CO882-6 — Page 435

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

6

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

Enclosure

2 (p. 27).

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The speeches of the Governor will be found in Enclosure No. 2.

After dinner there was a display of fireworks on the lake, which made a very pretty effect. The Governor has a private band which played foreign music throughout dinner, and whenever it had the least excuse-God save the King.

On the following day, Wednesday, the 28th of April, the Governor returned my visit, and at my request brought with him his youngest son. He told me that his object in entertaining me was to show his appreciation of the British nation, and to let the populace see the right way to treat Europeans. that the British syndicate would complete their portion of the Chinkiang-Tientsin He expressed a hope Railway as soon as possible as a counter-balance to Germany. He stated that he had read in the newspapers that the war in South Africa had exhausted British funds that he was in favour of railways, and desired those in contemplation in Shantung to be completed as soon as possible: that 30 years ago he had made a railway from Tientsin to Kaiping, though the people were strongly opposed to it: that he hoped that communications would be improved by the dredging of the Hsiao Ch'ing Ho, but he had difficulties of many kinds to contend against on account of the conservative nature of the Shantung people. He told us that he had arranged a programme for us during our stay at Chinan, and hoped our visit would be a pleasant one.

The

After the Governor's visit, the Prefect and the Magistrate accompanied us to the Ta Ming Lake, situated near the city, which is a favourite resort for pleasure parties. It extends over a large area and is dotted with islands covered with long reeds and lotus. The flowers of the lotus set off by the green of the rushes, with the picturesque pavilions surrounding the lake, make a very beautiful scene. boats on the lake are of a peculiar kind with a hood and being open at either end a good view can be obtained. On the day of our visit the wind was blowing hard, and the Magistrate is of such a very slight build, that I was afraid he might be blown away.

But he was all anxiety on my account, for he had received orders from the Governor to take care of me, and it was most amusing to watch his great concern for me whilst he was really the person most likely to suffer.

On the evening of the 29th of April we were entertained at a banquet, our hosts being the chief officials at the capital, the Treasurer, the Judge, the Salt Commis- sioner, Taotai P'an, Taotai Ch'en and Taotai Yang, the Prefect, and the Magis- trate. The guests were the same as at the banquet given by the Governor, except that His Excellency was present as a guest. The Governor's band played during dinner which was the most sumptuous feast that Chinan could produce. The health of the Commissioner of Wei-hai-wei was proposed by Taotai Yang, and I proposed the toast of our hosts, to which Taotai Chen, head of the University at Chinan, responded. We spent a most pleasant evening, and Mr. Olliver, Commissioner of Customs, who has been in China for many years, told me he had never been at a Chinese entertainment at which he had seen such cordiality shown by Chinese officials.

The University at Chinan which we visited has not been long established. It is at present presided over by Taotai Ch'ên, a native of the Province of Fukien. who was formerly in the Chinese Navy and served under Captain Laing. was Attaché to the Chinese Legation in London for a time when Sir Lo Fêng-lo was He Minister. He has as assistants Captain Wang and Mr. Lo, both of whom were naval officers, and an American named Mr. Godsell. There are at present 400 students in the college, but the accommodation is not sufficient, so a new building is being erected with improved class rooms, a gymnasium, &c., capable of housing properly 400 students. When the new buildings are ready, scholars from each of the 96 districts into which the Province is divided will be sent to study at Chinan, and it is hoped that through them Western knowledge will be spread throughout the Province.

An American, Dr. Hayes, was until recently head of the University, but resigned on account of a difference of opinion with the Chinese Authorities on the question of the form of respect to be paid by students, whether Christian or not, to Confucius. I am informed, however, that the Chinese Government really wanted to get rid of Dr. Hayes, in order to have the University under Chinese management, and utilised the dispute about the worship of Confucius to effect its purpose.

The only European language now spoken and taught in the University is English, which Taotai Ch'en and his assistants speak fluently.

On Thursday, the 30th of April, a review of the foreign-drilled troops in Chinan, numbering about 1.500, was held in our honour, at which we were received by most

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of the chief civil authorities and all the leading military officers. marched well and appeared to have been carefully trained in the German form of The soldiers

drill.

After the review, we paid a visit to the military college of which the head is the elder brother of Yuan Shih-K'ai, the Viceroy of Chili, and one of the most prominent officials in China. It was impossible to obtain a clear account of the curriculum of the students, but it did not appear that they were being trained in such a manner as is likely to produce scientific soldiers.

The head of the college is an enthusiastic collector of old swords. He showed us his collection which contains many specimens of great antiquity.

In the afternoon of the 30th of April we visited the P'ao Tu Ch'uan, the most famous spring in Chinan, and which is said to be the source of the Hsiao Ch'ing Ho. The tradition regarding the city of Chinan is that it is a boat which lies on the water of which the P'ao Tu Ch'uan is the chief spring, and is anchored to a pagoda on the hill overlooking the city, and that if the pagoda ever falls the city will be at once submerged.

From the P'ao Tu Ch'uan we proceeded to the Kung I Chu, a Government manu- facturing establishment, under the direction of Taotai Chu and Mr. Hsiao, in which a variety of articles are produced.

We saw being made carpets, swords, rickshas, which have only recently been introduced into Chinan, and a variety of other articles. struck by the silk embroideries which, unlike those in the south of China, are the We were particularly work of men, no women being employed in the establishment.

The object of this Government establishment is, I understand, to improve the manufactures of the Province, but the institution is not popular because its products compete with those of the ordinary manufacturer. It is difficult to see how any improvement can be effected in Shantung manufactures unless skilled workmen are obtained from other parts of China and from Japan to improve articles now manufactured by the Chinese, and from other countries to teach them new manu- factures. I was not able to obtain a price list as one has not yet been drawn up. An exhibit has been sent of articles manufactured in the establishment to the Exhibition at Osaka in Japan.

On Friday, the 1st of May, we made an expedition to Lo K'ou, situated on the Yellow River, about 5 miles north of Chinan. Lo K'ou was at one time a place of importance, being the port of the capital, but it has now little or no trade. Its abandonment as a place of trade is due to the inundations of the Yellow River, which regularly overflows its hanks at this spot. As I have already stated, the question of the Yellow River is engaging the attention of the Chinese Government.

From Lo K'ou we proceeded to the Arsenal, about one mile distant from the Yellow River and lying N.N.E. of Chinan. It is under the general superintendence of a German, Captain Basse, who is also employed by the Viceroy of Chili, in which Province he chiefly resides, and under the immediate direction of Taotai Liu. Five hundred workmen and two hundred overseers are employed at present in the manu- facture of Mauser ammunition at the rate of 80,000 rounds a month. The machinery in the Arsenal is said to be very good, but Mr. Tyler, who accompanied us on our visit, told me it had been much neglected until quite recently, when the Governor had authorised him to inspect and report upon it. The recent improvement was the result of Mr. Tyler's inspection and report. In addition to the machinery for making ammunition which we saw working, there is also machinery, which has never been used, for making artillery ammunition, and new pattern Mauser magazine rifles at the rate of 25 daily.

I was informed that a scheme is being considered for making an Arsenal at Techou on the Grand Canal in Shantung for the Provinces of Chili, Honan, and Shantung.

On the evening of the 1st of May we were entertained at a banquet by the Chamber of Commerce and the leading gentry of the capital. The dinner was given in one of the buildings on the edge of the Ta ming Lake. Among our hosts was K'ung Hsiang-lin, formerly Literary Chancellor of the Province of Hupeh, and uncle of the present ducal representative of Confucius. He belongs to the 75th generation of descendants of the Great Sage of China, and was in Chinan making arrangements for conducting a party of Chinese students to Japan. He is a scholar of great culture and promised to accompany me on my visit to the birthplace of his great ancestor.

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