y
June 27, 1904.]
FRONTIER NOTES.
[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]
CROPS.
16th June.
The paddy promises to be an excellent crop and is now well in ear over most parts of the country. Lichess are an exceptionally good crop. The pineapple crop will soon come in, and looks like being plentiful.
CUSTOMS.
The following have succeeded in passing the Imperial Customs examination in Chinese: Messrs. E. C. Tregillus, J. H. Schluter. H. A. Adamsen. C. F. A. Sachau, J. S. Chubh, W. J. Potter. E. M. Lundberg, C. F. Wallis. F. Pawelka, L. A. Sellevold. L. J. Borgeest, P. F. Corbin, J. B. Moller. A. D. Nelson, J. W Adnams, C. L. Hack, and F. G. McIntosh.
HONGKONG,
Sir Mathew Nathan leaves for Hongkong on the 1st July.
It is said that the new tramways will begin running on the 1st of August-in about six
weeks' time.
number of dead bodies floating in the Canton Incoming river steamers report an unusual
waterway.
Sir Henry Blake appears from the latest Ceylon papers to have completely recovered from his recent accident.
Saturday, the 5th day of the 5th moon, was the Chinese festival of Tien-chung-chick-the Dragon Boat Festival.
A goodly crowd assembled at the Metropole Theatre on Saturday evening to witness the initial performance of a series of weekly entertainments to be given in the theatre
attached to the Hotel.
The
Fire broke out at Nos. 34a and 41. Bonham Strand. the premises of a paper merchant, yesterday morning about 10 o'clock. Brigade, under Mr. E. R. Hallifax. Deputy Superintendent of Police, got the blaze under in about an hour. A large quantity of paper was destroyed. The third floor was burned out, while the ground, first and second floors were damaged by water. The premises, we under- stand, were covered by insurance to the extent of $10,000.
He
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Lieut. F. Smyth has resigned his commission in the Hongkong Volunteer Corps.
The Indian native infantry programme for the ensuing year shows that the 93rd Burma Infantry will be transferred from Hongkong to Mandalay the 14th Mahrattas to Poona, and the 110th to Bhuj. The reliefs will consist of the 96th Berar Infantry, from Aurangabad: the 129th Baluchis from Karachi, and the 119th Infantry from Baroda.
His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government has received a telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colouies stating that on his recommendation His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the grant of the Imperial Service Order to Mr. Charles Ford, recently Superintendent of the Botanical and Afforestation Department.
On Monday, the 20th inst. there took place at Happy Valley the funeral of Police Constable (1) John Garrety, who was drowned on the previous day in the launch basin at Tsimshatsui Station while bathing. Deceased was 25 years of age and served through the South African campaign in the Sherwood Foresters. Не held three army medals. It appears that he went in bathing with a party of nine or ten others in the basin, a popular resort of the Tsimshatsui police in the hot weather. dived in, but failed to come up. Among 80 many bathers his absence was not noticed for some time, It seems that Garrety suffered from a weak heart. and that failure of its action led to the fatality. A large number of the Hongkong Police Force attended the funeral.
The Yellow Dragon (the monthly magazine of Queen's College) mentions that on May 2nd the number of admissions to the College since it was opened 42 years ago reached the figure of 10,000. The Editor concludes an article on the subject with these remarks: -" Sir William des Vieux, at the last Prize Distribution in the Central School in January, 1888, spoke to the following effect: The chief point I consider admirable about this school is its missionary work and purpose. The young men that com. plete their course of studies here are scattered over the vast empire of China and cannot fail to disseminate those Western ideas they have acquired in this school and that appreciation of British government impressed upon them by their residence in this British Colony. His Excellency rightly grasped the situation, but I doubt that its full magnitude could have been realised by him. Say 9,000 boys have left this College and one-third are scattered on the mainland; then we have a small army of 3,000 unpaid missionaries spreading Western ideas, and it must not be forgotten that of these missionaries not a few have been martyrs in the cause of civilisation."
On the 24th instant Messrs. Hughes and Hough sold the wreck of the French steamer Hoihuo, as she now lies stranded in the South Channel Hainan Strait, near Hainan Head, by public auction. The bidding was started at $1,000, and went up by bids of $100 to $9,900, at which figure it was knocked down to Mr. A. R. Marty.
A local yachtsman gives it as his opinion that the "sharks." numbers of which are reported to have been seen in the harbour recently, are he has noticed within the last week or two about not sharks at all but sunfish, several of which
Lyeemoon. The sunfish is about three or four feet in length and has a dorsal fin that shows
abore water in the same does.
ม shark's
the other
Near st the
Mahomedan Cemetery at Happy Valley com- As regards its general appearance. the
pares very unfavourably with cemeteries adjoining it. A casual visit to the place would lead one to suppose that it had entrance are two tombs huilt of marble well been untended for several years. kept and trim, but the other graves are almost dilapidated. Considering that the Mahomedan without exception in bad repair, sunken and community subscribes annually for the up-keep of the cemetery, it is rather strange that such a state of things should exist. Some years subscribers to pass the accounts and hear a ago it was the custom to hold a meeting of
report upon the state of the cemetery and the mosque, but it appears that no such meeting has been convened for the last three or four
years.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Maria
Shanghai has provided itself with a Black police station to gaol.
for the conveyance of prisoners from
The Foochow Echo records with great regret the death of Professor B. H. Marsh, after a very short illness.
The Tweeddile with the first shipment of coolies for the Transvaal arrived at Durban on the voyage, and 44 cases of heri-beri. the 18th inst. Three deaths occurred during
481
A very fine new building on the Bubbling Well Road, Shanghai. has been opened as the official residence and office of the Italian Consul General.
A Chinese carpenter passing through Singa- dollars for importing prohibited coin. pore from Hongkong to Penang was fined fire money. $32 Mexican and a Japanese yen, was The forfeited.
20th inst. by His Lordship Bishop Piazzoli of the Telegraphic informat on was received on the death of His Lordship Monsignor, Guidi, the Papal delegate for the Philippines. ~ Monsignor Guidi was in Hongkong recently on a holiday for the benefit of his health, and only returned to Manila two or three weeks ago, apparently much bouefited by the change. The news of his sudden demise came Roman Catholic clergy
85 a surprise to the in Hongkong and Macao. The deceased prelate was only 51. regretted by all who had the pleasure of his years old, and his untimely death is deeply acquaintance.
Mr. Bennet Burleigh's opinion in a letter to the Telegraph is that there is the making of soldiers out of Coreans. and, with proper training, the new Japanese Military Ad viser at the Corean Court, Lieut.-Colonel Nodzu, an
there is blaring of bugles and marching of adopted son of the famous general, will succeed in that task. Morning, noon, and eventide Coreans through the streets of Seoul. They are at last getting a taste of the sever» training of the Japanese School of Arms. Dressed in dark blue European uniforms, high-lows and all, with Frenchy peaked cap, set off with big yellow and white shaving-brush plumes, they go to and from the exercise ground. Upon gala days they turu out, headed by a well-trained brass professor of music. A little more "smartening" band. their instructor a martial German, a
or setting-up, and the Corean soldier will make a very creditable appearance indeed.
-
In view of the reported intention of the Rus- sian Government to despatch later on to the Far East a large flotilla of Volunteer Fleet auxiliary cruisers and transports with the reinforcements complete list of these vessels at present marking from the Baltic. it may be of interest to give a
time in idleness at Sevastopol and Odessa. They are the following: Smolensk, Orel, Saratoff. and St. Petersburg, all four auxiliary cruisers carrying quick-firers and capable of steaming from 18 to 20 knots; Yaroslay. Kostroma Vladimir, Kieff. Timboff, and Voronezh, tran- sports, most of them mounting quick-firing guns and capable of steaming from 12 to 13 knots. The 20-knot Volunteer Fleet twin screw anxiliary cruisers Kherson and Moskva. taken over last year by the Government and drafted out to the Pacific squadron as the Angara and Lena, are shut up in Port Arthur, where the twin-screw 13-knot transport Kazan is now lying in the inner basin as a military floating hospital.
What is going to become of things in general. asks the Manila Sunday Sun, if population installing the electric light in the Legation decreasing? Manila is rapidly being depleted The firm of Arnhold. Karberg & Co. are among the Americans in the islands goes on Quarter at Peking. It is stated that the of good and bad. Concerning the latter. so of the entire Quarter shall in future be adminis-away good men with slight hope of their return. Diplomatic Corps have decided that the affairs much the better, but when each steamer carries tered by one body in the form of a municipality. the official enquiry held at Weihaiwei ghowed The N.C. Daily News states authoritatively that
that Mr. Soper was accidentally washed over- Dalay; and that there was no reason for any board from his yacht during the voyage from suspicion of foul play in the matter.
•
the question becomes serious. The number of the increase of deaths over births among the departures is not balanced by the arrivals, and Anglo-Saxon race is out of all proportion: consequently Manila will have to face vexed problem very shortly if things con- tinue as they are. After all it might very Mercury writes The burglary which recently
The Peking correspondent of the Shanghai logically be asked. What benefit does man or woman derive by migrating to these occurred at Sir Robert Hart's has just come to shores?" For three months of the year the light by the confession of a coolie who has climate is a perpetual vapour bath, though not been employed on the place for the past seven unhealthy generally speaking, and might he years. Suspicion had always pointed to some endured with fortitude were salaries large which the intruder had entered the house. the States at the end of three years. But this one of the servants owing to the adroitness with enough to enable people to save and return to The coolie made a voluntary confession and is not the case. House-rent, living, horse-feed. directed some members of the Customs to a and everything else is ridiculously high, and well in which he told them he had thrown such those earning what are termed fat salaries find things as were of no value to him. Everything themselves at the end of the month with out- was recovered in fairly good condition except standing accounts that they are not in a position his needs and the documents, which were con- the silver which the coolie had appropriated to to meet. No doubt most ventured to these siderably damaged by the water. The coolie that the lark is over, the fun has to be purchased islands for the "lark of the thing," but now was discharged and received no further punish-by an empty exchequer and very possibly a bad
attack of Philippinitis.
ment.