May 9, 1903.1
Foo
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
the distress terrible, to up-¡that relief will only be required until the next ards of 2,000 persons, (+ at Mok Kak to rice harvest at the end of July. more than 1,000 persons and at (5) Lo Pak Wan which I visi'ed this morning, to 1,000 persons. The relief is admittedly insuficient to meet the demand: but the district is im- poverished and money is the pawashops are closed. ||||||||
Here also After consultation with the gentry and the District Magistrate, I have concludol that the best method of relieving those actually starving will be free distribution of grasi (chuk) made from pausook at 10 centres in this district, At first I suggested rice-grael, but the gentry and the Magistrate agred in declaring that pan sook was far more sustaining. also that the people are accustomed to it find and that in good years Keishen exports large quantities of pau sook for consump- tion elsewhere. It is also, I understand, considerably cheaper than rice and sequently u ore can be supplied. Wuhu on the Yangtze is the port from which most pau Book is exported: bat it from Tongking and no doubt can be purchased comes also at a reasonable price in Canton. The 10 centres agreed upon are (1) Kweishen itself; (2) Tung Tena; (3) Kew Hu (4) Mok Krk; (5) Lo Pak Wan; (6) Ng Shup; (7) Tam Tong; (8) Sak La Hu; (9) Tai Ha; (10) Shansi. The measure to be doled out is one quart of gruel: and the amount of pan sook required for this purpose at each centro is estimated at 700 catties daily, ie., a total of 490 picu's weekly.
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I am, Your Excellency's obedient serrant, | *P.S.—I have this day sent the following
C. CLEMENTI. telegram to Your Excellency :- After consul- free distribution daily in ten centres Kweishen ting District Magistrate and gentry recommend district of gruel made from pan sook otherwise known as Book. mi. This food is more satisfying than rice gruel and the people are accustomed to it: price is considerably less. Estimate total a mount of pau sook required at 49) piculs weekly. Relief necessary till next harvest Kweishen city of cheap rice ot 10 cents end July. Recommend also sale within picul abova cost price for the relief of those not actually starving but unable to purchase at famine prices. The additional ten cents. con-will cover incidental expenses and the' reconver- sion of the rice into money will prolong the period of relief. Advise that central control resident in Kweishen. be placed in bands of two Englishmen for this purpose of one unpassed cadet and Suggest co-operation one missionary. missionary later. Meanwhile forward pan sook
Will telegraph to care of Les at Ts'am-chau för traus- name of
mission peau can take charge. Have highest Opinion
to Kweishen of Kweishen Dirtrict Magistrate who will
as Euro give all assistance and is already distributing caed Nanning to-morrow, relief at several centres. Letter by post. Pro- pan sook it can probably also bɔ' bought at Wuhu produces Canton or Hongkong.
It was also suggested by the Magistrate and the gentry that a method of helping those who are in great distress, although not actually starring, will be to sell cheap rice within Kwei- shen itself. It was recommended that the price should be 10 cents & pical more than the cost. The additional 10 cents a pidul would pay for incidental expenses, while the reconversion of rice sold into money would ensure the con- tinuance of the supply and thereby compel the local rice-shops to reduce their prices. I think that this recommendation is worth careful consideration. The ice would be sold only ia Kweishen, where the country people could come and made their purchases, in order that its sale only to the really indigent may be insured. The control should I think, vest in two Europeans: and if Your Excellency approves of the suggestion in my letter of the 26th inst. an anpassed cadet might be appointed to co- operate with a mis:ionary in the administration | of the supply. In Kweishen, as at Ts'am olan, Cantonese is the local dialect.
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From Ts'am-chau to Kweishen there travelled with me two representatives of the Kwong Yan Charitable Society. at Canton who had, like myself, been sent to report on the famiue for the relief of which subscription Las been organized by the officials and gentry at Canton, the Fáu Toi named Teug making a large contribution. On my return to Canton I will ascertain and report the details of this attempt to relieve the Kwong Sai famine: but in the meantime it will be easy for Your Excellency to obtain through the Tung Wá Hospital a copy of any report made by the representatives of the K Kwong to-morrow, together with the details of any scheme of relief formulated as the result of such | report. I have arranged with the District Magistrate of Kweishen that any money cou- tributed by the Cantonese merchants shall b used in other famine pentres than those set apat for the Hongkong fund and in any case there is little fear that too much will be con. tributed considering the enormous area of
distress.
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UNION CHURCH.
The annual business meeting of the Union Church was held on the 7th inst. Ráv. ¤, H. Hickling, pastor, in the chair,
The report for the year 19,2-1903 – was Secretary. It was as follows :-
ubmitted by Dr. J. Č. THOMsor, Hon
arrangements connected with the change in the pastorate was in due course realised. In The forecast, in the last report, of the
view of the impending departure of the Rev. G. J. and Mrs. Williams, cordial farewells were taken at social meetings held on the 24th and 25th of April. To extend a welcome to the social was held on the 29th of May, and ocon- Rev. C. H. and Mrs. Hickling, a congregational sion was taken at this meeting to express to the Rev. T. W. Pearce the Church's sense of obligation for his services during the interval batween the pastorates. The Hon. Treasurer's statement of accounts, showing an income of $7,839.83, including a balance carried forward
thoroughly satisfactory in view of the spécial of $1,867.26, with a credit balance of $225.33 at the end of the year, must be regarded as
accumulated balance at the beginning of the year proved practically sufficient to meet the circumstances of the period under review: The
coming from England of the new pastor, lu view of the condition of the Church fabric, extraordinary expenditure involved in the
the Committee undertook its thorough renova- tion and internal decoration, and this work it now proceeding. The congregation was invited to e ntribute $1,600 to cover the cost. A very ANTI-FOREIGN DISTURBANCE ON proved especially opportune, as in course of generous response rosulted in a sum of $1,877 being placed at the Committee's disposal, This
Boon
THE NORTH RIVER.
reached here that the Chinese in the neigh A Cantou correspondent writes "News has bourhood of Ynantam, on the route of the Canton-Hankow railway, have taken up an altitude of hostility to the railway and some apprehension is felt for the safety of an that district. Preparations are being made for Americ n surveying party who are at work in the prompt dispatch of the U.. gunboat Callao and possibly some others."
We understand that private information reached Hongkong last night of the safety of the surveying party.
American civil engineers and their five Japanese Our Canton correspondent writes: The six employes, who had all been reported to have boen killed by a Chinese mob. have returned to Canton. When the desturbance broke ou' they sought safety in a temple, and the Elders of the village interceded for hem and advised the mob to d sperse. Meanwhile the foreigners had surreptitiously hft the temple by the back way and were escorted along the mountain paths to the river where they took the boat for Canton. The disturbance occurred at a place called Kong How, ome distanco from the Sam-sui district. When the Acting Viceroy
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the operations more repairs than had been anticipated were found necessary. It is proposed the missionary and literary aides of the life- the rainy season. To commemorate more fully to deal with the exterior of the building after
work of the late Dr. Chalmes, a bronze plate in last year's report. The cost of this has been has been added to the Mural Tablet referred to
by the Rev. G. H. Bondfield and Mr. J. Dyer History of Union Church," prepared conjointly entirely defrayed by special subscription. “A
Ball, has been published. The expenses of this before its publication, there has b en no charge work having been guaranteed by subsoribers on the Church funds. The Committee desire to hereby express to the authors their deep obliga.
winter has been good, and almost all the sittings attendance at the Sunday services during the tion for this service to the Church,
The
in the area of the chure't have been allotted. At the Wednesday services the pastor has expounded the Scripture to be taught in the
it is not so good as it might be. After careful Sunday School on the ensuing Sunday. The
deliberation by the Session and the Committee, attendance has somewhat imp oved of late, but
of Management, Sunday services at Kowloon conducted temporarily in the British School, which has been kindly lent for the purpose. were commenced on 15th March. They are being
The Sunday School is I aving a suc.essful session.
Yan Shin Toug, who return to Canton | Tak Sow, beard of what had happened, he | Owing to departure from the Colony, Mr. J
However, in view of the fact that the Cantonese representatives have turned back at Kweishen,
‹isturbance amounts to $17,000. swoond. The property lost as & result of the
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Pitt, R.N., was obliged to relinquish the office of superintendent, and Dr. J. C. Thomson con- seated to resume it. A new departure has been The Indo-China Steam Navigation Com- Union Church and another at Kowloon (tem- made by holding one portion of the school at pany's steamer Chelydra has been sold to a porarily in the British School. Mr. W. J. Japanese shipowner, K. Oaki by name, of Wright and Mr. J. Ramsay were appointed Tokyo, who is to place her on the North China de, nty-superintendents, the latter conducting run. She is of 2,518 gross and 1,567 registered the Kowloon section of the school. Deep in tons, and was constructed at Sunderland interest in missionary work continues to be mani. 18:5,
fested. Miss Davies has visited and addressed by the orphan girl who for some years has been each division of the school, and was accompanied supported by the weekly missionary offering of the scholars. An arrangement has been made with the Committee of the Peak Church for in conducting service in the Peak Church the pastor of Union Church to take his turn This, to some extent, has restored the condi- tions that existed for some time after the commencement of Sunday services at the Teak The Christian Endeavour Society has main- tained its meetings throughout the year, hut staunchest supporters have been lost, and the by the changes in the Garrison some of 'ils numbers usually attending have been somewhat smaller than formerly. The smallness of the
I have decided to push on as far as Nanning, al- | | "We all have the gold fever up here, writes though the country is in a distu bed condition. the Weihaiwei correspondent of the Shanghi The Kweishen magistrate assures me that he is prepared to guarantee the safety of Hongkong rice transported up the river and will forward it under such escort as will prevent any possibility of its seisure by pirates or robbers. Moreover both the Governor and the Kweishen Magistrate declare that the distress in Nanning is most acute. I am therefore leaving to-morrow on horseback in order to inspect the country as I go, and will report by telegram.
The barvest in Kwe shen district promises well: the weather is favourable: seasonable rain has fallen and continues to fall It is probable
Mercury,” “and I in common with the rest, whenever I have a little spare time at my disposal, slip away course we don't call it prospecting ! Oh dear out prospecting! Of no! We try to deceive one another by taking a gun to do a little shooting or by becoming desperately fond of riding or long solitary walks! Our energetic Commissioner (a Scots- man, remember) is rather keen on issuing been applied for. If they are eventually taken prospecting licenses, and several have already ont and paid for (price $20 each) the Commis. sioner will, as usual, come out top !"
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