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November 27, 1905.)
which we handed to the confederate who was keeping watch on shore. At that moment, noticing that the crew were preparing to show fight, We jumped overboard and tried to escape.
The crew fired at us. Our leader and two others were shot dead, and I was wounded and captured." The theatre guild has handsomely rewarded the members of the crew who killed three robbers and wounded and captured the other.
HINC ILLE LACHRYMÆ,
Very few officials are held in higher esteem by the Empress Dowager than Viceroy Shum. It is reported in official circles that Tartar General Shao, who recently returned from Peking, was requested by the Empress Dowager to convey the following message to Viceroy Shum:-"Do not tender your resignation any more; try and regain your health, so as to be able to look after important Government affairs." The Tartar General called on Viceroy Shum a few days ago and it is said that Viceroy Sum listened to the imperial
message with tears in his eyes.
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PETITIONS.
**
To prevent squeeze and other oppression by minor officia's, Viceroy Shum has been allowing petitions to go direct to himself. The daily average at once rose to between forty and fifty. He has now ordered that no petition be sent to him that has not first been considered by a magistrate, whose answer must be attached. He is now getting only four or five a day.
PAWNSHOP LICENCES.
The small Lo-kung-kwan pawnshops of Can- ton must now pay an annual licence fee of Tls. 303 each.
21st November.
CANTON REGATTA.
There is to be no examination of cargo after noon to-morrow and Saturday, at the Canton Customs, these being Regatta days.
NEW RIVER POLICE.
I reported some time ago that a river police force for patrolling the Canton harbour was to he established on Dec. 26. It is now reported that the establishment has been postponed to Jan. 9. Four stations with a steam pinnace and six boats are provided for; 126 men will be engaget for this new service; and each man will be relieved after eight hours' duty. A special tax will ba levied from the floating population to pay expenses.
VERY TYPICAL.
Chinese Government Bureaus have been refusing provincial notes in payment of taxes and stamp fees, because they preferred the squeeze" afforded by silver payments. Viceroy Shum has found it out, and ordered that these notes be accepted everywhere.
1.
A BOYCOTT REVIVAL.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
smells it contains reminds me of Mark Twain's observation concerning Civita-Vecchia, that it was lucky the streets were narrow, as if they were wider they would contain so much more of it.
UNINVITED GUESTS,
At Sha Yuen, a village in the Poon Yu district, a wealthy man, surnamed Chin, invited a considerable number of friends to attend the wedding feast of his son. While the guests were making merry a band of ten robbers, armed with rifles and cutlasses, entered the house and started to search for valuables. The servants of the house raised the alarm by beating their gongs, and a number of soldiers stationed close by immediately responded to the call and arrested fire meu. The others escaped carrying away valuable articles taken from the house and from the persons of the guests.
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On the 20th inst. & grand funeral ceremony took place in the Si-Chai-Hok-Tong College, in Fatsban, in memory of Fung-Ha-Wei, the Boycott Hero," who died in the American Consulate at Shanghai. Several thousands of people attended the ceremony, which had been prepared on an elaborate scale. Numerous floral tributes were piled up around Fung-Ha- Wei's portrait and four large Chinese characters, made up with natural flowers, were hung above the portrait. The characters meant that all Chinese people s'ould respect the memory of Fung-Ha Wei. Hundreds of boys and girls from the Fatshan and Canton Schools sang songs in the hero's praise, and a band of music enlivened the proceedings. The streets in the neighbourhood were crowded as they never had been before.
CANTON SANITARY BOARD,
AMERICAN CONSUL GETS THREATENING LETTERS.
It is reported that the American Cousul General has agaiu sent a despatch to Viceroy Shum informing him that placards have again been posted in the streets of Canton hostile to Americans, and that threatening letters have again been sent to the American Consulate. On receiving the information Viceroy Shum at once ordered the local officials to make 0 thorough search for the authors and canse them to be arrested.
ARMS COMING,
Sometime ago the military college, called the Cheong-Ping-Hok-Tong, ordered a quantity of rifles and swords through the Nippon Yusen Kaisha. It is now reported that the shipment is expected to arrive within the next few days.
A CAPITAL CRIME.
369
noticed two men walking on the railway track. The whistle was repeatedly sounded to warn the pedestrians of the coming danger. The men took no notice of the signals and remained on the track. One was killed and the other severely injured. It is surmised either that the men had intentionally rem ined on the track to meet death in this update manner, or that they were peasants from the hinterland who had never seen a train before and thought that the engine would pass to their right or left to avoid the collision. An inquest is being held.
BOGUE FORTS.
The superintendent of the Bogue forts having drawn the Viceroy's attention to their dilapi dated condition, His Excellency has sanctioned the immediate carrying out of the repairs necessary, and has deputed the director of the military college to see to it.
TRAGEDY AT WHANGPOA.
At Whangpon on the 21st inst., at 4 p.m., & Japanese military surgeon
named Po-Tan employed in the Government Navel College there, was shot dead by his compatriot Chu. Ksui, a teacher in the same college. It is said the affray occurred on account of a debt dispute. The murderer fled to Canton where he was arrested by Colonel Yang on board of the empty cartridges was found in his possession. Macao steamer. A loaded revolver with two
Viceroy Shum has communicated the matter to the Japanese Consul. Prisoner remains meanwhile in Colonel Yang's custody.
NEW CANTON HOSPITAL.
native doctors have selected a site and arranged For the new hospital, on foreign lines, the the price and bargain-money
MACAO.
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
MACAO, 20th November. THE SAN-PIU LOTTERY,
The Commander of the 21st Regiment of the Chuk-Pi-Kwau soldiers has arrested seven men who have been manufacturing bullets at Ho- How-Tung, in Fatsban. All the machinery and tools, together with the bullets already made, and a great quantity of lead was seized. On the 18th the prisoners were sent to tho Nam-Hoi Yamen. The men who were caught
As reported by me last week there were red-handed could not deny the charges but said many tenders for this lottery. The tenders that they were only employees and were not
were opened last Thursday, and the highest working for their own account. They said the
offer was $282,000 per annum from a Chinaman bullets were manufactured to be sold in Hong.fr Hongkong, called Yu Kwok Hoy kong. These men will not be left long in the(). The contract is for six years. Nam-Hoi prison as the illicit manufacturing of arms and ammunition is punished by death.
23rd November.
THE RISE IN EXCHANGE,
The rise in exchange and its complications are keeping many people in anxious suspen se at present. The export trade is almost at a standstill and stockholders are losing vast sums of money. It is said that silk merchants are losing over one hundred dollars per picul. Yes- terday the Nam-Hoi and Pun-Ya Magistrates sent a joint despatch to the Chamber of Com- merce informing the committee that they would call to-day at 2 p.m. to discuss the situation, and requesting the committee to call on the influential members of the Chamber representing the pawnshop. general commerce and banking business people to attend the meeting. The committee have now informed the two mag. istrates that their request has been complied with and that an influential gathering repre- senting all branches of the trade will be there to meet the raagistrates at the appointed hour.
CHINESE PHILANTHROPISTS.
Some time ago a wealthy man in the Sun-Ui district subscribed 4,000 taels towards the erection and maintenance of a college to be called the Sheung Quin-Hok-Tong. The people were agreeably surprised and thought that such a munificent offer could not be surpassed It is now reported that a wealthy family of the Sun-Ning district. surnamed Yu, has petitioned the Provincial College Board offering 200,000 dollars for the building and maintenance of a college in their district. The board has received the petition favourably and has filed the plans of the college on their records. Kin Yu a member of the Yu family, and an expectant prefect has been appointed to superintend the building of this new college and has left Canton for Sun-Ning to carry the scheme through as soon as possible.
It is reported that a sanitary board has been established in Cauton. The old Kwan-Tai temple in the Governor's yamen will be used as its head office. Yun Wai, an expectant prefect, has been appointed Chief Inspector and the nomination of the minor officials will be made without delay. This is a departure in the right direction, as the city is sorely in need of proper supervision in sanitary matters Canton is reputed to be, and no doubt is, the cleanest native city in China, its streets are well laid out, and if the drains were not allowel to be choked up and the transportation of night-soils and other evil-smelling materials be restricted to the early hours if the morning a great Another railway accident has to be recorded. improvement will have been made. The On the 23rd inst., while a train was passing close actual state of the streets with the offensive to the Five Eyed Bridge, the engine-driver
UNFAMILIAR RAILWAYS.
The firm's name is not yet decided, but the lottery will soon start. The farmer will have shops and stalls in varions parts of the city for the sale of tickets, and it is expected that there will be three to four drawings in a month. This new lottery will probably affect the sales of others.
ARRIVAL OF THE
AFRICA.
49
On Saturday last at 10 o'clook a.m. the Guia Fort signalled the arrival of this transport. It took eight days from Singapore to Macao, an unusually long time. It brought from Lisbon about 160 soldiers and some naval officers for the gunboat Rio Lima. The soldiers were lauded at the leungshan's wharf and were marched to their quarters headed by the military band. The transport is leaving for Lisbon soon, calling at Timor and other Portuguese Colonies, and is expected to arrive home next March. The newcomers were surprised to find the city and the streets so admirably clean and well kept. They could be better if the Public Works Department would devote a little more attention to them. Take for instance the new road from Sakong to the Estrada de Flors.
EARTHQUAKES AGAIN. After a long rest we felt another earth tremor on Sunday, and another this morning.
UNIFORMS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. An order came by the last mail for all employees in the Fazenda and the Post Office to wear uniforms. Writing on the subject of the Post Office, I may say that of late many irregularities are cropping up in this depart- ment. Complaints are rife of letters posted not reaching their destinations and of letters intended to be registered being sent unregistered. More care should be taken in this important department.
OBOLETIM ECCLESIASTICO."
This paper has suspended publication. The cause of its suspension was a disagreement between the Editor, Mr. F. X. dos Remedios, and the priests of the St. Joseph's College. Mr. Remedios sent an account of a public subscription to be published, and the priests refused to do so, but Mr. Remedies successfully
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