302
CANTON.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Canton, 12th October.
THE LATE VICEROY TAO MU.
H. E. Tao Mu, the late Viceroy of Canton, died on the 10th inst. between 11 and 12 o'clock at night, after a protracted and lingering illness. His Excellendy had applied three times for leave to retire and go home to be nursed and attended to, but was refused When it was found that he could not hold the office any longer and was nufit to perform the public functions allotted to him, at last he was permitted to retire. His medical adviser con- sidering it too dangerous to allow him to take a voyage home, H.E. took up his temporary re- sidence in one of the branch establishments of the Salt Commissioner in the Southern suburb, and died there. Viceroy Tao Mu was a native of Chekiang, and in his younger days was cons.- dered one of the ablest and cleverest scholars in China, for he successfully passed nearly all the literary examinations, and was a member of the Imperial academy, etc. In his last examination H.E. Chang Chih-tung, who was one of the examiners, so much admired his ability and bis essays that he adopted him as one of his disciples. H.E. Tao began his official career as a secretary to the late Viceroy Cho Chung Taug in Kansn, who appreciat d his services very highly, and after memorialising the Throne, made him a magistrate there; from which position he was promoted provincial Treasurer, and afterwards became Governor of Chinese Turkestan. Subsequently there arose a Mahommedan rebellion, and His Excellency despatched Tung Fushlang to suppress it. The rebellion over, Tao Mu was appointed Governor of the provinces of Kasu and Shansi. Three years ago he became Viceroy of Kwangtung and Kwangsi in succession to the late Viceroy Li Hung-chang. In Canton, although he did not do anything extraordinary to distinguish himself, yet he was well known to be just and Ho straightforward, upright, and economical. was a reformer, and shortly after taking up the Viceroyalty in Canton he memorialised the Throne recommending the abolition of the wonted military examination by bow and arrows and lifting of locks of stone as useless nowadays. He was very strict with his sub. ordinates, especially the military class but fair and just in treatment of them. He took great pains in raising money for the Govern ment to pay the foreign indemnity. Before his death he was suffering most severely from chronic asthma, and of late had been spitting blood.
KWANGSI TROUBLES.
It is almost table talk in Canton that the rebellion in Kwangsi is getting more serious day by day; that several districts have been occupied by the rebels ; that the Governor-General, Sho Yun-chon, has wired to the authorities in Canton for provisious and ammunition, and that If the latter delay there is a fear that the Imperialist soldiers will turu rebels, when the whole province will be in their power.
SWATOW.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.}
I
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
all
tax On
by the representatives of the British Govern- ment, here as elsewhere, the days of the existence of this Co, are numbered.
After repeated requests from Chinese mer- chants Messrs. Bradley & Co. decided to put the matter to a test, and imported iately ten chests of opium from Hongkong, The Kwong Hing Co.. finding itself powerless to levy this new
a foreign firm, notified opium merchants not to buy any opium from Messrs. Bradley & Co. In the event of non-compliance they threatened to have the offenders severely punished and their In view of this attitude of the hougs closed. Opium Farm, Mr. Richardson, head of the firm of Bradley & Co., who is greatly respected by the native merchants, fully intends now to win the test case, and he may well reckon on the energetic support of the British Consul here.
MAILS FOR COAST PORTS.
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[October 20, 1902.
mud and hot water. On the evening of the. 20th, a second crater formed some 20 yards distant, from which there also issued fire and smoke. The eruption gradually decreased in violence and on the 29th cessed altogether. At present there remain two small extinct craters, which appear to be entirely inactive. During the eruption there was a rumbling to distant sound likened by the observer thunder, and there was a noticeable trembling of the ground in the vicinity.
While the eruption was very slight, and entirely without alarming features even for those living in close proximity to it, it is interesting as conclusive evidence of volcanic activity in the island.
FOOCHOW.
The following items are from the Foochow Echo of the 4th inst:-
Hou. Chen Tung Shu, Lekin Taotai aud Commissioner of the Foreign Board, left for the North by the 8.8. Haeshin on its last trip, He goes to Paking for an audience and is doubtless charged with important business with the throne. The Honourable Taotai has been one of the local officials to conduct much of the business of H E, the Viceroy with the Foreign Consuls and was a most valued advisor during the Boxer troubles of 1900.
Hon, Lu
Wei Yiug, Sub-Prefect, is also leaving the port for a visit to his home. Mr. Lu is most highly esteemed by the Foreign Consuls and by all foreigners with whom he has been brought in contact at this port, for several years. He was most efficient in personal efforts to preserve the peace, and protect life and property during the Boxer year. Many nights during that anxious summer he spent several hours in personal visits to the settlement, and often went about in a private chair that he might discover any movements of evil-disposed
I hear that Mr. E. Cornewall Lewis, Acting Postmaster, will ore long leave your colony. As through his painstaking and never-tiring energies many improvements have taken place in the General Post Office, I trust that before departing from Hongkong he will confer a boon on those in the Coast ports by remedying an existing anomaly with regard to closing of mails for the ports of Swatów, Amoy, and Foochow. Que almost always notices vessels advertised to leave Hongkong for Coast ports at daylight ou such and such a date. The General Post mails at 5 p.m. ffice hence closes its the day previous to the steamers sailing. The latter, however, depart usually between 9 and 12 a.m., instead of as advertised. don't know whether the General Post Office is aware of this fact, which is, nevertheless, very familiar.
Considering the difference between the advertised time of departure and the actual time, the powers that be should put a stop to such an irregularity. For delivering mails late, a master of a steamer is fined in Hongkong. Why could not some steps be take whereby the postal authorities would be enabled to close the mails for coast ports later, say at 8 to 9 a m. on the day of the steamers' departure, instead of as at present? To ve one practical illustration of the above anomaly. let me just mention that a steamer is supposed to sail at daylight on a certain date, the mails by which have, of course, been closed the day previous at 5 pm. The boat really leaves at say 9 or 10 a.m.. or perba; s late, but the people in the coast ports do not receive the Daily I'ress of that day's issue. If the mail closed as suggested above, a great improvement would be croated. This is certainly only a solitary ex- ample. If more urgent and forcible proof be required of this anomalous state of affairs, would point out that owing to the existing practice of early mail closing, home mails are frequently received here two and four days after they have bean deposited in the General Post|Loking as if he might press the winner hard.
ffice in Hongkong.
i
FORMOSA.
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Taihaku, Formosa, 8th October. THE ERUPTION OF MOUNT RIGYO.
The eruption at Mount Rigye, South Formosa, wo find, in the light of recent investigations, to have been really of a volcanic nature, though Swatow, 13th October. not at all alarming in extent. There was at first a general feeling am ng scientific men at MOVEMENTS IN THE 1. M. CUSTOMS.
the capital, that the so-called rolcano was merely Several changes have of late taken place in the local Customs Staff. Messrs. Conklin, the spontaneous ignition of some oil-spring or Tide-surveyor, and Blake, Assistant Examiner, au eruption of natural gas, as such natural have been transferred to Whampoa and Hoihow phenomena bad in the past been incorrectly reported as volcanoes. We now are in posses- respectively. Appointments to this port are five, viz., Mr. P. von Kauterfeld as Deputy sion, however, of the report of the investigations made by the government and we find that the Commissioner, Messrs. Martiu and Grape as Assistant Examiners, Mr. Barton as Boarding-original account sent to the Press was without officer and Mr. Frederick as Tidewaiter. personnel here now is very cosmopolitan.
THE KWONG HING CO.
The
error.
Un the 20th of September, a column of fire and smoke burst from a newly formed crater which appeared in the centre of a cultivated tract about a half mile north of the summit of For over two months there have been no importations of opium owing to the intention Rigyo hill. Quantities of a greyish mud to- of the above Co., which is locally known as the gether with hot water were ejected and these Boiled Opium Tax Co.," to impose a tax of flowed down on to the neighbouring fields, effect- about $200 per chest of opium. What steps leding some damage to the fields in a limited area to the establishment of this concern need not be surrounding the crator. recapitulated, but-up till this date no taxes have been collected whatever and one can safely predict that, in view of the firm stand adopted'
F4
It was possible, how- ever, at times during the eruption to approach within some 40 or 50 rods of the crater, nearer approach being difficult owing to the rain of
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persons.
He has shown himself most friendly, just, and faithful as an official, and has the best wishes of the foreign residents for pro- motion and prosperity.
A fire broke out on the City side of the river and not far from its bank on Friday night between nine and ten o'clock and owing to the extreme dryness of everything spread with alarming rapidity. It blazed fiercely until past midnight and only subsided towards the early morning, after many houses had been reduced to ruins. There se m to have been no loss of life and the cause of the outbreak
remains une rtain.
The Foochow Gau Club's mothly cup was shet for on Green Island on Wedresday. Mr. Howell hea le 1 the list, winuing by his pouts, Mr. Geo: Greig the last holder) scoring an and at one time equal number of "kills
The wedding was celebrated at the British Episcopal Church on the 1st instant of Dr. George Wilkinson with Miss Amy Oxley, both members of the M.S. The service was per- formed by the Ven. Archdeacon Wolfe, assisted by the Rev. John Martin.
The Chapel on the heights of the beautiful moutain of Kuling, noar Foochow, was the sede of a very pretty wedding ou the after- noon of l'uosday, September 23rd, when Miss Mary Belle Cope, of Chattanooga Tenn, became the wife of Ray. Harry R. Caldwell, of the American Methodist Mission at Foochow.
In its issue of the 8th inst. the P. & T. Times says:-The Empress Dowager's reception of the Legation ladies at the Summer Palace was a very brilliant affair and one of consider-
vory able in gnitude. Crowds lined the whole route till the ladies got on board of the Imperial barges. Tientsin seems to have been strongly represented on the occasion, four present and three ex-residents having taken a part in the ceremony. There was quite an excitement in the Throne Room when it was discovered that two or three of our younger Tientsin ladies spoke Chinese fluently, and both the Hsi T'ai Ho (Dowager Empress) and the T'ai Ho (Empress) took advantage of the novel circum. stauce and conversed freely with their youthful gues ́s. They went further, and expressed a few complimentary sentences in English with excellent precision.