November 9, 1901.]
QUEEN VICTORIA MEMORIAL FUND.
The following telegrams and despatch are published in the Gazette:-- TELEGRAM FROM GOVERNOR, HONGKONG, TO
$4
SECRETARY of staTE,
17th October, 1901. Referring to your Ci.cular Despatch of 10th June last, receive from Hongkong and Shanghai Bank 12,50) pounds Hongkong con-, tribution.
"BLAKE."
TELEGRAM FROM SECRETARY OF STATE TO GOVERNOR, HONGKONG.
"CHAMBERLAIN."
GOVERNOR, HONGKONG, TO FECRETARY OF STATE.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
379
time, of presenting the insignia to the General, energetic and hard-working body of men work- with whom he had worked with the utmosting for him.' There was Colonel Brown, pleasure_and_good feeling for the past three years. His Excellency went on to refer in fitting terms to the eminent services rendered by General Gascoigne in connection with the North China Expedition.
Commanding the Royal Engineers, who put up acres of matsheds twice over, for they were blown down by the typhoon. There was Colonel Wheeler, who had to do the double work of the Ordnance Department of both The toast was enthusiastically honoured. Army and Navy, and who was working at Major-General GASCOIGNE in replying thank- enormously high pressure. There was Colonel ad His Excellency for the kind words in which Crookenden, of the Army Pay Department, who he had proposed his health, and said that had had to pay out some millions of money in it had been indeed a great pleasure to him excess of the usual amount paid for the garri- to receive at the hands of so kind and con- son of Hongkong, and these accounts were siderato a chief a second time that Order of rendered all the more difficult by working which Sir Henry Blake held the highest grade. in the English and Indian regulations. Addressing the company generally, he thank- There was Colonel Collard, who joined the "Referring to your Telegram of 17th Octo-ed them also for the kind way in which they staff in the midst of a very heavy pres- ber, cheque received from Hongkong and had received his name, but he begged to assure sure of work, and nobody recognised more than the General the hard work which Shanghai Banking Corporation. Generosity them that though he would remember all his of Colony highly appreciated.
life the honour paid him by them, yet he felt he had done, as an evidence of which he might that he was fortunate beyond his deserts. It was mention that Major Morris, R.A., had been true that Sir Alfred Gaselee, Commanding the invalided home, his health completely shattered. North China Expedition, had been kind enough to There was Colonel Hughes, who had had the express in public and in private his appreciation administration of the large Hospital that, he of the help which he had received from Hong- had already spoken of, involving an enormous kong, and in this he only did Hongkong justice. amount ef extra labour. These men and At Hongkong was established the supply depot those who worked under them had done the from which he received his supplies of food, of work for which he (the General) got the credit. forage, of ammunition, and of clothing, and he He concluded therefore by saying that he had himself said that of all the allied troops up thanked them all, not only for the kind way in the North-not even excluding the Japanese, in which they had received his name, but more who were, as it were, on the threshold of their still for the share that each, from His Excel- own house--the British force was better sup-lency downwards, had had in winning him the He also decoration which he had received that evening. plied in these respects than any other.
This concluded the toast-list. used Hongkong as a place in which to keep in reserve any things which he did not at the mo- ment require, but which he might later on wish to. make use of. He sent to Hongkong 1,100 siege- train bullocks, with all their heavy guns and equipment. He sent to Hongkong a regiment of cavalry, which had been rather knocked about by hard work up in the North, in order that they might get rest and recuperate. A remount depot was formed at Hongkong: 600 horses from Australia were sent unbroken to
Government House,
. Hongkong, 19th October. Sir,-In answer to your Circular Depatch of 14th June last, I had the honour to forward to you by telegraph on the 17th instant the sum of £12,50), which at 1/11 represents $130,434.77. The balance of the total subcription, which amounted to $130,477.63, I have now the bon- our to enclose with the lists of subscribers, the amount subscribed being made up as in the enclosed Statement by the Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient, humble Servant,
H. A. BLAKE, Governor.
The Right Honourable
J. CHAMBERLAIN, M.P., His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, &c.
The Statement is that which we have already Hongkong and were there thoroughly trained published,
HONOURING MAJOR-GENERAL
GASCOIGNE.
An interesting ceremony took place at Gov- ernment House on Saturday night, the 2nd inst. when Major-General Sir W. Gascoigne, Com manding the Troops, was formally invested by His Excellency the Governor with the insignia of a Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George, the Order having been conferred upon him by His Majesty in recognition of the eminent services rendered by him in connection with the North China Expedition. A numerous company was present, including H. E. the Governor (Sir Henry Blake, G.C.M.G.), Major-General Sir W. Gascoigne, K.C.M.G., and Lady Gascoigne, Commodore Francis Powell, C.B., and Mrs. Powell, Hon J. H. Stewart Lockhart, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary), and Mrs. Stewart Lockhart, Hon, H. E. Pollock, K.C. (Acting Attorney-General), Hon. Commander R. M. Rumsey, R.N. (Har- bour Master), Col. the Hon. R. H. Bertie, C.B., and Mrs. Bertie, Hon. C. Mc. I. Messer (Acting Colonial Treasurer), Hon. W. Chatham (Acting Director of Public Works), Hon. C. P. Chater, C.M.G., Col. Baillie, 22nd Bombay Light Infantry, and Mrs. Baillie, Col. Harris, 2nd Rajputs, Col. Brown, R.E., Col. Wheeler, Ordinance Department, Col. Hughes, P.M.O., Captain Pagett, R.N., Captain Warrender, R.N., Major Hamilton, Major Warren, Mr. H. I. Blake, Captain Trefusis, A.D.C., and Captain Sanders, A.D.C., Hongkong Volunteers. The company having assembled a few minutes before eight o'clock in the drawing-room, General Gas- coigne was formally introduced by Captain Pagett, R.N., and the Colonial Secretary into the presence of His Excellency, who read out the King's order investing General Gascoigne with the insignia, and, after speaking a few well- chosen words, hung the ribbon round his neck and pinned the star on his breast. After general congratulations had been conveyed to General Gascoigne the party went in to dinner. The toast of "The King" having been pledged,
His Excellency the GOVERNOR proposed the health of General Gascoigne. expressing his great pleasure at being the means, for the second
and broken in and sent up North to supply vacancies as required At Hongkong was es- tablished an enormous base hospital, where many wounded and a vast number of sick were treated, and in addition all hospital requirements up North were from time to time supplied. So it was only justice to Hongkong on Sir Alfred Gaselee's part to say that he had received great help from that place. But to whom was the credit of that due? General Gascoigne disclaimed for himself the credit. He wished to point out that all those pre- sent, in their various capacities, representing various sections of the community of Hong. kong, had helped to being about that state of things. Turning to His Excellency he said -"You, sir, gave me carte blanche to use any part of the island I might require, and I leave you to imagine what a help that was to me.' General Gascoigne went on to say that the civilian portion of the community had done their full share in bringing about the state of things he had referred to. They had to put up with the inconveniences attending large depôts of supplies in their midst. The roads were cut up, and they had to submit to the inconveniences attendant upon the presence of large numbers of natives and of foreigners. They made no murmur whatever at this either in the Press or in private. They seemed to feel that there was a big crisis on hand in South Africa, and that here in China something which might develop into very serions proportions was going on; and therefore everyone seemed resolved that he would do his share towards helping on Imperial needs. He did not believe that there was any community which would have so patiently borne without a murmur the inconvenience that he had been obliged to thrust upon them, and he therefore gave his best thanks to the civilian element for the share they had had in getting him his distinc- tion. Turning then to the Commodore, General Gascoigne said he was fully aware that the Commodore had had three times the work in connection with all the transports that passed to and fro-three times the work that he himself had been given; and he thanked the Commodore most heartily for his share in winning him the honour. Lustly, he referred to the help he had received from the staff, saying, “Surely never had man a more loyal and
PIRACY IN BRITISH WATERS.
The examination of the crew of the pirated launch Yut Fat by Mr. F. J. Badeley, Acting Captain Superintendent of Police, has elicited still further details regarding this affair. As has already been stated in the Daily Press, the piracy was committed on the night of the 29th ult. at Tai O. The native engineer of the launch gives a very circumstantial account of what took place. He states that shortly after six o'clock on the night in question-the passengers, the master and his two sons, and the coxswain having gone on shore-two boats came alongside, one with three men in her and the other with eight or nine. These men boarded the launch and asked to see the captain, and also asked who was the captain and who the engineer. No one replied. Two of the pirates then seized the narrator, pointed a revolver at him, and ordered him to steam off. They also seized a fireman and drove the rest of the crew into the hold. The anchor was weighed and they steamed away.
After steaming for about two hours, the coal ran short and they procured one or two tons from a junk. The engineer does not know where this coal was taken on board. One of the robbers steered, so that he did not know the course taken. When two hours' more steam. ing had been done, the pirates ordered him to go faster; he told them that the coal was too bad. At the end of another hour four boats came alongside with 20 or 30 men, who all came on board. The voyage was afterwards resumed, and continued until half-past three o'clock next morning, at which time the launch About four o'clock they went ran aground.
all. Four of off in their boats, six in these had been towed so far, the other two having been taken on board at Tai O. crew came on deck at daybreak and they learned from the natives on shore that they were at San-ki on the East River At 4 p.m. the launch fosted and they steamed for Taiping, having engaged two pilots at San-ki. Half an hour later they were met by a boat with a lot of men in it who ordered them to steam slowly -a long, narrow boat it was, one of the robbers' boats. The crew turned the launch round and steamed back for San-ki, and the pirates fired One bullet about ten rifle-shots after them. hit the funnel. From San-ki steam was made to Si-chi-yeung, near Wang-po, where they met a Chinese cruiser and were escorted by her to Taiping.
The
The engineer, thence went to Fu-mun and reported to Admiral Ho. He could not recog nise the pirates if he saw them, he says. They They took only some spoke Punti dialect. trifling articles from the launch and did not The noise of the engines rob any other boat.