Page
•
188
Governor such as to exculpate you from the charges brought against you, the question of your suspension will be brought before Execu. tive Council on the 9th proximo, at 11 am., and that you will be allowed to appear before the Council on that date and at that hour to defend
| yourself orally.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
Mr. J. MILLS,
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Colonial Secretary.
Inspector of Nuisances.
Inspector Mills states that he duly appeared before the Executive Council, presided over by H. E. Sir Henry Blake, and admitted borrowing the money (he had done so bafore he was accused -see letter of 20th May). He pleaded that in doing so he was unaware that he had broken any Colonial Office Rule or Regulation. When asked if he desired to call any witnesses, he requested that the Hon. F. H. May, Captain Superintendent of Police, and Chi Hing, the Chief Detective Informer, should attend, as well as other Chinese. The case was adjourned.
At the second hearing, about a week later, the two witnesses Mills first requested were not present, and ou his asking why, he was informed they had sent in written statements (which were not read to him) and were unable to appear.
Mills alleges that he was not convicted on the original charge, but was punished on a subsequent charge (of which he had no notice) namely, that he borrowed money and did not return it. He pleaded he was unable to do so when the men would not accept it.
The punishment inflicted on him was that bis annual increment would not be granted from the 16th November, 1901, for twelve months. In addition he was severely reprimanded.
On the 1st August, 1901, Mills states that he sent in his pay-sheet, and when it was returned he found his increment had been stopped from the 11th inst.
The following letter is scarcely to be wondered at:-
Hongkong, August, 1971. Sir, I have the honour herewith to tender you my resignation as Sanitary Inspector of the Sanitary Board, which I trust will be at once accepted and prmission granted to me to leave immediately.
My reasons for leaving the service should be readily understood by you and H.E. the Governor, for I consider that in regard to the attitude of the Government towards me in connection with the charge of manslaughter, and its subsequent harsh treatment of me after I was proved to be innocent, aro reasons why I should resign on the first opportunity.
I have the honour to be, Sir.
Your obedient servant,
JNO. MILLS. Inspector of Nuisances.
Dr. FRANCIS CLARK,
Medical Officer of Health.
-
Accepting the verbal statements of Mills to be correct he assures us that he is prepared to swear to them, while the written evidence cannot lie-comment on the above would be superfluous. It is hard to believe that such treatment as alleged could transpire and so discredit an honourable British Service; and we trust that, if any refutation is possible, it will be placed at our disposal for publication.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The return of the troops from China has evoked from the France Militaire some reflec- tions. The combined military operation has been a failure. Except for the relief of the Legations and the arrangements made for their future security, the only result has been to excite greater national sentiment against foreigners, and to stimulate the Chinese to the worst excesses. Manchuria is agitated, and already the Tunguses have attacked the Rus- Kians. The situation is no better than it was at the beginning. The journal concludes that the departure of the International troops is bringing about a recrudescence of the Boxer movement. The Powers have been led at the tail of Germany, have caused the Chinese to turn the revolutionary flood against the foreigners, and have now an opportunity of measuring the degree of their succes or failure. They have either done too much or too little.
A LOCAL SEA SERPENT. We have received the following report" on a sea serpent seen last week in local
waters: -
official
On Sunday, the 18th August, 1901, at 11.20 a.m, as the Chinese Customs cruising launch Lungtsing was steaming at half speed heading for Boddam Cove, Iungho_Island, in Lat. N. 22 deg. 8 min. 30 secs., and Long. E. 113 deg. 48 min. 10 secs.. at about ten cables length from the Chuk Chao Island. I sighted a dark object on the surface of the water, one point on the starboard bow, and which looked to me
(August 31, 1901.
country wealthy-a country, too, peopled by a quiet, hard-working race, and rich in unworked trade when it does not yet suffice for the needs mines. We are seeking new channels for our
of our actual empire. The ten millions of Indo- Chinese inhabitants appear to us of no impor- tance; we look for more from the peoples of the high regions, Mio Tan, Pahis, and Lotos. We abandon the mines that are hidden in mountains in the immediate neighbourhood of the sea, and look forward to the exploitation of those that are situated seven or eight hundred miles from the coast.
The line from Hanoi to Laokai and Yunnan
like a rock. I at once gave the order “full speed is the necessary instrument of our future policy. astern," and vessel passed about 30 feet clear of Besides that, it is asserted that the line will object, which, to my surprise, was a large bring to Haiphong all the products of Central raised two or three feet and slightly moving results does not, however, seem certain. The serpent lying in a round coil with its head Asia. That its exploitation will have important Stopped engines and lowered starboard gig country between Vietri sud Laokai is nearly all I despatched Mr. Kuster, 2nd offloor, in gig desert, and we cannot expect local traffic of with orders to kill the monster, if possible. any great amount, nor an important movement Mr. Kuster stood in bow of gig with a boat-of passengers. In these circumstances we can- hook. ready to strike. The serpent had now not look for a repetition of the results obtained lowered its head again, but on approach of the this year by the Phulangchuong-Langson line. the oars, turning the sailor turtle-back. It then long, derives nearly a third of its receipts from gig suddenly struck out, hitting blade of one of This line, which is one hundred kilometres raised its head to the level of the launch's davit- the transport of troops for military posts on the about 15 feet-at a distance of not more than 10 route and beyond it. The Langson railway, on feet from the gig, and 30 feet from the launch the otehr band, transferred in 1899 all the working -where I stood. The crew of gig were scared stock and the personnel engaged in the construc- still standing in bow of gig, prepared to strike railroad. This was an accidental traffic, and and prepared to jump overboard. Mr. Kaster, tion of a branch line and in the widening of the with the boat-hook, but before he could do so
the receipts of the line, which has been open the monster suddenly dived and made off. Its for five years, hardly reach £152 per kilometre. action in swimming was like that of an ordinry There is, besides, between Hanoi and Langson, water-snake. The water being clear, the reptile no natural way to compete with the_railway. could be plainly seen a few feet down. It dived Formerly there was a road from Phulang- of the water. very quickly and made considerable disturbance chung, but it was abandoned, and eventually the iron bridges were carried away. Some of been used in the construction of the Laokai- them lie beside their ancient site, others have Yen Bay road, which has gained a monopoly of the traffic.
|
long and about a foot in diameter. It had a We judged the serpent to be from 0 to 50 feet kind of crest on its head and two fins high up on the neck, just behind the jaws. The thickest part of its body appeared to be about 15 feet from the head, tapering both ways.
Its head was as big as a Rugby football, with large eyes, and mouth opened wide when striking. It wa mottled, but lighter on the belly. of a very dark colour on the back-striped and
As soon as the serpent disappeared and we on the launch had recovered from our first surprise, I ordered the ten-barrelled Nordenfeldt to be loaded, and launch moved slowly round for 15 or 20 minutes in hopes that the reptile would reappear, but, not doing so, ressel pro- ceeded on her way to Boddam Cove.
(Signed) F. Wolfe, Officer-in-charge C. L. Lungtsing.
21st August, 1991.
The document is also signed by Mr. V. Kuster, 2nd officer, the 1st engineer, 1st and 2nd pilots, and 14 seamen,
The traffic with Yunnan of the Vietri- Laokai line only reached 10,000 tons last year. ad by steamboat or junk from Yen Bay, and Traffic from Haiphong to Laokai can be effect-
the price per ton is, in the case of a steamboat, 50 to 53 francs, and of a junk, 36 to 33 franos -that is to say, from 9 to 12 centimes per kilometric too. With the average at 10 con- times, the receipts will reach 1,000 francs. The trade, it is true, may increase, but even the most optimistio do not look for anything beyond 40,000 tons, which would still represent a considerable annual deficit. From Laokai to Meng-Tse it is possible to get better, but yet | insufficient, results. The present charge for traffic is 38 centimes per kilometre, and the railway may establish high tariffs-15 to 20 centimes, for instance.
We hope for the development of Yunnan, but we
are ignorant of the nature of the province. The population is estimated at from ten to twelve millions, but the commercial FRENCH RAILWAYS IN YUNNAN.[reports of the Lyonnaise Mission place it at seven millions. Many missionaries think there From some interesting notes by Captaina e only five millions of inhabitants, but these Fernand Bernard, a correspondent sends us the calculations are evidently pessimistic, and we following extracts, which deal with the French reject them on that ground. Yunnan possesses railway line which is to penetrate into an extensive area, and the railway between Yaunau :
Meng-Too and Yunnan-fu will only affect a part of the province. In Europe, when calcula- tions are made as to the probable amount of traffic, only those localities placed within ton kilometres of the line are taken into the calculation. Going on the assumption that in Yunnan we have a zone of quadruple breadth, a line 400 kilometres long will only interest one or two millions of natives. Its scope of action, however, could be widened by the construction of roads or branches.
The Haiphong-Hanoi line is only the first branch of the long artery which will perhaps drain for our advantage the riches of Yuunan and Szechnen. This Yunnan question exercises a strange attraction for minds inspired by a thirst for new conquests. The building up of an immense colonial empire in twenty years has not satisfied us. Ever, step accomplished brings about another, and yet we do not seem to understand that wonderful empires founded by rival Powers have been formed step by step, Yunnan has been described as a country that their prosperity proceeds from old and incomparable in its possession of mines. In- slowly developed germs. The patient exploita- | restigations show that the most important of tion of a country appears to us an unsatisfactory these mines are to be found farther inland, in process. Since the heroic efforts of Francis the Kweichow and Szechuen provinces. Of Garnier and Jean Dupuis to penetrate into first consideration are the coal-mines, bat Yunnan, many events have taken place, and we although undoubtedly rich they are never likely are now the owners of a country of which to rival those in Tonkin and Annam, on account wo formerly did not know the wealth. of the heavy cost of freight, which to Haiphong | The treasure in Yunnan is illusive, but a alone is 50 to 60 francs. For many people, fecand field is to be found in Indo-China. We moreover, Yunnan is only a halting-place on have conquered an admirable country, open to the journey to Szechnen. All the products of the sea and presenting, from Saigon to Lang that province, one of the richest and most son, from coast plains to interior tablelands, densely peopled in China, would flow away by all those climatic conditions that go to make a the new road that has been offered., Chang-
•