820
MACAO.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.}
26th October.
́REMEMBERING A ROYAL DEMISE.
About fifteen years ago, King D. Luiz died, and the event was recalled to the memories of loyal Portuguese by services at the Cathedral on the 19th instant. The Governor attended, with his Aides, the Municipal Council, Army and Navy officers, and public functionaries. †The whole strength of the clergy, headed by the Bishop and the Canons, and the boys and girls from the College, assembled to pray for the late King. Minute guns were all the while fired from the Monte Fort, the church bells tolled, the Guard in the Church compound fired three volleys, and the Military Band played. The pace of Macao's flagging pulse was accelerated by this unwonted animation in honour of a dead king.
ANOTHER PROCESSION.
Yesterday there was a pretty procession in honour of St. Marguerite, in whose homage a large number of young girls assembled at St. Joseph's Church.
OUR FRENCH GURSTS.
Yesterday morning Admiral Bayle in the destroyer Pistolet, with three other destroyers, Javeline, Mousquet, and Fronde, arrived here. The gallant admiral was entertained by our Governor. After dinner, there was a soirée at the Macao Club, where dancing was indulged in until two o'clock this morning. The French Admiral's Band and the Macao Military Band played in turns. The decorations were very pretty, and the diversity of uniforms made a very brilliant scene. Many of the naval, mili- tary, and official guests wore blazing decorations and orders. There was a striking mixture of sartorial colouring among the unofficial guests, there being ball dresses and walking costumes, mess jackets and smoking coats enough to remind one of a fancy dress ball. However, the spirit of the crowd was good, and a very happy time was spent.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
After dinner Vice-Admiral Bayle expressed | the thanks of the French squadron to Sir Matthew Nathan, the officers of the British navy and army, and the people of Hongkong for the Find reception which had been accorded the officers and men of the French navy in the Far East. He then gave the toast of "The King," | which was cordially pledged, the band playing the National Anthem.
No other toasts were proposed. The com- pany adjourned to the upper deck of the flag- ship, where a pleasant hour was whiled away, the band giving selections of French popular music. The function ended shortly after ten o'clock.
On the 25th inst, the French squadron proceed ed to Macao with the object of pay- ing an official visit to his Excellency the Governor of Macao. Vice-Admiral Bayle was escorted by the torpedo-destroyers-Pistolet, Mousquet, Fronde, and Javeline. Accompanying the commander were M. Gaston Liébert, French Consul, and Mme. Liébert, as well as Baroness de Reinach de Werth. It is understood that there will be a state dinner at Macao in honour of the French squadron's visit, and that a ball will be given at the Macao Club.
THE CHINESE IN SOUTH
AFRICA.
FROM A SOUTH AFRICAN CORRESPONDENT.]
You will no doubt be interested in Hongkong in the question of how the Chinese are settling down to their new work in the mines in the Transvaal. From all appearances the results of introducing the Celestial will be very much the same as has been experienced in other parts of the world where his services have been called into requisition, so far as the work itself is concerned and this is in a practical point of view the most important question--there seems little reason to doubt that Johnny Chinaman will prove the same plodding, industrious labourer in the Transvaal as he has shown himself to is everywhere else. Those least inclined to appreciate the Chinaman as a whole have never been disposed to accuse him of laziness. He has many bad and many unpleas. ant ways, but he certainly does not mind work- always provided that it leads to its natural result an adequate return in the almighty dollar. So the newly-arrived Chinese have according to all reports given full satisfaction to the mine owners so far as their actual work is concerned. They went down merrily into the mines, and soon showed how much could be accomplished by steady work, and at first they seemed very fairly amenable to dis- cipline. The awful results of bringing the Chinese into the Colony which had been predicted by those whose chief aim always seema to be to throw obstacles in the way of the settle- ment of all matters, whether economical or political, in the Transvaal, were soon found to be THE GOVERNOR DINES ON THE Durban and were easily transferred to the moonshine. The Chinese, duly arrived at
The Admiral with his squadron left Macao this morning, receiving the ordinary salute from the Fort. A guard of honour had been posted on the wharf at 8 a.m.
EMBARRASSING AMENITIES.
It is the fashion and the proper thing now here, if you happen to know your friend's birthday, to serenade him or her at midnight with a fire-cracker fugue. There need be no apprehension that the compliment will go unappreciated. The neighbours always seem to be awake to what is going on.
THE WEATHER. Picnics are the order of the day now that the weather is so settled and fair. On Sundays it is almost impossible to find a suitable place unoccupied.
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MONTCALM.”
An interesting function took place on the 24th inet, on board the Montcalm, the flagship of Vice-Admiral Charles Bayle, commanding the French squadron which has been lying in Hongkong harbour during the last few days. The French commander and officers of the squadron entertained H.E. the Governor, Sir Matthew Nathan, K. C.M.G., and a select party composed of representatives of the navy, army and civil service in Hongkong, to dinner on board the flagship. Among those present besides Sir Matthew Nathan were Vice-Admiral Sir Gerard Noel, Commander-in-Chief of H.B M. squadron in China and Japan, Sir Henry Berkeley, Acting Chief Justice, Lady Berkeley and the Misses Berkeley, M. Gaston Liébert, French Consul at Hongkong, and Mme. Liébert, Colonel L. F. Brown, B.E., commanding the troops in Hongkong, Com- modore Dicken, the Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary, and Mrs. May, Baron de Reinach de Werth, commander of the Pistolet, and Baroness de-B-inach de Werth, M. Bridou, soting agent of the Messageries Maritimes Co., and Mme. Bridon, and officers from the British navy and army stationed at Hongkong. During dinner the band of the Montcalm played selec-
tions of music.
no
sphere of their labours, and the world still went round as usual. There was outbreak of plagas, and no
clash with the Kafirs; nothing like slavery, or oppres- ion, and no sign of any serious in convenience to the European residents. All has been so far satisfactory, and sanguine per. sons began to believe that the great labour question had been finally settled in as good a way as such a question ever can be adjusted. But of late there have been signs that it is not all couleur de rose. The Chinaman may emigrate to any part of the world, but he is the Chinaman still; and it has not been long before he had begun to show in the Transvaal the old familiar ways that make him so troublesome a subject to deal with in other parts of the world in Hongkong to some extent among them. Soon after arrival half a dozen of the Celestials who had come with the first batch" found it convenient to desert from their employers, and endeavour to strike out in some more congenial pastures than were afforded by underground work in the Transvaal mines. Fortunately there are very simple laws in the Colony as to servants who desert from the service of their masters, and the local magistrate was able by means of them to deal very promptly and effectually with deserting Celestials. With their habitual respect for the "Mandarin "they"
[October 29, 1904. sccepted the situation, resigned themselves to the fines imposed upon them by the «gʻ Devil cfficial,” and returned, sadder and wiser men, to their duties. But a more serious development of Chinese propensities has of late become manifest A Chinaman is never happy without his guild or secret association, and those who know them were quite prepared to find some- thing of this kind cropping up ere long in South Africa. Sure enough an enterprising Celestial was one day discovered giving him- self out as the President of the Chinese Labour Association," and haranguing an admiring audience of his fellow countrymen upon the wrongs they were subjected to, especially in the matter of wages, which he declared were too low. The authorities got wind of the affair and arrested the energetio orator and some of his followers, who were charged with conspiracy and endeavouring to induce other Chinamen to leave their work. I don't hear that anything more has been done, so I suppose the matter has simmered down and. that dismissal with a caution has been considered sufficient to meet the exigencies of the case. I don't imagine there is very much in it. Probably the men had been got hold of by some of the labour agitators, who are as active in this part of the world (and will very likely be as mischievous) as they are in most places; but the incident is not reassuring and portends difficulty in the future. The Chinese are too well versed in the arts of labour combinations and secret organisations to require any school. ing, and it is to be regretted that they will be sure to find persons only too willing to set them going in this direction at the mines. Such attempts, however, won't go much farther than causing occasional temporary incon- veniences, as the ordinary laws of the Transvaal are quite sufficient to meet insubordination on the part of natives (among whom the Chinese will rank), and the Chinaman is shrewd enough to know when he is well off, as he undoubtedly is in his new sphere. It is stated that some few of the men engaged have been permitted to return to China with the object of informing their fellow countrymen how well off the immigrants are, and inducing others to follow. This seems a little too good to be true, and I should think it is not unlikely that these Lonevolently disposed gentlemen are in tow, of the Labour Association and will use their. endeavours to prevent fresh emigrants accepting pay lower than they think desirable. When a Chinaman gets into a good thing, he is not as a rule anxious to call the whole of the Flowery Laud to come and share it with him. I don't suppose, however, that any attempt of this kind will have much effect. labourers are being brought from too many different directions. to make it possible to infinence them all in this manner; but still if the employers are wise they won't allow too many to go back to China with the benevolent object of spreading the good tidings.
The
There have already been signs of trouble in the direction of gambling establishments, and some of the new immigrants have been made acquainted with local laws against publio gam- ing houses. Whether these enactments will be of any good as a means of restraining the Chinaman's innate tendency to gamble remains to be seen. I myself should very much doubt it. A Chinaman will have his opium and his fan-tan, and all attempts to stop them are sure, to be evaded. The utmost that can reasonably be done is something in the direction of a fire; and after a time this merely becomes matter of calculation-so much gain from the houses. to the good, and so many fines to be added up. periodically-say at China Now Year-to be placed pe centra. If the authorities in the Transvaal intend to prosecute every gathering of hinese for a friendly little gamble they will have enough to do. In time I imagine they will find it advisable to have a blind eye to a few little irregularities and take the China- man's good work for the benefit of the Colony and leave his moral development to other It is not likely to be greatly influences. furthered by statutory enactments.
The real difficulty which is ahead is the pos- sibility of the Chinese as they increase in numbers forming secret societies and causing trouble in the same way as the Gee Hings and To Pe Kongs in the Straits Settlements. The "Labour AssociationTM” incident shows how ready