184
the
which sailed from Royal Albert Docks on the 11th inst, conveys the 4th Balloon Section Royal Engineers, about three officers and seventy-five men, with the necessary equipment. The Norddeutscher Lloyd's steamers Dresden and Halle, chartered by the Imperial German Government, left Singapore on Monday morning and may be expected here to-day
LI HUNG-CHANG,
It is reported from Shanghai that as long as the 20th ult. H.E. Li Hung-chang gave orders to the China Merchants' Co. for the steamer Anping to be ready at any time to take H.E. and suite up North. The exact date of leaving was, however, unsettled, and as we have not heard of his departure it may be assumed that he still remains in Shanghai.
AMOY AFFAIRS.
An Amoy correspondent writes to us on the 25th inst, stating that on that day Kulungsu Island was still being patrolled by armed Japa nese, and that the previous night they were challenging foreigners. The two Japanese men-of-war, the only warships in port, were under steam. The Chinese were perfectly quiet, and the community is unable to understand the present proceedings. The landing of an armed force, continues our correspondent, can only excite the thickly populated city, and will probably be the cause of a riot and destruction of property.
Another correspondent writes to the same effect and asks why a British, German, or American man-of-warscannot be sent to Ainoy By this time we hope our correspondent is gratified by the arrival of H.M.S. Isis.
CONGRATULATIONS TO M. PICHON. The French residents in Shanghai have sent, though their Consul-General, the following -telegram to M. Pichon at Peking
Beptember 111900,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
4-Yesterday, 16th June, the same foreign | the Great Wall and aided ther ogoonguer naval officers signed a compact that it was no- China. Before leaving Peking the Empress cessary to take temporary possession of the had more than twenty of her eunuchs beaten to Taku forts, and notice was served on the Viceroy death. at Tientsin and on the Commandant of the forts. The Consuls at Tientsin were informed of what was contemplated. I did not join in the attack on the forts. Captain Wise of the Mo| nocacy had orders to protect American in terests, based upon the Department's orders, but in case of attack by the Chinese Government force he was to consider it as a declaration of war and act accordingly. Very respectfully,
LOUIS KEMPFF,
The French Colony at Shanghai have follow. ed with painful anxiety the course of the drama just enacted at Peking. They feel very keenly the losses which have been suffered by the French colony at Peking. On the occasion of your rescue they wish to pay a public tribute to the dignity, patience, and heroism shown by you and your companions and defenders, and to con- gratulate your Excellency personally on the well merited distinction which you have just received from the Government of the Republic. May this honour lessen the bitterness of the memory of the long days of trial which Madame Pichon and you have so nobly endured!"
The distinction alluded to is the promotion
of M. Pichon to the rank of Commander of the Légion d'Honneur. At the same time Consuls
du haylard (Tientsin), de Bezaure (Shanghai), and François (Yunnan-fu) were made officers of the Légion d'Honneur.
THE AMERICANS AT TAKU
ADMIRAL KEMPFF EXPLAINS.
The report from Rear-Admiral Komp, ex- plaining why he did not take part in the attack on the Taku Forts, has been made public by the U. S. Navy Department. Secretary Long has warmly commended Rear-Admiral Kempft's action. The report says:---
Flagship Newark (Taku, China), 17th July, 1900. Sir, I would state what follows in regard to the happenings previous to the resolve yes- terday by other senior foreign naval officers here to get possession of the Taku forts.
**2.-On Thursday, 14th June, Rear-Admiral Bruce called and asked what I thought of the matter, and I informed him that I was not authorised to initiate any act of war with a country with which my country was at peace; that my limit was to protect American interests both by regulations and under recent instruc- tions from both the Department and from the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Naval Forces on the Atlantic station.
Rear Admiral, U.S.A.
THE FALL OF PEKING. Details are still wanting of affairs at Peking and in its neighbourhood. The following items in the N.-C. Daily News come from Chinese
sources :-~~
THE REIGN OF TERROR
1
at Peking, according to the latest news, prior to the flight of the Empress Dowager, must have been terrible. The policy of Prince Tuan and the Empress Dowager appears to have been to make away with every one suspected of friendship with foreigners, and all who have spoken in disparaging terms of their beloved
Boxers. Even those who were at first carried away by the enthusiasm of the moment, but who subsequently saw through them and avoided them, have not escaped the general massacre, and men like the bigoted reactionist Ting Chieh (Manchu), Provincial Treasurer of Chihli, have also been executed at the demand of the Boxer chiefs "for speaking disparagingly of the patriots."
THE EMPEROR STILL REPORTED IN PEKING.
|
A telegram from Chefoo to the Ostavatiscke Lloyd reports:--As soon as the allies reached Peking they immediately searched for Prince Tuan, but did not find him. They then pursued him with cavalry. At the same time the Allies issued the following proclamation "We fight only against the Boxers and their leaders and for the protection of our Ministers, and do not seek a conflict with the Chinese people."--||ch
Native official reports received in Shanghai last week state that General Tung Fuhsiang and his Kansu men left Peking twenty-four hours before the flight of the Empress Dowager, bis corps being ordered to act as her advanced guard to Bhensi. This appears to have been due to an apprehension that the North-western Mahommedans might be tempted to attack the Empress Dowager and Court en route, and make away with the Tsing or Manohu dynasty. for good and for all. Another report stated that upon the capture of Peking by the allies the members of all the Legations all removed into the Palaces inside the Forbidden City for greater safety.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC REFUGEES FROM YUNNAN.
易
Four French priests and a number of followers arrived yesterday, says the Bhamo correspondent of the Rangoon Gazette, writing under date the 10th inst. They were escorted from Talifu to Nampaung by 20 armed soldiers. They were 26 days on the road and suffered much from the heat, wind and rain; but strange to say The hopes of a numerous body of the Reform they are all looking remarkably well except Party at Shanghai with reference to the safety their elder or bishop, an elderly gentleman, who of the Emperor, were considerably raised by is very much reduced. It was through the the news received from a member of the Party, kindness of the military officers at Tali that a secretary of the Governor Yuan Shikai at they obtained their pass and escort of troops. Chinan, to the effect that two of the latest Im- They report the country unsettled and trade at perial decrees (11th and 12th inst.) received by a standstill. They met with no opposition or Governor Yuan from Peking were written in insults until they came near the frontier, where what is supposed to be the Emperor's own hand- they would have had some trouble had it not writing. In other words, the chirography is been for Mr. Hobson. They state that the the same as that of the decrees which were
issued during the Emperor's era of reform in 1898, and is now seen for the first time after an absence of just two years. This has given rise to the hope that the Emperor has managed to paratese himself from the Empress Dowager, in which case it may be fairly assumed that his Majesty is now under the protection of the
Allies.
THE MYSTERIOUS REPORT
of the presence, on the 17th instant, at Paoting of Chao Shu-ch'iao. President of the Board of Punishments. Grand Councillor, and Tsungli Yamên Minister, a notorious Reactionist and follower of Prince Tuan and Kang Yi, is ex- plained by an official despatch received from the North. It is stated that, owing to the delay of Li Hung-chang in going up North to take over his seals of the Chilli Viceroyship, and the fear that he may not get up there after all, the Empress Dowager was compelled to appoint some one to go to Paoting to be ready to take over the seals from the Provincial Judge Ting Yung, who is now both acting Treasurer and
Viceroy.
China Inland missionaries will doubtless at-
tempt to reach Shanghai, while their fellow- priests in Southern Yunnan will move south. A leading Chinese merchant when asked what he thought of the state of affairs in China said the
"Old Empress is a bad woman.” When asked why the white people in Burma did not turn upon the Chinese, kill and take their pro- perty, he replied, "You have a God, you have law.'
NEWCHWANG.
RUSSIAN PROGRESS. The correspondent of the N-C. Daily News wrote on the 13th ult-Haicheng was captured yesterday morning by the Russians after two hours' bombardment, and five modern fieldpieces fell into their hands. Their next point of at tack should be naturally Anshanshan; but they are halting at Haicheng and sending a strong force down here, under the impression that we are in danger from some Chinese who retired westward after the fight at Tasbihchiao, and from other troops reported to contemplate meet- ing at Tienchuangtai and attacking us in three days. As to the former, we know nothing A Chefoo despatch to the N.-C. Daily News the latter are said to have left. Trenchsangtai states that the allied forces employed dynamite to-day for Nowchwang proper, which, being at to breach the walls of the Forbidden ity, and some distance from the Chinese Eastern Railway entered, with the assistance of four thousand line, is less likely to be attacked by the Russians. armed Christians living inside. The allies' flag Meantime great alarm prevails among the was run up over the Imperial Palace. Street Chinese, and several hundreds, whose forefathers fighting continued for some time, but the casual-migrated here from Shantung, are returning ties are unknown.
to the homes of their ancestors.
LATER ITEMS.
It is stated in Shanghai mandarin circles that the Empress Dowager prior to her fight issued an edict commanding the following Boxer 3-On the 15th, at a consultation of the other Chiefs to remain in the capital, namely, Prince foreign naval officers, it was agreed that the Tuan, Prince Chuan, the Grand Secretary railroad station at Tangku should be taken (the Hsu Tung. the Assistant Grand Secretary railway is under Chinese Government control), Kang Yi, and Chung Li, President of the Board and in case any Chinese Government force noted of Punishments and Commandant of the Pe- against the force of any nation all should be in-king Gendarmerie,“ to defend the Imperial rolved and act unitedly. Under my instruc- tious I could not join in taking possession of Chinese Government property, and did not care to become a party to such a agreement without definite authority.
•
Jack Young, the Australian jockey and trainer, died on the 11th ultat the hospital of San Juan de Dios. The deceased, who for many years has attended the principal race meets in the East and Far East, was considered the best cross country rider in India. He took a trip to Japan about nine months ago, and came down to Hongkong in the early part of the year. city and administer the Government." Three Not being in good health, he sought out the of the four above-named are Manchus, the Philippines as a recruiting ground, but he hird named, Hsu Tung, being a Chinese Ban- gradually declined, after a long and painful norman or Hanchun, & descendant of the Chi-illness. He leaves a wife in Calcutta to lament nese traitors who admitted the Manchus into his loss.