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taining men armed with rifles came out from the East Cape Creek. The ship was then ransacked and the cargo and booty transhipped. About $23,000 worth of property and money was stolen.
The S.S. "Sunning" which left Hongkong for Kong Moon at 6.30 a.m. on 23rd October having on board a general cargo and about three hundred passengers was held up and pirated by a gang of men who had embarked as passengers (while nearing Brothers Point at 7.50 p.m.) The arms used may have been smuggled on board in cargo. Property was stolen from passengers to the amount of $11,442.00. It is not known how much was stolen from the ship.
A torrential downpour of rain which reached its height during the early hours of the morning of 31st October caused landslides, wide damage and serious dislocation of business and traffic. The heavy rain began on 30th and continued with great intensity until 9.30 a.m. on 31st. During the twenty-four hours from 10 a.m. on 30th until 10 a.m. on 31st, 15.91 inches of rain were recorded at the Royal Observatory. At Pokfulam and Tytam similar records were taken. The basements of the International Banking Corporation, Donnelly and Whyte, the Hong Kong Hotel, Watson and Company Limited and practically every shop in Queen's Road and Des Voeux Road were flooded with sand-laden water, and the amount of damage done was considerable. The Fire Brigade were kept busy during the day pumping out these basements. As was only to be expected, serious landslides occurred in various parts of the Colony, the biggest among them being at Stubbs Road, Findlay Road, Magazine Gap Road, Bowen Road and Robinson Road.
One of the most serious happenings was the break caused in the Conduit on Bowen Road which was damaged by the heavy rainfall after the big August typhoon.
The only fatality recorded is that which befell a Chinese woman and young child in Third Street who were washed into a nullah and drowned.
At 6.40 p.m. on 27th December while the S.S. "Hydrangea" was off Single Island en route from Hongkong to Swatow, reports of firearms were heard from the direction of the Saloon Deck. Immediately afterwards eight men appeared, four at either door of the saloon and held up the Officers with Revolvers.
The pirates ordered the Captain to the Bridge Deck and took a revolver from his person. Two rifles were taken from the rack in his cabin. He was then taken to the Indian Guard Room and ordered to unfasten the door. The pirates took all the firearms there were there and then marched him back to his cabin where he was forced to remain until the pirates left the ship in Bias Bay. Seven of the pirates embarked as 1st Class, nine as ...