March 9, 1901.1
reached dry-land some ten miles down the coast at Peitaiho next morning, they were almost be- yond the Chinamen's powers of restoration.
THE NEW COMMISSIONER.
Mr. G. Detring has taken over the Com- missionership of Customs in this port, vice Mr. E. B. Drew, who has gone home on furlough. Mr. Detring formerly held this position for many years, we fully expect that he will de- velop a forward policy on River improvement which is at once the alpha and the omega of prosperity to everybody here. It is said that the Commissioner has already moved in this direction, and that he is ambitious of seeing a fairway of fourteert feet all the way from the Bar to the Bund, and further, and then of at tacking Taku Bar itself with powerful per- manent dredgers.
THE RESTORED RAILWÂY.
CHINA ÖVERLAND TRADE REPORT. officer. It was feared at first the tragedy was to be triple the bodies of husband and wife were brought to Ticatsin for burial.
SWATOW.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Swatow, 5th March. TaoTal's departure.
week, to pay his respects to the new Viceroy of The local Taotai left here for Canton last Kwangtang. Before leaving here he called on the Consuls, the Commissioner of Customs, and the various inissionaries to explain the motive of his departure.
ANOTHER BANKNOTE FORGERY- HIGH- II NDED ACTION BY NATIVE
CHRISTIANS.
SANDAKAN NOTES.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.
Sandakan,
201
27th January.
SUPPOBED CASE OF ARSON.
It is reported by telegraph that the ferment- ing shed of the Batu Puteh (River Kinabat- angan) Tobacco Estate has been burnt to the
of their 1901 crop. It is hardly yet known being prepared for shipment, being the whole ground, with all the tobacco stored therein
it is a case of arson, some coolies on the same how the fire was caused, but it is suspected that ́estate having fired another building quite recently. The loss is probably fully covered by insurance, effected in Europe.
THE NEED FOR WHARF IMPROVEMENT. The following incident will give your readers substantial grant for the improvement of the I understand the Government have made a a striking illustration of how the native Chris-Wharf here during the current year, and, in- tians, protected by their different Missions, deed, it is about time something radical was assume an air of importance and act contrary done. The Wharf is at present not only far too to all existing rules and regulations. There is small, but can hardly even be called safe. The & Chinaman from Bangkok here at present arrivals last month (January) were below the is as conspicuons as the Straits Chinaman is tonnage of 8,221, whilst the sailings were 23, who has donned European dress, in which he average, only 21 vessels coming in, with a electriciau, and, I believe, he tried to instal (December) was nearer the mark, 31 vessels wont to be. He gives himself out as being an and 8,340, respectively; the previous month electric lights in the Chinese city. His scheme arriving, of 11,835 tons, and the same number failed and there is not the least likelihood of sailing, with 11,864 tons. his ever succeeding. This Chinaman's wife possessed a box of valuables, and fearing lest it should be stolen, gave it for safekeeping to a is where local shipping company's godown man. Here
At last there is some progres in the vexed question of railway transfer: it is now defi- nitely understood that the Germans will hand over to the British the line from Tongku to Shanhaikwan on or about the 20th instant, but that they will retain for some time the line from Tongku to Tientsin and Peking. British regi- ments have orders so to dispose themselves on the 21st inst. as to protect the line mentioned. With one exception the line is continuous; the exception is at Hankau, where the Chinese soldiers burned the wooden bridge; the angi- neer have found it impossible to construct the new bridge till the Spring, when it will be at once undertaken, thus restoring to Tientsin its fuel supply. It is understood by our people that Mr. Kinder and his civilian staff take over the administration on former lines, though of course the whole affair for a long time to come will be under military supervision, and army 'supply" will be its paramount duty. By all accounts it will be a thankless job, as the rolling stock, and especially the locomotives, are in a shocking state; the Boxers and Chinese de- stroyed so many engines that the few remain-good ones. ing ones were never able to be put in the shops for proper overhaul. It is, moreover, reported here that our Russian allies have trundled off vast quantities of the stock and stores to their own places up near Newchwang.
THE COAL SUPPLY,
The pumps at the Tonshan pits are now gain- ing steadily on the water which is going down at the rate of five inches per day. Coal in the meantime is at twice the price of last winter.
CONCESSION-HUNTING,
It is understood that Italy has stated her wish to require a Concession in Tientsin, in this respect following the lead of Russia and Belgium. To old residents there is some. thing ludicrous in this hunt for Concess'ons. Nothing in the past history of the port justifies the hope that Tientsin is the site of the Chinese Golconda; and if the past growth affords any basis for the future, it will require a period of three centuries to develop all the land now to be taken up as Settlements. The question of the Russian site is still undetermined, though folk in many cases act as if it were an all accom. plished fact. I have some reason for thinking that St. Petersburg does not yet quite see the pro- posed Settlement in the same light as the soldiers and other Russians do who have done a little speculation in the land. The united area of all the existing and prospective Settlements will be between three and four square miles, instead of the one hundred and twenty acres which sufficed for all foreign wants before the Japaness war.
IMPROVEMENTS AT TIENTSIN.
The improvements in the native city go ou apace; half the city walls are down, and yet the Tientsin world wags very much as usual and nobody seems any the worse. Even after leav ing broad streets there will be a large area for disposal. Among other improvements all the arsenals and Government military stores are be. ing dismantled, and there are some reports cur rent this week that the North Fort at Taku is to be the next objective of the levelling navvy; this will forestal the terms of the Treaty of Peace. The object is clearly to prevent a re- petition of the history of last summer by the utter removal of all the defences of Peking.
THE PEKING TRAGEDY.
Lieut Denning, of the 3rd Bombay (avalry. is a'l but convalescent, and soon leaves for India. The military authorities have information from the friends of the deceased Lient, and Mrs. Lindberg, which exculpates the young British
THE TROUBLE COMMENCED.
After a while the box with the supposed same contents were returned to the woman, who on opening it found that it contained a hundred counterfeit banknotos. She raised an alarm and stated that the notes were substituted for
box was handed to the godown man, he was I should mention that when the warned against tampering with it. prompted by the usaal native
But curiosity, he forced the box open, and only instinctive returned it when called upon to do so. The what had happened, and he in turn consulted woman upon the discovery told her husband his best fiend, a barber, known here as the Christian_barbwr." as to what steps ought to be taken to recover the $100.
THIS CHRISTIAN BARBER
is among those nativa Christians who adopt their new creed merely to suit their own ends, On hearing that, the electrician offered $59 to the Mission if the stolen $100 were recovered. The barber gathered together a few more na- tive Christians of his own class and calibre, proceeded to the house of the godown man, and threatened to let lo333 he powers that be if the latter didn't return the money. As, however, no godown man and took him straightway to the money was forthcoming, the barber arrested the Mission compound 1 on arrival there asked, with the man. after explaining the matter, what he was to do Taopoyu, the local Magistrate. In the meantime He was told to take him to the the people of the godown-kooper's vi'lage, on hearing what had befallen one of their clan, intercepted the barbor's gang and gave them all a good boating, releasing their comrade. The same night the villagers repaired to the barber's house and threatened to
MAKE SHORT WORK WITH HIM
Having had the wits scared out of him, the if he persisted in molesting the godown man. barber kept to his house for a couple of days, and since then is not interfering with the godown man any longer,
"SANDAKAN TAKES A PART CARGO. part cargo. occasioned by one of the Tawao The Sandakan leaves this time with only a shippers altogether failing to carry out the arrangements made.
COBRESPONDENCE,
We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
STAMPS IN BORNEO.
Sandakan, British North Borneo,
25th January.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE 14 DAILY PRESS.' your issue of 12th January that the amount of SIE, The correspondent who mentioned in stamps sold in Borneo and Labuan during 1899 was £20,000, out of which he presumed that albums, must either have committed a gross £19,200 found their way into various collectors' exaggeration or by a happy oversight, inten- tional or otherwise, carelessly confused dollars with pounds. He may be interested to learn for 1899 are as follows:- from an authentic source that the real figures
Borneo and Labuan $10,917.47.
Stamps sold for postage and to collectors in
stamps) $11.397.10,
Stamps sold for fees, licences, etc. (payable in
Making the sum total of $22,314.57 (dollars). unfounded statements should think twice before The perpetrator of such extraordinary and
I enclose my card and am, yours, etc., he indulges his reckless disregard for facts.
FACTS.
pine waters, the Manila Times says:—
Writing on the subject of launches in Philip
With oight launches laid up for repairs at the ma- chine shops, and more ready to go to the same boats of this class, and the same condition will place, the government is still buying more continue to prevail, as long as incompetent native labour is employed in engine rooms. The new launch Canton, which has arrived from Hongkong, is a trim-looking craft, but it will be necessary for her to lay up for repairs to her engines. The Canton, which is a boat of 48 launch that was to be brought to Manila for tons, was burdened by having to tow another
from Hongkong the north-east m the use of the port doctor. When 15 miles encountered; the small launch in tow could not weather the heavy swells, and she turned turtle. The wreck of the City of Rio, the Japan said to a few more of Uncle Sam's dollars.
The tow line was parted, and a farewell Herald notes, will cause quite a loss to Yoko- The launch was taken in tow much against hama insurance companies. totalled 680 bales, which, at the present market be renamed the Syracuse, and
Shipments of silk the advice of the Captain. The Canton w price of the article, was worth in the neigh-in rainy and typhoon weather en bourhood of half a million yen.
between Manila and Cavite.
posed to have originally possessed the counter- It transpires now that the electrician is sup. feit notes, and shortly after the godown man little game of fraud failed, destroyed the counter- was set free by his villagers, seeing that his
Such actions as these do not tend to make the feit notes, so as to avoid any further enquiry, native Christian popular.
monsoons were