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December 7, 19 1.]
CANTON.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT],
Canton, 3 th November, THE BURNING OF THE " FUSHUN." A court of enquiry into the burning of the Fushun, was held on Wednesday, under the presidency of the Captain of H.M.S. Firebrand. Nothing was discovered as to the origin of the fire. One charred corpse was discovered on board, and a certain, or rather uncertain, num- ber were drowned. The engines were practi- cally undamaged. Some favour is given to the theory that the fire was caused by incendiaries, who hoped in the confusion to be able to decamp with a quantity of ballion which had already been shipped, and the advocates of this theory point out that the ship appeared to catch fire in two places simultaneously. The rumour of the burning of the Manchu examination papers turns out to be incorrect. The usual procedure is for the examiner to take them back with him on his return to Peking, where they are looked over. This year the Governor took the unpre cedented step of sending them overland to Kaifeng-fu, with what has proved a fortunate result. The rest of the examiner's personal effects, valued at several thousands of pounds, have been destroyed. The examiner himself had gone the day before to Hongkong, where he was awaiting the arrival of the steamer.
H.E. THE VICEROY.
The Viceroy's health continues to improve and no immediate anxiety is felt. H.E. is being attended by Dr. Swan, an American doctor residing in the city.
A RUMOUR.
A rumour as yet unsupported is current that a new governor is shortly to come here. This is to be the present governor of Hupeh, the nephew and namesak of Prince Taan. He is supposed to have been appointed with a view of thwarting the pro-foreign policy of Chang Chih-tang, but to have found that tht astute official was quite alive to this and managed to leave the governor very little power of any sort. There fore, it is said, he has petitio ned to be transferred
elsewhere, with this result.
THE TUNG MAN KOON EXAMINATION.
The triennial examination of the Tung Man Koon is being held to-day. The Tartar Gen- eral attends in person, and the candidates are introduced one by one in court dress. Success entitles the scholar to the grade of B.A., with the additional advantage that he may proceed to compete for the M.A. examination in either the Manchu or the Chinese languages. As the school is mainly recruited from the Manchus this option is a real benefit. At the recent M.A. examination one of the successful can-
didates was a pupil at this school, while five of those Manchu candidates whose papers were not burnt on the Fushun are members of it,
OUR BURGLARY SEASON.
The approach of winter marks the burglary season in Canton. Last year most of the principal streets formed themselves into peace guilds and hired extra watchmen and soldiers to protect them during the winter. The Pun Yu and Nam Hoi magistrates have now summoned the leading shopkeepers and requested them to take steps to repeat the precaution.
GOLD MINES.
A delegate has been sent to Fa Yun, a village in the neighbourhood, to re-open the gold mines there. They have long been known to exist, and were worked for a time under the viceroy alty of Chang Chih-tung. It was discovered, however that working them ruined the fung shui of the neighbourhood. The villagers drove away the miners and soldiers who were sent to protect them, and the enterprise was given up. It is hoped that it will now be more successful, and that increaed foreign intercourse and the lapse of years may have made the villagers less superstitions.
A CHIVALROUS CRIMINAL. At the same village of Fa Yun a case of chivalry has met with a hard reward. There was a certain peintent thief who made confes- sion of his sins, and was rewarded, as is not uncommon in China, with a small military com- mand, on the principle of "set a thief to catch a thief." An enemy of his informed the magistrates that instead of leading the new life he professed to desire, he was using his position
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
as an additional advantage in the profession of thief. He was accordingly arrested and oast into prison. There he was visited one day by his mother. She brought him a bottle of acid with which he managed to corrode and break the bars of his cell. In the courtyard he found and with fi: others made good his escape. But twelve prisoners. He put himself at their head, there was one other prisoner whom in his excite ment he forgot. This was a woman, formerly a neighbour of his, who had stabbed her hus- band in his sleep and was waiting for trial. He soldiers had, however, recovered from their therefore went back to rescue her. The prison surprise, and the thief's gallantry, instead of freeing the lady, resulted in his own recapture. To prevent his breaking prison again he was at once beheaded. The magistrate presented those prisoners who had not joined him in escaping with a few dollars apiece in token of his gratitude.
MACAO.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Macao, 28th November. ARRIVAL OF THE AFRICA.
gun
One fired at 1.40 o'clock last night signalled the arrival of the troopship Afric from the Portuguese metropolis. Simultane- ously, a bright rocket was observed by those on shore to shoot high up into the air of the dark night; a vessel was then descried in the distant offing. Presently there was no mistaking the identity of the Africa; she turned her search light full on to the shore from end to end of our charming esplanade, now clothed in the perfect darkness of night. The Portuguese troopship left Lisbon on the 15th October last, the send-off being attended with more than the usual cere- mony. Shortly after noon of that day, the expeditionary force (consisting of 335 men of all ranks), headed by the naval band playing the Portuguese anthem, arrived at the arsenal buildings and, moored to the Quay, was the Africa in waiting ready to receive her freight of Portugal's brave sons and true. In spite of the bad weather then prevailing a large concourse of people had assembled to wish the men God-speed. Not long after the arrival of the force came the Minister of Marine accompanied by his adjutant and private secretary; the Director General for the Colonies, Dias Casta, Vico-Admiral Rio de Carvalho, Cyprian Lopes de Andrade, and other distin guished personages. They were received on deck by Capt. Luiz Antonio Apra, commander of the troopship, and 1st Lieut. C. Guereiro, second in command. After the exchange of formal courtesies, the Officers of State just mentioned bade farewell to Major Joaquim José Bragança (Commanding the Expedition- ary Force) and his men. Then amid enthu- siastic cheering of the populace the Africa gracefully steamed away from her moorings down river on her eastern journey. She touched en route Port Said. Aden, Colombo, and Singapore, anchoring off Macao Roadway at twenty minutes to eight o'clock last night, thus taking 43 days to complete her voyage.
From an early hour this forenoon a large number of people, including some hundreds of Chinese, gathered together in Praia Grande, that section of which extending from the Post Office to San Francisco presented quite an animated scene of eager spectators waiting for the disembarkation of the force. It was not until one o'clock that a launch was sighted steering landward from the direction of the troopship in tow of two large juuks, followed by two others. In these native crafts the men were transported from the vessel ashore. It seemed a little unbecoming that the disembarkation of the soldiers was not effected by some more dignified means. Their convey- ance by steam-launches would seem to be more in keeping with the times and a little less in imitation of native methods of transport of their "braves." The Chinese are a race pre- eminently susceptible to outward show. Any assimilation of their ways might be misconstrued by them for equality if not inferiority. As the ruling power here the Government should lose no opportunity to impress upon the native minds the strength of its military forces. The junks were towed for quite a long distance,
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the troopship lying far out in the roadway and as far as could be observed no awnings any description were provided on board the junks. But for the coolness of he weather some discomfort might have Fren felt by those on board these vessels under the rays of the sun at that hour of day. There at present doing garrison duty here are admired is a consensus of opinion that, much as the men for their fine physique and soldierly qualities, the newcomers do not suffer by comparison. They were given a right cordial welcome to amongst the as best in the Portuguese army. Macao. The men as a body can be considered They are all young and robust. Major Braganca is surely to be congratulated on the extremely favourable impression which his men have created on their landing. Besides a photo of the Com- manding Officer and his A.D.C. Santos) O Seculo of the 15th October. lust (Alferes
reproduced also the likeness of Capt. Froes and Alferes Mira. both of whom are attached to the force. This contingent has come to remain for a period of three years, and while stationed at Macao all privates and corporals will draw an extra daily allowance of 150 reis each, and sergeants will draw the equiva lent of twice a private's allowance in addition to their ordinary pay.
THE BOA VISTA-ANOTHER ST BY,
On dit that by private treaty the Boa Vista Hotel has been leased to a syndicate of two gentleman by the direction of the Santa Casa for a period of one year. The rent payable is, 80 rumour gives it, $3,000. The report is al- subject of more or less adverse criticism on the most generally believed in and has formed the
unwisdom that can dictate such a step on the part of the Santa Casa directorate-a body of gentlemen otherwise credited with good inten- tions and sound business foresight. When that they were animated by the wish for a buying the property the Directorate declared sanatorium. and the result of the Executive Council's deliberations was the furtherance proclamation of H. E. the Governor of the of that most laudable object, as witness in the 12th inst. By the preamble to that proclama- tion the Government has virtually pledged itself to obligations which it cannot now un- compromisingly set aside. If the report given above and now circulated with so much per- sistency should be established in fact-I can hardly imagine it to be so-two pertinent expropriation proclamation above cited to questions will then arise: First, is the
remain a dead letter, and the great scheme the Government therein committed itself to to
fall to the ground with no apparent rhyme or reason? And secondly, what urgent considera- of the Santa Cass Board to alter so radically a tigns, if any, have pressed upon the deliberations humanitarian plan greted with acclamation by all upon its first publication? The answers to ay furnish grounds for profitable (but let us these questions, if they should be forthcoming, hope not acrimonious) controversy.
A NEW HOTEL.
management of its proprietor, Mr. Simplicio The opening o a new hotel, under the d'Almeida, on Sunday last has to be noted. opposite the right wing of Government House, The hotel is situated in Rua P. Narciso just
with entrance from Praia Grande near Messrs. Deacon's old offices. The building is a three- tious in appearance from the outside, provides story one and, though far from being preten- within everything that conduces to the comfort of its guests. The dining-room is intended to ception on Sunday was well attended. cater for some 40 guests. The inaugural re-
A Berlin telegram of the 28th ult. says:- The late French Minister in Peking, Mr. Pichon, publishes a statement that none of the ladies of the Legations partook in the looting at Peking, but that two other foreign ladies were implicated in the matter. The French Legation had no connection whatever with the auction sales of looted thin.s by other Lega- tions, but Mr. Pichon hinted that this was done by the British and the American Legations. General Voyron in his secret report to the Government states that French soldiers have been induced by missionaries to loot, wherefore they received cheques; the Marines later. refused to return the cheques.