T. S. THOMSON, Singapore, 28th March, 1898.
Directors.
BALANCE SHEET, 31ST DECEMBER, 1897, Dr.
To capital fully subscribed, 30,000 shares at To capital paid up
To reserve for renewal of buildings To underwriting suspense account
To balance of working account, 1897. To balance of profit and loss account. To unclaimed dividends To sundry creditors
The greater part of the merchandise is of English origin, and comes from Canton by
$100 The trade returns give a total of Pose. 2,105,200 taels, in which Tonkin unfortunately is only represented by 313,983 taels," These are the figures for 1894. Prince Henri's mistake lies in jumping to the conclusion Prince Henri has a great admiration of that because the bulk of the trade__was England's genius for commercial development, with Hongkong it followed the West River coupled with caridus petulent jealousy route, the fact being that the whole of the trade which leads him to strange conclusions. To at Mengtsz of which the Foreign Customs English readers of his book the references to take note goes via Tonkin. Whether the trade England will frequently give rise to a smile.from-Hongkong for western Yunnan will con- ́ In his description of Khamti, a remote plain tinue to follow that route now that the West half way between Tsekou and Assam, he River is being opened to steam navigation writes: "Indeed, nothing would appear to and freed from the squeeze system that be lacking to the happiness of the people of has hitherto obstructed trade is open to doubt Khamti. Only beware, you light-hearted folk, and depends to a great extent upon the you are perilously close to the British leopard. policy followed by the French. Mr. Carl, Com- His appetite is enormous: sooner or later, be it missioner of Customs, in his report on the trade from the mountains of Assam, or from the of Mengtsz for 1895 speaks of the increase of South, he will place his paw upon yon and bring the trade notwithstanding the heary transit you under his 'dominion. There is no escape for dues in Tonkin as demonstrating the natural you, ruler of Khamti! King Theshaw's lot advantages of the Red River route. "However," awaits you unless you give in your allegiano
he says,
"it must be remembered that at pre-
Cr.
C.
3,000,000.00 600,000.00 3,220.00 30,000.00 210,173.45
847.66
1,581.50
37,094.06
$891,416.87
9,449.89 15,000.00
By cash on current account with Banks,
China, &c. By fixed deposits in Banks, Singapore By real estate owned by the Company, S'pore 116,880.68 By mortgages of real estate, Singapore......... By municipal debentures, Singapore By Chinese Imperial Government loan E.... By agency balances and sundry debtors for
premis....
By sundry debtors..
170,000.00 70,000.00 14,293.97
32,012.00 8,868.55
83,375.61
45,689.83
By branch and agehey balances, London, &c. By cash on current account with Banks, Lon-
don, &c. By fixed deposits with Banks, Australia, &o... 21,325.00 By Government and municipal bonds and
stock, Australis..
15,300.00