Intimations.

DAKIN BROS. OF CHINA, LIMITE D, CHEMISTS.

AERATED WATERS.

OUR plant comprises the latest Improve-

ments, and is one of the most complete and efficient ever shipped from England.

The Parity of the water is certified by analysts.

The construction of the machinery and system

of manufacture in force ensures cleanliness and absence of all contamination in the finished waters,

The quality of the Soda Water is equal to that of the best English makers.

The Flivour of the syruped waters is equal to any produced in England or abroad.

Soda and Aerated Wwater supplied in Bombay sized bottles only, unless the ordinary size is specially ordered.

Coast Fort Orders carefully packed and den- patched by first steamer after receipt of order.

(Telephone No. 60.)

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1890.

Felegraph

HONGKONG, Saturday, May 3, 1890,"

TELEGRAMS.

UNITED STATES.'

LONDON, April zand.' The Free Coinage Party is preparing a fresh bill to limit the issue of silver notes to silver pro-

duced in the States.

FRANCE IN AFRICA.

April 24th.

The King of Dahomey has driven back the French punitive expedition..

GERMANY.

The Emperor, speaking at Bremerhaven, asked that confidence be placed in him to main- tain peace to which end all his efforts are devoted The Queen of England has had a splendid reception at Darmstadt.

TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.

Surefoot

Nos. 21 & 24, QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL. DAKIN BROS. OF CHINA, LIMITED. Hongkong, 28th April, 1890.

[52

WINES AND SPIRITS.

Le Nord

Blue Green

BY APPOINTMENT.

A. S.. WATSON & CO., LD (ESTABLISHED A.D. 1841.)

HONGKONG. *

TE invité attention to the following old

cellent quality and good value for the money.

W landed Brands, all of which are of ex-

The same being specially selected by our London House, and bought direct from the most noted Shippers, are imported in,wood and bottled by ourselves, thus enabling us to supply the best growths at moderate prices.

In ordering it is only necessary to state the name and quantity of Wine or Spirit wanted, and initial letter for quality desired.

Orders through Local Post or by Telegram

receive prompt attention. PORTS. (For Invalids and general use.)

Perdoren

Casa. Per Bot

A Aho Douro, good quality,,

Green Capsule ............$10 $1.00

1.25

GETTING ON.

April 30th,

Deceased Wife's Sisters' Bill'a second time.

'AFRICA.

(From the Vos de España) JAPAN AND THE PHILIPPINES.

MADRID, April 25th. A powerful Spanish syndicate has been formed here for the purpose of establishing commercial relations on a grand scale between Japan and the Philippines.

On and after to-morrow, the evening service at St. John's Cathedral will begin at 5 pm, instead, of at 5.45 p.m., till further notice.

Tax Military Mummers will repeat their dramatic entertainment at the Garrison Theatre, this evening, Punkabs and pleasure for a dollar.

AN Emergency meeting of Zetland Lodge, No. $35. E.C. will be held in Freemasons' Hall, Zetland Street, on Monday, the 12th instant, at 8.30 for g p.m. precisely. Visiting brethren are cordially invited.

37

LORD Arthur Somerset's name has been removed from the Army List, the Commission of the Peace, and the military pension-list. He recently applied for the post of Master of Horse to the Sultan, but his reputation was too

"high even for Turkey. "Look here, Somerset," said his commanding-officer ere the former "cleared;" "you must stand your trial over this business, or blow your brains out like a man." Somerset clected to do neither.

THE BONHAM STRAND FIRE.

Mr. Wodehouse commenced an inquiry, at the Magistracy this morning, into the circumstances attending the fire in Bonham Strand West, yes terday morning. Mr. Wotton appeared on be- half of the Lubeck Insurance Company, the General Fire Insurance Company, and the

North German Insurance Company, who had insured the goods, furniture, and contents of No. 68 Doham Strand to the extent of $10,000; $15,000; and $16,000 respectively.

Tang Ah Ling, assistant accountant at the shop No. 68.Bonham Strand, said his room was on the and manager was Kwen Ping Chow, who eccupied left hand side of the ground floor. The master

a room on the first floor. Other accountants slept on the second and third floors. He was in the shop on Thursday night. Between'g and to pm, the doors were shot for the night, when he relired to bed. The master was not at home, having gone out at 6 o'clock and banded witness his keys, beuse he supposed people might call and ask for money. The accountant went into the country about ten days ago. Witness was the chief employé left on the premises, Some of the books he put in a box, and others were left on the counter, just before he went to bed. There were some traders stopping in the house. The lights, in the shop on the ground floor were put out, but witness did not know whether there were any lights

on the first floor or not. Between one and two

the

were

ART in Hongkong ought to get an impetus. Mr. Stanley Seton, an accomplished painter in both bile and water-colors, with a weakness for pasteis, has set up his easel in the tents of Signor Cattaneo, and has already secured the interest of the leading amateurs, besides recruit- lng many students from the Sketching Club. Pupils and purchasers will ulike find an inspection he saw fire in a store-room at back part of of his studio highly interesting, the few examples away the insurance policy, some money, and all premises on the first floor. He at once took on view being of a really high-class order. »

the books he could get hold of. There were others sheeping on the ground floor, but he was the QUITE an unusual number of opium cases were first to awake. When he had taken the put through this morning at the Police Court, books &c. he ran out of the shop, and did when some pretty stiff fines were imposed by Mr. not return; but prior to leaving aroused the The House of Commons has read the Robinson, Two old native doctors subscribed others sleeping on the ground floor. He $115 between them, while others were asked to did not give any alarm. There was one staircase ante up sums ranging from ten to thirty dollars leading up to the roof from the middle of the cach. Most of the delinquents pleaded guilty to shop through the centre of the first and second the charge of being in possession of prepared floors. The first floor was not used as a sleep May Ist oplum without permit. This morning's performing place. On the ground floor there was no fire. Treaties have been concluded with the Kingance should prove a warning to puffers of the It appeared to hio that goods and other Chiefs placing Uganda solely under fragrant drug.

burning on the first floor close to the the influence of the British Company.

kitchen. The fire was considerable. He did not THE Sanitary Board held a big meeting yester try to put it out because it was his duty to look day afternoon. The following business was afterthe books. Packed hides, in bales, were in the done :-A letter from the Colonial Secretary with back part of the first floor, hesides miscellaneous reference to the recommendations of the Board goods when he could aut remember particulars on the Fever. Commission's recommendations of Two hanging lamps alight were on the the was read. The letter stated that the scheme, as staircase of first and ground floors. There were recommended, would be carried into effect for the

about thirty people in the shop on the night of sub-soil and main drainage of the upper districts, the fire who occupied the ground, second, and third provided that no financial impediments occurred, for Nobody was on the first floor-only the and that no steps would be taken to stop earth-master slept there, when at home. cutting-The 1889 report of the Sanitary saved twenty-three books altogether; sixteen of Superintendent was discussed. Principally them belonged to his master and the others to referred to hawkers and drains The Water Bill the King Cheung, The King Cheang books was considered at length, and agreed to.

belonged to his father whose shop is in Hoihow. The business of the shop in Bonham Strand consisted of buying and selling goods on commis- sion. He did not know what became of the book showing consignments. It was probably left in the box on the ground floor. All the books produced were taken from, the counter. None of them came from the booke box. As regarded the store book, showing what goods were stored in their own and other godowns, he did not know where it was but it was certainly put in the box on the day of the fire. He saw it is the box. In the absence of the accountant he made entries in the store book. He took the books straight to the Tong Shing Tang shop as as he observed the fire, after personally packing them up in a cloth. He took about two or three hundred dollars away out of about safe because be in a money out but did not remember whether he the key away. He unlocked the safe to get the to get the locked it up or not when he took a bundle of insurance policies from the safe. There were no valuables in the drawers of the safe, The money and policies were in the same part of the safe. The moneys were all in a small basket in the safe. When he took the policies

THE TYPHOON.

Dr: Doberck stales in his weather report to- day that, "the small depression appears to be situated in about 18. N, 116. E and to be moving north-westwards. Directions to hoist 1.50 the Red Cone pointing downwards were issued at

12.30 p.m to-day.

B Vintage, Superior quality,

Red Capsules.

12

1.10

C Fine Old Vintage, superior

quality, Black Seal Capsule 14 D Very Fine Old Vintage, extra superior, Violet Capsule (Old Bottled)

.-18

SHERRIES.

6

0,60

0.75

1.00

CC

A Delicate Pale Dry, dinner wine, Green Capsule........ Superior Pale Dry, dinner

wine, Green Seal Capsule...7.50

C Manzanilla, Pale Natural

Sherry, White Capsule...... to Superior Old Dry, Pale Natural Sherry, Red Seal Capsule.........

D Very Superior Old Pale Dry, choice old Wine,. White Seal Capsule..........

E Extra Superior Old Pale Dry, very finest quality, Black Seal Capsule" (Old · Bettled)

CLARETS.

10

1,00

1.52

Per Casa Per Came

1 dor,

Quarti

A Superior Breakfast Claret,

Red Capsule....

B. St. Estephe, Red Capsule

C St. Julien

D La Rose

COL Plau,

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

TO-MORROW morning between 9 and 10.30

*

As I have said elsewhere, the journalist must be spicy, lively and bright, says Max O'Rell in the North American Review. He must know how not merely to report, but to relate in a racy, catching style an accident, a trial, a conflagration, and be able to make up article of one columus upon the most insignificant incident. He

two

Witness

1000

must be interesting, readable. His eyes and ears must be always open, every one of his five senses on the alert, for he must keep ahead in this wild race for news. He must be a good conversa- THE P.&O. 5. N. Co.'s extra steamer Thiber left tionalist on most subjects, so as to bring back from his interviews with different people a good Bombay for this port at 9 a.m. yesterday.

store of materials. He must be a man of courage to brave rebuffs. He must be a philosopher to

I have,always found him to. Whenever I have flag, will call alongside any vessel hoisting code begged a reporter to kindly abstain from men- pennant C. to convey men ashore to 11 a.mtioning this or that which might have been service at St. Peter's Seamen's Church, returning said in conversation with him I have invariably about 12.30.

found that he kept his word. But if the matter is of public interest, he is before all and above all the servant of the public. So never challenge his spirit of enterprise or he will leave no stone unturned until he has found your

o'clock the steam-launch carrying the Bethel pocket abuse. He must be a man of honor, and 1 9800. He left about four hundred behind in the

THE Band of the A. & S Highlanders will play the following programme in the Public Gardens, on Monday, the sth inst, from 8.30 till 10 p.m.

(Weather permitting):— Overture...... Titus "..

Mosart. Vals.........Die Hydropaten

Gungl. Selection. Reminlaconces of Scotland "...Godfrey.

Bucalossi.

... 4.50

$4.50

5.00

7

7.50

Danse.......Pompeusemente. Cellier.

Valse La Toicada

II

12.00

Per dos.

Casc

Per Bot,

March...

BRANDY.

A Hennessy's Old Pale, Red

Capsule.....

Superior Very Old Cognac,,

Red Capsule

$12

14

C Very Old Liqueur Cognac

Red Capsule

18

D Hennessy's Finest Very Old

Liqueur Cognac, 1872 Vin-

lage, Red Capsule

24

SCOTCH WHISKY,

-A Thorne's Blend, White Cap-

sule ..........**

9 8

B Watson's Glenorchy Mellow Blend, Blue Capsule with Name and Trade Mark...... 8.

C Watson's Abelour-Glenlivet,

·

Red Capsule, with Name and

Trade Mark...

D Watson's HKD Blend of

the Finest Scotch Malt

Whiskies, Violet Capsule

**

10

E Watson's Very Old Liqueur

Scotch Whisky, Gold Capsule is

IRISH WHISKY.

AJohn Jameson's Old, Green

Capsule.....

8

B-John Jameson's Fine Old,

Green Capsule.......

10

C John Jameson's Very Fine

Old, Green Capsule....... 12 GINUINE BOURDON WHISKY, 'fineold, Red Capsule, with Name, to GIN.

A Fine Old Tom, White Capsule.4.50

B Fine Unsweetened, White

Capultet

C. Fine A. V. H. Geneva......... 5.25 RUM.

Finest Old Jamaica, Violet

Capsule...

H

$1.10 1.25 1.50

PIPERS PROGRAMME.

.McLeoda March Strathspey Trall Gow Reel. * + Li

„Old Donald Duncan, March............The Highland Flaid. March.............The Glangor Golie Club,"

WHILST a distinguished party were crossing the bar of the Pahang River, last week, they saw what appeared to be the formation of a water spout; from the sky there appeared a huge streak af what seemed to be a black cloud having a 200 straight downward course towards the sea, from whence there appeared a curious upheaval of the water which was whirled round and round at D.75 a terrific rate, throwing its spray in all directions some two or three hundred yards away. This water spout seemed to be travelling over Singa 0.75 pore at a great speed, for within two or three minutes after first sighting it and vanished out

|

secret and exhibited it to the public.

CHINESE BOY.

25th alt, per steamship Wing Sang from THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE Calcutta, and (says the Free Pree) Intends: during his stay to give one of those serial performances which have caused such a senna- tors who have witnessed them during his Indian tion among the hundreds of thousands of specta-

tour.

We are informed that Mr. Spencer will also give balloon ascent and parachute descents at Batavia and other Dutch towns, Hongkong, Shanghai and Nagasaki, the desideratum of course being that the places visited, have, facili- | ties for supplying the gas required to inf ste the ballona, alibough if necessary Mr. Spencer is of hydrogen in the absence of a gas company, prepared to manufacture the necessary supplies

The following extracts from the Calcutta English man give an excellent ideh of Mr. Spencer's peronautic methods, and will enable our readers to realise the daring character of that gentle- man's downward plunge from the ungt elevation at which he leaps from his balloon..

"Would you mind describing in your own words how you manage your ascent and descent ?”

"With pleasure. When the balloon leaves the earth, I am sitting on the trapeze-looking rope, and in my hands I have two things. One of these is the ringwhich forms the base of the para- chute You will observe, when you see me go up, that to this ring are attached a lot of cords, and to them again a piece of cloth, which is tacked to the netting of the balloon. That is all you can see of the parachute when 1 ascend."

And during the leap! Do you know what is happening measured rate, so that I can compare the distance "Perfectly I I count, from one' upwards at a with previous drops. There is, however, one very much at first. To the public who are looking very curious feeling I have, which astonished me on I seem, of course, to be hanging on to the ring just as I do when the parachute is inflated. But curiously enough, I am really holding it up. At first the ring has a tendency, to fall quicker than 1, so that though I am myself dropping like stone, I am holding up the ring which is in a second or two to supply me with support."

A common notion, which seems to be upset by the success of parachuting, is that a fall through the air of a hundred feet or so is necessarily fatal. Leaps of suicides from lofty bridges have been supposed to kill before the body reached the ground

a

There can no longer be the slightest doubt, according to Mr. Spencer, upon this point. At Bombay, the other day, be dropped between 200 and 300 feet before the parachute opened, and this drop was to all intents and purposes à fall of that extent. Were there anything in the old theory, the results in such a case would be asphyxiation.

When falling 300 feet, what are your sensa- tions? Is breathing difficult?"

"No! not at all"It is all over so quickly that there is hardly time to think. It is only a matter of a few seconds. When the parachute is detached the rush throughthe alrisover so quickly that I can easily hold my breath for the time. This, indeed, can be done quite as easily as when diving in water. You can distinctly feel the uprush of air through your clothes, and the sen sation is decidedly exhilarating. As for popular ideas of the danger of exhaustion the course of the sudden drop, they are now disposed of for

CTCX.

Parachuting is, as yet, unappreciated as a pleasure, although I could say much of the glary least enjoyable part of the experience is at the of motion in gliding through the air, but not the start, which looks so terrible to those gazing up wards."

One of the phases of parachuting dwelt upon

balloon, hardly anything is felt, till a sight tug by Mr. Spencer was this easy mation through the air. After severing connexion with the tells that the paracaute is opened. This is preceded only by a few seconds of suspense, and when the parachute is fully distended, the downward course is gradual and easy, the parachute only tilting and oscillating in a fairly

strong wind.

DELI NEWS.

out of the safe he fled them around his waist

And what is the advantage of parachuting? after putting them in a cloth bag which was A CORRESPONDENT of a New York journal, hanging in the room. The money rescued he can, what is gained by being able to descend

with or without risk, in this manner ? who describes himself as "a man of mature also carried away in the bag, together with the

"The answer is simple: It is a distinct step years, but of limited social experience" wants policies. There was a net hanging up into in the direction of aerial navigation. You are to know "It there is any trustworthy record which he put all the bills, books &c., and carried thus suppor ing your entire weight in the air, and as to the origin and practice of kissing? I have them away at once. He did. not touch the

a simple adjustment of balance is all that is been told." he says, "that every tribe of people box at all. He left the money in the safe wanted to enable one to remain at any given that have been found anywhere in the world because he was in A great hurry, are addicted to the practice. I should like to know would have taken all the money away bad effected with freedom and safety, we may look for He level. It is easy to see that, when this is once if that is so, and also who were the first people to it been possible to put the basket which con- begin kissing," So far as our investigations show, tained the money into the bag. All the money direction of guiding and propelling the parachute a further development of parachuting in the the first kiss on record is the osculatory salute was in notes. He gave the big containing the through the air." between Isaac and his son Jacob, mentioned policies and money to the manager the day after in Genesis xxvii, but it is not unreasonable to the fire. He did not see the manager on the suppose that Isaac had kissed the mother many night of the fire. He left the bag at the Tong times before he exchanged kisses with the son. Shung Tang shop that night. The master came The ancient Hebrews seem to have reduced there the next day when he gave the things to kissing to an exact science, and to have given it him. He awoke the two fokis sleeping on the a nomenclature. We find from the Old Testa-ground door by calling out fire." He did ment that they had the kiss of homage, of not observe when the other fokis went out subjection, of reconcilation, of approbation, of After coming to the Tong Shing shop he did, welcome, of love and joy, of sorrow, of peace, of not again see the fokis, and did not know where idolatrous worship, of valediction, of gratitude they went that night. A coolle and a cook and many others. We read also in the Scripture sleeping on the front part of the ground floor of hypocritical kisses, like that bestowed by Joab carried the books away along with him. The on Amaza, when about to slay him and worst servant man up stairs and awoke the other people and foulest of all-of-the traitorous salute by

as soon as he was aroused; which Judas betrayed the Saviour. The primitive Kwan Hing stated that he had been "cook at Christians interchanged klases before racelying the Sung Cheong Wo shop since last year. His the communion, as a taken of religious fellow-wages were $3 a month. He usually slept on ship. An attempt was made some years ago at the ground floor. He was asleep on the ground certain place of worship in New York to revive floor on the night of the fire, and was awakened the practice, but owing to modern degeneracy," by a servant crying "fire" from the second floor. or some other cause, the "kissing church" Tang A Ling, the sub-accountant, was in the was far from being a moral and religions room next to the shop. He went to him and it lies in the mortar, is an aperture closed by a success. Scandal's envenomed tongue, soon asalated in packing the books. Some of them 1.10 hinged cover, fitting tightly and fastened with a began to wag against the brothers and sisters, were in the box and others were in the cloth sort of a latch. The latch is so constructed that and the experiment was given up. It is not true packed up. The box was on the top of the counter when the mortar is discharged the pressure of the that every tribe of people indulge in kissing, and at one side of same. The books which alt releases it. But the aperture in the shell is ont. Some of the lower, tribes do not seem to know weretied up were on the chair in the accountant's 0.40 opened until it sirikes the water and inks beneath anything about that "token of affection," which

the surface. The thell is so weighted that as it is so dear to the more enlightened races. But he saw him in the act of packing up the books. room. When he entered the accountant's room ogale ked by the pressure of the oil uppa it. Thus among people who have risen litle above the His idea of the origin of the fire was that some 0.40 sinks the aperture le uppermost, and the cover

the oil is released well beneath the surface, ad savage state, it seems that kissing, as Dogberry one had gone to the store during the night and some aparks had fallen from the light on to the rises through the waves, producing the most says of reading and writing, comes by nature,

goods. It could not have been caused by any effectual results. It is believed that lifeaving

fire in the cook-house.

0.75

1.10

of view.

MR. Omar. Thomas, of North Haven, has jayent- ed an apparatus for spreading oil on the waves 1.00 during a gale of wind. Mr. Thomas, who WAI formerly a sailor, says the great difficulty in the use of oil in a storm at sea is that when spread of the surface the wind blows it to leeward and the effect if lost. His device is to obviate this 0.75 difficulty. It consists of a mortar and bomb The latter is a nearly globular shell of cast-iron filled with oil. On the side toward the muzzle, as

1,00

1.00

1.00

Good Leeward Island...$1.50 per Gallon, crews, supplied with apparatus, could smooth LIQUEURS.

the waters about a stranded wreck so that it would be possible to board it when it could be done by no other means.

5]

Benedictine Maraschino Curnçoa Herring's Cherry Cordial Chartreuse Dr. Siegert's Angostura Bitters, &C.

NOTICES, TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Iz la requested that all communications relating to Subscriptions, Advarisements, &a; be addressed to the Manager, ingkang Telegraph" and not to the Editor.

Letters on Editorial matter to be sent to "The Edlior" and not to individual members of the stud.

NEON Commusdesilons intended for publication must be accompanied

by the name and address of the writers, not acestarly Cot publication; but as evidence of good faith.",

While the columns of the Hongkong Trisgraph will always 60 open for the fair discussion by correspondents of all questions affecting public interests, it must be distinctly understood that

the Editor does not la say way hold himself impossible for epigloss thus expressed."

TO ADVERTISERS,

Insertion in that day's lasun not later than Thres of Clock so as not to retard the early publication of the paper."

Advertisements and Subscriptions which are not sederet for Kad period will be continued unil countermanded. -^??

The Hongkong Talegrajk has the largest creuiation of may English newspaper published in the Far East; and is thorafbee the bot madium for Advertisers. Terms and be lewat captation. The Honghong Tiltgrogh'r number at the Telephoud Chitual

Advertisers are requested to forward all notices Intended for

Exchange is bo, 3. THE

TO SUBSCRIBERS.

Subscribers to The Honghena Telegvajh no respectfully pektinded that Ki Subterijiem ner parale în adiant

THE EAST BORNEO PLANTING

CO., LIMITED, AN

An extraordinary meeting of the shareholders of the above Company was held at noon to-day Mr. B. Layton presided, and Mesme, W. H. Ray W. Judd, 3. L. Darby, C. A. Ocario, C. F. Her ton (secretary) and others; were present.

گار

doubling the capital had fallen through, and the directors had therefore decided to issuedebentures. Ha proposed the first resolutionThat the Resolutions passed at the Extraordinary Meeting of Shareholders held on the 13th day of March, 1890, and confirmed at the Extraordinary Meeting of Shareholders held on the 29th day of March, 1890, be, and they are hereby, cancelled."

SAVS a writer in the Forum The highest court of the United States, whose Centennial commemoration is at hand, holds a unique place In our, form of government and one not found in any other governmental system. It wields a The Chairman mentioned that the scheme for power greater than is exercised by any other judicial tribunal in'the world. "In no country of Europe or the East has any court authority to make or unmake the supreme law of the land, to limit the prerogative of the sovereign, to control the powers of the legislature, to shape the form of government. These functions are exercised by the Supreme Court of the United States. It bal a power above that ofthe chief magistrate of the nation, superior to that of Congress, higher than that of any State, and equal d'only by that which made or can amend the Constitution. It can enlarge or limit the prerogatives of the President or the powers of Congress. It can change the relations between the State and the nation. It can extend or restrict either the central power of Stale sovereignty, In short, it can make or un- make the constitutional law of the country. Te can introduce radical changes into our form of government. Not only can the Supreme Court wield thead want powers, it has long done so and may long continge to do so,

Me. Judd seconded, and it was agreed to. The Chairman then proposed 2%

That the Directors be and they are hereby authorized to borrow the sum of $50,000 by the creation and issue of Debentures providing for the payment of principal suma not exceeding the sum of $50,000, with interest at the rate of $12 per cent per aucum, such Debentures to be in such form and to be secured in such manner and to be issued to such persons and on such terms as the Directors think expedient."ap

Mr, Ray seconded, and, that resolution having passed, the proceedings, terminated, pending n confirmatory meeting.

***

Wong Ping Chao stated that he was master and partner of the shop. He was in the shop up to about 5 o'clock pm, on the night in question. He had hemp, hides, hazelnuts, preserved fruits, and seeds, stored on the ground floor. On the and various sundries. On the second floor be had hemp. All the goods together, were worth first floor he had hemp, preserved fruits, chilies,

At this juncture the inquiry was adjourned until Friday next.

about $40,000,

CORRESPONDENCE.

[We do not necessarily endorse the opinions expressed by

Correspondents in this column]. Trg

THE ALICE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL TO THE EDITOR OF THE * Hoxazono TerrarÁPK,” DEAR SIR-I have received $50 from Mr.

4. Yours faithfully, Bavier Chauffour for the funds of the Hospital.

E'W. MAITLAND, Hon. Treasurer, Alice Memorial Hospital, cow,

Hongkong, 3rd May, 1890,

A PARACHUTIST AT SINGAPORE: Mr. Percival Spencer, the well known aeronaut and parachutise, arrived in Singapore on the

III.

We have often tried to imagine the nature of the report which the great Swiss educator, Pestalozzi, and his greater pupil, Froebel, would have indited, had they been sent to China to examine the 'school system of that empire. The essence of the teaching and practice of these world-renowned educators was that the pedagogue must enter into the life and being of the child whom he teaches, and must summon them on step by step without fatigue and with the mental faculțies by a natural process, lending

delighted interest, until the pupil has in reality taught himself what be needs most to know. The essence of Chinese teaching is to introduca mental concepts into the minds of the scholars, Just as time is worked into the texture of the cashbags used all over the empire, by incessant pounding on a resisting surface,

When a Chinese boy bas attained the age of seven or eight years, the question is sometimes raised whether he shall be sent to school. We say sometimes," for it is but a minute fraction pf the whole number of Chinese boys who ever see the inside of a school-roam, and of that small fraction but a microscopic part ever con tinue their studies to such a point as to make pay practical use of what has been learned.

The Chinese language, as may be known to some of our readers, is of a pictorial nature. The almost infinite variety of its characters may all of genera, and these again into a larger number be distributed into a comparatively small number of species. To us the inordinately large mass of borne by any single mind, but that is mainly {imilamiliar symbols seems a load too great to be

gulf, and are not to the manner born. If Chinese. because, we come to them from across a wide

were the native tongue of any considerable number of Anglo-Saxons (the reader will kindly pardon the sell-contradictory, nature of the sup position, for the sake of the conclusion to be drawn) it would not be long ere a way would be invented by which the study of Chinese charac- t ters and idioms would be made simple and even attractive to the youthful Saxon-Chinese who were obliged to undertake the task of learn- ing. What that process would be, we positively decline to explain, but we have no hesitation in affirming, to general terms, that it would be as nearly as possible the exact opposite of the process to which every Chinese boy is subjected as soon as he enters his school, and as long as be stays in it.

|

It is a truly amazing fact, that among the tens of millions of educated Chinese, who are constantly employed in attempting to educate children and youth, there never arises a single one who, per- ceiving the fatal folly of the means now in use (and which so far as we know has always been in use), has the intelligence to introduce a better way. Probably there have been such attempts; there surely must have been, but the rooted consevar- dsm of the people has immediately defeated them. This is rendered inevitable by the fact that the object of education is supposed to be, not the learning acquired, much less the discipline of mind gained in acquiting. it, but a literary degree. The pursuit of a degree is the kernel of the whole system of Chinese education. The examination balls, in every aspirants for the lowe t degree, but a small prefectural city, are as a rule chocked with

whole theory of Chinese education is based upon number of whom can possibly attain it. But the the supposition that each child who studies at ail, mert be put in training for the whole course, covering a period varying from ten years or

there is ordinarily not a single oasis of any size mure, to a whole life-time. During the first five or six years of the young scholar's life at school, in the whole vast desert which he has traversed, One of his first achievements is the memorising and recognition by sight of the characters in the Family Surnames. The utility of this study in obvious at a glance, but a table of logarithms could scarcely be more uninteresting. It is a characteristic Chinese circumstance, that many of the editions of these surnames are very far indeed from being complete, as tested by the lists of characters which in K'anghi's Dictionary Trimetrical Classic contains but few lines which are given as in use for this purpose. The

could be of any human interest to a Chinese child or any other, and whatever transient gleams lines, is effectually strangled in its birth, by of interest might attach to these exceptional

explanations of anything which is studied, until the universal Chinese habit of not giving any. the pupil bas studied for many years, by which time it is thought that nature has developed his mental powers (which his teacher has done his atmost to extinguish) to such a point that he is able to comprehend explanations! There is a story of a pupil in a Latin class who construed the line,

The Dell Courant of the 29th April reports a steady rise in the price of tobacco at Medan to an unusual height for ordinary kinds, even for Ezigi monumentum are perennius"; samples showing much broken leaf The I have eaten a monument of brass, in consi improvement takes in also produce from Serderation of which fact he was ordered by his dang, where planters hitherto have met with professor to Sit down and digest it, then. sore disappointment, and hope again dwells now Scarcely any description of the occupation of upon cheering prospects in that quarter. Langkat the Chinese led at school could be more com goes ahead likewise, and comes well to the fore. prehensively accurate than this somewhat inade Experience there shows that the yield either quate translation of Horace, The pupil has remains stationary or advances by leaps and indeed swallowed not one monument, but all the bounds. Dell comes next, but has shot forward principal monuments of antiquity, but as for to a good extent. So far, planters have every digesting them, that is a process which neither reason to be satisfied with the outlook. Impore nor his preceptor ever thought of. The pupil ters, too, rub their bands with joy owing to the resembles an infant camel which should be trise in the dollar, which has gone up as remark required to take in food and water sufficient ably as tobacco quotations. As for a whole life-time in the desert, and to do of sounder appliances. The other day, on three reason to fear that in all parts of the world, At Medan, the hangman stands in dire need it, so to speak, at a single sitting} There in natives being strung up there on the gallows, children are tempted to look back upon their. the halters all broke, so that the convicts came school-days especially the earliest ones, as unhurt on their feet. It took half an hour's the period when their joys do least abound, delay before new ropes could reach the spot. The Their views are expressed with precision aroused adverse comment, and indeed it looks liked her school, answered Yes, but upon being second trial proved successful, but the incident by the little girl who, being asked if she strange that the halters did not undergo testing pressed to explain what it was that she liked, she ingenuously replied, "Coming home." The poor beforehand.

On the Bindjei estate, cattle plague has brokes Chinese lad, however, has this pleasure in anticl out, but it seems not to have put in sa appaion for a great length of time, as his school pearance elsewhere in the neighbourhood. Had begins soon after sunrise, or even earlier, and

with short intermission at noon for his dinner lasts. anything of the kind happened five years ago, in the height of the shipment season, quarantine fill dak: When the midday meal is despatched, measures would have trammelled all traffic and he returns to the school-house, not to play in the done untold harm to the planting interest. Now, yard, but to drop inte his place and it like an thanks to the railway, the planters do not earthenware Image until the rest shall have purposes. Any spread of the disease will now bellowing, by which the lessons are supposed to only bring into greater prominence the value of shows that the educational process is literally in depend altogether upon bullocks, for transport arrived also, when the monetoncus din of the be transferred to the memory of the learner,

The planters in Dall favour direct coolie ridden lad no joyous Saturdays, and no regular full blast There are in the life of this book: immigration thither from China in Netherlands holidays of any sort except such as he can beg steamers, but do not see their way to gain that or steal. Each scholar being a class by him end, owing to the want of Dutch Consuls in the self, his absence is of no consequence to any one emigration, parts there. The emigration' agents else, and the teacher not infrequently pays so require consular support to get on at allThe attention to the non-a, pearance of any particulas German Consuls lend them every atd, but only on pupil, who has therefore every motive to abebat conditon of German vessels being chartered himself as often as he can.-N. C. Daily News, for the coolie traffic. Were the planters toe (To be continued.)

the railway.

confine themselves, 10. Netherlands vessels, this help would fail them, owing to Amor being. the only port with 2: Dutch Consul. That port has come into disfavour for emigration purposes owing to the inferior quality of the coolles Ealling from there. The con- sequence is that other ports gain preference, and no less than half a million of guilders fall in con- sequence to Germin vessels, which ply between Deli and eligible Chinese havens. The station ing of a Dutch Consul at Swaton would meet the difficulty somewhat, but the Home Govern ment will not bear of it--Stralis Timer.

SARAH BERNHARDT AS THE

MEN VIRGIN::

The SF Bulletin's Paris corespondent whed on the 4thult. The Passion," a mystic poem in six parts by Edmund Haran- court, was read at the Cirque d'Hiver to-night. by Sarah Bernhardt, Phillippe Garnier and Bre mont' Lamonteaux An orchestra, executed·

Share This Page