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From Manila," Best wishes for a very jolly re-union to-night to Chief Whitehead, Secretary Wood, and all friends assembled.-Mackay."
From Manila. St. Andrew's Society, Manila, send greetings to brother Scots, and wish them a braw nicht,”
From Nagasaki." Chief Crowe and brother Scots greet you."
All the arrangements were admirably carried out. The onerons duties of secretary were ably discharged by Mr. David Wood, on whom and to the working members of the various com. mittees too much praise cannot be bestowed. I The howitzers were courteously provided and arranged by Lient. Ogilvie, R.A.
The different committees were made up as follows:
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Invitation Committee.-Ho J, H. Stewart Lockhart, C.M.G., Hon. J. Bell-Irving, Hon. W. Chatham, Hon. John Thurburn, Hon. H. W. Forbes Trefusis, Hon. T. H. Whitehead, Commander S. E. Erskine, Capt. Dickson, Lieut. Bennett, R.A., Lieut. Macdonald, R.A., Messrs. J. C. Peter, D. Gillies, H. W. Robertson, R. L. Richardson, D. R. Law, G. W. F. Playfair, C. W. Dickson, P. Shewan, W. A. Cruickshank, R. F. Johnston, R. Mitchell, and David Wood, Hon. Secretary (Convener).
Supper and Wines.-Messrs. Archibald Reid (Convener), T. F. Hough, W. D. Graham, H. F. Carmichael, W. D. Braidwood, W. Kidd, A. U. More, W. Ramsay, J. Rodger, T. Skinner; Peter Dow, J. Maclehose, C. Sherrington, A. Ellis, A. Moir, Duncan Clark, W. Malcolm Watson, F. Maitland, C. S. Sharp, J. F. Boulton, T. P. Cochrane, W. Armstrong, A. G. Gordon, Andrew Forbes, James Keenan, G. M. Young, F. S. Fulcher, W. A. Stopani, and the Hon. Secretary.
Decorations.--Messrs. W. C. Jack (Convener), Donald Macdonald (K. and M.), J. R. Mudie, Dr. MacLeod, A. G. Ewing, W. Armstrong, J. W. Kinghorn, J. Kirkwood, A. R. Grieve, Lient. Gordon. Lieut. Ogilvie, R.A., John Dickie, Capt. A. Milroy, W. Orchar, J. I. Audrews, John Galt, C. W. Alexander, W. Brand, J. McCubbin, P. W. Sergeant, J. Stopani, R. Henderson, and the Hon. Secretary.
Dancing and Music.-Capt. G. C. Anderson, (Convener), J. H. C. McMurtrie, W. Nicholson, O, D. Thomson, A. Sinclair, Murray Stewart, H. W. Fraser, Donald Macdonald (B. and S.) and the Hon. Secretary.
Card Room.--Messrs D. E. Brown (Convener), A. Coutts, T. H. Reid, R. J. Gerard, and the Hon. Secretary.
Ladies' Room.-Dr. Gibson and Mr. J. Grant Smith.
BURNING OF THE "FUSHUN AT CANTON.
On the 22nd ult. we received the following telegram from Canton, despatched at 3.55 p.m. that day:
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[December 2, 1901.
The new British twin-screw first class armoured cruiser Cressy, Captain H. M. Tndor, arrived from Portsmouth on the 27th ult. The Cressy is a four-funnelled vessel of 12,000 tons displacement and 21,00 i.h.p. (Belleville Loilers). She was built at Fairfield and cost £723012. Her armoar is-Side and gun. position 6 in., bulkhead 5 in., all Krupp steel,' deck 3-2 in. She carries two 9-2 in, twelve 6 in., and seventeen smaller (quick-firing) guns, and two torpedo-tubes. Her speed is 21 knots and her complement 615 men. Authoritative writers consider the Cressy almost worthy of being put into the line of battle.
officers rushed from their cabins it was to find | ARRIVAL OF 'H.M.S. "CRESSY." the fire utterly beyond their control. The passengers and crew were immediatly sum- Imoned-such of them, at least, as had not gathered on deck on the first alarm-and, with the captain and officers, who recognised their utter helplessness to save the ship, got into a boat hastily lowered and pulled ashore. Every one was believed to have left the burning vessel, which at two o'clock, half-an-hour after the outbreak, was in flames from end to end, the glare lighting up the harbour for a great dis. tance in every direction. The boats in the chocks wero quickly destroyed, and the mast commenced to yield, eventually taking a bend that left it hanging over the ship. Boats from H.M.S. Firebrand, filled with ready blue- jackets, rowed over to the burning vessel, and were augmented by one or two sent out by the Customs authorities, who despatched a manual engine to the scene. Nothing could be done, however, to stay the progress of the fire, and by five o'clock the decks fell in, leaving the vessel a mere hollow shell, with sides glowing with a red-heat that made approach to within effective working distance an impossibility. The fire had simply to be allowed to burn itself out. The vessel was loading cargo, and there was also on board a part of her All this has been lost, the rapid import cargo. spread of the fire preventing any attempt to save anything.
The Fushun was commanded by Captain Lunt, one of the oldest skippers in the China Merchants' service. She was built in 1883 in the yard at Glasgow of Messrs. W. B. Thomson, and had a gross tonnage of 2,364 tons. Her measurements were:-Length, 280 feet; breadth, 40 feet; and width. 17 feet 9 inches. The engines were triple expansion.
The Cressy was unsuccessful at her commis- sioning trials. The machinery worked smooth- lyfor the first two hours, and then the bearings became so much overheated as to fase the white Her departure was consequently post- metal. poned, and she also suffered from delay on the
way out.
The officers on board the Cressy are:- Captain-Henry M. T. Tudor. Commander Lieutenants-Charles M. Arthur Halsey. Masters, Victor G. Garner, Bertram S. Thesiger, Robert A. Newton, Cathcart R. Wason, William J. Kerr, Hugh T. Pritchard. Capt. R. M.-Walter T. C. Jones, D. 8. O. Lieut. R. M.-Cecil G. Bird. Chaplain-Rev. John Beatty, M. A. Staff Surgeon-Robert H. Nicholson. Paymaster-Henry Constantine. Fleet Eng.-James S. Watch. Nav. Inst.- Guy V. Rayment, B. A. Sub Lieut.-Wilfred F. French. Surgeon-Noel H. Harris. Assist. l'aym.-Frederick A. Cornford. Engineers---- Henry C. Rush, John Kely. Assist, Engrs. Hilgrove Hammond, Edward B. Scott, Ernest G. Smith (proby.). Gunners John C. Haswell, James J. Tapper.
Robert Holmes. Carpenter -
Artif. Eng. William George B. Palmes, Charles H. Mackinnon, Mauric. P. B. Portman, Edward T. Fletcher, Francis L. Back, John Fawcett, Anthony W. Loveband, Frederick J. Chambers, Lancelot A. W. Spooner, Henry N. M. Hardy, John F. Halchings, Victor R. Williams, Heury R. Sawbridge, Robert R. Hallowell-Carew, Courtney I. Greer. Naral Cade's-Walter H. Leeke, Reginald L. Archer. Clerk-Harry S. Orchard. Assist. Clerk- Donald H. Nelson.
On the 26th ult, we received the following | Boatswain telegram, sent at 12.10 p.m. that day:-"A Naval Alfred Courtney. Court will enquire into the Fushun disaster to-Standen. Midshipmen morrow (Wednesday) at 10 o'clock at the British Consulate, Shameen."
Advices from Canton were to the effect that the Fushun was still burning, the ship's coal being afire in places, The donkey-engine was put in order and was pumping water on the burning coal. Captain Lunt is reported to have escaped from the ship by sliding down a haw- ser, clal only in his pyjamas and with a valuable gold watch in his jacket pocket, the only pro- The mpr man refured perty he could save. to take him from the hawser until he had bargained for his reward.
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THE CLEANSING OF HONGKONG.
A CHINESE LADIES' PROTEST.
Chinese ladies, in general, and especially the respectable class, are timid and weak, and, as a rule, look upon modesty as the principal virtue. They confine themselves in their own apart ments, being afraid of meeting strangers. But when the process of fumigation is going on in their houses they will be compelled to expose themselves in the street to be teased and jeered at by the vulgar coolie class.
The Cressy has proceeded to join the small fleet now in Mirs Bay.
MISHAP TO THE "
DEUCALION."
The Ocean Steamship Company's ss. Deucalion, which arrived at Hongkong on the 28th ult. from On the 18th ult, about twenty Chinese ladies Singapore with a general cargo, met with a in sedan-chairs proceeded to the Registrar-Gen-curious mishap when about midway between eral's Office, taking with them a petition to these ports. She left Singapore on the 22nd H.E. the Governor, which was read to the Hon. iust. On the 25th at 11 p.in. when the ship in lat. 12.31 N., long, 11.33 E., A. W. Brewin, protesting against the proposed was frigation scheme. The protest, translated, with a strong wind blowing from NN.E., she was struck by a series of very heavy -"A fire broke out on the China Mer-sets forth that:-
seas. Into these she plunged heavily, flooding chants' Steam Navigation Co.'s steamer Fushun
the decks forward. On one sea, in particular. (Capt. W. H. Lunt) at 1.30 am. to-day. The officers are safe, but one fireman and several
she came down most heavily, striking with a passengers (Chinese) are supposed to have lost
force which shook her fore and aft. As this their lives. The cargo was lost. The Fushun
part of the ocean is free of charted dangers, with practically unlimited depth, and the is still burning."
nearest reef 150 miles away, little anxiety was felt as to the vessel's tightness, but next morn- ing it was discovered that she was making water in No. 1 ballast tank and in No. 1 bilge. An examination of the tank disclosed the fact that several of the frames were started and that the ship was making water pretty badly One of the frames of the hold was also started. Recourse was had to the pumps and the vessel was brought into Hongkong without further mishap. The Deucalion will be dry-docked as soon as possible. It will then no doubt appear whether her damages were caused by contact with a solid body or merely by the violence of the seas.
Grown-up girls before being betrothed have, according to Chinese custom, to preserve their character of chastity by always secluding them. selves in their houses. But when they are seen standing in the street they cannot evade adverse criticism which will tend to enhance the difficulty of getting betrothed, and consequently prejudice their welfare for life.
A representative of this paper had an inter- view with one of the officers of the steamer Hankow on her arrival from Canton on the 22nd ult., but gleaned nothing in addition to the information contained in the telegram from onr correspondent, beyond that all on board were believed to have got ashore in safety. The fire, it is said, originated in a cabin near the captain's room, and was caused by the upsetting of an opium lamp. As the Fushun was electrically lighted through
The protest also alludes to the danger and out, rendering unnecessary the use of exposed lights for the purpose of the ship, this explantion impropriety of exposing to the street air China of the fire may reasonably be regarded as a toler-ladies after child-birth, or suckling infants, the ably correct one. That it was caused through probable ill-effects on the children, and the the carelessness of one of the Chinese passengers hardship for the sick and for those that earn is looked upon as morally certain. The steamer their living judoors. was lying at her bnoy at the time, and as the fire did not start until half-past one, the captain and officers were asleep in their cabins. There were also on board about twenty Chinese The flames spread with such passengers. bewildering rapidity that when the ship's
L'Echo de Chine of the 19th ult. has an article on the new French steamship service between Kwanchauwan, Macao, and Canton, ertablished by Messrs Lemaire of this port. The boat at present running is La Seine.
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The following orders concerning the R.W.F. are published:-Captain B. K. Hanbury retires from the Service, receiving a gratuity, with permission to retain his rank and wear the prescribed uniform. Brevet Major Sir H. W. McMahon, Bart., D.S.O., from Supernumerary Captain, to be Captain, vice B. K. Hanbury.