April 22, 1899.]
and to receive 20 strokes upon the back with a birch, such whipping to be inflicted within one week from the date of this your sentence. On the second count, which only charges simple larceny of a jacket, the nominal sentence will be six months' imprisonment with hard labour, but as it will run concurrently with the other sentence it will not increase the duration of the main sentence.
THE CHARGE AGAINST AN ARTILLERYMAN.
William Crowley, a gunner in the Royal Artillery, was charged with assaulting David McKinnon and causing him bodily harm. He pleaded not guity.
The following composed the jury:-Messrs. F. Smyth, Albrecht Sander, G. H. Dann, Peter Hayes, Robert Perrie, Paul Brewitt, and C. H. Rogge.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The small islands, if inbabited, contained a few fishermen only, and are not cultivated.
The six chief islands are:--
Ts'ing I Ma Wan Lautao Ping Chau Cheung Chau Lamina
Population.
400
400
6,860
600
5,000 460
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381
Post Office, Parcels Post, and Pawn Shop:- Mrs. Long.
Flower Stall, Choicest Blooms
-Miss Rose-
bad.
-Mrs. Vernon
Games, Archery Resorts, &c. and an able Committee.
Photographer :-Mrs, Bell-Irving and a dis- tinguished staff.
Quite a number of entertainments were pro- vided. There was a café chantant under the management of Messrs. G. H. Potts and F. J. Walwyn; and H.M.S. Undaunted Blackbird Minstrels gave a capital show. The other at tractions were advertised as follows:-Vocalist: Professor Museum; Zoological Gardens; Palmistry; To- Babsintown; Natural History
MAJOR BOWER AND THE FIRST CHINESE REGIMENT.
Major Bower, to whom the task of raising | arrived
the first Chinese Regiment has been entrusted). purpose of consulting the military authorities
here on 18th April · for the' as to certain matters connected with the new battalion. He returned to Weihaiwei on the?
15th. Replying to a representative of the Daily Press, who asked him how he was progressing, he said:
The island of Lantao is about 15 miles long and 54 miles wide, being considerably larger thau the island of Hongkong, which is 11 miles and from 2 to 5 miles broad. Along the west coast are several towns and some cultivated land up to the base of the hills. These hills, which are really a continuation of the southern range | boganning. of the mountain system of the San On district, The Hon. H. E. Pollock (Acting Attorney. present a most imposing appearance, and con- General) said defendant in this case was charged taiu lofty peaks, the highest of which rises to with committing an assault and occasioning an elevation of 3,050 feet. The two most flour. actual bodily harm upou Mr. David McKinnonishing towns in Lantao are Tung Chung, con- on the 15th of March last, Miss Nichol, the taining nine villages, the inhabitants of which barmaid at the Praya East Hotel, would inform are engaged in agriculture and fishing; and Tai the jury that sometime between seven and eight O, the busiest town on the island, with a popu- o'clock in the evening of the 15th March defen- lation of 3,000. The latter is a great fishing dant came into the hotel. She knew him quite well centre, and owing to the large number of fish by sight, because he had been in the hotel half-ing junks and other vessels that visit, the shop- a-dozen times or more previously. At the time keepers seem to do a flourishing business. The be seemed to be slightly under the influence of only representatives of the Chinese Government liquor. and put his legs on a table. Miss on the island are two military officers, one, a Nichol told him to take his legs off, and captain, stationed at Tung Chung, the other, a on going up to the table she noticed a stick lieutenant, stationed at Tai O, subject to the belonging to defendant. It was a bamboo colonel commanding stationed at Taipang on stick split at one end, and was similar to the the mainland. The island of Lantao contains one produced. Ou a friend of the barmaid magnificent building sites. and, as it is only five coming into the hotel defondant began to fool miles from Hongkong, and open to the south- her about and hold her round the waist. Shortly west monsoon during the hot months, it is not after this defendant left the premises, and went unlikely that the residents of Hongkong may outside, and did not return. He had not been during the summer make use of this island, the seen on the premises since. When defendant fiue white sandy beaches of which afford excel- left the hotel it was nearer eight o'clock than
lent sea-bathing.. seven. The evidence of the other witnesses would show that some time after eight oclock on the evening of the 15th March five rickshas were engaged outside the Hongkong dispensary, in these rickshas being Mrs. King. Miss Letitia King, Miss Ella King, Miss Maudie Parker, and Mr. McKinnon, the gentleman who was
assaulted. They went down Praya East, and when near Fenwick's engineering shop a man ashed out from under a verandah on the south side of the Praya and tried to get hold of the first ricksha. He missed it, and also missed the second, but he caught hold of the third, which contained Miss Letitia King, and put his arm round the latter's neck. Mrs. King was in the fourth ricksha immediately behind, and she called out to Mr. McKinnon, who was in the fifth rickisha. Mr. McKinnon immediately car up to the man and asked him why he had stopped the lady. Then the mau gave Mr. Me Kinon a blow in the face. Mr. McKinnon re- turned the blow, knocking a cigar out of the man's mouth. Then the man, who had a cane in his hand, struck Mr. McKinnon across the face and hit him in the right eye with it. Then, although it did not seem quite clear, Mr. Mc- Kinnon gave the man another blow which caused him to fall down into the road. Mr. McKinnon at once felt the pain in his eye and called out that his eye was put out. He was taken to the hospital the same evening, and, unfortunately, on the 17th his eye had to be removed by the doctors of the Government Civil Hospital. After the assault, defendant and 12 other soldiers, all wear- ing the same uniform, were brought before Mr. McKinnon, who identified defendaut as the man who had assaulted him.
The evidence given at the Magistracy having been repeated, defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months' hard labour.
THE ISLANDS OF THE NEW TERRITORY.
HON. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART'S REPORT ON LANTAO,
The following is the section of the Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart's report on the New Territory dealing with the Islands :—
There are thirty-three islands within the leased territory. Some of these are uninhabited, and most of them are very small and of little or no importance.
The total area of the islands is 90 square miles, and the estimated population 13,720.
The island of Cheung Chau is a busy place, at which many of the steamers, launches, and juns plying between Hongkong and Macao call. There is a station of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs on this island, as there is also on the island of Ma Wan, commonly known as the Kap Shui Mum Station. The deep an- chorage at Cheung Chau affords good shelter, especially during an easterly gale.
The island of Lamma, called by the Chinese Pok Liu, is four miles long and two miles wide. Near its centre it is so narrow that it is only a quarter of a mile across. The chief bay is Picnic Bay, on the east side, which affords secure anchorage for a vessel in about six fathoms of water. This island has four villages, the largest of which has a population of about 250.
The island of Waglan, situated to the south. east of Hongkong, has a lighthouse on it, which is at present under the control of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs, and which will, I presume, in future be placed under the Harboar Master of Hougkong.
GARDEN FETE AND FANCY FAIR.
On Saturday a garden fete and fancy fair. for the benefit of the French Convent, Asile de la Sainte Enfance, took place, by permission of the Hon. J. J. Bell-Irving, on the East Point Lawns, which had been decorated with Chinese lanterns and presented a very pretty appearance. Marquees were scattered about the ground.
Mrs. J. J. Bell-Irving acted as bon. Becretary. By the kindness of Lieut.-Col. Mainwaring and the officers, the band of the Royal Welch Fusiliers was in attendance.
Messrs. Rotherham. R.W.F., and McKie were the doorkeepers, and they were assisted by the following stewards :-Col. the O'Gorman, Capt. Simonds, R.A., Viscount Suirdale, Capt. the Hon. H. Trefisis, Lient. Keys, RN., Capt. Des Voeux, R.E., Messrs. A. Babington, Dobell, R.W.F., B. Smith, G. Stewart, H. Keswick, M. Stewart, and D. Landale. The other officials, etc., were as follow:-
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Refreshment Stall:-Mrs. Bell-Irving, Mrs. Morris, Mrs. Dickson, Mrs. Retallick, Mrs. May, Misses Jackson, Mrs. Mainwaring, and Misses Powell.
Cashier and Financial Agent:-Mr. John Barton.
Fancy Stall:-Madam O'Gorman. German Ladies' Decorative Art Stall:-Mrs. Francis.
"It is too soon yet for me to say much, but so far as I have gone I am very well satisfied. When I arrived at Weihaiwei F caused placards there was a fairly liberal response. I have now. to be issued inviting recruits, and after a time about 130 men, and I do not think I shall have The number who offer themselves is suffi- any difficulty in raising a very fine battalion. ciently large to enable me to pick and choose,; the countrymen stamp, and by taking this and I make it a practice to only select men of
exceptionally good physique. course I am getting together a body of men of
enough to do any shooting-in fact, we have no "Of course, they are not far advanced range as yet. The first thing is to make sol- diers of them and to get them into shape by drill, and then we shall soon have them shooting. Thoy pick up the drill very quickly indeed.
"I have had experience of the Egyptians, believe the Chinese will make even better and though they have turned out so well I
troops."
THE LOSS OF THE “CLWYD” THE CAPTAIN'S OERTIFICATE SUSPENDED ́. FOR SIX MONTHS.
The enquiry into the circumstances connected with the loss of the Clwyd was resumed at the Harbour Office on the 14th April, when, after considering the matter in private for an hour, the court returned the following finding:-
We find that the British ship Clwyd, official number 106,845, of Liverpool, of which Thomas Thomas was master, the number of whose cer- tificate is 06469, left Hongkong for Peru with a full cargo of rice on Thursday, the 3th March, 1899,
That at 7 p.m. a deviation, was taken from. Waglan Light, N. W. W. (Mag.) about 20 miles distance, and from that time a fair. wind was experienced and àn E. and W. course was / steered up to 4 a.m. on Friday. That from that time the ship was by the wind clean full with the yards braced up but not sharp.
That at about 2.30 a.m. on the 1st April breakers were seen right ahead on both hows. The helm was put hard up and an attempt made to wear the ship, but in about three or four mi- antes she struck and remained fast on the Pratas & Shoal. The sails were clewed up and almost at once the boats-two in number were lowered and provisioned. That shortly after 3 a.m. the crew got into the boats and left the ship's side, laying off till about 7 a.m., when an attempt was made to get alongside.
That this attempt was without result, and the ship was then abandoned and the boats steered for the main-land, arriving eventually at Hong. kong.
In coming to any conclusion the court is not assisted by anything more than the memory of the master and his statements. Of logs and documentary evidence there is none, these not having been brought away, when the master and crew left.
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