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February 10, 1900]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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CLARE, peconded by Mr. McKis, it was de | Osborne, havé already strongly recommended sided to ask the advice of the Attorney-General | the appointment of three inspectors, who, with on the subject.
three Chinese foremen, should devote the whole DAD A WELL TO BE CLOSED.
of their time to the abatement of house-drain- Mr. F. Browne (Government Analyst) re-age nuisance. That recommendation was ported that the water in the well situate at 85, adopted by the Board and forwarded to the Queen's Road Central, was so tainted with im- Government on the 29th September, 1899. purities as to be unfit for potable purposes and "The suggestion that the night-soil coolies likely to prove injurious to health.
should be paid a small fee on delivering at the bosts is one that must await the expiration of the present contract which runs till September 30th, 1901.
On the motion of the PRESIDENT, seconded by Dr. CLARK, it was decided to order the well to be closed.
HYDROPHOBIÁ IN 'HONGKONG. Information concerning a recent fatal case of hydrophobia in Hongkong was submitted.
Sanitary Inspector Burnet reported on the 16th January that he had made enquires into the death of Ng Li Kin, of 1, Rienacker street, and found that the deceased was bitten by a dog, the property of Ngai Bun and Co., engineers, Queen's Road East, on of about the 19th November. The mother of the child took her to No. 2 Police Station, and she was sent to the Government Civil Hospital, where the wound was dressed. She was not detained in Hospital. She had two scars on left cheek said to have been the result of the bite. She developed symptoms of hydropobia on the 11th January, and died at 7 p.m. on the 13th January. The dog which bit the deceased was said to have bitten other people.
On the 17th January Sanitary Inspector Bur- net said he had been to the address given by the mother of the ouild to try and find out the names and addresses of other people said to have been bitten. The people in there denied all knowledge of the case. He found that the mother of the child was under treatment by Dr. Chung, she having been bitten by the deceased child. Police Inspector Cuthbert, in a report to the Captain Superintendent of Police, dated Jan. 19th, said: A report was made at No. 2 Station by a married woman that her daughter had been bitten on the face by a dog supposed to be ownerless, but which had been seen a good deal about the premises of Ngai Sun, in Queen's Road East. The dog was captured immedi- ately after, but made its escape again." Later the same day it was brought to the station by some coolies, who said it had died on the way. It was dragged to the station with a rope round its neck and had the appearance of having been strangled. The dog was known to the police to be ownerless, and several attempts were made to capture it without result. No complaint was ever made to the police about the dog having bitten any one before.
Dr. Hartigan said:-Only yesterday I saw seven days close to the Government Offices, four being without collars. The police seem to take no notice of these stray dogs. They should be captured.
many
Major Brown:- There are far too stray dogs in the colony. I think all such should be caught and if not claimed within 48 hours destroyed.
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
The death rate for the colony of Hongkong for the week ended 6th January was 178, against 24-1 for the previous week and 142 for the corresponding week last year; the rate for the week ended 13th Jannery was 20 against 135 for the corresponding week last year, while the rate for the week ended 20th January was 23, against 144 for the corresponding week last
year.
The mortality returus for Macao show that doing the week ended January 7th there were
50 deaths, including four from babonic plague. Of the 87 deaths which took place during the following week six were due to bubonic plague.
AN IMPORTANT REPORT. The Hon. R D. Ormsby, Mr. E. Osborne, and Dr. Clark, the selest committee of the Board who were appointed to report on the Sanitary Surveyor's report on the latrines and urinals of the city of Victoria, presented their report, which deals with certain suggestions made by Mr. Ormsby. Dealing with the latrine question, the committee express the opinion that two latrines at least should always be in process of building, until the needs of the city are fully met. The report continues :—
*A sub-committee of the Board consisting of the Principal Civil Medical Officer, the Medical Officer of Health, and Mr. Edward
WEST RIVER NOTES.
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(FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.)
your valuable space with a few observationů on Í again venture, Mr. Editor, to intrude on the West River and kindred topics, and T um the more emboldened to do so by the fact that the authorship of the Arst set of "Notes" other feux d'esprit of a similar nature have been wrongfully and almost maliciously attributed to various respectable and esteemed residents on "Plans for an underground latrine are now the West River. I, therefore, take this early being prepared in the Public Works Depart-opportunity of making the amende honorable ment, and should the experiment prove a success in expressing regret at the insults they have no doubt other similar lätrines will be built im | been subjected to. various parts of the city.
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"The committee are not in favour of the With a laudable desire to provide your readers recommendation that all the night-soil from the with matter equally entertaining and instructive Hill District should be discharged into the as that which appears with such pleasing re- Peak Road sewer, but would suggest that to gularity in the pages of a deservedly popular avoid the carriage of night-soil from this dis- and widely-read journal published in the North; triot to the boats alongside the Prays a small I have diligently pérnéed and with no little pains, properly terraced farm should be laid out at digested the most recent productions from the the upper part of the Aberdeen Valley (avoid-pena of its own and also occasional correspondents. ing the watershed of the Aberdeen waterworks), I find myself, however (to use ști Oom Paulián and that all night-soil should be carried there expreston), "staggered” ‚at the abundance and and properly trenched (as is done in India). variety of copy which appears to be at their The land should be used for raising Guines disposal. We have here no hospitals to open, grass, which is largely in demand in this colony no distressed converts, no vicious officials, no in. as fodder for cattle or some other similar crop teresting weddings attended by missionaries, for the feeding of cattle.
both "double" and "single." My Muse is "Additional urinals are undoubtedly urgently silent on the subject of“ Boxers,” and delighful needed, and this want has also been brought to cocasions enhanced by lectures and light the attention of the Government during re-refreshments are, so far, denied us. But we cent years. The committee are of the opinion have Pirates, and in spite of the fact that their that with a view to the saving of the water doings and characterstion have already been supply, further experiments might be made discussed ad nauseam in the Colonial press, I with sawdust-filled receptacles, if a few suit venture to relate certain entertaining incidents able buildings are put up in couvenient locali- which, I believe, are not generally known. ties."
The following minutes were appended:- Major Brown-1 am strongly in favour of underground urinals and latrines being con- structed. They are a success in other places, só why should the same result not be attained in Hongkong. Chinese using the bucket system ought to be required to register.
The Vice President:-"Is the statement that the appointment of three drainage inspectors was adopted by the Board correct? If it was adopted it must have been by a majority, as I did not vote for so large an increase I think. The idea to have a sewage farm at the Peak seems excellent." The Vice President subse- quently minuted :-"I see it was adopted by a majority, only two members not voting."
THE RAID ON THE RATS.
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by pirates was pursued by a Customs' oruiser On a recent occasion when a launch captured
and also a British river steamer, the Sikh watch- yellow turban-was discovered, happily before man on the latter vessel-a dusky Apollo, in a much harm had been done, enthusiastically the pirate craft, but into the Customs' launch! emptying the contents of his revolver, not into Now a Commissioner of Customs happened to be an interested spectator of the chase on board
the inland waters of China! I will not labour the point, but I offer it, as it stands, for the consideration of the legal fraternity in their
leisure moments.
the Customs' launch, and advancing the hypo- thesis (fortunately improbable that the Sikh's) bullet had found a billet is the breast, or other interesting case would thus be presented before rulnerable part of the Commissioner what an
our local courts! A British subject in the execution (albeit misdirected) of his duty, shoot-
the Board advertised that rat traps could be
Mr. OSBORNE said that on the 10th Januarying a Chinese official of German nationality on obtained free of charge at the office of the Sanitary Board. Two weeks had elapsed since then and they had received 37 rats, all of which were, he understood, picked up on the street, not hunted for. They had issued 137 traps, of which only four or five had gone to Chinese, so that up to the moment their efforts thought they would be more successful if a distinct failure. He at rat-catching were they adopted the course during the great plague, that was, sent their taken in London dust-carts rounds calling out "Bring out your rats," instead of "Bring out your dead.” foreman could pay for the rats.
The
Dr. CLARK pointed out that there was not a Portuguese foreman in charge of a dust-cart, and he did not think it would be wise to entrust these coolie scavengers with which to pay for the foreman in each district and a Furopean inspeo- rats brought to them. There was a Portuguese tor, and the matter might be left with them. If Mr. Osborne would accept that amendment,
he would second his motion.
Mr. OSBORNE said he was agreable, adding that he thought there was a Portuguese foreman in charge of each cart.
The motion was carried.
This was all the business of public interest.
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The annual meeting of the Shanghai Race Club was held on the 27th ult., Mr. Alex. Mc. Leod presiding. The report and accounts hay- ing been adopted, the the retiring Stewards. Messrs. A. von Butler. B. A. Clarke. F. Gore, W. 8. Jackson, John Liddell, A. McLeod, and J. A. Pond, were unanimously re-elected.
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The method of conducting a piracy on these waters is so simple and nest, that I make no apology for explaining how it is done. A passenger-boat astern, ready to start. At s launch is at anchor off a riverside town with
given moment arrive sampans filled with men of the baser sort, some of whom board
the launch, others the "tow." The launch people, probably asleep or "eating rice," are informed that any opposition on their part will be considered AN- "un riendly act," and are briefly requested to weigh anchor im- mediately. The new arrivals on the "tow," after the manner of Brer Rabbit, temporarily voted to passengers The launch proceeds at lie low and dispose themselves in the boxes de- fall speed on her journey. Should the pilot in charge have the bad frate to whistle or otherwise attract attention when passing a Customa’ station, a revolver pointed at his head usually induces him to alter his mind. Should the party happen to pass a Chinese fort occupied by "braves," say at Chutoushan, little harm is done because, even when the alarm in given, time is required to assemble the sleeping and scattered soldiery and they, having assumed the correct firing attitude (which consists in bring. ing the left leg sharply up to the right, bending the back into a bow and stamping twice with the right foot), and selected cartridges suitable to their rifle from a miscellaneous assortment stored in the cook-house, most probably fire into the air or any other direction but the right one!
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