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medical may, and in every case the relatives of the deceased were interviewed by myself, and The dead bodies inspected by one of the Inspect ors of Nuisances, and, in all cases of doubt, by myself also. In this manner we were enabled to discover three deaths from bubonic fever (plague) and two deaths from small-pox, which would otherwise have been recorded as due to some less alarming maladies. I am still of the opinion, moreover, that there is great scope in this direction for one or more Chinese doctors, well trained in Western medicine, who should be attached to the Sanitary staff, and who would prove most valuable allies, in encouraging their countrymen to observe the elementary principles of sanitation, and in detecting the commence- ment of any outbreaks of infectious disease. Many of the hygienic crimes committed by the Chinese in this Colony are unquestionably due rather to ignorance than to wilfulness, and the intelligent propagation of our laws by men of their own nationality would, I feel sare, go far towards ameliorating those conditions which at present tend so largely to the discomfort of European colonists and to the detriment of the health of the Chinese themselves.
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MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SHIPPING. Under the heading of "Infectious Diseases Dr. Clark writes:-No less that 44 of these cases are known to have been imported into the colony, while it was in addition impossible to discover whence many of the cases of bubonic fever and small-pox had come, as they were not discovered until the patients had died and the bodies been deserted by the other occupants of the house; of these 44 cases, 16 were small-pox, 22 bubonic fever, 5, enteric fever, and 1 diphtheria. The question of the medical in- spection of the shipping of the port, urged by me during the past three years, and dealt with in detail in my report for 1897, is still, I regret to say, in abeyance, with the result that persons suffering from infectious disease may land in the colony, with impunity, provided that they are unaware (or refuse to admit that they are aware) of the infections nature of the disease from which they are suffering. For mail steamers and others that carry a surgeon, the present regulations may no doubt be admirable, but as it is the vessels which do not carry surgeons, and especially the native craft that are most likely to foist cases of infectious disease upon the colony, I must adhere to my previously expressed opinion that we have only ourselves to blame when grave epidemics are originated, as unquestionably they are in many instances, by the anrecognized importation of the initial cases.
INFANTILE MORTALITY,
In the section of the report devoted to the “Age distribution of deaths "the following paragraph occurs :-The death-rate among the infant population is a most serious item in the mortality returns for the Colony, since no less than 18.4 per cent, of the deaths recorded occur in infants under one year of age. The infant death-rate among the Non-Chinese inhabitants of the Colony during the year was 139.9 per 1,000, as compared with 120 during 1897, and the rate among the Chinese population was 630 per 1,000 as compared with 593 during 1897, This rate still shows, however, an im. provement upon former years, among tho
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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doubt were really deaths from septic absorption. In view of the fact that the registered births among the Chinese number only 963 (the estimated births being 1,605), these 41 deaths represent a very high death-rate among young Chinese parturient women, and there appears to me to be a very great need for some mater. nity charity among the Chinese, preferably in connection with the Tung Wah Hospital and under similar management.
PROSECUTIONS.
A return of the prosecutions instituted during the year is given, from which it appears that the number of summonses taken out was 570, the convinctions 437, and the penalties $7,783.
MEDICAL INSPECTION IN JAPAN. Mr. R. C. Wilcox, Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, writes:-This Chamber is in formed by the Government that the Japanese Consul advises the decision of the Japanese Government to enforce medical inspection, on and after the 4th April, 1899, at the ports of Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki against all vessels arriving from or through Hongkong.
THE DISASTER ON THE PRATAS SHOALS.
MARINE COURT OF ENQUIRY, On 13th April a marine court was held at the office of the Harbour Master for the purpose of making enquiry respecting the circumstances connected with the loss of the British barque Olwyd, official number 106,845, of Liverpool, Thomas Thomas, number of whose certificate is 06469, was master aud commander.
The court was constituted as follows:-
Commander R. M. Ramsey, R.N., Stipendiary Magistrate; Staff Commander Rogers, R.N., H.M 8. Tamar; Captain William Finch, of the Gaelic; Captain J.T. Davis, of the Chelydra; and Captain Thomas Fraser, of the Queen Margaret.
Mr. Looker (Messrs. Deacon and Hastings) appeared for Captain Thomas.
The letter of Captain Thomas applying for an enquiry was read, and also the warrant con- stituting the court.
Captain Thomas said-I hold a master's cer- tificate, issued at Liverpool in 1882. I have been
in command since 1888, and in 1898 I took com- mand of the Clwyd, an iron barque of 1,060 tons. She was 14 years old. We left Hongkong on the 30th March on a voyage to Peru, with a full cargo of rice. She had a full crew of 21
all told. Nine of these were A.B's; there were two certificated officers. The ship was in proper sea-going condition when she left Hongkong. We were towed out of har- bour about 7 a.m. as far as Tytam Channel. The tag cast off there, and we proceeded under full sail. At 3 p.m. there was a squall from the westward. We sailed through the Tytam Channel at 4 p.m. under full sails. About 5 p.m. the wind came round to the N.W. and blowing heavy. Wo wore steering E.N.E., and at 7 p.m. Waglan Light shone on the starboard bow N.W. W. (Mag.) about 20 miles distant. We kept the same course till midnight. By
[April 15, 1899,
all the boats. After this the wind shifted to the eastward, and we made sail again and backed the yards to try and broach her off, but she did not move. As we could do no good, I ordered the boats to be lowered and put men in them to keep them clear of the ship's side. Less than a quarter of an hour after striking, the well was sounded and found in water. Shortly afterwards we sounded again and found 24 ins. The third sounding was five inches, the fourth ten, and the last 18. The two last soundings were taken in quick succession, as fast as we could take the rod up and put it down again. About this time the sea began to come over the ship. I ordered the boats alongside. We got into the boats and stood by until daylight. We made two attempts to get on board again at half-past seven, but "could not succeed. After that I considered it best to abandon the ship and make for land, and this was done, all hands eventually arriving at Hongkong. When we left the ship she had a heavy list to starboard. Before leaving the ship we clewed up the top- gallant sail, foresail and mainsail; the jibs and topsails were on. There were two com- passes in use one steering compass and one standard compass, the latter being placed about the mizzenmast of the poop. The compasses were last corrected in Liverpool in March, 1897. I have got a deviation card and verified it myself. The last occ8- sion on which I took observations for the correction of the compass was the day I left Hongkong at about 10 a.m. and p.m. I remember that was S. 40 E., the deviation was 7 degrees E., also S. 36 E., the deviation was, I believe, 5 degrees decreasing. The chart I was working with was Admiralty 2,661 B., and the Chinese Ses Directory, vol III. I did not save the log.
the log never turns up. I always make the re- Commander Rumsey-On these occasions
mark that it would be better if it did. It is a very small book and could be easily carried.
In reply to further questions, witness said- The mate had been ill since leaving Hongkong, and the second mate had kept the log in another
book, which was not saved either. No observa- Tytam Channel, as the weather was overcast tions for position were taken after leaving
and no sun was visible. From Friday morning till Saturday morning the ship had been steered by the wind clean full. I was in the habit of laying off on the chart the course and distance made every four hours. I did it on this occasion. These courses are now on the chart produced, and they were placed on the chart at the time. I cannot remember. what course was made good up to noon on Friday,
the position by dead reckoning at that time. I allowed 1 points for current right through, and I expected to pass 20 miles to westward of the reef. I bad cautioned the look-out man to keep a good look-out, and when I was on the forecastle s
nor
what WAB
few minutes before I saw the land through my glasses. Only about three or four minutes before she struck I put the helm up instead of trying to stop the ship, as on account of the light wind and the swell I did not expect she would come round. I did not sound round the ship at any time before I left her. I did not have with me a large plan of the reef. The chart
Chinese, for iù 1896 it was 745 and in 1895 it the hand-log she had made 31 miles at midnight I was using did not have any depths astern
was 759 per 1,000. As I have pointed out in previous reports, this high infant death-rate is largely due to the insanitary condition of the houses of the poorer classes, and the fact that it has been so far reduced since 1894 is an earnest of the further beneficial results which may be expected to accrue from the improvements in the sanitary condition of the Colony generally The rise in the rate for the past year is merely a part of the general rise in the mortality, due to the fact that last year, like most exceptional- ly dry years, was an unhealthy one, as well for the European as for the native members of the
besides which the boats could not be kept near of the ship suitable for laying out an anchor, enough for that.
In reply to Commander Rogers, witness said that according to his reckoning the ship was 20 miles off the shoal to the northward” at mid- night on Friday. That was his reason for not going to leeward of the shoal. He had said he always put his position on the chart every four hours. He meant in deep water, not on long voyages, such as the north or south Atlantic, nor did he do it in the vicinity of the Pratas on a former occasion. He had lost the deviation card.
from the position_st p.m. Up till 4 a.m. she was making E. and N. for about 20 miles. We continued with a fairly fresh breeze and foggy weather, going from five-and-a-half to five knots until the time of the casualty, at about 2,30 a.m. on the 1st April. I relieved the second mate at 12 o'clock midnight. The weather was overcast with a heavy swell from the north-east, and the wind was from north-east, at force 3. Two top-gallant sails were out, and top sails and courses, William Reece, an old sailor, was at the wheel, and W. Williams, an A. B., was on the look-out. About three minutes before the ship struck I sighted the breakers on both bows ahead. I observed them from the bridge. The yards were not sharp up. She was going clean Under the heading of "Puerperal Fever" Dr. full by the wind on port tack. I ordered the and this was done by Clark writes:---Six cases of puerperal fever were helm hard up; notified during the year, of which one only was the boatswain and the man at the wheel. European, and the remaining five Chinese. The boatswain was on the poop. We let go all Ten deaths from this disease were, however, the stay sail sheets and boom sheet, and the ship
The U. 8. transport Sheridan arrived at registered, all being Chinese, while thirty-four laid off to south. By this time she was fast deaths among Chinese were also registered as | paid off to south. I clewed up all the sails so · Singapore on the 7th April with 1,800 troops
en route to Manila. due to child birth, and some of these also no as not to drive her¡further on, and cleared away
community.
A MATERNİTY CHARITY REQUIRED,
Witness was questioned by other members of the court, and was also examined by his solicitor, Hugh Jones, first mate oft he Clwyd, gave evidence, and the enquiry was adjourned.
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