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area.
FUNERAL OF THE GRAND EMPRESS DOWAGER.
A BRILLIANT SPECTACLE.
No finer tribute has been accorded in more than a thousand years to the memory of an Empress of China than the magnificence of the funeral of the late Grand Empress Dowager, which took place on the 9th inst., says the Peking correspondent of the N.-C. Daily News. Crowds of foreigners witnessed the procession from pavilions erected inside the Tungchihmen At 7 a.m. these pavilions were filled with onlookers, although the cortège did not pass The Prince Regent, Prince Ching, the high officials of the Waiwupu and the foreign diplo. But matic representatives preceded the coffin. the members of the Diplomatic Corps retired from the procession at the pavilions. Gleams of sunlight were then momentarily breaking through an overcast sky and the effect upon dazzling colours seen in the procession was brilliant and indeed most remarkable.
until 9.15 a.m.
the funeral,
the
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
met me on their way to the Imperial City. At the Sau pailou the barriers were already guard ed, and between them I could see, as I approached, the outline of a large body of mounted troops moving slowly towards the Chihuamên. The stretch of road between the Sau pailon, the point where Gulontachieh crosses that of the Hatamên was empty, a light showing here and there from behind shuttered widows; but, at the end of it, crossing to the Tunchimên, lumbered a long row of carts, heavily laden. Here again the barriers were guarded, and the clink of swords, and sharp orders to clumsy drivers, made me lenged, however, and I turned east, a thrill ready to produce my pass. Nobody chal- of romance passing throngh me cried the massive, wooden tower above the Tungchihmên, and saw the first traces of dawn in the cloudy sky. For, out beyond that shadowy gate, lay the tomb, where one of the most notable women of the last twelve hundred years was to join her predecessors, and rest, with her face towards the morning.
as I des-
Not far from the Tungchihmên, on the left All arrangements for the funeral were carried hand side of the road, were the three pavilions erected for foreigners by the Waiwupu. The out by the Waiwupu in an excellent manner.
first two had glass windows, the last was open, From the Peking Daily News we learn that and obviously, for sightseeing, the one to But it was not yet half-past the Waiwupu drew up two Programmes of make for.
five, 80 I passed
from on, overhearing Ceremonies to be performed by the Diplomatic
which, with heads group,
thrust Body. The first related to the visit to the
"Ah a Palace arranged for the 6th inst. before the forward, peered curiously at me, removal of the remains of H. M. the late Em-Japanese." The enceinte, between the onter press Dowager; the other was for the day of and the inner gates, was blocked by bumping carts and straining mules, and it was some minutes before I got through, and saw the glint of the canal, running like a long blade of steel, parallel with the wall. A barricade of bamboo and cloth, and quite a considerable number of police, were evidently intended to stop attempts I wondered vaguely as I stood there-a to approach Erlichung from the Chihuamen. solitary European in a tall hat-whether Prince Ito's assassination had anything to do with all these precautions, and later I heard, on very good authority, that fears were entertained of te possibility of some similar attempt. It was easy, I knew, to get to the road along which the procession was to pass, by crossing the canal, just outside the Chihuamen, and then striking diagonally across country; and that seemed to explain the strong body of mounted troops which I had already seen leav- ing the city. For the Lung Ju-Empress Dowager, and about eight ladies of the Court, together with the secondary consorts of T'ungchih and Kuang Hsü, were, in a separate procession, to precede the funeral cortège, whilst a large number of officials were to join it at the Tungjuchmiao. On the outskirts of Erlichuang, was a fourth pavilion reserved an official told me later, for "merchants." As far as this I walked, and then turned back, for it was now quite light, and I wanted to secure a good place before other foreigners arrived. Shortly after seven the pavilions were full.
Mounted officers were to be despatched by the Waiwupu to take the Foreign Ministers and their suites in sedan chairs or on horse-back to the Palace via the Tung Hua Mên gate. In front of the Palace S ud they were to dismount and walk on foot to the tea shed in the Imperial Arrow Pavilion. At 10 a.m. the ministers of the Waiwapu were to accompany them, according to a pre-arranged order to the Hsi Ching Men, the Wang Chi Mên, and then the Ning Shou Mên. When arriving at the front of the Wang Chi Place they were to make a bow and enter and then make another, bow After before the Imperial Sacrificial Table. that they were to turn towards the Prince Regent and bow; on His Highness acknowledg. ing the salute they were to move backwards and make him another bow. After a little rest in the tea shed again they were to return to their chairs, &c; and retire through the Tung
Hua Men Gate as they came.
On the day of the funeral the Waiwupu were to delegate mounted officers to escort the Diplomatic Body to the Pavilion on the east of the Pei Psin Chiao at 7 a.m. On the Prince Regent's appearance there they were to make him a bow, and he would acknowledge it by a The similiar bow. Then they were to pass on. Diplomatic Body remain in the Pavilion until the arrival of the Imperial cortège and then line up on the side of the road and make a bow, before it, then walk in front of it in the order of their seniority calculated in accordance with the length of time of taking charge of their re- spective offices in Peking, .e., those who had had charge of their offices a short time to walk on first, the Doyen therefore coming in the rear- nearest the cortège. Attachés and Military officers were also to form up and walk in front of the various Foreign Ministers. The whole Body were to go as far as the Pavilion on the east of the Yao Wang Temple and then again line up on the side of the road and bow to the Imperial cortège as it passed. After this they were to enter the Pavilion for a little rest before retiring.
A Peking correspondent of the N.-C. Daily News writing on the 9th instant says:---
As I sit here in my room, with the lamp lighted, and the curtains drawn, it is pleasant to recall the varied impressions of this memorable day. They began early, for the stars were still bright when I left home. There was no necessity to start so soon, save the necessity of impulse, the desire to see the whole of an unique event, and once out in the street, despite the chilliness of the wind, I was glad that commonsense had not kept me longer in bed. For Peking had already begun the solemn business of the day. Carriages, preceded by outriders, who carried large paper lanterns, swinging to and fro,
Then ensued a long wait, which, however, was not without interest, and certainly had its reward; for not since the days of Wu Tsih-tien has any Empress been accorded a more magnifi- cent tribute. A body of mounted troops herald- ed the approach of the cortège, and after them a string of camels, carrying requirements for the three days' journey, covered by long cloths of a company of imperial yellow. Next came infantry, followed by coolies, familiar at all funerals, but picturesque enough with their yellow-plumed hats, and red brocaded coa's. Two long lines of banners, furled and carried slanting on the shoulder, followed gifts, these, to the Empress on her return from exile, and carried now
for the last time. With them began that splendid succession of colour upon colour, which, though I had twice seen the like before, had lost nothing of its wonder, but indeed, stirred one deeply-not, as on the former occasions, when the sky was brilliantly blue, to a tumult of leaping thoughts, but, on this gray morning, to sadness. For after the banners, drawn by white Manchurian ponies, came yellow-hooded Peking carts, and, borne each by twelve bearers, yellow sedan chairs exquisite to look at, and going now to be sacrificed and burnt. There followed, in yellow chairs also, two large white wreaths, presented, I think, by the Legations, and, after these, banners and cano- pies of scarlet, violet and purple. Last came
[November 22, 1909, the huge catafalque with its rich drapery of yellow, carried by a hundred and twenty-eight bearers dressed in red. A pause was made just in front of the pavilions to allow the Prince Regent, accompanied by Prince Ching, H.E. Ng Tung, HE. Liang Tun-yen and others, to thank the representatives of the Legations for their attendance, and the latter then joined the spectators lined up on either side of the road. As the cortège moved slowly on again towards the dark archway of the gate, the sun, for the first time, broke through the clouds. Thus the great Empress, followed by many who had known her intimately, and served her long, passed out of her city to the hills.
FAR EASTERN TELEGRAMS.
TERRIBLE SHIPPING DISASTER.
FRENCH STEAMER SUNK.
Singapore, November 15th. The Messageries Maritimes mail steamer La Seyne, from Batavia, and the British India steamer Onda, from Singapore, collided at four o'clock yesterday morning in the Rhio Straits, thirty miles from Singapore.
The La Seyne, sank like a stone in two minutes, and the boilers burst. |
Ninety-three persons were, drowned, includ- ing Captain Canajlhoe, Messrs. Bruneau, Gonet, Boeuf, Delacroix, Habil, and Faure, Baron and Baroness Beniezky, Mesdames Barthy Sain- tange and Desires, thirty-eight of the native crew and about fifty passengers.
Horrible scenes were witnessed, as sharks attacked the people in the water.
The Onda, stood by and rescued 61. She with her forepart returned to Singapore damaged.
The collision was due to the dark hazy weather.
!
MR. FAIRBANKS ON HONGKONG.
The following extract is made from an inter- view with Mr. Fairbanks, ex Vice-President of the United States, published in the Singapore Free Press
"An impression or two of Hongkong if you will be good enough?”
"Hongkong astonishes me. It is a most remarkable place and illustrates what a nation like Great Britain can do with just a mountain of rock. There is a permanency and solidity about Hongkong which is characteristic of the British way of doing things."
Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks, saw most of the leading people of Hongkong and were the guests of Sir Frederick Lugard.
Continuing, Mr. Fairbank said that as a strategic base he thought Hongkong was ex- cellent for conducting British operations in the trade of South China. He regarded the con- struction of railways in China as the strongest factor in the future development of that vast Empire.
NEW CUSTOMS OFFICES IN MANCHURIA.
The following Customs Offices were opened on the dates named for each:
1. A Branch Office of Harbin Custom House for the control of the Sungari River trade at Harbin, on the 18th July, 1909.
2.
A Custom House at San Sing, on the 1st July, 1909.
3. A Barrier of the Sansing Custom House at Lahasusu in the Lin Chiangchow, on the 1st July, 1909.
4. A Custom House at Aigun, on the 18th August, 1908.
The offices at Aigun and Sansing are sub- ordinate to the Harbin Commissioner and have no direct correspondence with the Inspectorate, but have their own seals and function as separate ports for the purposes of trade returns and statistics, periodical returns and papers to the Inspectorate General, etc. The Customs Re- gulation for all these places, and to the Sungali and Aigun trade Regulations, now provisionary in force, will be promulgated as soon as de- finitely settled.