Jahuáry 12, 1901.]
The following is the full cast:----
Reginald Fairfax
Dick Cunningham Officers
Arthur Curdy
Miss Ivy Trott.
Miss Lily Thomson,
HMS.
Miss Irene Goulding.
Miss Daphne Trott.
George Grimstone Turtle, Miss Emma Thomas;
Miss Ethel Hurst
Ladies,
Guests
Tommy Stanley Lady Constance Wynne (An English
yachting visitor) Miss Minnie Topping: Miss: Marie: Whit- English Miss Alice Turner.
tington
Miss Baby Moore. Miss May Thorn, Miss Mabel Grant of lady Miss Madge Wil Miss Molly Seymour Constance. liams. The Marques Imari (Chief of Police and
Governor of the Province) Master Harold Hill. Takamini (Marquis's Private Secretary)
Miss Bella Thomson. Capt. Katana (Capt. of the Guard)
Master Fred. Stewart. Wun Hi (Chinaman Propr. of Tea House)
Master Willie Pollard. Julietto Diamant (A French Girl attached to
Tea House as Interpreter) Miss Agnes Turner. Nami(Wave of the Sea, an attendant) Miss MyrtleTrott. Kiku San (Chrysanthemum) Miss May Topping. O Hana San (Blossom)
Miss Florrie Sharpe. O Kinkoto San (Golden Harp). Miss Connie Prebble., Komurasaki (Little San Violet)... Miss Sadie Farrell, O Mimosa San (Chief Geisha)... Miss Alice Bennetto.
Coolies, Attendants, Mousmes, Guards, etc. On Thursday night before another fully packed house Pollard's Lilliputian Opera Co. repeated the Geisha, and again their efforts met with a great succesS, the house being most enthusiastic. The prin ciple parts are all admirably filled; we were particularly struck with the natural acting of the two sisters, Miss Ivy and Miss Daphne Trott, who as Reginald Fairfax and Tommy Stanley really seemed to us more life-like officers of H.M.8. Turtle than we have seen for long. A capital performance too was that of Miss Agnes Turner, a very young lady who gave an excellent exhibition in the role of Juliette Diamant, the French maid. We should like also to add & word of praise for the orchestra, who are a great improvement on the scratch selection which some companies think sufficient to ac- company them. Mr. Pollard brings his own musicians, and a very capable lot they are.
PRESENTATION TO MR. R. COOKE.
On the 5th inst. Mr. R. Cooke, assis- tant manager of the Hongkong and Wham- poa Dock Co., was waited
upon in the Reading Room at Kowloon Docks by the members of the European staff, and presented with his life-size portrait as a souvenir of the New Year, 1901. On making the presentation Mr. Rutter referred to the long and friendly association of Mr. Cooke with the staff and to the many kindnesses they had experienced at his hands. He regretted that Mr. Cooke's state of health had prevented him being present he was with them in spirit. He had much at the annual reunion, but felt convinced that pleasure in handing him the life-like portrait, wishing him on behalf of all present good health and happiness in the coming year. He asked the staff to drink to the long life and pro- sperity of Mr. and Mrs. Cooke.”
Mr. Cooke, who was deeply touched, thanked ¡Mr. Kutter and all present for the kind manner in which his health and that of Mrs. Cooke had been responded to, and in accepting the picture said it would be much treasured by himself and handed down to his son after him as another token of the kindly spirit which he has always found exhibited towards him by the Dock Co.'s employés, with whom he was proud to identify himself.
The proceedings were brought to a close with three hearty cheers for Mr. and Mrs. Cooke.
UHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
CANTON.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Canton, 5th January,
-NEW YEAR'S, DAY. New Year's Day passed off very quietly here, the amount of fire-crackers let off in celebration of the new year falling far short of that of dawn of the twentieth century appears not to former years. Popular enthusiasm over the have been up to expectation.
FRESH TROubles at kUMCHUK.
News has come to hand of serious distur- bances at Kumchuk, one of the West River stages, and the respectable Chinese doing busi- pess there are reported to be in a state of great alarm. That some truth attaches to this ru mour is evidenced by the fact that the I.M. Cus addition of one European officer. toms Station there has been reinforced by the
PRESENTS FOR THE EMPEROR.
form a company to buy foreign m machinery and employ skilful labourers to w the silk, imitating foreign patterns.
THE TIMBER TRADE AND PIRACY. The largest trade in timber is between the of the prevalent piracy the timber guild intends West River stages and Canton, and on accolint to run several stoam launches to take timber, and employ soldiers for their protection during thể voyage.
Two MURDERERS CAPTURED, According to the laws of China, a person who astery and turns priest, is exempted from pan has committed murder, runs away into a mon- ishment. It was traced out by spies that two of the murderers of the late soldier Yeong Cho choi, of the Li Ka Cheuk regiment, had escaped into a monastery at Ting Hoo hill; in the district of Sew Bing. Two spies disguised themselves as merchants, went into it, and saw the two murderers there, The merchants and gentry and the pro- their quenes cut off and their heads closely who had taken to priestly garb and had
have sent large presents of silk and satin, rice, ing agreeably when all at once the two spies essors of the four principal Colleges in Canton, shaven. They had tea together, and were talk
value of $20,000, to the Emperor Kwang Hsu and brought back by steam-launch to the dried meats, and native produce, &c., to the produced their warrants and had them arrested in anticipation of his return to Peking. Theyyamen of the Nam Hoi Magistrate. On account have wired to Viceroy Liu of the Liang Kiang, of this escape from justice, the Nam Hoi magis, and Chang Chi-tang, of Hanan and Hupeh, and trate had often had many bitter words with Li asked them for protection, and the latter has Ka Cheng, the commander of the Cheuk regi, protect the goods on the way. They were sent answered by wire that he will send soldiers 10 ment. on the 2nd ult. by s.s. Anping, belonging to the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company.
TAYLOR-CARRINGTON CO. AT SHAMEEN. broken by performances in the Club Theatre The monotony of our quiet existence was on the 3rd and 4th inst. by the Taylor-Carring ton Company, which appear to have been much appreciated. The Company will give a fare will proceed to Shanghai. well performance to-night, after which they
A MUCH-NEEDED RAINFALL.
The long-continned drought was relieved by glight showers of rain yesterday afternoon, and The weather shows signs of changing. The with satisfaction by the agricultural populace, small rainfall yesterday must have been hailed
who have long been praying for rain for their crops. The city too is much in need of good rainfalls to flush the drains and cleanse the streets.
TWO NAVAL DEATHS.
Two days ago
A seaman belonging to
H. I. G. M. S. Luchs died of illness and was interred in the Canton Cemetery.
On the 4 h inst. the dead body of a French sailor belonging to the French gunboat Vigilante was found, having been in the water for two or three days. On New Year's evening, it may be, the deceased whilst staggering along the Bund fell headlong indulged in a little too much whiskey, and into the canal, and got stuck in the mud, there being about four or five feet of water at the time. On the evening in question there was moon light, and it must have occurred before 9 p.m.; yet among the number of boats that were in the canal there were none that ever thought of sav- ing the poor sailor. On the 21st December last, when the s.s. Hankow was leaving Canton, she capsized a sampan with three Chinese in it, French sailor named Hamon, as I have related in a previous letter, bravely jumped into the water at the risk of his life to save the poor Chinese. But in the present instance when the scoundrels of boatmen saw an unfortunate Eu. ropean fall into the water, they never even lent a helping hand. Surely some punishment ought to be meted out to them to serve as a warning to others.
EXECUTION OF CRIMINALS,
Fourteen criminals convicted of various crimes, including murder, robbery, kidnapping, and poisoning, were taken out on the 1st of January from the gaols of the Nam Hoi and Pun-yn Magistrates, and executed, some by be heading, some by strangulation in the cages,
THE YANGTSZE.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
F
the upper Yangtaze serves to emphasis what
29th December, 1900. The loss of the Suihsang in the rapids of has previously been said in your columus with regard to the almost insuperable difficulties at- tendant on any attempt at running steamers over them. Theorists like Mr. Little and Pro- fessor Douglas have a good deal to answer for,
it was merely the apathy of the British mer- for the manner in which they have misled public opinion on this point. According to the latter chant that prevented British steamers from running regularly between Ichang and Chung- king. Recognition of this, and the applica tion of a little dynamite, were all that was needed (so he informed the public during a plain-sailing, and to bring the vast and increas lecture delivered in London) to make everything ing trade of Szechuan under the influence of the British flag. At the time, endeavours were made to show how misleading these statements were, and in fact how untrustworthy Professor Douglas's deductions as re.ards commercial
of the two gentlemen above quoted had any matters of China were in every respect. Of course I do not suppose such opinions as those
T
or much influence on the owners of the ill-fated Suchsiang, but, pushing and enterprising as what of the foolhardy to start a steamer to ascend the action undoubtedly was, it savours some those, rapids when the Sin-fan and others are nothing more or less than boiling and seething cataracts. Nor do I suppose that had she reached her destination in safety the Gor- find that profitable employment for her which man Government would have been prepared to
seems to have fallen to the lot of the Pioneer —an employment which is apparently profitable enough to keep her from again attempting the passage of those rapids, the dangers of which were made so light of by her previous advocate and initiator.. [
France has taken alarm, says: the Rangoon Gazette, at the massing of Chinese troops on the Indo-Chinese frontier, and has to content herself for the present with such comfort as is to be derived from an assurance that the troops are sent merely to repress brigandage. It may be so, but
of troops there may
News from Acheen tell of promising gold discoveries on the Waila river, a west coast stream. A military expedition sent thither to prospect had a brush with the Achinese, who were beaten back with loss. But no experts accompanied the party and the results are not satisfactory, though gold has been found and stone while others were sent to the scene of their easily anions, and the extreme
alleged to be gold-bearing has been brought into camp. The Government intends to keep the gold mines at Waila for itself and to work| them on State account. But, at present, there are not enough of skilled miners in the country available for the purpose. Government pro- specting for ninerals has also been carried on
Pulo Way and Pulo Bras, N
crime for execution.
DEVELOPING THE SILK TRADE.
There were over 200 steam filatures working in the districts of Nam Hoi and Shon Tak, and the silk turned out amounted to 37,000 piculs yearly. In consequence of the falling off of the silk trade last year some enterprising merchants and gentry intend to raise large capital and
anxiety to repress brigandage in that particular part of China only is suspicious; so France has good canse for alarm. She must be pre- pared for any contingency. Even the sup- pression of brigandage, supposing the Chiness troops to confine themselves to that, would give France trouble, as it would drive many of the brigands into her territory.