90
Sheng Kung Pao, director of posts and telegraphs, is aware that the local office, which gets raid for 20 men to look after the lines, as mentioned above, in reality only keeps 4 men for that important work. Swatow, which is a great shipping as well us an important trading centre is, as will be Feen from the data given, badly served by the telegraph company. Not long ago a rumour was freely circulated that Sir James Mackay, in bis commercial negotiations with the Chinese commissioners, intended to stipulate that a foreigner be attached to each Chinese telegraph office. It is to be hoped that what may now be umour may turn out to be an accom. plished fact in the near future.
MAN SHOT.
The night patrol, having received information that a notorious thief was somewhere in the western part of the city, proceeded thither to effect his arrest. On arriving to the place indicated they found a largd crowd of people looking on at a marionette show. On the approach of the patrol s veral bad characters caused a commotion by suddenly running away, One of the night patrol fired into the crowd and killed an innocent bystander. The Lody of the latter was left in the place for two days awaiting the arrival of the Cheng Hai Shien, The latter held an investigation and expressed his regrets for the cecurrence to the mother of the deceased and hauded her $10 compensation for the less sustained.
** 8. M. 8. LUCHS
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
vegetables, much better results could be looked for.
ITEMS OF NEWS.
No news whatever of the rebellion; possibly the wires are cnt Nanning way.
The price of rice is now about $4.00; a high price for these parts.-N.-C. Daily News.
NORTHERN NOTES.
The following items are from the 1. & T. Times of the 19th inst.:-
M. Paul Lessar, the Russian Minister, went up to Shanbaikwu yesterday morning with the mail train. His Excellency was locking. far from well, andlike his colleagues seems to be reacting to the confinement and heat of Peking.
We understand that in some of the depart. ments of the Tientsin Provisional Governineut notice has been formally given to terminate the engagements of the foreign employees. We hear that up to date the Police and Treasury are exceptions,
The 30th Punjuub Infantry arrived at Taku on the 12th in the British India transport Uganda to relieve the 6th Burmas or the Gurkhas: they came in to Sin Ho, and went up the line next day, whereupon the Bunmas entrained for Sin Ho. The weather was unhappily adverse and the latter arrived at their destination Lerfectly drenched. The departure of the Regiment is greatly regretted in Tougshar, where Col. Keary and his officers have completely identified themselves
arranged that the 30th will later cu go to Shanhaikwan and relieve the Gurklias,
anived here from Hongkong on the 2nd and with the local interests. It is, we understand, will be leaving rgain in a few days.
KWANGSI.
Kueilin, 2nd July. EPIDEMIC (F CHOLERA,
I write from a city stricken with a violent epidemic of cholera. In my last communica- tion I mentioned that there was cholera Since then it has increased to such an extent that people are dying by hundreds daily. Two days ago I heard that 405 corpses were carried out of the West Gate alone. Another report says that over a thousand have died outside the North Gate, where the suburb is not particular. ly extensive. There are no reliable statistics, but the mortality is certainly very heavy. Whole families are reported to have died. The beggars are by this time extinct. Among such people few can have survived. They are to be seen dying everywhere, and numbers more are put out to die. The top of the wall is a favourite place for such, as is also the King City Square in front of the Examination Halls. There, any numbers can be seen in all stages, dying and dead. It is most pitiable to see and to be powerless to do anything to help. The supply of coffins has long since been exhausted. Now
all the tub and bucket-makers and the car- penters are making any sort of coffins to try to meet the great demand. But still this is not enough, for I hear that numbers are being buried, merely wrapped up in matting, often two and three together.
A GREAT STORM,
We are not surprised to hear from Rev. George Clarke at Mr. Murray, the head- master of the Lys' School at Chefoo, is very ill. The moment we heard of the awful tragedy we were confident that it would react on the staff. Schoolmasters and mistresses feel their
responsibilities in a way that few parents ever gire them credit for. We have never known au interest is taken in the youngsters welfaro as educational establishment where such intense
the Chefco School; at one time indeed we thought it excessive, and tending to overshoot its mark. We feel profoundly for Mr. Murray
and his colleagues.
The local American authorities have recently been on the track of some of their fellow citizens who were wanted on an accusation of getting rotey under false pretences. One of haikan, but there he went to earth. the men was traced successfully as far as Shan- Another fell into the hand of the Tientsin Consular investigation; as the Consulate has no proper authorities and was awaiting his preliminary gaol, the man by the courtesy of the British was placed pro tem, in the Municipal prison where the Provost Marshal detains his minor offenders. He there played the role of Jack Shephard by successfully breaking gaol and disapearing on the evening of unday last. The feat was no great one, as the wall was only two bricks thick, ard the removal of the new mortar with the food-knife supplied from the Consulate was a very simple business. The man has not been heard of since.
We have some reason for thinking that the retrocession of the City will be almost immediately followed by that of the hanhai- kwan and Newchwang Railway: The Russians are eager to dissociate themselves from the grudging policy which has marked military acquiescence in the terms of the I rotccol of 1901. But for the clause which deals with the Military co-directors, we believe that the Peking and Shanhaikvan line would ere this have been restored to the Chinese.
>
Our contemporary's city correspondent
The weather for the past fortnight has been very bad, perhaps in part accounting for the great mortality. The great heat broke with thunder, but on Sunday, 22nd June, there was a tremendous storm for nearly the whole day. In fifteen hours about fifteen inches of rain fell, causing a tremendous flood within the city, the ordinary channels being useless to carry off so much water. Aumbers of houses were flooded out, and of the rest very few roofs were in a condition to stand such 1ain. The temperature also falling consider-writes ably caused almost the whole population to catch chills, and thus be ready to succumb to the prevailing cholera
Since then the weather has been very wet and miserable, and for the past two days the rain has been steady, and a cold north wird blowing. With a change to drier weather I think the disease would lessen. The population of the city has been using various means to get rid of the sickness, but processions and bangings of gongs are of little avail. If the same effort was expended in cleaning the city-and generally speaking it is not a dirty city-and in exhorting the people not to eat uncooked fruit and half-cooked
H.E. Yuan accompanied by the Fan-t'ai Chow is expected daily to attend to the negotiations about the impending transfer of the city Government.
The Paoting palace is to be finished by the Chinese eighth moon.
Some of the Feking gentry are trying to establish a school for their girls.
The Italians in the Hoting district have a proclamation out for the clearance of parts of their concession of dilapidated houses, &c. Compensation is fixed by schedule.
Prince Su has been so indisposed as to be unable to attend to business.
(August 2, 1902.
The cholera is so bad in Peking that the Throne has issued an edict commanding the Board of Revetne to find funds for isolation hospitals.
The E-ho-yuan (Sumner Palace) and the three lakes will, it is estimated, require Tls. 4,000,000 if they are to be restored to their former beauty.
CORRESPONDENCE.
We do not hold curselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
CHINESE STOWAWAYS TO THE PHILIPPINES.
10 THE FDITOR OF THE "DAILY IRESS,
i
Hongkong, 26th July. SIR, The correspondence published in your Friday's issue in connection with the complicity of the Chinese crews in helping the stowaways in board the steamers plying between Hong- kong and the Phil ppine ports, and the admission therein by one of the leading firms that they are the victims of the treachery of their own servants on whose mercy they haug in this matter, suggests to my mind a remedy which if adopted would tend to do away wi h the evil now complained ef, even if the Government refuses to adopt the drastic measure which the local Chamber of Commerce very rightly advocates. The employment of Indian lascar crews in place of Chinese crews on bcard theɛe steamers by way of trial would put a stop to any wilful connivance on the part of the crew in these criminal proceedings, and if the evil is thus successfully checked, it will open a large fick for the employment of the Indian lascais on board the British steamers run- ning on the China coast, where so much trouble is caused to the owners of the vessels
by frequent attempts at smuggling of opium
and other commodities when detected, as witness the recent seizures of opium cn board the steamers at Saigon and Bangkok. As to the fitness of the Indian lascars to do the work in
place of the Chinese crew there can be no question whatever. Instead of having a gang of dishonest, unscrupulous, and faithless plotters to whom the interest of their employers is as nothing when there is a fair prospect of making a few silver coins by unfair means, the ship owners will have in the Indian lascars an honest, faithful, soler, and brave ciew, British born loyal to their very core to the British throne, and very inch worth the sait they consume of their employers, as is evident from the high valus put on their services by such premier shipping companies is the Peninsular and Oriental and British India Steam Navigation Co.'s, not to sperk of their employment in the Royal Indian Marine by the government of India, the Bombay and Persia Steam Naviga- tion Company, and various other lines rauning from Indian ports to Europe and Africa. Thoroughly imbued with the idea that his em- ployers are his má bắp or mother and father, us I have frequently heard him call the P. & O, and B.I.S.N. Co.'s, the simple-minded lascar refrains from doing anything for his private gain that will do the least injury to the interest of his employers. These lascars can be divided into two cla ses, viz, those that come from Goga, Bhow nugger, Daman, Bhagva Candy, and other maritime towns on the coast of Gujerat and Kathiawar, and these that come from Cocan, all in the Bombay presidency, and they all have their headquarters in Bombay. They are all Mahomedars, and being followers of Islam, they don't touch any wine, in strict obedience to the religious injunction prop_unded by the Holy Prophet of Arabia. The lascars employed on board the P. & O. steamers are all from the coast of Gujerat and Kathiawar, and from what I have ascertained from some of them they all sign at Bombay for one year, receiving 20 rupees per month, the company provid ing them with law rations daily, as owing to their religious scruples they don't eat any meal that is Lot killed and dressed by a Mahomedan, nor do they ever touch pork, lard, or anything connected with pigs. They go to any part of “má bắp" would like to the world where their send them. The same may be raid of the Cocanis or lascars from the Cocan district, a few types of whom can be sɛen on board the