May 14, 1898.]
one
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
to forsee many complications likely to ensue. Marquis Ito will certainly score heavily against his critics if the news should ultimately be found correct.-Kobe Chronicle.
The following telegrams appear in Japanese vernacular papers :-
Peking, 26th April.
The concessions made to Japan in Fukien province will not be leased but transferred.
The prohibition on the export of Chinese rice will be removed whenever the Japanese crop fails.
Mining facilities will be given to Japanese acting in partnership with Chinese.
The European Powers have raised no objec-
Tokyo, 27th April,
teak deck above was charred. After consider able difficulty two lines of hose were got to bear on the fire through holes ont in the iron deck, ! while buckets of water were plied vigorously through the small space that was opened in the hatchway; but otherwise all air was kept from the hold. The fact of the ship being so full of cargo, and provided with heavy iron decks beneath the teakwood, made the work of the ship's company more difficult, while the reflec- tion that such a large amount of inflammable and explosive cargo was on board did not add anything to their comfort. It was seen at once that the fire was serious and Captain Köhler decided to jettison the dynamite, which was done. The cartridges were not touched. Theretion to these concessions. was only European passenger and a few Chinese on board, but seeing the admirable dicipline and the ready resources for extinguish- | ing the fire, there was no great excitement; and all the officers and men worked with a steady determination, which insured their ultimate triumph over the most awful horror of the sea. But it was not until noon on the 30th that the fire was completely extinguished, after a great deal of water had been poured into the 'tween decks and lower hold. The charred and smoul- dering parts of the cargo were cleared away in the afternoon and the vessel proceeded on her voyage at 4 o'clock on the morning of the 1st instant., reaching Woosung on Tuesday after- noon. An examination of the ship to-day shows how extensive the fire was, and it speaks volumes for the energy and courage of officers and men, that they succesfully combatted this terrible danger, and brought their ship safely to port. Captain Parker, the Bureau Veritas Surveyor, made a minute survey to-day, tho result of which we have not yet heard; but the deck, which is composed of soft iron, overlaid with teak, is buckled in several places, and the teak covering destroyed, while a few plates will have to be replaced. The vessel herself, beyond these injuries, is undamaged, but the value of the cargo destroyed by fire, smoke and water is very considerable.-China Gazette.
It is learned from a trustworthy source that in the negotiations with the Chinese Govern- ment in regard to the concessions demanded by Japan, the Chinese Government declined to agree to remove the prohibition on the export of rice. The Japanese Government having taken into consideration the whole of the circumstances, has decided not to insist on China's acquiescence on this point.
JAPAN AND CHINA.
A telegram from Peking, dated 5.40 a.m. on. the 26th April, says:
THE BENNERTZ CASE SETTLED.
Shanghai, 9th May.
At last the Bennertz case is settled, as we announced last week it would be within a few
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| points, and, on rushing out, were shot and out down by the cordon of troops drawn round the place.
In all there were 24 men, 2 women, and 4 children killed, to the knowledge of the villager who described the occurrence to the writer. He himself lost a nephew,
One little child, aged eleven years, was wounded in the leg by a bullet, and in crawling away was chased and killed with a sword!
Those who were too terror stricken to run the gauntlet remained huddled in groups, and for a wonder were not all massacred!
Only half a dozen houses remain of the 200 odd which formed the village and the survivors are at present sheltering themselves in sugar. cane fields and bamboo-groves.
THE CAREER OF A CHINESE OFFICIAL.
A correspondent supplies us with the biography of a high Chinese official who is now one of the leading authorities on foreign affairs. This man, it seems, was born in Fatshan, and re- ceived a good education. He inherited some money, which he squandered, and being regarded by his family as a bad character he was turned ont. He then came to Hongkong and set up as a fortune teller in Taipinsban, where anyone could have his destiny told by him for a few days. To-day H.E. Tsai Taotai paid into the British Consulate the sum agreed upon be-
cents. Finding he could not make much in this tween him and Mr. R. W. Mansfield, Con-line he returned to Fatshan, where he started an opium divan. When his friends discovered sul, and Mr. Jas Scott, Vice-Consul, who have been working hard for months past this they again tried to get rid of him, and he agreed to go away for good if he was paid Tls. to bring this most troublesome suit to an end. To these gentlemen full credit must
100. The money was found and the ex-fortune- teller started for Shanghai, where he repre- be given for doing what at one time seemed an impossibility, and they must be congratu- sented himself as the son or nephew of the head of a large Chinese hong at Canton. While lated upon the successful result of their labours.
there be made the acquaintance of the European The cheque paid into the Consulate to-day was for Tls. 65,996,which makes Tls. 72,180 paid by agent of one of the Bauks and to him told the the Taotai in all, counting the Tls. 6,184, tale that he was on his way to Peking, but that he was prevented from going farther as realized by the sale of the wreck of the 8.8.
a sum of $3,000 which he was expecting daily Kianguing, which we think is a fair and eqnit from the firm in Canton had not arrived. able settlement. Mr. Bennertz by arrange. ment with his creditors and with the permission of the firm-with which he knew the Bank He requested the banker to make inquiries of the Court, gets ten per cent. of the gross
had dealings-as. to the cause of the delay. amount paid. The steamers are now to be
The foreigner, believing his story, as was most handed back to the Chinese officials, and we trust we have heard the last of this cause celebre. likely in those days, told him he need not feel uneasy and offered to advance him $1,000 on an order from him to the firm to pay. This was all that the gentleman wanted and immediately upon receipt of the amount he made off to Shantung, where he met a clausman, who was then occupying the post of Taotai. With the. money he had with him be easily ingratiated himself into his clansman's favour and obtained a post under him. When subsequently this clansman
promoted to the grade
"At the instance of the Japanese Minister Plenipotentiary, the Chinese Government has engaged that no part of the province of Fuhkieu-China Gazette. shall ever be ceded to a foreign Power."
Fuhkien, as our readers doubtless know, is the part of the mainland lying opposite to For- mosa. If the telegram be correct, it follows, therefore, that Japan has adopted the method of Great Britain and France, and has obtained a guarantee that the portion of the Chinese empire in which she is most interested shall not be alienated. What the value of such guar- antees may be, it is difficult to say. It appears rather a superfluous kind of arrangement that the Government of a country, at the instance of another State, should promise not to do some- thing which its own interests forbid it to do. But the truth is that these engagements to which China pledges herself are intended to be a kind of polite method of delimiting spheres of influence, and the Japanese nation will doubtless feel now that it has obtained a re- cognised footing in any council for the partition of China; or, perhaps we should rather say, for her preservation.-Japan Mail.
A remarkable report reaches us from a trust. worthy source, though we have not as yet been able to secure its confirmation. It is that Ja- pan has obtained China's consent to lease either Amoy or a port in the immediate neighbour- hood of Amoy as soon as Weihaiwei is evacuated. China has made this concession to Japan as a return for the assistance afforded in contract- ing the latest loan, when Japan took up £2,000,000 worth of bonds through the Yoko- hama Specie Bank. We are informed that not only Great Britain, but Russia also, have ap- proved of this arrangement, and that negotia tions are now being carried on with Germany and France.
If it were not that the story comes to us on very good authority, we should be inclined to altogether discredit it, seeing that no other Power has ventured in any of the recent nego tiations to ask for the lease of a Treaty port If, however, the Powers agree, we presume there is little to be said, though it is not difficult
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SOUTH FORMOSA.
[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]
It is not at all improbable that we may soon witness a general rising of the country people in South Formosa, on similar lines to the out- break which occurred in the central districts of the island in June, 1896.
The feelings of the populace have been wrought to boiling point by the indiscriminate and savage butchery of innocent countrymen and helpless women and children by the Japa- nese soldiery in the Hozan district.
The “Tohui" (banditti) who infest the island have for some time past been particularly daring in the Hozan district, and the Japanese having traced a band to their stronghold in the hills, not more than twelve miles distant from the prefectural town of Hozan itself, sent an expedition against them.
was
of Futai he received an order from the Throne to bebead a certain eunuch who was in disgrace, but as the eunuch was a favourite of the Empress Dowager no one dare undertake the execution of the order until the subject of this biography undertook the task. He afterwards met Li Hung-chang and his promotion was then rapid, In view of the categorical and criminal nature of one of the charges made in this narrative we suppress the name of the official in question.
MACAO.
The "Tohui" took refuge in a cave, which
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
MACAO, 6th May. they held from the 19th to 21st April, and then retired without losing a man (which is admitted Since last Sunday, after the little rain we by the Japanese themselves) by an exit un-had, the number of cases of plague have been known to the Japanese.
The troops made several ineffectual attempts to dislodge them, but were repulsed with loss, as besides small arms they possessed a gingall, which they discharged into "the brown," of the soldiers as they advanced up the narrow path leading to the cave.
It would appear from the circumstances following that the Japanese troops, smarting under the defeat sustained, allowed their lust for blood to overcome all soldierly instincts, for on the return journey to Hozan they attacked a peaceful village called Loon-ah-tieng, situated about seven miles from the scene of the en- counter with the "Tohui," and five miles from Hozan.
:
The inhabitants were awakened at early dawn by finding the village on fire at several'
increasing alarmingly. The disinfection of houses where cases have occurred is being on- ergetically conducted, but I have not observed. that the usual precantion of using the fire en- gines for flushing the drains has been adopted..
On the 3rd May the disease made its appear ance in the Italian Convent (Collegio da Sants Roza), where a girl twelve years of age and one of the Sisters were attacked. The patients were at once removed tổ the mat sheds behind the Mongha Fort, and the Right Rev. Bishop Carvalho gave instructions for all the inmates of the Convent to be transferred to the church on Peuha Hill. The Sister who was attacked died yesterday.
Dr. Lourenço Marques, formerly of Hong- kong, in view of the great amonnt of work thrown on the medical staff, has most generously