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smokeless “black diamonds," leaving for Cape Town on the 28th February.
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET,
The steamer, of course, did not advertise her departure, but slipped out of the narrow waters of the Irish Sea into the vast Atlantic almost unknown to anyone. Her Japanese characters on the bow were painted out, while the course taken was a very wide one. Engines were not by any means opened out, but on the other hand | the vessel's speed was husbanded, the twin- screws simply churning the water so 88 to drive her along at a very moderate speed. The engineers, however, had always to be ready for firing-up. Thus, while there were little or no risks of a break-down, the good ship was always prepared to show a clean pair of heels to any thing "her own weight"; she could have done 141 or 15 knots at a push.
UNDER COVER OF MIST.
Approaching the vicinity of the Western Islands there was, naturally, great excite- ment. There had been reports that an enemy's ship was lurking somewhere around Tenerife, waiting to send shell across the bows of any ship flying the "Rising Sun." Luckily the sky became murky and a most agreeable, ander the circumstances, "pea-soup" fog set in. Under cover of this no one entertained fears for the vessel's safety, and the danger point was soon passed.
When the weather cleared a long line of smoke showed far down on the horizon, that being the only part of a ship, enemy or other wise, seen on the voyage.
TROUBLESOME NEWSPAPER MEN. Arriving at Cape Town on the after- поод of the 22nd March the vessel was besieged with reporters from local dailies, all demanding news of the first Japanese mer. chant steamer to visit the port.
"Yes," said our informant, an Englishman. by the way,
"the Sado Maru was the first Japanese freighter to point her nose at Table Mountain
་་
A VISIT TO DURBAN.
Orders were awaiting Capt. Auderson to proceed at once from Cape Town to Durban Natal, for bunkering purposes. Steam there fore was kept up, and the anchor was weighed next day. At Durban the ship went along side, allowing inhabitants to walk aboard by the gangplank. No Japanese steamer had visited Durban before. The people there, fired with admiration for what they were pleased to call the "Oriental Britain," treated the visitors extremely well.
THE VOYAGE EAST.
Setting out from Durban on the 30th March Capt. Anderson again used his former caution, going wide of the track of steamers.
This
circuitous route terminated on the 16th April. when the Sunda Straits were reached. Two days later Singapore showed up, the vessel proceeding on her passage to Hongkong next day, the 19th ult. She is now loading. merchandise for Japan, at the Kowloon
Wharves.
The report that the Sado Maru was chased in the Mediterranean by a Russian cruiser when on her recent voyage home is false. War had
not then broken out.
FIRE BRIGADE EVOLUTIONS.
SMART DISPLAY IN HONGKONG.
The Hongkong Fire Brigade turned out for inspection on the 29th ult. at Sutherland Street Compound, off Des Voeux Road, and at the back of the Ko Shing Theatre in Queen's Road. The spot was well chosen for the purpose. A large number of spectators, mostly Chinese, gathered around.
At2.30 p.m. the men were lined out close up with their backs against the eastern wall. There were some 36 Europeans dressed in blue with red facings and highly polished brass and black glazed helmets, the latter glittering brightly in the sun. Tailed on were some two- deren Chinamen dressed much the same as the Europeans with the exception that they wore red mushroom hats, similar to those of lukongs in the Hongkong Police Force.
Two escapes and several hose-reels had been brought to the place, and other paraphernalia showed up around the corner. The two old engines were on the Praya.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The Captain-Superintendent of Police, Mr. | J. F. Badeley, Mr. E. R. Hallifax. Deputy Captain-Superintendent of Police, and Mr. H. G. Baker, Chief Inspector of Police, were dressed much the same as the rest in Brigade uniform.
His Excellency Mr. F. H. May, and Mrs. May, arrived in chairs at about 2.40. being received by Mr. P. P. J. Wodehouse, Assistant Superintendent of Police. Accommodation had been provided for them upstairs on the verandah of a house in Des Voeux Road.
The evolutions commenced with a display in running out despatch-boxes. This was done from two quarters, Messrs. Badeley and Hallifax acting as timekeepers. Each man in turn had to connect, run out one length of hose, fix on the branch-pipe and hand it to an assistant, and run back and go through the motion of turning on the water.
The fire-escapes were then manoeuvred. On squad of six men ran the fire-escape up against the building to be operated on, and raised the telescope ladder by means of winches. In the meantime another squad of three men ran out the hose-reel connected the coupling to the mains, brought the other end of the hose to the ladder. fixed on branch-pipe, and hoisted it up the ladder to £ mall already in position. Both fire-escapes, the large one 75ft. long, and the other 62ft.. were manipulated, the small опе exclusively by Chinese. There were three complete sets of Europeans, and three of Chinese.
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Ladder drill came next. On the word go a squad of six ran to a common bamboo ladder, which they hauled up to a house by means of guy ropes. Three other men in the meanwhile manipulated a hose in the same manner as with the fire-escapes.
Finally there was a general display, two escapes and two ladders simultaneously being called into requisition. Six seperate lines of hoses were rushed from the Praya, where they were coupled ou to fire-engines-there were three fire-engines-two on to each engine. All ready. the pumping was commenced, with the result that
very pretty spectacle was to be seen. Siv jets of water, two from branch-pipes held by firemen on top of the escapes, two by men on the bamboo ladders, and two from the ground, sprang into the air, the clear liquid breaking into fine spray towards the top of its ascent. There was a very fair force of water, that from the ground level going sufficiently high to go over an ordinary sized Des Voeux Road house.
KOWLOON CITY.
[May 2, 1904.
with huge black weather-worn blocks of granite that would have served as an inspiration for Mr. Crockett's "Riddlings of Creation." When one looks down upon Kowloon City from the eminence of this hill one would very probably guess that the number of its inhabitante was at least a thousand. It is with surprise therefore that one learns that there are no fewer than five thousand people resident there. How on earth they all get domiciled passes human (other than Chinese) comprehension.
In the course of a visit to Kowloon City the other day the writer found out certain things about the place which are mostly unknown to Hongkong people. Of course old residents are aware of the fact thatit used to be a gambling-hell before it was taken over by the British. The Chinese who managed the fantan shops ran launches free from Hongkong and those who desired a flutter could get it without going as far as Maca. Many are the stories told of fortunes lost and won at Kowloon City. It was a common thing in the days before British rule prevailed for roysterers from Hongkong to cross over and venture their all on tai yal or sam fan as the case might be.
蓝雨
When the British took over the city there was of course a stoppage of gambling and most of the proprietors of these houses cleared out to Macao or Canton. But the houses still remain unchanged. In structure they resemble the fantan gambling-hells of the neighbouring Portuguese colony or of the city of Canton, there being a wallery above the table from which those who desire to put money on any number lower down their stakes in a little basket.
As for industries, Kowloon City does not lack in this respect, yet it is difficult to under- stand how the numerous population find means to subsist upon. There are a vermilion-factory, a samshu (native spirit) factory, fishing, bamboo and rattan shops, silversmith-depots, and general shops galore. The streets are narrow and evil- smelling; pigs and their litters bask at every convenient point. while the town dogs, mangy and otherwise, mostly mangy, infest every court and alley-way and bark defiance at the visitor. It is rather curious to note that the Chinese have practically deserted the old walled city of Kowloon and taken up residence on the plain between this and theres. Burton boasts in his
Scottish
no
There are over a hundred old guns lying dis- mounted about the place. Mr. May has sppa- rently been awake to the idea of utilising some of these monsters for decorative purpose, for at present five of them are being mounted on the mound alongside the Police Station, and imposing they should look when put into position.
history that Berwick walls could accommodate on their top a carriage and pair. Kowloon City wall-that is to say the wall facing Kowloon Bay-would allow of two carriages and pairs passing each other if they met. The wall is a massive structure and, all along. the ramparts are littered with old guns. The history of Kowloon has never been written, but if it were there is Canton is known as the City of Rams. Kow-doubt it would tell many a story of attacks loon might with more appropriateness be styled upon the town by the old bloodthirsty China the City of Cannons. Everywhere one goes Sea pirates. one strikes up against ancient dismantled guns. Indeed, guns are so plentiful in Kowloon City that they are employed even for the ignoble purpose of staying the flag-pole opposite the Police Station. Of all our possessions in the New Territory, Kowloon is one of the most interesting. It is a typical Chinese city within easy hail of Hongkong and it contains within its walls all the picturesqueness and all the in- salubrious smells that strike the Westerner. It is interesting to recall the fact that when the New Territory was ceded to Britain in 1898 it was not then contemplated to take over Kowloon City, but when the British Government found out that the Chinese high officials had had their palms oiled in connection with the disturbances that followed upon the taking over of the New Territory, they marked the sense of their dis- approbation of the officials conduct by forcibly taking possession of the city and exercising complete control over it.
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Inside the walls one meets with nothing but desolation. The houses here have been of a very superior class and the streets are wide and com- modious. As a rule the houses have been allowed to go to decay.. Even the temple, the home of Pa Sang, has been suffered to participate in the general ruin. Where
once
are
after-
mandarin took his noon seista in the shade of his own lichee-tree, hens now roost and pigs grunt. As in the case of old Edinburgh of Allan Ramsay's day the population has boiled over into the country beyond the wall, but in contrast to Edinburgh's Visitors to Hongkong invariably make a history they have deserted the walled city for the point of visiting Kowloon City. It is in minis- open country and shown no desire to return ture a replica of Canton or Fatshan or any of to it. Except for a couple of schools in which the cities in South China. There one can the boys of the town taught how life and industry in all their activity and colour. to speak their own language, and English, The city itself occupies a position at the head of and to mark time and to drill Kowloon Bay which from a health point of view say that the walled city is unoccupied. could not be surpassed. All the year round it Adjoining it is a city of the dead, and the is fanned by the sea breezes from Lyeemun mouldering walls and falling beams of Kowloon Pass When approaching the city from Kow-appear to be not out of place in such a neigh- loon the visitor's eye is caught by the wide wall which rises from the plain to the summit of the hill surmounting the city-a hill covered
one may
bourhood. In one of the schools there are paintings on the walls depicting such scenes of Biblical import as the sower that went forth to
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