October 22, 1898.1
SHOOTING.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
were 200, 400, and 500 yards distances addition of six 7-pr. gung to the battery,
387
camp for instance there are frequently more await the receipt of instructions from Peking The Volunteers experienced a severe defeating on the guns. I would suggest either the
"supernumeraries" than there are men work-before sending the men to the capital. at the hands of the Royal Engineers in a match creation of a "B" Machine Gun Company with Carbines. Lee-Metfords, The match took the surplus men of the Field Battery or the place on the Association range and
I repeat my conviction that the real reason for the abandonment of Saturday's maroh was the meagre show made by the Maxims, but it is hardly fair that those who did turn up should have been made to suffer. A word from the Commandant would have satisfied the men Yours faithfully.
a side, and the highest eight totals to count. As will be seen by the scores, the R.E. won by 90 points. Perhaps no better argument could be put for ward than this match for the re-armament of the Volunteer Corps. Nothing more condem- natory could be advanced on these old arms than a glance at the poor scores of a capital team With the exception of Donaldson (a rising shot) not a single man shot up to his ordinary average, and this was put down entirely to bad carbines and bad ammunition "Missfires" and bursting cases happened several times, handicap- ping the Volunteers considerably. Apart. however, from bad armament, the Volunteers met with a superior team and probably will take a lesson in steadiness in firing. The R.E. men got together the strongest team the Volunteers have had the pleasure of opposing, and the thrashing was given and taken in a very friendly spirit. Sergt. Bowery at the finish of the match expressed a wish that the teams would meet again next month ander better circumstances and a hope that by that time the Hongkong Volunteer Corps would have their new arms. A return match is being arranged for after the camp. The following are the scores :-
ROYAL ENGINEERS. Sergeant M. Wallace
93
Corporal Ramsden
Corporal Eddy
91 90
Sergeant Bowery
89
Corporal Cotton
88
Sergeant M. Humphreys
85
Sapper Clarke
85
Sapper Norris
82
703
VOLUNTEERS.
Corporal Skelton Gunner Donaldson Sergeant McPhail...
88
84
82
Sergeant Lammert
82
Bomdr. Hart...
76
Sergeant Rutter
Lieutenant McDonald
B.-S.-M. Duncan
66
613
CORRESP NDENCE
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
THE VOLUNTEER ROUTE MARCH.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS,'
SIE, I noticed the paragraph in your Mon- day morning's issue stating that the Volunteer route march fixed for Saturday had been abandoned after the men had been brought on parade, therby causing some disappointment. As no reason was given for the Commandant's action in dismissing the Corps I will suggest one. Over sixty of the Field Battery and Band were present and the four guns allotted to the former (not including the Dock Detach ment) were fully manned, with a few numbers to spare. Of course it was not to be expected that the Maxim Gun Co. would be largely represented and as it was ten men turned up to man eight guns (the number parked). This I believe to be the real reason why the Commandant became so disgusted and abandoned the march. To see ten gunners forming up in front of eight Maxim guns would dishearten even the Corps poodle.
This brings me to the inefficient armament of the Field Battery as compared with the Maxim Gun Co. The latter never has been, and probably never will be, brought up to its full strength as far as numbers are concerned, and the guns are consequently lying idle in the
F.B. GUNNER.
Hongkong, 18th October, 1898.
THE NEW EMPEROR,
It is reported in well-informed circles that the Empress Dowager and the members of the Imperial Clan have definitely selected an adopted son of the late Emperor Tung-chih as the successor of H.M. Kwang Hsu, and that he will be proclaimed Emperor at an early date, when it will be declared that the selection of Kwang Han was a mistake from the beginning and has brought unprecedented disasters upon China.-China Gazette,
THE MOBBING OF FOREIGNERS .
IN PEKING.
We (N. C. Daily News) have kindly beeu per- mitted to publish the following extract from a private letter from Peking dated the 1st of October:---
who was assisting him did not consider that The Consul and the attaché of the Legation they ought to take notice of this advice, and this morning, at eight o'clock, the transfer of the soldiers and the baggage to the Tientsin station was
was commenced. Information been conveyed to the Viceroy he had, at halfe.
ving past ten, placards in large Chinese characters posted at the station stating that the ordinary, train service of the Imperial Railway Peking would convey only civilian pass-ngers and their baggage and would not undertake the transport of foreign soldiers and their baggage, and that consequently the latter could only travel on the line by special permission of the Chinese Government, to whom the line belonged, and that the station master had been ordered not to allow the departure for Peking of any train having foreign troops on board not provided with the necessary permit. The British were embarrassed. At last, learning that even if they compelled the departure of the train by force they would find the gates of Peking closed and a strong military opposition, they judged it more prudent, the party only consisting of thirty, to take the men and baggage out of the train, which was done amidst the mooking laughter of the crowd of Chinese who had gathered on the platform. Afterwards the Tongku train came in with sixty Russian bluejackets and Cossacks (the latter with their horses), who had arrived from Port Arthur, nominally by order of a Russian Admiral but actually under command of Colonel de Wogaok, who looked imposing in his uniform. He placed a picket in charge of the horses in a corner of the station and the rest of the force took up their quarters in the godown of the firm Olivier, de Langenhagen & Co., being accompanied as far as the door by thousands of gaping Chinese. The staff, was installed in the Russian military mission at Tientsin.
"A mob attacked Dr. Lowry and Bishop Cranston's family as they were returning from the station yesterday. Dr. Lowry was consider ably bruised and had several cuts on his face, in addition to which it was thought one of his ribs was broken. Mrs. Cranston and her eldest daughter were riding in chairs, which were con. siderably damaged and contained a good deal of mud and broken glass, but fortunately the oc- cupants escaped without personal injury, other than severe nervous shock. The other two daughters and Miss Mabel Lowry were in carts and were very badly shaken, owing to the mules running away. An English lady and gentle-
Before the arrival of the Russians and after man, the latter the accountant of the British the British had got out of the carriages the train Legation, were also attacked and injured. As left for Peking, with only civilians on board, saults were also committed on a Japanese nearly an hour-and-a-half late. There were a gentleman, a French Jesuit priest, and the wife few European passengers, amongst them being of the Italian Minister, so it is a matter for in- M. Mulkay, the Poking agent of the Cockerill ternational consideration. It has been a great Co. It appeared that the strictest order prøv
shock to Bishop Cranston and his family."
BRITISH MARINES TURNED OUT OF THE TRAIN AT TIENTSIN.
The agent of the firm Olivier, de Langenha- gen & Co., M. Debeauchamp, had to multiply himself and become military intendant for the supply to sixty-seven men and the horses at the station of provisions, bedding, etc., etc.
a
vailed at Peking and that the Chinese Govern- ment had taken the necessary measures to strain the population and assure the protection of foreigners. Į
The arrival of German soldiers at Tientgin expected tomorrow, and a little later that of French marines, who are to be sent to Peking
THEY GROW RESTIVE UNDER THE JEERS OF to guard the legations,
THE POPULACE.
{
We have already published the information that the departure from Tientsin of the British, Russian, and German legation guards was de. layed owing to the opposition of the Chinese authorities. The following letter, dated 4th October (which we translate from the Echo de Chine), written before the departure took place, gives interesting details of how the delay was occasioned :——
In consequence of the incidents which took place at Peking on the 30th September (the mob- bing of foreigners), with which you are already acquainted, the Legations, unable to tolerate being at the mercy of the Peking populace, telegraphed to the Admirals commanding the fleets in the Yellow Sea to land at Tongku
It is possible that the Chinese Gorcza- ment, satisfied with the moral effect ob- tained, will to-morrow remove its to on the sending of foreign soldiers to Peking, for it knows very well that the latter will in any case have the last word. The attache of the British legation has returned to Peking. It is probable that the Minister will make the Tsung li Yamen listen to reason. In the contrary case there will be here in a few days five or six thousand European soldiers, who will take care of the rest. 5th October
I confirm my letter of yesterday. Nothing new to-day. The new Viceroy of Chihli was installed this morning with á salute of cannon, General Yuan having been only acting. It appears that the English soldiers
as quickly as possible a few pickets to be sent to the town yesterday, furion returning
to Peking via Tientsin by rail. In accord- ance with this order there arrived at Tientsin fifty men from the British fleet with two Maxims. They were billeted at the Temper ance Hall. The British Legation gave orders that part were to be sent to Peking the follow- ing day by the 11:30 a.m. train. The Aoting Viceroy of Chibli, General Yuan, notified the
what had happened, distributed a few ouffs and blowe with the butt-ends of their rifles to the Chinese boobies. It would have required little more to make then go a good deal further. The Russians have taken their horses and guns to Olivier, de Langenhagen & Co.'s godowns. possiblethat all these troops may leave to-mor together with the Germans, who are
cient On the other hand there are suffi. British Consulate on the 3rd October that al- | to-day. Nothing is known for certain on the
men in the Field Battery to form at least six more detachments and if the whole had heen on parade on Saturday there would have been no guns (that is 7-prs.) for them to work. On any big parade-a target practice at
though the Chinese Government had permitted the disembarkation and transit to Tientsin of British soldiers it must take time to consider the advisability of their being sent to Peking and he consequently requested the Consul to
subject.
A squadron oircular issued by Admiral Dewey fixes the value of the Maxican dollar for the quarter ending 31st December at $0.474 gold,