200
MR. BERTRAM'S MARVELLOUS
PERFORMANCE.
+6
"Bertram the Great" gave a really his marvel- lous performance on the 4th inst in the City Hall before a large audience, who were delighted with the many tricks performed. His manipulation of a pack of cards was really wonderful, and for an hour Mr. Bertram kept the house spell-bound with his card tricks In addition to his trickery he kept the company present in almost con- tinual laughter with his witticisms and side talk. Next camo a performance with Zulu wedding rings, worn round the neck and not the finger," which amazed the on-lookers, aud which was followed by a host of other tricks,too numerous and intricate to describe. His final exhibition, after two hours of continual trickery, with half-a-dozen cylinders was extremely clever and it was wonderful to see the multitude of things which came from apparently empty zinc cylinders. Thore was no deception as to the reality of the things produced from space, for he generously scattered the flowers and flags amongst the audience.
In his own favourite phrase the entertain ment all through was truly "marvellous," and we have seldom enjoyed a performance of any de. scription in the City Hall better.
Mr. Bertram gave his concluding performance on the 6th inst. His visit has undoubtedly been much appreciated by the residents of the colony inasmuch as he introduced a pleasant variety in the entertainments provided for them, We trust that this will not be Mr. Bertrani's last visit to Hongkong.
JAPAN AND MANCHURIA.
A deep interest is being manifested in Japan on the subject of Manchuria, and the reply of Mr. Kato, Foreign Minister, to an interpolation in the House of Repesentatives, has been anxiously awaited. Last month the Russian and German Legation officials were busy telegraph. ing to their respective governments details of the interpolation and the Government's reply thereto. A Tokyo telegram of the 25th ult. gives the reply, forwarded to the House under date of the 23rd ult. Mr. Kato states :-
1. The Government defines the Anglo-Ger- man agreement signed on 16th October last as relating to the whole territory of the Chinese Empire.
2. The Government became a party to the agreement on this understanding.
3. The Government relies on Russia's explana- tion as to her occupation of Newchwang and her despatch of troops to Manchuria ;-namely, that she was compelled to take these steps in restor- ing order and that her troops will be withdrawn from China as soon as peace is restored and the proper measures for the protection of the Man. churian railway have been concluded.
4. With regard to the alleged Russo-Chinese secret agreement, I dealt with it in my speech in the House on the 10th inst.
CANTON.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Canton, 4th March,
OUR ECONOMICAL VICEROY.
As a rule during the New Year the Chinese officials cll upon the Viceroy to offer their New Year's greetings; but this year the new Viceroy, Tao Mu, has dispensed with such etiquette, and issued an order to the effect that henceforth any of his subordinates that call to see him should wear cotton dresses, not silk; that if they wear silk he must refuse to see them. Considering the present embarrassed state in which China finds herself, it is not proper that her officials should wear silk. The Emperor Kwang Hsu and the Empress Dowager when they escaped from Peking and took refuge in Shansi also wore cotton dresses, and the officials should on their part wear the same in sympathy with them. For the sake of economy the Viceroy's yamen (very large premises) is also dimly lighted with ordinary lamp oil at night for an hour or two, after which the place is as dark as can be, the electric light having been taken out
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
on account of its expense. It is customary also that whenever so high. a official as the Viceroy comes to take up his post for the first time, the Sin How Koo, or Board of Re- organisation, sends him a feast composed of bird's-nest soup, shark's-fins and other de-
"Sha $8 icacies, commonly known
Yien
Ma
2
(a baqquot upon alighting from horse)., This was sent to His Excellency, but he refused it, and ordered it to be taken away to the Provincial Treasurer and Prefect, as he did not want
any such luxuries. The Emperor had not such dainties to eat, so why shon'd he enjoy
them?
ILE. AND HIS SUBORDINATES.
*
When H.E. Tas Mu foft Sheusi he had an audience with the Emperor, and received instructions to introduce reforms into Canton as far as circumstances would almit. On his way he called upon Charg Chi-tung, the Viceroy of Hunan and Hupeh, whom he calls his master, and who inculcated the expediency of being economical in his expenses, and strict with his subordinates. His manner of action is like this. He summons a military officer to his presence and says to him In such and such a place there are a lot of thieves; can you go and catch them?" If the officer SAYA Yes, I can," he gives this order: "If you can catch or suppress the thieves you shall get promotion; otherwise you lose your button." If the officer says "No, I cannot," then His Excellency says, Oh, you had better remain in your post without promotion." The general opinion is if the military suppress or destroy all thieves and pirates there will be more work for them to do. and they will lose their chance of making money.
no
RUMOURED ANTI-GAMBLING LAW.
It is rumoured that the Viceroy intends to stop all gambling and lotteries, and to increase the revenue derived from salt. It is an unwise policy, considering the present state of China, for salt does not yield so large a revenue as gambling, nor can gambling be wholely suppressed, as the Chinese, like the Malays, are born gamblers, and would gamble all the same. Those who will get mest of the benefit from prohibition are the military officers and local gentry, for they will have their chance again to squeeze and receive hush-money for permitting gambling to be carried on secretly.
A FORTHCOMING CENSUS.
A registration office is to be established this year, and a census taken of the boat population in the Canton river, under the management of two weiyuins.
A NOT VESY RETIRED BRIGAND.
rene-
Ao Sun, who has been a brigand chief, a pirate, a general of the Chiness army, a cade, and a priest, is now a retired gentleman in Shon-Tak, having a large house with many attendants, wife and concubines. His associates go ont to lery blackmail in his name, while he lives on the spoil.
THE END OF A FAITHLESS FRIEND.
Wong A Ngan was a native of Tang Kun. living in Honam and following the trade of a mat-manufacturer, while his friend Lao Lai and his wife Ao Sz were living next door. Ao Sze was young and beautiful, but her husband, Lao. was an opium-smoker, and a man of no fixed occupation; so the two often passad days with- out a regular meal. Wong A. Ngan, living next to them, and being their friend, had very often given them pecuniary aid and other necessarios. As time went on Wong fell in love with Ao. One day Wong invited Lao to sup in a flower boat, and while under the influ ouce of wine. stabbed the latter and threw him into the river. The following morning he went into Lao's house, and taking away whatever he could, eloped with Ao. But Lao was not drowned at once, and was rescued from the water by another boat; he was able to relate what had occurred, though he died shortly afterwards. Wong and Ao had escaped and taken refuge in Po Kong, Honum. From their suspicious behaviour and from info:mation received, the soldiers of that locality arrested them and took them before the Panyu Magistrate. After strict examination at the trial, the Magistrate was satisfied that Wong was guilty, and he and Ao were kept in prison pending the order of the Viceroy. Wing has been decapitated, and Ao was released on bail, somstime about the end of last year, by her mother.
TIENTSIN.
March 9, 1901.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
ALLIES
THREATEN
Tientsin, 16th February.
THE CHINESE. Somewhat alarming rumours are finding currency and credit in military circles here just now, viz, that the Ministers have this week sent in to the Chinese something of the nature of an ultimatum, to the effect that if they do not expedite matters in the settlement of peace, three expeditions will bo dispatched to travers, Chihli and Shansi. My personal opinion is that if the Allies wish to bring pressure on the Court they will do it by means of the Yangtsze Valley approaches to Hsian and by outting off supplies. Thus I am very sceptical as to the authenticity of the current reports. On the other hand there are many evidences that the high military authorities are far less sanguine than they were of an early embarkation in the spring; for example they are showing great interest in the improvement of the Peiho, and in the early delivery of military supplies of all kinds; houses for military occupation are at as high a premium as ever in Tientsin and a great deal of topographic work is on hand in all the forces.
THE WINTER-BRITISH ORGANISATION
TRIUMPHS.
Until the last week the winter has been one
zero
**
It is
of the very best on record; temperatures have been occasionally low and on two or three occasions we have registered “below on Fahrenheit but there has bзsn A fine absence of wind and dust storms. Open air skating has been enjoyed to an extent previously unknown, though the days have witnessed constant sunshine. The Indian troops have on the whole stood the ordeal of the severe weather well; colds and pneumonia have been prevalent among them and especially among the camp-followers, but our sick lists compare very favourably with those of all the other forces. I shall hardly be credited when I say that the Germans have fared very badly in this way. At one time, in Ticatsin alone, there were 600 in hospital with dysentery, enteric, and pneumonis, and their fatalities have been out of all proportion to their numbers. difficult to explain this, as their hospitals are models of all that field hospitals should be. Some say it is chiefly due to defective equipment; if. so it is very much opposed to the prevailing notions on the subject. But if their mortality in men is exceptional, that of their horses is still more astonishing. They, like ourselvos, got up a lot of walors in the autumn; it would not bo too much to say that they have lost three for every one of the British; nor can there be much doubt that this is wholly due to deficiency in supply. Their horse-clothing is insufficient, their stabling poor, and even their food is in marked contrast with ours. A British horse gets five (six) pounds of oats, two pounds of bran and fifteen pounds of hay per diem; indeed he is munching all the time. The German gets as much grain, but his hay is only five pounds daily, and he is on the whole a harder worked animal. These matters are worthy of mention, if only from the fact that we are always growl- ing in public at the follies and failures of our own military organisation and are apt to think that bad administration is a British monopoly. It is just as well to know that now and then we are as good as our neighbours, and can in some things beat the great exemplars of the military art.
AN UNPLEASANT CHANGE OF WEATHER. During the last week there has been a marked and very unpleasant change in the weather; existoncs has been a misery to man and beast alike, from piercing winds and omnipresent dust. The coast of Chihli has been frozen, and no steamers have been able to get within six miles of the shore at Chingwangtao, the so called ice- free port of the future. Happily this has only obtained for a few days; but once or twice every decade it is bound to happen and to dis- organise all the mail services, &c. There was a
narrow escape from a fatal accident there last week, when two raw lads insisted on leaving the steamer to cross seven miles of ice-pack. They failed to get ashore, and had to spend the night on the floe without food or overcoats in a tem- perature close on zero (Fahr.); when they finally
: