308
SAIGON.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Saigon, 7th April. There have again been a good many fires in Saigon and in the native town of Cholon and Insurance Companies have suffered heavy Josses. It is now contemplated to establish a special fire brigade, and steam fire engines have been ordered, as the hand pumps of the Chinese hongs are wholly insufficient. At the Cholon 'fires the fine steam fire-engine of the Bau Ton Guan rice mill is always first on the spot and under the direction of Mr. Lim Keng, the Manager, and Mr. Richardson, the chief engi- neer, does immense service.
Quarantine of nine days, including the voyage, has been established on all vessels arriving here from your part. This seems to happen now every year. You should watch more strictly the movements of vessels and passengers in your
harbour.
The Government has established some new taxes. A three-cent stamp must now be affixed to each ten-box packet of matches. Dealers, profiting by this, have increased their price, and a packet now costs ten cents retail instead of three cents as formerly. Sult is now a monopoly and is sold at $1.65 a picul or two cents per kilo. The Messageries Maritimes steamer Arethuse, which has been employed on the branch line between Saigon and Haiphong, has been sold by auction for $24,000, the purchasers being Shanghai people.
The demand for rice, especially for Japan, continues as strong as ever, and prices are going up, notwithstanding a fine crop.
HONGKONG.
The visit of Prince Henry of Prussia to Hongkong was brought to a conclusion ou Wednesday when he left for Shanghai in the Gefion, the Deutschland following the day after. The latter vessel has undergone extensive re- pairs while in Hongkong. Another importaut event of the week was the inspection of the local Volunteers on Thursday afternoon. They made a most creditable show, and the observa- tion of the Acting-Governor, Major-General Black, that the Hongkong Volunteers need pot be ashamed of the appearance they have made," was thoroughly deserved. At the in- quest on Monday on the body of the coolie who died from injuries received in the affray at East Point Sugar Refinery the previous week a verdict to the effect that he died from a
44
་་
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
fractured skull inflicted by foreman Gillies in self-defence was returned. An interesting lecture on
Vasco da Gama, and the discovery of the sea route to India was delivered before the members of the Odd Volumes Society on Wednesday afternoon. An important meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on Thursday, a long discussion taking place with reference to the plague.
A Government notification was issued at Manila on the 31st March imposing nine days' quarantine on arrivals from Hongkong and other ports infected with bubonic plague, the period occupied by the voyage to be in- cluded in the said nine days.
A large congregation assembled in St. John's Cathedral on 12th April for the purpose of witnessing the wedding of Mr. Henry Humphreys, son of the late Mr. J. D. Humphreys, and Miss Eva Humphreys, daughter of Mr. W. G. Humphreys, of this colony. The Rev. R. F. Cobbold was the officiating clergyman, the sisters of bride were the bridesmaids, and Mr. J. A. Jupp was the best man. The altar had been prettily decorated for the occasion with flowers and foliage.
A Chinese named Chau Yee Choi, who was undergoing one month's imprisonment for steal ing, committed suicide by hanging himself in his cell on 9th April. An Indian warder last saw the man alive at ten minutes past eight in the morning, and on visiting him again a quarter of an hour afterwards be found him hanging by his trousers strap from the gate of his cell. He at once ont him down. Deceased was admitted i..to the Gaol on the 5th inst. An inquest was held on 11th April, and a verdict of "suicide by hanging" was returned.
|
Craigieburn is to be opened as an annexe to the Peak Hotel on the 1st May.
There were 2,617 visitors to the City Hall Museum last week, of whom 198 wers Europeans, It is notified in the Gazette that Mr. J. Grant Smith has been recognised as in temporary charge of the Peruvian Consulate-General during the absence from the colony of Mr. Felipe S. Mesa, or until further notice.
Commander Hastings had some more gamblers before him on 11th April. On Sunday night Sergeant Macnab raided the coolie quar. ters at 23. Deep Water Bay, and found about 20 men engaged in playing pai pau. They all got off except fire, each of whom was fined $3 or 14 days.
£6
from the British Minister to Bangkok :-
The following telegram has been received Bangkok, 9th April, 1898. Governor, Hong. kong.-Bubonic plague all vessels from Hong kong shall call at Kohphae and complete nine days from date of sailing before receiving pratique. BRITISH MINISTER,"
fire was discovered to have broken out at a to-
At about three
a.in. on 11th April a
bacconist's shop at No. 288, Queen's road West. and a staff of firemen from No. 7 Station turned The alarm being given Inspector McDonald
found some bales of tobacco on fire and the first out and also some men from No. 5 Station. They floor of the premises, which are two storeys in height, had also become iguited. Having res- cued the inmates without much difficuity the to prevent the outbreak affecting the adjoining firemen set to work to extinguish the flames and premises. They succeeded in this, though not
before the first floor was burned out and the ground floor considerably damaged. The dam- age, which is estimated at several hundred dol. lars, is not covered by insurance. The cause of the fire is not stated.
In his report for 1897 Mr. J. R. Crook, Sani- tary Surveyor, says -Permission has been granted in fewer instances for the erection of water closets and urinals, and it has been almost entirely for new business premises on the Re- clamation. With an ample water supply such as I trust now exists the water carriage system is far cleanlier and more sanitary than the system of hand removal where dry earth is not applied. It is worthy of note that in 1870 the
Rivers
Ribble) reported that slop-waters from kitchens Pollution Commission (Mersey and containing animal and vegetable refuse rapidly becomes more offensive and, contrary to what at first sight would seem to be the case, it is quite as strong and as foul as the sewage from a water-closeted town. If this be so then the
[April 16, 1898.
The maximum temperature last month was 79.8, on the 31st, and the minimum 53,2, on the 10th, the mean for the month being 64.3. The rainfall amounted to 0.17 inch.
Lak Lam, who keeps a small draper's shop at 34, Jervois Street, was on 12th April fined $25. or two months, for having in his possession a certain measure not according to the standard measure of the colony.
At the Magistracy on 13th April the master of the German lorcha Gem was charged with un- lawfully neglecting to cover a deck load of dan- gerous goods-kerosine oil-while being water- borne in Victoria Harbour on the 10th inst. Inspector Kerr stated the case, and a fine of $25 was imposed.
Commander Hastings held an inquest at the Gaol on 13th April on the body of a prisoner named Wong Ngan, who died in the Hospital on the previous day. He was sentenced about a month ago for returning to the colony after having death had been caused by exhaustion due to been banished therefrom. The doctor said that
multiple abscesses on the liver, and a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony was re- turned.
Queen's Road West on Wednesday evening. Lam Cheong. Tam Chun, and Li Tsui were the disturbing elements in an opium divan in Ho Yau, a hawker, was in the divan with de- feudants and others when he dropped a ten cent piece on the floor. He took up an opium asked him to return it and because he did not laup to look for it, when Cheong objected and do so struck him on the head with an earthen- wure pitcher. The other defendants told Cheong to strike him. For the assault Cheong was fined $10, or a month, aud for creating a disturbance each of the other defendants was fined $5, or 14 days.
Au entertainment was given in the Kowloon Dock Recreation Room ou Wednesday evening by the Star Minstrels of H.M.S. Immortalité. The first portion of the programme took the miscellaneous. The ship's band was in attend- form of a "nigger" show, the second part being
ance. The entertainment was a very enjoyable audience. The following was the one, and was much appreciated by a crowded
PART I.
"Ra ta ta Ta,"
programme:—
Opening Chorus,
Song, "Bring me a letter from Home
13
33
}]
Troupe. Mr. Smith Mr. Stephens Mr. Harman
"A Dollah am a handy Ting"
Thinking of Home" "Kazors in the Air "When the golden sun went Down"
"We're All on de Road"
Chorus
++
community would not suffer by the introduction Selection, of water-closets into European houses, and there Song, is no question as to their being a great con. venience.
a
Interval. PART II.
"Round the Town "
The Recruiting Sergeant " "One of the early Birds'
Dulcimer Solo
Sketch, "A Dreadful Tragedy" Violin Solo
33
K
A coolie named Leung On was brought up on remand at the Magistracy on 11th April on a charge of unlawfully wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm one Leung Hop, a boarding | Song, house keeper living at 35, Stanton Street. Accor- ding to the evidence of a chair coolie who lodges at the address given, defendant came into the house at about seven o'clock on the evening of the 7th instant, and complainant asked him why he had not paid the $1 rent he owed for a mouth's lodging. They then began to quarrel and to push one another about. A barber who lives in the same house was sharpening some ruzors at the time, and defendant snatched up Defendant then ran out. The chair coolie razor and cut complainant on the neck.
followed him and defendant, turning round, struck at him with the razor and cut him ou the arm. Defendant was subsequently arrested at 26, Bridges Street by F.C. Faherty, who found the razor in a small tin canister with a lot of chop sticks. Complainant was taken to the Hospital. He appeared at the Magistracy yesterday with his head and neck bandaged. He bore out the chair coolie's state- ment, adding that as defendunt owed him a dollar he tried to prevent him from taking away his bed board. Dr. Bell said that when admit- ted to the Hospital complainant was suffering from a cut in the neck from the chin to the left ear. Defendant denied injuring complainant but charged complainant and his brother with setting upon him. Defendant was sentenced to six months' hard labour.
ti
Gorgonzola Cheese "
"Our Lodger
71
Mr. Meehan Mr. Kicks .Troupe.
.Band. Mr. Weeks
Mr. Cocks
Mr. Langdown Mr. Cocks
Stephens Smith
{
11
13
Mr. Sharp
Mr. Grant
Mr. Smith
You are altogether too haudy with your cane was the observation which Commander Hastings addressed at the Magistracy on 11th April to Lance-Corporal Lucena, who had charged one of the boys at Queen's Road Bar- racks with assault. Private Patrick Hastings said that on going into the coffee shop on Saturday night to buy some cigarettes he saw the Lance-Corporal, who was behind the
who was close to complainant, had a two-pronged counter, put his hand to his side. Defendant,
fork in his hand. On complainant pulling his trousers down witness saw blood trickling down his side. There seemed to have been a row. An assistant in the coffee shop said he heard complainant scold defeudant and then saw him strike him, and on witness endeavouring to separate them complainant hit him in the eye, which was still marked. Defendant had no fork in his land. Another assistant said com- plainant came into the shop and asked for some meat. Defendant went for some, and on bis return complainant upraided him for-being so long away and then assaulted him. Complain- ant got his injury through falling against some mineral water bottles. Being of opinion that the Lance-Corporal was to blame the Magistrate only bound defendant over for a month in the sum of $10.
2