8
upon the friends of the sailor, as also the Rev. C, Moore, H. M.S. Albion.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
as did 1 species,
well as
another, in Yuanan, where, he informed us, it grows to be a large tree. The dowers are from bright pink to almost claret in colour, several together, forming heads which have the appearance of a semi-double camellia instead of that of several flowers. These heads are about 1 to 2 inches across, and the rusty-coloured bracts which surround them greatly add to their beauty. They are produced in large numbers in the axils of the thick leaves which are crowded together at the ends of the branches.
The Senior Chaplain (Rev. J. H. France), in a neat speech proposed a very hearty vote of thanks to Admiral Robinson, who had made an excellent chairman, and congratulated him in the name of the sailors of Hongkong on his well-deserved promotion. The proposition was seconded by Rev. T. Wright, and three ringing cheers testified to the popularity of Admiral and Mrs. Robinson. His breezy bonhomic contributed greatly to the success of the gather ing, and when the benediction had been pro- nounced by the Rev. J. Icely all felt that they bas spent a most enjoyable evening.
MASONIC AFFAIRS,.
ZETLAND LODGE.
The Right Worshipful Deputy District Grand Master of Hongkong and South China, the Rt. Wor, Bro. E. C. Ray, on the 28th ult. installed Wor, Bro. J. W. L Óliver as tt, W. M. of Zetland Lodge, No. 525 E.C., for the ensuing year, in succession to Wor, Bro. B. Brotherton Harker. Wor. Bro. Oliver iustalled his officers as follows:-Senior Warden, Bro. H. Sykes; Junior Warden, Bro. W. H. Purcell; Chaplain, Bro, H. B. Townshend; Treasurer, Wor. Bro. G. J. B. Sayer; Secretary, Wor. Bro. J. Piercy (jun.); Bonior Deacon, Bro A. H. Skelton; Junior Deacon, Bro. A. E. Crapnall Dir. of Ceremonies, Bro. J. C. Lowe; Organist, Bro. C. F. L. Donkin; Inner Guard, Bro. J, Parkes; Tyler, Bro. J. Vanstone; Stewards, Bros. W. King and C. R. Fittock.
DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF H.K. AND 8. CHINA.
At the 28th regular annual meeting of the District Grand Lodge of Hongkong and Suth China, beld at Freemasons' Hall, Zetland Street, Victoria, Hongkong, on the 29th ult., the 29th December, 1903, the following appoint- ments for the District Grand Lodge during the year 1904 were made ;~-
Several beds on the lower terrace in the old garden are now bright with winter-flowering annnals.
HONGKONG TYPHOON SIGNALS,
A NEW CODE.
A new code of meteorological signals comes into force at Hongkong on New Year's Day; the same as those at present in use at Shanghai, They will be hoisted on the mast beside the time-ball at Kowloon Point for the information of masters of vessels leaving the port. They do not necessarily imply bad weather is expect ed. The siguals are as follows
A cone point upwards indicates a typhoon to the North of the Colony.
A cone point upwards and drum below indicates a typhoon to the North-East of the Colony.
A drum indicates a typhoon to the East of the Colony.
A cone point downwards and drum belor indicates a typhoon to the South-East of the Colony.
A cone point downwards indicates a typhoon to the South of the Culony.
A cone point downwards and ball below indicates a typhoon to the South-West of the Colony.
A ball indicates a typhoon to the West of the Colony.
Colony.
A cone point upwards and ball below indicates Deputy District Grand Master, Wor, Bro.
a typhoon to the North-West of the Colony. E. C. Ray; District Senior Grand Warden,
Red Signals indicate that the centre is belier- Wor. Bro. Thomas Fred Hough; Districted to be more than 30 miles away from the Junior Grand Ward 2, Wor. Bro, Augustus Shelton Hooper; District Grand Chaplain, Wor. Bro. G. P. Lammert; District Grand Treasurer, Wor. Bro. G. Piercy (Jr) District Grand Regis rar, Wor. Bro F. D. Goddard; District Grand President of the Board of General Purposes, Wor. Bro. G. J. B. Sayer; District Grand Secretary, Wor. Bro.
Black Signals indicate that the contro is believed to be less than 30 miles away from the Colony.
The above signals will, as heretofore, be boist- ed only when typhoons exist in such positions or are moving in such directions that informa- tion regarding them is considered to be of importance to the Colony or to shipping leay- ing harbour. A.
A. O'D. Gourdin; District Senior Grand Deacon, Wor. Bro. C. J. Lafrentz; District Junior Grand Deacon, Wor. Bro. E Stanton; District Grand Superintendent of Works, Wor. Bro, G. G. Barnett; District Grand Director of Ceremonies. Wor. Bro. C. W. Longuet; District Grand Assistant Director of Cere- monies, Wor. Bro. E. W. Hinds; District Grand Sword Bearer, Wor. Bro. F H. Siemssen; District Grand Standard Bearers, Wor. Bros. J. W. L. Oliver and H. Bathurst; District Grand Organist, Bro. G. Grimble; District Grand Pursuivant, Wor. Bro. W. H. Woolley; District Graad Assistant Pursuivant, Wor. Bro. C. H. Grace; District Grand Stewards, Bros. H. Sykes, C. A. D. Melbourne, J. N. Varcoe, H. Croskey, H. Dulloch, and R. D. Thomas; District Grand Tyler, Bro. J. Vanstone.
NOTES FROM THE BOTANIC GARDENS.
This
One of Hongkong's showiest shrubs, of which there are several specimens in the old garden. is just beginning to open its dowers. plant bears the name of Rhodoleia Championi, and it was considered until a few years ago to be very rare, as not more then half a dozen specimens were known to exist in a wild state, and these were growing somewhere on the north side of the island in a place which we have never been able to discover. Nevertheless, we have not given up hope of finding these particular trees, but, in the meantime, there is some satisfaction in the fact that a few years ago we came across about two hundred trees, varying in height from a foot to 15 or 2 ft., on the south side of the island. Dr. Augustine Henry has also found this'
NIGHT SIGNALS.
Two lanterns hoisted verdically indicate bad weather in the Colony and that the wind is expected to veer.
Two lanterus hoisted horizontally indicate bad weather in the Colony and that the wind is expected to back.
The signals are repeated on the flagstaff of the Godown Company at Kowloon, and also, by day only, at the Harbour Office and on it. M's Receiving Ship.
LOCAL STORM-WARNING8.
The Colony itself is warned of approaching typhoons by means of the Typhoon Guu placed &t the foot of the mast, which is fired whenever a strong gale of wind is expected to blow here.
NOTES FROM THE NEW TERRITORY.
[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]
28th December. XMAS AND THE WEATHER.
Though we had a relapse into colder weather during the Xmas week-end, the temperature im- mediately before that was exceedingly low for this part of the country. On one
or two mornings there was a distinct hoar-frost visible in some parts. All over the islying valleys the green tops of the sweet potatres are to be seen blight d ́and blackened by the unaccustomed visitant. A curious thing is that one will of a single acre some find within the area patches that have been entirely blighted, and others again that have been left wholly untouched or else only slightly injured. It is heartening to know that, though the blighting of the potato tops retards somewhat the growth
|
[January 2, 1904. of the tuber, it does not necessarily mean the destruction of the crops, if the cold should moderate in intensity as it has already done. By the way, the method of planting the sweet potato is very much different from that adopted in the case of the common species. Our potato is inserted in the ground whole or out into several parts according to the number of "eyes it possesses. In the case of the sweet potato, the Chinese simply cut a shoot off the "shaw and stick it into the earth that has been prepared for it. Sure enough, before very long young potatoes make an appearance at the ud of the plant. The sweet potato is eaten raw in many places, much as we eat an apple, but more generally it is cooked.
corner
*
To revert back to the cold weather, there are those who are sceptical about the statement that hoar-frost has actually been seen bereabouts, Certainly the morning laggard never will see it, for he has to be up and about early who would do so; it fades away as the first streaks of day- light rise above the north-east hills. There was one man who swore that the tale about the visible frst was all a hoax, and even went as far as to sacrifice the pleasures of a tired man's sleep in order that he might be called up at three o'clock to get ocular proof of this anomalous tropical frost. He was aroused in the dark- the matches always do go amissing on such occasions-bat cu his way out he stumbled a sleeping dog and crashed into a bottles full of empty soda-water and used language of such a fiery kind that it was no wonder the frost hart all disap- rd from the grass-plot by the time he got downstairs. The man who had vouched for alter- the frost afterwards took it up as an native position that that morning it was a black frost which was prevailing. The controversy asted right through the morning and a bottle of Club' But I have it on positive author. ity that the other morning an early pedestrian found on a smooth dammed bit of one of the streams a veritable sheet of ice; it was so. thiu, however, as to be comparable to nothing else except Chinese rice paper: you picked up
piece and it melted away in the hand---
Like a snowflake on the river. One moment white, then gone forever.
SUGAR CANE,
&
The farmers are now busy gathering in the sugar cane, which as it is cat is conveyed to one or other of the numerous mills which are to be
found in the country, and made into sugar. As in most of their other industries of, a like kind, the Chinese adhere to a very primitive method of doing the work, and scorn the modern ways. Two stone rollers not unlike those that are to be seen rolling the street in Hongkong some. times, are placed on end, close together. These rollers are worked by buffaloes yoked on to a beam. They go round in opposite ways like the rollers of a mangle, and the caue is fed into them by means of a kind of shoot and comes out squeezed dry of all juice, which flows into a pan beneath. This juice afterwards goes through three pro- cesses of boiling and purifying in brass cauldrons over a furnace; then it is poured out to harden and is cut into little slabs, which are packed away ready for the market. At these mills they do not retine or granulate the sugar; when ready for despatch it is of a dark brown colour, very rich and sweet almost to nauseous-
ness.
CULTIVATION,
In the previous paragraph I said the“ farmers' Farmers were busy getting in the cane. is rather a misnomer, for practically all the agricultural cultivation is done by women. They plough the fields, sow the seed, and garner the crops. In the sea-coast distriots this is explained by the fact that most of the men are fishermen. But it is also true of the inland districts, where there is little or nothing doing but agriculture. It cannot be doubted that the development of Hongkong has attracted much of the male population away from some parts of the New Territory; rumours of higher wages and an easier life elsewhere generally have that effect upon most people. So far no indication has appeared of the coming of a time when the land will go out of cultivation like the crofts of Scotland for the lack of agricultural workers, It is a fact, however, that at one time the slopes of the hills of the Kowloon Peninsula were covered by tea plantations; yet tea cultivation is now a lost art, the Hakkas growing only