SANDAKAN NOTES.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
NATIVE MISCONDUCT IN BORNEO.
The year 1900 has been an unfortunate one for Borneo so far as native conduct goes. There are two instances to report to-day, one fortu nately not very serious. Mr. Goldsmith, out 1 door Superintendent for the North Borneo Trading Co., Ltd., was attacked on the 21st by the Malay serang of their tongkong with a heavy piece of wood, knocked insensible; it would have gone hard with Mr. Goldsmith had not other natives soon the assault, and at onco attacked his assailant, as the man has since admitted that he did not intend to stop until he had murdered him. The prisoner is presently detained at Tawao, where the assault occurred. Mr. Goldsmith is here, and will soon be all right again. The second matter is far more serious, the Government station at Putatan, some 4 miles from Josselton, the head-quarters of the -railway activity in Borneo, being attacked by natives, and all the Sikhs very badly wounded, so much so that one died almost immediately. A second is since dead, and two others are in a serious condition, out of five men at the village. The extraordinary thing is that the men do not know what particular natives at tacked them. Vigorous measures. have, how. ever, been taken, and the S.C. Petrel has since been here for reinforcements, a Maxim gan, etc. and it is sincerely to be hoped that the culprite will soon be traced, and very seriously handled. This kind of thing is becom ing more frequent, instead of dying out, and the Government will no doubt adopt very strong
measures in this instance,
THE WRECK OF THE “SUIHSIANG.”
Mr. R. T. Davidson gives the Shanghai Mercury a full account of the wreck of the Suihsiang, from which we quote a few para. graphs. After relating the departure from Ichang (which was left on the 27th ult.), he relates how the ship came to the Ninkan Gorge and Tang Sing rapid, the "Devil's Gate." Here there is a deep though narrow channel (said to be only 25 or 30 feet wide) close to the centre rock, and a shallow one near the north bank through which pass the junks pro- ceeding up river. It was through this deep channel that a steamer's course would be. Some who went ashore were told by the sampan men that there were only two feet of water on the rocks, indeed it was so little that the large native junks bound down stream at this season tranship their cargo at the other end of the gorge and send it down by small boats, so as to cross the Chin or Hain Rapid and the Tang Sing drawing little water,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
was made for the local lifeboats, of which there | were four, fortunately more than usual. These at once put off to us. The ship's starboard small boat was lowered and on reaching the water the engines went ahead, capsizing her and drowning- saved. The port boat was also lowered, filled four men; one man held to the tackling and was with members of the crew, and other Chinese and ultimately reached land. By this time two of the local life-boats had arrived and were im mediately crowded with the Chinese passengers; shortly after two more came, and it now became evident there was no hope of saving the steamer, so several foreign passengers, the first engineer and second mate succeeded in jumping into these boats from the stern starboard side which was then over 6 feet above the water; the captain also attempted to get on board the last of these boats, but by that time the boat was too far off the ship. While these boats were landing their passengers the steamer continued to drift down stream, her head sinking deeper and deeper and while at an angle of about 20 degrees seemed to hang for a few minutes. At this time the Cap- tain said to Bishop Cassels and Mr. Wigham, Jump for your lives, gentlemen; the vessel will sink in a minute," this they did, the captain doing the same shortly after.
+4
Having landed their passengers the lifeboats followed the steamer to try and save others. Bishop Cassels and Mr. Wigham, who wore floating in the river, their life belts supporting them, were the first picked up; the captain after swimming some time, sank, having no life
belt.
Most of those remaining on the ship fore they left, the water began to pour were able to get on the boats, but just be into the engine room from the top and she sank more rapidly until at last she was per fectly upright in the water, then precisely at one o'clock, half an hour after she struck, she plunged to her doom in the depths beneath, the hissing of steam and explosion of the after boiler as she entered the water, sounding like thunder to us over a mile away. One foreigner was carried down with her, but being a good swim- mer rose to the surface and was picked up; an other who was on her rudder when she sank swam to the boats; a few Chinese also went down with the ship, some of whom were saved. How many natives were lost is not known at the time of writing, but all the foreigners with the exception of the captain are safe.
[January 12, 1901.
CORRESPONDENCE.
We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our corresponden1s.]
MOSQUITOES AND MALARIA.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “DAILY FREES.
mala Hongkong, 3rd January, 2 SIB – As a humble subscriber, I wish to com- mend in unqualified terms the department of your valuable journal that is devoted to mos- quitoes. I have read every word with a delight- ful relish, and have onltivated a growing appo tite for more. I trust you will not discontinue it as long as "Visitor remains in the colony. I hope further that the Odd Volumes Society will enlist the services of a poor abused Resi dent" and secure from him a lecture on that interesting subject in the Town Hall I want to further suggest that, the Govern ment should not discriminate in favour of rats, but should for a reward of five cents for every mosquito
favour us with a bit
our local poets will soon I also hope that of verse dedicated to The Song of the Mos- quito."
Since the discussion commenced, I have lost twelve pounds in weight, and go to bed with my clothes on. Of course, I do not mean to say that I believe a word that our local scientists say against the mosquito, and I think that they are taking their lives in their hands in so publicly vilifying them. I know if I were the king mosquito of Hongkong that I would organize an insurrection at once.
Trusting that the discussion will be the means of bringing many new subscribers to your paper, yours, etc.,
THE SHADE OF HAMLET.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “ DAILY PRESS,” Hongkong, 3rd January, SIE-There is no slightest need, even for "Anti-logroller," to belittle the really excellent work that is being carried out in our midst by the Civil and Military Authorities. I still hold to my opinion; and, as far as I can, regret the in all ways unwarranted and unflattering manner in“ which your correspondent alludes to the two gener tlemen named. I am unknown to both, and I hold a brief for neither. I have no log to roll, neither have I an axe to grind, be
RESIDENT, U
The awful sight of this fine steamer, which I should feel greatly obliged if “Anti- only an hour before had proudly stemmed the logroller would be good enough to cite the stream, sinking headlong with some foreign highest authorities" who say that a mosquito passengers and several of the crew still oling-will fly two or three miles to feed. I was ing to her stern was something never to under the impression that the insect's wanderi be forgotten, and a picture that will hauntings in quest of food were of a much more one's dreams for years to come. Those limited length.Yours, etc., who have seen photographs of the sink- ing of H.M.S. Victoria can form a very clear idea of the fate of the German steamer Suihsiang in the Upper waters of the Yangtsze. Shortly after she went down, the river showed not a trace of her whereabouts; not even a ripple disturbed the steamer where slie sunk; "a white life buoy moving slowly round with the current, was the only evidence of the great boat. Who could have imagined she would disappear so completely?
THE CHINESE NEW YEAR.
TO THE EDITOR. OF THE " DAILY PRESS."" It was decided (says Mr. Davidson's account)
ymong 14th January, 1901, to take on a local pilot for the rapid. This
SIE, Local astronomers of Canton would man at first objected to take the ship through,
have their New Year begin on February 18th, fearing he would suffer at the hands of his
instead of the 19th, if one may judge by the fellow pilots for taking a steamer up river, but
correspondence of dates in the elaborate al- an appeal was inade to the captain of the native
manca which come from that city. Their gunboat stationed at the bottom of the rapid;
mistake, however, is not followed, as may be finally he came on board and we weighed
soon by the Chinese date on your own paper; so anchor at 12.25 p.m.. and attempted to go The Rev. John Ross, well known for his that it is only a matter of curiosity to note the through the rapid. The ship made for the end missionary labours in Manchuria. and his error they have fallen into. Local astronomers, of the centre rock and tried to return into the anti-Roman controversies, writes in the I say, for although the Imperial calendar is not channel, but did not steer well. The Captain December number of the Contemporary Review | drawn up in Canton, still the correspondence called to the engine room to give all the power on "China's Foreign Policy." In the course of with the European calendar is probably the possible and immediately afterwards, 12.30 p.m., his remarks he makes some rather strong rework of local mathematicians. Our Cantonese driven by the current, she struck the ridge of marks on the conduct of the Roman Catholic savants were not sufficiently familiar with the submerged rocks in the forward starboard coal missionaries in China-we fear that non-Ro- Gregorian Calendar to know that the year 1900. bunker, injuring,, it is thought, two compartman missionaries are rather too apt to do this was not a leap-year. They accordingly gave ments. The force of the shock rolled her over.
February twenty-nine days, and hence their though to no great extent. "Full speed astern"
calendars for 1900 and 1901 ars out by just s was the order from the bridge, but she failed to
day. move for one or two minutes and at first the report was “all safe in the engine room.”
and he concludes: To secure future peace the magistrate must have perfect freedom to judge and decida all litigation involving his own subjects, according to Chiness law, irrespective It is a real error for them, and does not affect of creed and independent of the dictation or con-only the correspondence with our calendar : for- trol of any external authority. In consequence it throws their solar stations a day out. Thus of the past misconduct of foreigners the present state of the Chinese mind makes it imperative to secure some means to prevent the persecution of native Christians under the guise of ordinary legal prosecution. The native Christian sut fors, not because he is a Christian, but because he is connected with the foreigner. But in banks s on either side. For some minutes we order to attain freedom from perssontion it is were hardly, aware of the extreme danger, but not needful to permit any missionary to dom the fore part of the ship beginning to sink a call, inser over the native magistrato.
When she was got off she made again for the main channel at full speed ahead, then an attempt was made to reach the North bank, The ship being below the rocks, the anchor was dropped; failing to hold, the ship swung round with the current to the south and an attempt seemed to be made to beach her astern, but thi
impossible owing to the steep
the vernal equinox of 1900, which really fell on 21st March, is marked in their calendars for 20th March. So also the autumnal equinox of the same year, which fell on the last day eighth moon, really came on the they marked as the first of the moon. The latter mistake is again principles of their system of according to which an intercalary lie completely within one sign of