328.
Captain May went back on Monday, but this need not be taken as indicating that any danger is apprehended, for he returned once' more on Thursday night.
THE R. W. F. 'COMING BACK, We announced some days ago that the Royal Welsh Fusiliers were to return here shortly and would not winter in the north. News arrives from Peking that the R. W. F. were hoping. to leave Peking about the 20th inst. for Tientsin, en route to Hongkong.
THE TROUBLE IN KWANGTUNG. DESPERATE BATTLE BETWEEN REBELS AND
"VILLAGERS.
·400 REBELS AND 2,008 VILLAGERS KILLED.
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Admiral Ho and his men commenced their advance from Samchun on the 17th, only a small detachment being left behind.
[October 27, 1900,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
that is, in a couple of skirmishes, daring at length we are likely to see the China and which the Boxers outnumbered the troops five Australian products fairly put side by side. to one. All these fights occurred in the There is little doubt that this will serve to make vicinity of Tsangchou, which is still held the season 1900-1901 the most interesting wei in force by Governor Yuan's troops, who have had yet. To those whose acquaintance have hitherto succeeded very well in pro- with horse-racing a limited to attendance at venting the entrance of all Boxers who have occasional small meetings and participation in tried to fight a way into the province of Shan-usually unlucrative Dorby "sweeps," it may tung. On the 9th instant, however, the Chief seem at first sight odd that racing here stands Boxer leader, a Tientsin man named Ch'ôn, where it does, when within less than three whose followers have the reputation of boing weeks' steam of Hongkong is Australia, where the most ferocious and pitiless of their kind,.some of the most capable horse-bronkers in the concentrated his forces, numbering 5,000 men, world, finding the country and climate admi- and joining them to the Shantung Boxers on rably suited to their purposes, have devoted the early morning of that day marched against their fortunes to horse-raising. Naturally General Mei's troops and offered battle in the they feel they have a grievance in the proteo plains below the city of Tsorgchou. The tion of the China pony which has prevailed up Boxers combined numbered over. 12,000, here so far. And is there not some truth in while General Mei's forces only numbered 8,000 their claim that, if our Jockey Club had moet- On the 15th inst. the rebels attacked a body of all arms, But the challenge was accepted and ing open to all horses and joined the Racing of Imperial troops at Sam-kok-fu, some four General Mei, after leaving a little over 2,000 Associations of the East and Australia, Sing- miles from Tak Mui Fu, and defeated them, men to hold the city-and placing 1,500 men with apore and Indian horses would be sent to killing about 100 and wounding many others. artillery on the rising ground ontside the city competo, giving Hongkong some sport more The villagers of Sam-kok-fu assisted the Im-wall to cover his retreat should he be outnumbered worthy of the size of the place? perial troops, and the rebels revenged themselves by the enemy, marched out with nearly 4,000 by killing about 20 of them and burning several to attack the enemy. The battle raged from 8 Of course, there is the stumbling-block in the houses.
o'clock in morning to dusk, just before which, physical geography of this island, which limits seeing that the right wing of the Boxers, riding and driving lamentably. But neod it who were strongly posted in the villages and have the same effect on racing? The present dykes and forced the troops to attack them course is too small, it will be objected. One in the open; were suffering severely from can only reply that one knows of a course not a battery posted near by and had begun to an inch larger where excellent racing is carried waver, General Mei sent, his 1,500 covering on every week and without an accident Which troops to attack them on the flank. The Boxers could be attributed in any way to the smallness did not wait for these fresh troops, but were of the course. With some alterations the course soon soen streaming to the north-west of the at Happy Valley could be made safe to race town into the marshes. This was the signal for a round as any course can be, provided the fields ́ general advance and pursuit by the troops. The were not very big. With regard to the covering troops then made a détour and stopped tion of expense, it is the fashion rather to talk ques- the Boxers from getting into the marshes, while of racing as the sport of millionaries, but though the pursuing troops coming up the enemy were it is not perhaps a hobby which a prudent guar cut down almost to a man. This right wing hap-dian who encourage in a young hopeful, its cost pened to be entirely composed of Tientsin Boxers hore in Hongkong can be greatly exaggerated under, Ch'ên, who was fortunately captured. by the affrighted imagination of the careful This man, with some 300 desperadoes, refused to business man. Anyway the fact remains that retreat when he saw the battle was lost, but held in places not nearly as prosperous as Hongkong his ground in a strongly entrenched and walled racing is in a flourishing condition. But hamlet. Here General Mei with 200 cavalry, must trespass no longer on subjects proper to found him and a desperate fight ensued. The that august body, the Hongkong Jockey Club. troopers dismounted and storined the place and To discuss the question adequately, moreover, a couple of Maxims being brought up, the would occupy more spacet han I am allowed whole band were slain without a single ory for here to fill. quarter. Ch'on's head was then brought back to Tsangchou in triumph and it now adorns the walls of that city. Nearly 6,000 Boxers were killed in this battle, over 3,000 of whom were Tientsin men. General Mei was wounded, his losses being some 300 killed and twice the num- ber wounded. The Shantung Boxers be- longing to those who went to Peking in May last had been defeated and were now trying to get back to their homes, to find the door shut against them by Governor Yuan: hence their persistency in attacking Tsangchou.
The rebels in Kwangtung appear, however, to be making headway and are doing an immense amount of mischief to the peacefully disposed villagers.
The latest accounts say that on the 19th, 20th and 21st instant some 4,000 villagers belonging to Sam To-Chuk and the vicinity attacked the rebels between Sam To Chuk and Yung Fa. The battle was most stubbornly fought, but ult imately the rebels gained the day. They are reported to have lost 400 men, whilst some 2,000 villagers were killed, women and children being slaughtered, and houses burned down, On the evening of the 21st two thousand Chinese troops went to the assistance of the villagers. They came in contact with the rebels on the 22nd, and a fight ensued, the result of which is not. yet known.
The villages destroyed were occupied by two clans who have been particularly friendly to the troops, and, both clans have been practically annihilated, their villages-about 51 in number- being utterly destroyed.
The rebels are reported to be about 3,000 -strong at Yung Fa, a place in the Kwaising district of the Kwangtung province. The rebels appear to be still going northwards in the direction of Swatow, and it is probable that they will soon make their presence felt there.
Admiral Ho, after having burned several villages which were favourable to the rebels, has returned to Wong Kong. He left 600 men at Pingshan. He shows a disinclination to ad- vance further on the ground that the rebels are going beyond his immediate jurisdiction.
Wuchow is said to be quite safe, all the rebels having apparently cleared away from the -vicinity.
Those Chinese soldiers captured by the rebels who escape beheading had their quones cut off
and they are made to carry the rebel banners in the fore-front of the fight.
We believe it is a fact that among those who hold commands in the rebel army are two brothers. One of these brothers was in May last indicted at the Supreme Court with being a member of the Triad Society. He was, however, acquitted, chiefly because of the evidence given in his favour by a missionary, who said the man was a Christian and bore an excellent character. The British troops encamped within sight Inan having had to be sent to Hongkong through of Samchun are enjoying good health, only one sickness.
GREAT. DEFEAT OF BOXERS IN SHANTUNG.
The following detailed account of a battle which occurred on the 8th inst., at Tsangehou, Shantung-Chihli borders, ending in the utter defeat of the Boxers, is from the N.-C. Daily News... General Mei, commanding Governor Yuan Shikai's troops at Taangehou, and engaged in keeping the Northern Boxers from entering Shantung, has had no fewer than fourteen battles (including skirmishes) with the enemy since the beginning of September, dur ing which the troops suffered defeat only twice,
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OCCASIONAL NOTES.
1
Men RDA
I suppose that the mosquito season is closing if it has not already closed-one of our many, local exports could tell us this-and that the culex is suspending his operations for 1900. But I have been struck repeatedly by the fore- thought of some people in providing for this post the ground opposite the block in which the so fine a lake as oxista in Des Voeux Road on Hongkong Hotel lies (and also, Mr. Editor, your own office). It is very late in the day to draw attention to this fine breeding-ground now, but my eyes were attracted by the green waters last time I passed it. As an addition to the Praya landscape this lake, situated near the mountain range which has been constructed by
young mosquitoes I venture to think it out of industrious coolies and their wives or mothers this summer, is no doubt desirable; but as a school for place, and so do those who sleep in its vicinity.
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There have been a lot of complaints lately of coolies and others of returning to their late an ingenious habit among chair and ricksha fares ten-cent pieces, when they have just been paid, with the aggrieved exclamation, Man, copper!" Massa examining the coin sees it is undoubtedly counterfeit, and if he has not
tion ten cent. piece got into his pocket. been caught before gives a good coin instead. He wonders however the imita
Hongkong, though it possessess no bund, so- mined not to allow hanghai the monopoly called, seemed during the last week or so deter. in bunders." and the result of its efforts has been a fine crop of unfounded rumours- canards is the word dear to journalists, is it not? The Robellion in the South has attained the dignity of very large type, and doubtless at home our friends and rolatives have been expec ting, from day to day, to hear of our throats being cut. This we shall discover in some three or four week's time, when the mail papers duly come to hand. Meanwhile we have been com. fine things. One of Her Majesty's ships so far fortably reading in the papers of all sorts of
forgot itself as to be in two places at once, like
The Sir Boyle Roche's talented bird, I have even
explanation is simple. The bad heard that at Macao a certain gentleman did he has effected a change before he handed it to coin was in the coolie's possession before, and not, as he was accused of doing, offer his services his victim as being the one just given to him. in case of danger-but that's another story. Of coures, this trick can be checked by examiz- Of course, if. the allied forces in the northing the coin before paying the coolie, who takes under Count von Waldersee will insist on “lying low" so long, it gets a bit dull down here, and care, however, not to give himself awayin such a we must find something else to talk about.
With the approach of the new racing season, under different conditions from those under which past seasons have been conducted, there is a considerable impetus given to the discussion of the Chins pony . race-horse question, and
case.
I am not a Triad or a Mason, but I believe that in France and Italy Masons suffer much from misrepresentation by the clerical party. I hope I shall not be much censured for rug- gesting that the Triads are not ne
arily all
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