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dense volumes of smoke that curled thickly out of every little Granny. The unfortunate workmen are supposed to have been overcome by the smoke, as, though the shaft tunnel is only from four to five feet high, escape was not difficult. No damage was done to the vessel.
Another death occurred on the 28th ult., one of the coolies in Hospital succumbing; and yet an. other, the ninth, has since been found dead in his lodgings, where he had been removed by his friends after the fire. The tenth man still lies in a precarious condition in the Government Civil Hospital.
MOHAMMEDANS IN CHINA.
The Ostasiatische Lloyd of the 21st inst, in an editional on the Turkish mission to China, has the following
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND Petersburg Novoe Vremya declares that of his own initiative the Sultan would never have dreamed of such a mission, and the move- ment is undoubtedly the result of German intrigues at the Porte. It is Germany which has been ins illing into the Sultan this new creed of Pan Islamism. and Russia will be the first and greatest sufferer from any practica! outcome of the new idea. " However great be the value to us of the Far East, it cannot stand comparison with that of the Near East. The true interests of the Slav peoples in an outlet to the sea-not far away, but through the Turkish Straits and the Persian Gulf; no Port Arthur, no Shanhaikwan, no Peiho River can replace for us the Bosphorus. Our policy in the Far East i strictly a national on-, but we ought to have brought this Turkish mission into combination with it, instead of leaving the Germans to become its patrons."
CHINA SQUADRON PRIZE- FIRING.
NEW HEAVY GUN RECORD.
(July 1, 1901.
money for transmission to various places, ins'ead of d livering the money at its destina- tion they have often gone and lost it all at th gambling dens which are now scattered all over the plics. With a view of abating this evl, the native merchants collectively sont a petition to the
CHINGHAI MAGISTRATE
soliciting his interference. This worthy, however, returned the petition to the merchants, having written across the petition that gamblin is legally permitted and that he is powerless to do anything.
MERCHANTS' ACTION,
In view of the above decision and with the object of preventing further losses to them. at which three resolutions were adopted, viz :- selves, the merchants' guild convened a meeting
1. Any Hong wishing to adhere to these three resolutions has to sign same, to the effect that if any member of the Hong be reported to fra quant gambling dens, the "informer thereof tÉ” be paid the sum of $21 by the Hong concerned.
-If an employee be dismissed from a fong for gambling, such employee is not to be engaged by the other Hongs who have entered Breach of this rule into this agreement. entails a fine of $200.
3.-The above-mentioned rules are merely for the guidance and mutual protection of the Hongs, and the various merchan's are invited to sign the agreement so as to minimise the gambling craze.
A FOREIGNER SUffers LOSS,
local
native
H M.S. Terrible has again made some pheno- menal hooting with her heavy guns at the annual prize firing recently carried out at Weihaiwei. It will be remembered that last year this ship established a World's Record, with her shooting; the high percentage then obtained (768) creating no small amount of, criticism in Service circles. On the present occasion the Terrible has made 80 per cent. of A hits on the targets, thus breaking her previous
doctor who employs a record, which performance should dispel any shroff for collecting payment of bills has suspicion that the score of last year was subject | been defrauded by the latter to the tune to either chance or capricious firing. This of about $700, the greater part of which achievement has undoubtedly made the fact the shroff lost in gambling. He cleared out patent that it is quite possible to obtain a before the fraud was detected. On having had high average if high training is imparted to the the gambling dons pointed out to him, the men, and it is also apparent that gunnery in doctor complained to his Consul, who recovered this particular ship is not made subordinate to about $360. subjects of less vital importance. One has only to glance through the shooting returns, of the navy to see that there is much to be desired in this direction. Our present ship-building policy is highly commendable, but it is no use to pin our faith in numbers of ships unless their crews can shoot straight. The returns show that not a for ships only make a quarter of the por. centage the Terrible has now made, and to reach half those figures has hitherto been considered very good shooting.
"After the three weeks' stay at Shanghai of the mission sent by the Sultan to warn the Mohammedan population of China not to rebel against the Chinese Government, it has returned via Japan and Vladivostock and through Siberia to Europe. And though the universally expressed opinion was that there was no danger at any time that the Mohammedans of China would raise the flag of rebellion, still we are convinced that the mission was not without its beneficent results. It cannot be denied that the feelings of the delegates were anything but sanguine when first they set foot on Chinese soil. Some wiseacres, claiming a thorough knowledge of the situation, deluded the mission into the belief that there was no con- nection between the Mohammedans of West Asis and those of East Europe, that the Mussulmen of Chiua knew nothing of the Khalif of the Golden Horn. A certain plausi. bility was lent to this statement by the fact that the Mohammedans of the Chinese empire, especially those of Turkestan, often found, on political grounds no doubt, in the Tsar a pro- moter of their projects and desires. This may possibly influence the Mohammedans in the Chinese empire to a certain extent. But the last week has dispelled all fears of that nature that may have been felt by the mission. Enter Pasha olearly established the fact that the Mohammedans of the whole of China look upon the Khalif of Constantinople as their spiritual head; so much so that even in political ques- tions they acknowledge his right to direct them. This fact is of great importance, and with whomsoever the thought arose to
In a Floet Order issued by Admiral Sir Ed- appeal to the Sultan to use his influence to ward Seymour last year. that distinguished prevent a rising of his co-religionists in China, officer, after praising the personnel of his or to deprive it of its strength, and thereby squadron for their gallant war services in North indirectly add another guarantee for the integ-China, stated that he had no misgiving but that rity of China, it was certainly a thought fully justified."
The writer, continuing, says that the Sultan's influence on his co-roligionists in China may certainly prove of vast importance in the future. Mohamm dans in China have never yet been persecuted on account of their religions belief. Even in 1860 to 1873, whou in the province of Kansu whole towns and districts occupied by Mohammedans were destroyed, not one of the 20:1,000 Musulmen living in Peking had a hair of his head harmed. All outbreaks of that nature were aroused by the Mohamm dans trying to gain political predominance. Dr. Martin puts the number of Mohammedans in the Chinese Empire at ten millions, and this is approximately correct. And as they are not equally distributed all over the country, but only in the sparely populated western and northern parts of the empire, it is not impossible that they may try again to get one or other part of the land under their absolute control The result, f such rising has been seen again and again. That the Chinese government does not possess the power to deal successfully with such risings has been proved by the occurrences of last year. Local risings will in the future again compel the European powers to interfere; "and no one can deny," continues the writer, "that this sort of interference is dangerous to the continuance of the integrity of the Chinese empire." In conclusion the Ostasiatische Lloyd says: "In any case, it is soothing to know that in case of a Mohammedan rising in China the Sultan is in a position to give very important help to the Allied Powers.'
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It may be noted, in connection with this article in the Ostasiatische Lloyd, that the St.
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A NEW LOTTERY.
By sauc'ion of the Taotai, who no doubt gets his squeeze, a new lottery has been established here since last month, and there are to b regular monthly drawings.
H. M. 8. HERMIONK
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arrived here from Amoy on the 20th instant.
HOIHOW.
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
18th June.
RE-HOISTING THE FLAG.
The British flag, which has not flown in Hainau for 14 months, was re-hoisted on May whatever is before us, we shall, if possible, do 28th at the British Consulate. Its absence dur better rather than otherwise, and uphold the ing that time has not been dua to any cessation best traditions of the British Navy. Those of friendly relations between the British and words condensed menn good shooting. It would Chinese Governments, but to the fact that require much explanation to show why one ship owing to the abandonment of the old and the stands out alone in the Navy in producing such building of the now Consulats there was no excellent results as prize firing on two successive place where it could be hoistod until the new occasions, and Captian Scott is to be congratu- buildings had been completed These being now hated on his repeated record-breaking-exemple-finished, and the fins flagstaff, 100 feat high and fied both on tho z cylla and thi Terrible.
SWATOW.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT],
Swator, 2nd June.
THE FANTAN GAMBLING MONOPOLY.
A syndicate residing at Cauton has farmed from the Viceroy the monopoly for fantan gambling for the whole of Kwaugtung provines at the large sum of $890,000 for one year only. The afore-mentioned syndicate has subfarmed the monopoly for the local prefectures of Chowchosfu, including Swatow, Kiaying chow and Huichow, to a few local gentry for the sum of $320,000. This is the first time in the annals of the above districts that gambling has been legally permitted, and its attendant evils are now beginning to be felt.
THE CONSEQUENCES.
Although gambling dens have ox'sted here for a considerable time, they call on the least complaint be made to close up; but now com. plaints are of no avail whatever. Since legal permission has been extended to it, gambling has become a public nuisance and a great loss to the native merchants. Of late when 'employers of Hongs have been entrusted with
weighing over two tous, having been successfully erected, the flag was re-hoisted by the Consul amid the sound of many crackers and the congratula- tions of both Chinese and foreign residents. The new flagstaff forms a conspicuous landmark in Hoihow. In the evening the Consulate grounds were prettily illuminate with red, white, and blue lanterns: and in the course of a spech which he made during a dinner given by him, Mr. Werner, the British Consul, said that ha thought all must apres that, on the whole, the British flag had boon on the side of truth and justice, and of the oppressed against the op. pressor. But flags were sign of division-often of hostile division: they showed this sometimes in the symbols they bore--lions, tigers, elephants, eagles, fierce dragons, etc. He looked forward to a time when all the nations of the world would be united under ons flag, and work together for the cause of peace and civilisatiɔn ; and he thought that the best flag for that purpose would be the flag of Jesus Christ.
NO PLAGUE.
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Though the districts to the east and west of Hoihow have been seriously affected, Hoihow itself has this year escaped anything which could rightly bo described as an epidemic of plague." The severity of the diseaso_last_sum- mer may account for the present immunity.
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