843
as well as those of foreign nations, that she may at last find out where her real difficulty hes. It is not the want of warlike know ledge or implements, but the want of national cóherence which causes her weakness; and if China hopes to be able to take her place among the nations, it is in the latter direc- tion that she must first endeavour to reform. Such reform must be a process of consider able time, and during its progress, if it is ever honestly inaugurated, many useful lessons must be learnt from simple ex- perience, and with these lessons it may be hoped that China will awake to the fact that she has a far better chance of main- taining her integrity by friendliness with foreign nations than by endeavouring to thwart the march of progress
by adopting an attitude of contemptuous defiance and threatening the outside world with the "surprise" that awaits them, should they continue to offer her unsolicited advice.
HONGKONG JOTTINGS.
May 7th.
A correspondent replies to the contribu- tion which I inserted last week on the subject of the prohibition of sport at the Happy Valley on Sundays. He points out that the restriction only applies to the football and ericket grounds, and as most of the Valley is allocated to particular clubs, few of whom care or have opportunities to play on Sunday, no great hardship is inflicted at all. Lawn tennis and golf, with the usual children's pastimes, are in full swing every fine day, so that after all there seems little cause for complaint.
Some time ago I made a reference to the popularity of billiards in the colony. To say that this game is popular is only stating the obvious, but there are indications that its devotees are becoming more numerous. Our wealthy Chinese friends have now first class tables in their houses, and among the native population cusists can be counted in hund- reda. In this connection, I am informed that a series of billiard tournaments between the Water Police and the Kowloon Cricket Club have been inaugurated, and that the first game-300 up-played on Thursday between Sergt. Earner and Mr. Boureville resulted in a win for the former by 90 points. The tournament, I am told, is not to be confined to billiards, but will include tennis and bowls. That reminds me that s billiard tournament has been arranged at the King Edward Hotel and a committee has been elected from those interested to conduct the competition.
The other day I rescued a very quaint docu- ment from the waste paper basket. It was &
letter, written by an Indian money-lender, defending one of his compatriots against certain nasty remarks made against this "coloured Shylook." There were evidences of much care in the composition of the letter, but apparently these did not appeal to the editor, who consigned the effusion to the place where so many other orushed hopes lay. However, it was resurrected, and 85 I saw
the quaint statements with which it abounded I thought I could not do better than reproduce one or two of the choicest. For instance be ridicules the Chinaman's defence that his wife died, but perhaps I had better give his actual words-“Also for his defence, defendant says that his wife is died already, leaving two children helpless, and for funeral expenses he spant lot of money and now he is ruined, Therefore defendant seems very unfortunate for ho lost two wives already, one on obtaining this loan and other now when demand is made for payment of his debt, and while he owes the debt as yet, but we think he has a lot of money to arrange for his marriage and to pay his solicitor but he has nothing to pay off his debt. But in reality no his wife is died and children are left belpless, this only he announces to his readers as he thinks that on hearing him in such trouble, they will unsympathy with his creditor who has demanded the payment of the
money."
33
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[May 14, 1908,
SUPREME COURT.
Monday, May 7th.
IN ADMIRALTY Jurisdiction.
From what follows it is apparent that our Indian friend is a man of observation. He knows the tricks of the natives, for he adds:- tronble by saying that some of his parent is sick "And it is Chinese common rule to solve their
or died and as every European gentleman in Hongkong knows very well, that when some of his Chinese servanta absents from his service BEFORE THE Chi'r Justice (Sir Francis' and on returning to solve his trouble he may say that some of his parent was sick or died in the country. Such is defendant's case, which resulted in vain, for he was guilty according
to the law."
The lawyers will appreciate the nert paragraph
#
And on receiving the writ, instead of paying off his debt, he paid a considerable sum to his solicitor all in vain, for he knew it very well, that he is guilty according to the law, and is to pay the plaintiff the money being due to him Was it not much better for him to pay off his and promissory note given by him to the plaintiff. debt respectively, instead of paying to his solicitor all in vain.
"
After showing that his position is "ten folds hard "
than that of defendant, he waxes eloquent in his defence of moneylending as a profession. He writes:-
"And as he points out only the Indians as moneylender in Hongkong, but everyone who first steps in to the Supreme Court house, is the lender of money, goods, service, etc., and most part of the trade is carried by people by lending of money, goods, ets, Why he only paints the Indians as moneylenders, are they not resting under the flag of the Great Britain, But he himself in case of emergency is to take a passage to Canton from where he never can be seen,"
The ingratitude of the Chinaman rouses his ire, and he proceeds to chastise him-with a scathing pen:-
'Defendant soon forgot the day of this loan, wheu to comply his need, he had begged hard for about twenty times of the watchman, and when payment demanded now he says the Indian foolish and sharks for whom he says no sympathy should be shown, and he wishes to the bar and judges the Supreme Court of the Hongkong to do unjust for the Indians only, while they would not, for the God has gifted them so high ranks in the world, as to do just for their subject which is resting under the flag of Great Britain. Trusting that the bar and the Judges of the Supreme Court of the Hongkong, and all who may read this paper will ignorant of the cunning trick of this guilty scholar, known as (here follows defendant's name).'
BANYAN.
UNION CHURCH,HONGKONG.
A meeting of the seatholders of Union
Church took place in the Church on May 10th the Rev. C. H. Hickling presiding. The treasurer's statement increases under seat-rents, weekly offerings and of accounts showed investments. The Organ Fund at the end of March stood at $2,811.09, but additions and sums promised for 1906-07 bring the fund up to about $4,500. The report referred to the fact that the Pastor had conducted a service on the first Sunday of each month in the Peak Church, while on March 31st he concluded the wedding which appeared to have been the first Free Church ceremony for Mr. Haynes and Miss Connell; wedding in the Peak Church. schools continued to prosper, while the literary The Sunday club had had a successful session. The Pastor has lately received the appointment of chaplain for Congregationalists and Baptists in both the army and navy in Hongkong.
The Peking Government has issued instruc. tions to the Viceroy of Szechuan to send two brigades of oreign-modelled troops to garrison Lhassa and other important points in Tibet. These two brigades form a part of the new Army that was ordered to be raised in Szechuan province by the Council of Army Reorganisa- tion, in socordance with the grand scheme of that Council in 1903 that each province should have from two to four Army Corps raised and organised after Japanese models,
8.8.
13
"
PIGGOTT.)
Y. BRAND
KOTOHIRA MARU.'
Formal judgment was delivered in the notion in which the Court was asked to decide who was to blame for the collision between these vessels off Pedro Blanco. Mr. M, W. Blade, instructed by Mr. E. J. Grist, represented the " Brand,” and Mr. E. H. Sharp, K.C., instructed by Mr. John Hastings, appeared for the "Kotohirs Maru."
His Lordship said-This was a case of
C Brand " collision between the Norwegian 8.8. in the China Sea a little to the east of Pedro and the Japanese 8.8. "Daini Kotohirs Maru” Blanco in a dense fog. The Japanese ship
admitted blame, but contended that the Norwegian ship was also to blame. There was in the case one issue of fact on which the evidence on the two sides was conflicting, or at least not reconcilable. The "Kotohirs Maru" was blowing her whistle_apparently with regularity, but whether the “ Brand" was blowing her whistle in accordance with the regulations was contested. Owing to the view which I take of the law, in which the Assessor concurs, the Court is not called upon to express an opinion on this question. I take the following facts as given by the witnesses for the “Brand" The second mate was most precise. He said he heard the whistle of another vessel which after-
£4
wards was ascertained to be the “Kotohira Maru on the port quarter at 4 a,m.: that he heard it again about every other minute, some. times more, sometimes less than two minutes, on the port, quarter: that by 5 a.m, she was one point before the Brand's" beam. He then heard it regularly overtaking them: about 5.10 she was three points before the beam: and the last time he heard it she was fou points before the beam. This was, he said, abɔut three or four minutes before the collision. Between
5.10 and the collision he could not remember hearing more than one whistle: a few minutes after hearing the last whistle he saw her two and
half points on the port bow. The inference which he drew from this series of whistles was that the vessel was getting further and further ahead on the port side, especially the last ten minutes: he thought that she was going safely on as there was nothing to direct attention to her. The last whistle was a bit loader: he thought he observed it because of this. The position of the vessel given by the mate up to what he calls the last whistle coincides with the master's evidence: he said that he heard a whistle after he stopped for sounding three points forward of the beam: that he then ordered the engines to go slow ahead to let the
steamship get more ahead and altered his course It seems that he had calculated the speed of one point to the south to clear Pedro Blanco.
knots: his own speed when the whistles were the other vessel accurately at eight and a half first heard
minutes before the collision he heard the whistle four points on the port bow: he heard it a little closer, a little louder: he then put the engines at half speed ahead concluding that she was going further ahead. There was a ́little wind from the south and he thought it was that is, made it sound louder. the wind which had brought the sound, Later on little louder than the others: of the same be said the last louder whistle was a loudness as when the vessel was passing the when she was coming up there was a risk of "Brand". In orom-examination he said that
her running into the "Brand", but that the risk ended when she got past the beam r ́and that he thought she was going right away from him until she was right on him. There was some question as to whether the order "Half- speed ahead" was in fact obeyed. · It is unneces- sary in the view the Court takes of the case to consider any other fact: the "Kotohirs Maru" admits that she was to blame that she violated Article 16 of the Regula'ions by going eight and a half knots in the fog, which was certainly not a moderate speed as required
was six knots. About three