June 7, 1909.j
THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARKHAM,
but old residents will be interested in the
of
We published a few days ago a paragraph announcing the death of Captain Markham, one of the few survivors of the Bokhara disaster, following reminiscences of that tragic event contained in the following letter dated May 10th, from a London correspondent :-
Saturday's newspapers contain a notice of the death on the 6th instant, after a
very short illness, of Captain Frank D. Markham, late King's Shropshire Light Infantry, at 10 Queen Street, Mayfair. I do not know the cause Captain Markham's death, but there can be no doubt that the terrible experience he under went some seventeen years ago undermined the constitution of this promising young officer and helped to bring about his death at the early age of forty years. The demise of Captain Mark- ham leaves Dr. J. A. Lowson the sole survivor of the passengers in the ill-fated Bokhara wrecked off the Pescadores in October, 1892, and of the team of Hongkong interport cricketers returning from Shanghai. Dr. Lowson suffered so seriously from the effects of exposure on that ocasion that he had to retire
from the Civil Service, and he is now located at Forfar, in Scotland.
Comparatively few residents of Hongkong and Shanghai to-day remember Markham, though Lowson's personality will not readily be for- gotten. But I shall never forget the interview I had with the two survivors upon the deck of the cruiser Porpoise, which brought them down from Amoy. Lowson, badly wounded on the forehead by being dashed against the bridge of the doomed vessel as she was engulfed by a heavy sea, told the story of his grim experience with a considerable amount of characteristic vivacity, and mentioned how Markham, terribly unnerved, had had the greatest difficulty in recovering from the effects of the disaster. Markham had certainly received a serious shock. Attired in a flannel suit lent to him by an officer of the cruiser, he stood in the centre of a little group of civilians and service men, and in a slow voice, in subdued tones, gave a narrative of his personal experiences on that awful night. With the crowd of affrighted passengers he had been standing in the companion way when the Bokhara went down. He had no clear idea of
how he got into the water, but as he could not (swim and had no lifebelt, like Lowson, he gave himself up for lost. Luckily for him, he was ashed up on a reef, where he lay bruised and battered, in no clothing but the remnant of his pyjamas, until the morning light revealed the six members of the crew whom he thought be the sole survivors of the white men on board. It was only when they struggled over the sand dunes, bearing the wounded chief officers, that they discovered another survivor in Lowson, who had succeeded in getting shel- ter in a disused hut near the shore.
THE GERMAN TRAVELLERS MUR- DERED IN YUNNAN.
A Rangoon paper of the 7th ult. says that the two Germans who are reported to have been murdered in Yunnan are Doctor Brunhaber, a well-known traveller, and Herr Schmitz. They arrived at Rangoon from Madras on the 20th of October last, and went from there to Bhamo. A representative of the Rangoon Gazette inter viewed persons just returned from Bhamo who met Dr. Brunhaber and his companion, and tra- velled with them to Tengyueh. It was learned that the intention of the Germans was to proceed eastward then, northward in an attempt to discover the source of the Mekong. The two travellers left Tengyueh in the middle of December with a caravan of 25 mules, a Madrasi cook, and a Chinese in'erpreter, who was formerly a steward on one of the German mail boats. At Teng- yuch they occupied tents in the compound of the Commissioner of Customs. It is thought the explorers lost their lives, as did Mr. Brooke recently, amongst the Lolos. They carried a consignment of small gramophones as presents to the natives. Dr. Brunhaber had written a work on Algiers, Herr Schmitz was making his first journey. When last seen by the parties interviewed both travellers were in the best of health and hopeful of accomplishing their task.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
LAWN TENNIS.
HONGKONG v. KOWLOON.
note that the
The annual match between Hongkong and the 31st ult. on the King's Park in ideal Kowloon after many delays was played off on tennis weather. There was a good attendance to witness the play and it is satisfactory to spectators were not dis- appointed. The exhibition of tennis was of a very high standard. On this occasion Kow- loon showed up better than on previous meetings, the score being 106 games for Hong kong, and 86 for Kowloon.
Hongkong was represented by Pinckney and Carr, Harris and Aubrey, King and Hutcheson, and Sutherland and Pemberton, while the and Lapsley, Edwards and Fowler, Clelland and following did duty for Kowloon: Klimanek Weaser, and Mead and Green. The umpires were Messrs. Fittock, MacKenzie, Menagh and Pelling.
wind proved a disconcerting factor.
The light was all that could be desired but the It robbed volleying of its value, and as it came over the sheets it added uncertainties to the course of the balls. Victory went to the pairs who operating against those who attempted to keep played the net game, the difficulties mentioned the balls high. The courts, it should be added
were in splendid condition.
Carr and Pinckney carried off the honours for the visitors. Carr played perfect tennis but his companion made several mistakes. Carr,
on the other hand, never missed a shot,
Harris
and Aubrey also played well for Hongkong. to their credit, did most for Kowloon, Klimanek and Lapsley, with three wins
first two matches, steadied themselves and played while Fowler and Edwards, after losing the finely in the next two. Mead and Green also did well, winning from Sutherland and Pember- ton and drawing with Hutcheson and King. The scores are as under:
Pinckney and Carr beat Fowler and Edwards 10/2, Klimanek and Lapsley 7/5, Clelland and Weaser 10/2 and Green and Mead 9/3.
Harris and Aubrey beat Edwards and Fowler 8/4. Clelland and Weaser 8/4, lost to Mead and Green 4/8, lost to Klimanek and Lapsley 5/7.
King and Hutcheson lost to Fowler and Edwards 5/7, Klimanek and Lapsley 3/9, drew with Mead and Green 6/6, beat Clelland and Weaser 9/3.
Sutherland and Pemberton lost to Fowler and Edwards 4/8, Mead and Green 5/7, Klim- anek and Lapsley 3,9, beat Clelland and Weaser 7/5.
INTERPORT LAWN TENNIS.
HONGKONG GARRISON BEAT S,C.C.
The following account of the Interport Lawn Tennis (Doubles) match between repre. sentatives of the Hongkong Garrison and the Shanghai Cricket Club is taken from Shanghai Mercury
and H.
..
the
A. White,
Captain Brierley and Mr. T. (Hongkong) tirst played Messrs. R. J. Saunders proved rather one-sided, the visitors gaining an iddleton (Shanghai), and the sets
easy victory by six games to one. All round superior play to their opponents, and White the Hongkong representatives showed much
frequently applauded for his cleverness. The was exceptionally brilliant at the net, being first three games of the initial set went secured Shanghai's first game, and Brierley in favour of Hongkong, then Middleton losing his service brought the score to 3-2 in favour of the visitors. Shanghai only won another game and were accordingly defeated by six games to three. In the second set the visitors won six out of the seven games played, (Hongkong) were next opposed to Messrs. G. M. Capt. Beasley and Mr.E. G. J. Byrne Wheelock and R. I. Fearon (Shanghai), and though the visitors lost the first set by four games against six they succeeded in carrying off the next two sets and so the second rubber. Beasley did not first game, and a second love-game was won by score a single point in the
In the second set Byrne won Wheelock who played consistently throughout. then the Shanghai players scored two games, his service; both deuce games, and after this nothing could touch the visitors who carried off
the set
481
by six games to two, Byrne securing the first love-game of the set. The Hongkong players started well in the final contest, winning three games right off the reel. Wheelock's serve went in favour of Shanghai bringing the score to 5-1. and then the visitors added two more games, After one dence Beasley lost the next game, and Wheelock
added a third after three douces. Byrne was the next to serve and he pulled off the game. the other side scoring 30.
Capt. Beasley and Mr. Ryrne then changed over and, playing Middleton and Saunders, gave them a worse beating than the latter had receiv ed at the hands of Brierley and White, the White played Wheelock and Fearon in the scores being 6-love; 6-2. Messrs. Brierley and
final rubber The first set went in favour. shanghai secured an easy win in the second set of the visitors by seven games to five. by six games to one, but the Hongkong representatives regained their form in the games to four concluding game which they carried off by six
Details of the results are as follow:-
Capt. Brierley and T. A. White (Hongkong) beat Messrs. H Middleton and R. J. Saunders (Shanghai) 6-3, 6-1 (twelve games to four).
(Hongkong) beat Messrs. G. M. Wheelock and Capt Beasley and Mr. E G J Byrne R. I. Fearon (Shanghai) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 (Sixteen games to eleven).
beat Messrs. Saunders and Middleton (Shanghai) Capt. Beasley and Mr. Byrne (Hongkong)
6-0, 6-2 (twelve games to two).
kong) beat Messrs Wheelock and Fearon Capt. Brierley and Mr. T. A. White (Hong-
fifteen). (Shanghai) 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 (fourteen games against
THE FILIPINO DEMAND FOR
INDEPENDENCE.
Mapa del
The Manila Cablenews of the 21st inst
reports:-The second session of the legislature - closed at nearly one o'clock this morning with a lengthy speech of the (Speaker in which he de- manded the immediate independence of the Philippine islands, declaring, as he did at the close of the previous session, that the country was ready for such independence.
The last act of the Assembly was to approve a motion that Manuel Quezon, who has been elected as the representative of the Assembly at Washington, should go armed with the words of the Speaker: I declare before God and in the face of the whole world that the Filipino people are capable of self government and ready for their independence and that in view of the excellent showing the Assembly has made and the hearty congratulations of the Acting Gover- nor General and his eulogies, that the Con- |gress of the United States be, called upon to grant the immediate independence of the Philippines."
Delegate Laguda, in the name of the Pro- gresistas, objected that time was not ripe for independence and asked that in the vote that was to be taken the Progresista minority be excused from voting. They were excused and the vote resulted in 49 being in favour, eight abstained and three were absent.
WEDDING AT THE CATHEDRAL
harbourmaster at Canton, was married to Miss A pretty wedding took place at the Cathedral on Saturday when Captain F. Harris, the
Deans, of Riccarton, New Zealand. The bride, who was accompanied by her mother and brother, arrived in the colony on Thursday. The Rev. F. T. Johnson conducted the service, and A reception was held afterwards at the Hongkong Mr W. W. G. Ross acted as best man.
Hotel and was attended by many of the leading residents of the colony.
enamoured of the experiment of managing the The Macao Government is apparently not opium business of the colony, and is again trying to let the farm. With the American and the Australian markets now closed, Macao's .
opium business has ceased to be of any con- siderable importance,
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