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to pay taxes and evidently the intention is to extend the(German) boundary. What can be done to escape this evil? The people (The Chinese) have all decided to resist foreign power. All living within (German territory) or without are warned not to work for the foreigners nor to take their grain and fuel to Tsintao for sale. All who see this notice just turn back. Any who do not heed it will be siezed and violenty robbed. Evil men are circulating reports that the Germans are soon to collect a heavy tax monthly ou all land, and that mules, donkeys, ottle, and oven dogs are to be taxed.
› VI—New moon, April 18th, reports of guns were distinctly heard at the Church where, wa wers holding religious service. Soon word caud that the German soldiers had killed three Chinese and severely wounded a fourth. Upon inquiry it was learned that near the village of Yang Kia T'sun the Germans erected a beacon on theGerman boundary and warned the people that it must not be removed. It soon, however, disappeared. A notice was sent to the people of this village that they must either find and report the offending party or pay a fine of $2,000. Some German soldiers afterwards came to make inpuiries but could flud no one in the least concerned or willing to discuss the matter. The German seized two mules and two donkeys and told the people they would keep them until they redeemed them by paying $2,000. Some men from this village joined by others who were attending a market rushed after the Germans and began throwing stones at them. No attention was paid to the warning given by firing a shot into the air and the result was as above stated. The Chinese magistrate was entreated to hold an inquiry and take up the case. He refused to have anything to do with the case, saying these men all lived in German territory and if the Germans wished to kill their people it was their own affair. Two days later, however, the Magistrate went to hold an in- quest. It is said he feared if he did nothing fhere might be a riot at his yamen, as there was last antuinn. This seems to be a popular way the people here have of enforcing their wishes. It is beginning to dawn on some minds that the stoning armed soldiers has a very dif- fering meaning from stoning missionaries and native Christians, a practice that was begun thirty years ago by this people. One of the men killed was 26 years ago arrested and found guilty of taking the lead in the stoning of a missionary and hooting him out of the village
where this occurred.
The present generation in this district has grown up from childhood encouraged to treat foreigners with the atmost contempt. It is said in many homes foreigners are never spoken of except to revile them. They are privately and publicly spoken of as devils as things, etc. The common name for the native converts is Ur Kweitsz, second-class devils. The Mission- aries of course are the chief ones.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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by that tims, the fire had too strong a hold for the appliances on the spot to be of much use. A telephone message was at once sent to the Ronglaw, and in a very short time one of the big fire engines of the Royal Navy was down and at work. Others followed as speedily as possible and small engines also turned up from the neighbouring firms. The fire was got under control about nine o'clock, but it WBS not finally extinguished till about noon on Sunday. The whole big mill. with all its valuable machinery, was des- troyed. Roughly speaking the loss in estimated at £8,000. The property was insured in the London and Lancashire Fire Insurance Co., and the Commercial Union Assurance Co., | Limited. Valuable assistance was given by the neighbours, and by the police under Mr. Rich ardson, Mr. Grove, and Mr. Lawson.-Bangkok Times.
AN ARTISTOCRAT BEFORE THE
MAST.
Au able seaman was discharged for disability through illness from the ship Torrisdale on Tuesday. A similar proceeding has often oc curred before and is likely to again. There is something unusual, however, about this parti- cular case. It does not emanate from the dis- charge itself. It is the man that makes it so.
Captain John Tracy Willoughby, a mining engineer, recent of Matebeleland, South Africa, and one of the leaders in the Jameson raid in December, 1896, is the name that brings forth the unusual element in the discharge.
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May 13, 1899.
The Torrisdale put to sea, and he helped to man her until she arrived safely at her destina- tion. He was willing and the ship's officers overlooked his inexperience, and be got along admirably. It was only a few weeks until be could describe the " Flemish horse," and make the "skysail" halyards taut. He discharge was that of a full "able seaman. But bis seafaring days are now over. Ho has mining acquaintances in Hongkong, and with the money which he got on his discharge, he hopes to be able to reach his concessions in the Matabeleland, where once more he will try to regain his lost possessions.
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Captain Willoughby refers to his experiences before the mast as a passing event of time. He is already a B.A. but is glad to be able to add to his name the letters A.B. He sailed for | Hongkong on the O. & O. steamer Doric on
28th April. Nagasaki Press.
CANTON NOTES.
[FROM THE
CHUNG NGOI SAN PO On the 24th altimo a passenger-junk plying between Canton and Wangkong village in Saichin district was robbed. The usual plot was arranged. Some robbers boarded the junk as passengers before she left Canton, and when she was sailing near Pingohow, a
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their wishes triumphantly. One of the passen- gers was severely wounded and died the follow- ing day.
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boat containing about twenty- robban, ng rowed towards her. The robbers on board the junk, on seeing the approach of their accomplices, frightened the master and crew of the junk with their revolvers and ordered them to stop sailing, which order was promptly obeyed. When He was given a captainoy by Earl Grey, who the robbers were going to abstract all the válu- was in command of the forces of the Imperial ables on board the junk, some passengers, being also armed, offered resistance, but as they were British South Africa Company and it was
He fow in number, they were not a match for the sanctioned by the War Department.
robbers, who were therefore able to execute organized a company, of 200 soldiers, at his own expense, at Tati concession, Matabeleland and rendered valuable and distinguished services in skirmishing. While absent from his mining concessions all his cattle and other personal property were stolen, or, to put it in his own words, were invisible upon his return. A general looting had occurred; mining had taken a setback, and his services as mining engineer were not in demand. He oon- cluded to visit Eugland in the attempt to influence capital to invest in the African district, but the men of money were in an uncertain mood, chiefly arising from the dubious methods that Mr. Krueger, the president of the Transvaal Government, was resorting to and the evident unreliability of his conduct. He was unsuccessful in his mission, but not deterred..
Captain Willoughby then visited the Hague, where he filed a claim against the Transval government with Krueger's representative in that city. After many conferences the claim was rejected, and Mr. Willoughby journeyed back to England. He was perturbed, but had not given up hopes. What to do then was a What men persist in sowing they must reap question of deep consideration. He was practi- the harvest. At present all join in saying that cally peuniless, but full of ambition. no foreigner unless strongly guarded could second cousin, Sir John Christopher Willough- safely travel in some parts of the Chi-me dis-by, was director of the Mashonaland Company trict. The great need of rain is adding to the of his name, and was second in command of the unrest. Farmers are idle, waiting for rain
forces of the Imperial British South African before they can sow their spring crops. Jameson into the Transvaal; but to him he Company and who, in 1896, accompanied Doctor Mercury.
would not make known his condition.
His
On the 29th último a destructive fire broke
out in a wooden booth in the market town named Saping, in Hokshan district, where a theatrical performance was going ou for the celebration of the festival of the Queen of Heaven. There were over two thousand visitors, male and female. When the alarm of fire was raised, the people left the place in a panic, several persons being trampled to death in the stampede and over a hundred badly injured.
The price of raw silk is daily advancing, the market being very brisk. A pioul of raw silk costs nine hundred and odd dollars against
seven or eight hundred dollars in the last three years. The price of mulberry leaves is also very high, a picul costing two dollars and thirty cents against a dollar and twenty or thirty cents in former years
It is reported that plague has made its ap- pearance in Loongkong village, in Suntak dis trict, About fifteen persons have succombộd since the 26th ultimo.
HONGKONG.
There were 2,057 visitors to the City Hall Museum last week, of whom 234 were Euro- peaus.
Messrs. McGregor Bros, & Gow have taken over the agency of the Glen line of steamers at his port.
Mr. H. M. Hillier, Commissioner of Customs, has banded over charge of the Kow- loon Customs to Mr. H. W. Brazier, Acting Deputy Commissioner.
H. M. S. Brisk, which returned to the har- bour on Wednesday with her bows damaged, she having collided with a junk, went out to wes again on Thursday afternoon.
The maximum temperature last month was 83, on the 14th, and the minimum 59.2, on the 7th. The mean for the whole month was 69.9. The rainfall amounted to 3,14 inches.
On September, 8th, 1898, he was at Penarth SERIOUS FIRE AT BANGKOK. ·Roads, Cardiff, where a number of sailing ves
wels were loading for foreign countries, and some Messrs. Clarke and Co.'s saw-mill, Bangkok, ready for sea. His mining experiences, in was burned down on Saturday evening, 22nd America where he had been, as well as in Africa, April, the blaze of the burning timber being had brought him in contact with more of the seen over half the town. The fire began about rough than refined element, but it had not altered half-past seven o'clock, and appears to have him. ↑ He was and is a gentlemen and a scholar been caused by a kerosine oil lamp falling down. He had had experience with the rough element,. A watchman saw the accident, and his method however, and he knew how to take them, so he of repairing the mischief was to cover the whole concluded to become a sailor, temporarily, and thing up with sawdust There were fire ex-
on that day he shipped as an able seaman on tinguishing appliances handy on the premises, the British ship Torrisdale, which was then bat the application of Bawdust to the burning ready for sea and without a full crew. Sailors oll simply made a big bonfire at once, and the were scarce and no questions were asked of him watchman seeing his first effort had so unfort
as to his ability. The Torrisdale was laden unste a result did not think of doing anything with Cardiff coal for Nagasaki, and with her he further while there might still have been came before the mast. It was not a profession time. Instead he ran off as and was not seen again amongst day. The one with which he was uuscquainted.・・ His | celebration of the Fourth of July.
d as he could, | according to his ethics; it was a calling only, and | loaded with 7,000 cases of firecrackers for the
flames spread with fearful rapidity. Mr. S. H. former attempts to cope with a new condition Hendricks was the first of the staff of the of things had been successful and it was his Dad who was aware of the outbreak, but even - Aized determination to be so in his new role.
A New York despatch of the 12th April says:-The Yankee clipper Reuce, which has just arrived here from Hongkong, made the voyage of more than 16,000 miles in ninety-six days, an average of more than 163 miles a day. She left Hongkong on January 4th and 1
At the Magistracy on the 9th May, be fore Mr. T. Sercombe Smith, Reginald Ho was again brought up on
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