October 6, 1900.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE RÉPORT.
RUSSIAN FORCES IN THE
AMUR DISTRICT.
275
TERRIBLE ENDING OF A VIL-
LAGE FESTIVAL.
same company as is supplying electricity has laid down maine in various directions from fixed pumping stations for fire-extinguishing. Various other schemes, some practical, some chimerical, are mooted, but all showing a desire Anent the paragraphs which have appeared From Araki-mura, Nitsuna-gori, Fukuoka to increase the amenities of life among the in these columns regarding the Russian pur. Prefecture, comes a terrible story, which is thus natives of Canton. Meanwhile the British chases of foreign steamers for the conveyance related by the Japan Mail. It appears that the and French Concessions on Shameen are be- of troops and military storos from Europe to farmers of the neighbourhood, rejoicing in the coming too small for the foreign mercantile the Far East, and the contemplated transport promise of rich and heavy crops this autumn, community, which is growing year by year. of 10.500 Russian soldiers to China, some decided to celebrate the event by holding a vil- Very little space is left on the British portion details as to the composition of the Russian lage shibaya (amateur theatricals) in the grounds and not much more on the French part of Sha- forces now in the Amur district, may be of of the Kurotsuchi Shrine. The young men of ineen. It seems inevitable that a fresh con- some interest at the present time. The district the village readily took up the idea and were cession, either cosmopolitan or under the juris-is of wide extent, and administratively includes impressed for service on the boards. Begin- diction of one particular nation will have to be not only the Amur provinces, but the lit ning at an early hour, the theatricals continued found somewhere, but where, is the question. toral district of Vladivostock, Saghalien, and all day, and at nightfall fully 1,000 persons were It is a problem that will probably prove difficult the Transbaikal. Independent of the forces still enjoying the antics of the village buffoons travelling eastwards through Siberia, and the tragedians. Lights were accordingly or ocean-borne from Odessa by transport, the sent for, and a tin of kerosene oil being forth- Russian troops already stationed in the Amar coming to replenish them, was placed upon the Region include three East Siberian brigades stage. Then some one thoughtlessly placed a (12 battalions) a division of artillery (4 batteries) light upon the tin, which, communicating with the East Siberian light infantry (tirailleurs), the oil, cansed an explosion. Losing his pre- the two brigades cf infantry of the line (9 battalions) sence of mind, a man on the stage picked up two brigades of cavalry of the Ussuri division blazing tin and throw it into the temple yard, (4 regiments), two East Siberia artillery brigades among the spectators where it caused a panic, and two mobile artillery parks, according to in the course of which some 80 persons were figures taken by the Singapore Free Press from killed or injured. The theatrical performance the columns of a French contemporary.
and the harvest rejoicings, needless to say, came to a sudden end.
of solution."
SOME STRAITS SETTLEMENTS
FIGURES.
The revenue of the Colony for 1899 was $5,199,149, corrected for arrears, against $5,029,689, the revenue for 1898. The outlay was $5,063.884, against 84,582,951 in 1898.
The revenue from opium licences amounted to $2,318,400; that from spirit licences reached $757,200.
The Government profit on silver and copper coin issued in the Colony last year came to over $58,00.
Subsidiary silver coin to the value of $63,600 was imported during last year. as against $572,000 in 1898. A considerable quantity of this coin finds its way to Netherlands India.
The military expenditure of the Colony for 1899 was over $969.250-contribution $917.773 and balance of contribution for 1898, 51.47 The contribution for 1899 was estimated at 174 per cent. of the revenue of the Colony, plus cost of military works, but it was afterwards fixed at 20 per cent. of the revenue, this amount to 'cover all the liabilities of the Colony.
The expenditure under the Volunteer's Or dinance was over $14,216. The ontlay on the Penang Volunteer Corps was over $2,690. The Crown Agents accounted for $3,102. The out- lay in Singapore came to $8,424.
A RUSSIAN ACCOUNT OF TAKU.
The St. Petersburg Government Messenger published on the 2nd ult. four long detailed reports on the capture of the Taku forts, ac- cording to which it would appear that success was entirely due to the Russians and English who, in spite of the disinclination of the other allies to storm the forts, were the first to ad. vance and decide the day Captain Dobrovolsky coramanding the international landing parties. states that the allied commanders disagreed on the subject, whereupon the Russians refused to wait and at once went forward. They were supported by the English, who thus induced the rest of the allies to follow their example. The Russian Lieutenant Stankevich with four soldiers, first entered the north-west fort, and. not having with him a flag. he hoisted a shoulder strap of one of his sergeants. When the English flag subsequently appeared on the ramparts the Russians cheered, and from their new position began firing upon the nearest southern forts.
Lieutenant Stankevich relates that on the night before the attack he attended a conference at the invitation of the German Captain Pohl, who, in the presence of the other foreign of ficers, declared that it had been decided to retire as the naval artillery fire had done no damage whatever to the forts, the capture of which was, therefore, impossible. Lieutenant Stankevich categorically refused to retire, and then all the other landing parties excepting the English formed their columns and marched away. The Russians occupied the most in front of the fort, and the English threw out a line to the Russian right. At dawn the Russians and English, un- der the enemy's fire, stormed the fort, and the Germans and Japanese followed up behind.
now
The troops not brigaded include four batta- lions of the line, two batteries of the Transbaikal, a battalion of East Siberis engineers, a railway battalion, four regiments of cavalry, the Cos. EXTENSIVE OPIUM SMUGGLING sacks of the Amur and of the Ussuri, a
AT RANGOON. regiment of fortress infantry. (5 battalions), six companies of garrison artillery, three of miners. one of the sappers, and a telegraph section. The aggregate of these mobilised troops re- presents 30 battalions of infantry. 56 squadrons of cavalry. 17 batteries, besides special troops. amounting in all to 50.000 men, placed under the orders of Lieut. Gen. Grodkov. Governor General of the Amur district. The despatch of troops from Sebastopol and Odessa by Volunteer Flest transports for hina includes up to the present six brigades of chasseurs, formed out of contingents drawn from the Russian Army Corps of the South, two battalions of infantry up to the war strength, eighteen batteries of field artillery. a battalion of pioneers, a battalion of field transport, and a field bakery.
A TRANS-PACIFIC SHIPOWNER'S
COMBINE.
INCREASED FREIGHT RATES.
A conference is taking place between the
The Collector of Customs, Rangoon, on the 11th 'Sept. sent a consignment of silk, which arrived from the Straits por steamer Palitana, to be sold by Messrs. Balthazar and Son, public anctioneers. Mr. Rozario, their auctioneer, on examining the packing, discovered four tins of Chinese opium and immediately reported the matter personally to the Collector of Customs, who sent Customs Officer Holssted to stand by while further search was made. Nine more tins were found similarly secreted giving a total valued at Rs. 2.400. The fact that the opium escaped detec- tion by the Customs Department after they had detected forty-two thousand total in the very same consignment on board the Pulitona and had the cases under their care for over one week, has created great surprise and will pro- bably incur severe censure for such dereliction of duty.
{
HONGKONG.
principal shipping companies whose steamers The plague record since last week's issue is ply in Far Eastern waters-namely. the Cana- dian Pacific, the various San Franciscan Com-cases and 4 deaths, the totals for the year panies, the M. M. S. S. Company, the P. and being now 1.071 and 1,013. O. S. S. Company, the North German Lloyd. For some time past the coolies down Queen's the Nippon Yusen, &c.-with the object.states the Road Central have been in the habit of amus- Japan Mail, of raising the rates of freight between in themselves by throwing stones in the Land Japan and America. It is expected that the con| We Live In Hotel. Li Kì, & shop coolie, who ference will result in an agreement to make an offended in this manner on the 27th ult.. was increase of 10 per cent. all round. These caught by the bar-keeper and on the 28th ult. Companies have already agreed to the following fined $5 or 14 days. charges for 1st class passengers between China ports and Japan, and the new rates went into operation from the 15th ult.
Hongkong-Shanghai Hongkong-Nagasaki Hongkong-Moji. Hongkong-Kobe
Hongkong-Yokohama
success.
Single.
Return.
yen,
yen.
50
75
56
84
60
90
65
95
75
113
On the 4th instant Sergeant Garrod was in
a bundle. Suspecting that the bundle contained Wing Lok Street when he saw a man carrying letters he examined it and found his suspicions verified. There were about 71 letters, some of which were addressed to Hongkong. They were all unstamped. A fine of $50 was im- posed.
P. C. Morgan found a Chinaman trespassing in the Naval Yard at Kowloon on Wednesday and arrested him. The man had no right to be The defendant told Mr. Haze-
1 he doubts which had arisen at the Admiral- ¦ whore he was. ly with regard to the utility of using Marconi's land on the 4th inst. that he was carrying coal. system of wireless telegraphy on British war-His Worship, however, said he was quite satisfied ships seem now to be dispelled, and thirty-two that the man went where he did for the purpose sets are being turned out as rapidly as possible, of stealing something, and imposed a fine of the royalty on each instrument being £100 per 810, or three weeks.
As P. C. Allen was passing the Hongkong annum for fifteen years. At the recent Naval manœuvres the instruments were a pronounced Hotel at about 6.40 on the 4th instant he was "It is not too much to say," Signor | called into the billiard room. There he saw a Marconi's representative said. that messages European (whose name he subsequently disco- can now be transmitted and received over dis-vered to be Alfred Barber) who was drunk and tances of 100 miles." There is no chance of a noisy and using insulting language to the boys foreign vessel "tapping" the messages, for behind the bar. He was taken into custody. The Singapore Chess Club has been reviewed they are sent in code, while, as a second pre- When brought before Mr. Hazeland and arked after a lapse of nearly five months. Mr. T. B. caution, messages cannot be received unless the if he had anything to say, he replied, “If you Elcum was elected President. A match by two instruments are in "tung" or, in other would allow me to go I should be much obliged. cable with either Hongkong or Batavia was sug- | words, are in sympathy with one another. This It's a matter of life and death to me.” Since he gested. We hope that the Hongkong players | arrangement is, of course, a secret of the Ad-put it that way His Worship allowed him to
Po with a caution, will respond to this invitation.
miralty.
1