1926-12-07 — Page 5

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LOCAL CHINESE PLACE NAMES.

HOW THE NAME "HONG KONG " AROSE.

MR. R. E LINDSELL'S FASCINATING LECTURE.“

MANY PICTURESQUE LOCAL LEGENDS.

At the Helens May Institute before a good attendance yesterday evening, Mr. R. E. Lindsell gave an interesting lecture on local Chinese place names in the Colony. The lecture was certainly com- prehensive, lucidly delivered, and appre ciated by all present

Hong Kong, said Mr. Lindsell, had never loomed large in the pages of Chi nese history, and probably the name was unknown in China generally 100 years ago. Prior to the British occupation it was a desolate locality, inhabited by a few fisher folk, who, when fish were scarce

to

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7TH, 1926.

·Pokfulain.'

clinch an argument with an opponent by telling him to go (Laughter.)

Our Islands, Dealing with the names of the islands, he said Gap Rock was called Mun Mei Chau, which may possibly mean mes quito's thil island or 'mosquito's head Lan Tan meant broken head and Cheung Chau meant long island. The Dumbell Island was foreign. Stonecutters, or gong Shun Chan, was known as the iale of upright junks, Chung Hue, green coat, and Tai Mo Shan, the hill of the

cap being the clouds.

TWENTY-FOUR ARMY

CORPS.

STRENGTH OF KUOMINTANG-

FORCES.

DR. LIN IN CHARGE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN CANTON.

[FROM OUR CHILE CORRESPONDENT.]

The Kuomintang Arty announces that it now has 21 army corps under its con- mand. The latest additions are the two army corps from Szechuan which have just come under the Kuomintang flag.

Upon the departure of the staff of the Foreign Office at Canton for Wuchang, Dr. T. F. Lin, at preseal Superintendent of Customs and Director-General of mesenue, will act as Commissioner for Foreign Affairs.

POWERS OF DISTRAINT.

RIGHT TO SIEZE PROPERTY ON DEBTORS PREMISES!

IMPORTANT TEST CASE.

Before

full Count, comprising Sir

E. C. Gollan (the Chief Justice) and Mr. Justice Wood (the Puisne Judge) yester day, on behalf of the Wing On Car Mr. Elden Potter claimed against the decision of Mr. Justice Wood, in respect of goods seized on the premises tenanted by Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Simpson.

Mrs. Simpson claimed that the goods were hers, and not her husband's and the Puisne Judge found for her. Mra,

Simpson was present in person but was not legally represented.

Mr. Patter paid that rent was due from Mr. Simpson for the premises in ques The Kuomintang in Canton have in-sion of the tenant had been seized, and tion Property in the apparent posses- district, to forcibly take over the control!

turned to piracy for a living. Most of Great mist, or the Great Cap Hill, the structed their agents at Toyshan, Szey&P that property was, in effect, the property

the place names were derived either from

or else from some common article of every day use suggested by the shape or "appearance of the focality.

either the gate through which the water is sucked in, or the gateway of rushing waters. Lyemoon meant the gateway of

the carp

A Chinese Prophecy. There were two rocks on the island well-known to the Chinese.

line temporarily but the shareholders, in- cluding overseas Chinese in America, protested, and the Board of Directors of the Company refuse to surrender the documente and premises still in thair possession. The Kuomintang's latest order to their agents is to take over con despite the strong objection on the holders now contend that as the Company part of the present oficials. The share have yielded to the demands of the strikers, interference on the part of the Auomintang is unjustified.

some prominent feature of the landscape,interesting names. The former could be decided some time ago to administer the Justice Wood had released the property. Capsulmoon and Lyemoon were most of the Sunning railway. The Kuomintang of the tenant's wife. On those fates, Mr.

Of Great Importance. The great importance of the decision lay in the decision that, in effect, the pro- perty of a "

" stranger was not distrain- ble because the court would release it on application. This war of paramount im portance to landlords in the Colony. His Honour's judgment, Mr. submitted, would amount to a funda

Potter mental alteration in the law of the Colony which was, to all intents and with the possible exception that, if any. thing, the law here pressed even more. purposes, the same as the law of England

stringently on the stranger."

Etymology of "Hong Kong.". Originally Hong Kong was not called by its present name. Long before the British came it was known as Awan Tai Zo, which literally meant the road like the waist of a skirt or petticoat." Skirts were commonly worn by Chinese women in the old days capecially on ceremonial occasions, and it is supposed that the Western part of the Island was then ea- circled on the lower middle fevels by a single track, which suggested the waist of a petticoat, the Peak being regarded as the jacket and the lower slopes as the petticoat itself. The actual equivalent of the Chinese characters is Fragrant Lagoon," but how the actual name arose is wrapped in mystery.

"The first," said Mr. Lindsell, is a

squat monster on the hillside above and neyond the University which is known as the ravine rrog's rock. The legend attaching thereto has it that the frog has through the centuries. crept up to his present position from site by Telegraph Bay, that he is still climbing and that when he reaches Victoria Feak, Hong hong will disappear beneath the sea were it not that his progress is so slow that it will take him many centuries yet to get to the Peak, the question of ask It was thought by some, continued Mr.ng the Director of Public Works to put Lindsail, that the name came from the aim at once in chains would have to be -harbour as Aberleen. But Aberdeen is seriously considered." (Laughter.) also called Hong Kong Tsai, ar "Little "Another famous rock is one along and Hong Kong" by the Chinese, and this above Bowen Road, the Far Fuen Shek seemed to prove the pre-existence of or the rock of mutual passion. Here it another greater Hong Kong. Another is said said that about 50 years ago a explanation was that the word Hong in British youth and a Chinese maid who this case did not mean fragrant at all, had loved one another not too wisely but but that it was the surname of too well, committed suicide. Chinese Chieftain. Another attempt to explain wives and maidens still go to this rock the name had been based on the supposito pray." tion that the harbour in the old days derived a special fragrance from the Indian spices, which were unloaded and transhipped here. "But this theory," added Mr. Lindsell, seems far fetched, and improbable, even though the smells of Warchai water front had not then been fully developed." (Laughter.)

Happy Valley...

Dealing with Wanchai, Mr. Lindsell said that the name merely meant "Small Bay." Morrison HE Gap Road was still known sometimes among the Chinese as "the Cutting which broke the Dragon's Back To the Chinese every long spur running down from a range of hills is a

dragon.

As regards Happy Valley, the Chinese only know it by the materialistic name of Pau Ma Tei-the place of galloping horses." The old Chinese village of Wong Nai Chong merely meant the Creek of Yellow Mud." The name was still appropriate after a really heavy rain storm.

Legend of the Seven Sisters. North Point was known as Teal Tee Hui, or the Seven Sisters." It de- hotes a legend to the effect that in the old village there were seven sisters who Yowed that they would never marry, The youngest was eventually either bribed or bullied into taking a husband, but on the ere of the wedding day, the whole seven drowned themselves in the village wash ing pool. North Point was also connect ed with the old Dragon Boat, festival, since it is there that the beats parade on the occasion of the annual festival. Mr. Lindsell recited the legend pertaining to the festival

The island of Aplichau was interpreted as Duck's Tongue Island. Pokfulam was known as the wood of a 100 paces. The name "Pak Lo Lam" was still used by the Chinese lower classes, owing to the great number of graves in that locality, as a synonym for for a place in which the Wicked are assigned a habitation after death. Mr. Lindsell remarked that he once heard an angry sampan woman

EARL HAIG'S POPPY FUND,

FINE CONTRIBUTION FROM" SWATOW.

FUND NOW TOTALS $14,000. Mr. A. Gordon Leak, the Honorary Secretary of the British Legion Poppy Day Sub-Committee, writes to inform us that he has received from Mr. A. M. Scott Morris, of Messrs. Jardine, Mathe son & Co., Ltd Swatów, the sum of $538.34 representing Swatow's contribu- tions to the above fund.

Dealing with Kowloon, Mr. Lindsell said that the game was derived from the old Chinese City of Nine Dragoons (Kau Lung), Sung Wong Toi, in the locality is an historical spot,

prince of the

Sang dynasty having once spent the right there. Tim Sha Tsui meant pointed sand spit, Hunghom, red banks, and Yau- mati, the place of oil bearing millet large horn and Sham Shui Po, deep Taikoktsul, the spit in the shape of a water reach, were names which explained themselves.

i...

The New Territory.

Tsun Wan, known as Haa Tel, or the place of the king crab was of historical interest as the place of the ancestral tomb of the Tang family-a very large clan in the New Territory. The Castle Peak district was known as a arilitary training depot or green mountain. meant round valley market town, and Un Long nearby was Kam Tin, formerly known as the upland felds, but later changed to "swelt Howering fields" Fanling meant Powder Hills.

large arm or reach of the sen, and Shatin Tai Po had takes its name from the

mountains across from Taipo meant the meant sand fields. Pat Sia, a range of

San Neung Tam or the bride a pool where eight. genii. Nearby was the famous a bride was supposed to have perished. It is said that even to-day in stormy weather the figure of a woman clad and waving flags appears by the pool and the sound of gongs can be heard.

known rock in the Colony,, near Lion Mr. Lindseli finally dealt with the best Kock. It is in the exact shape of a woman with a baby on her back. The Chinese call it by two woman waiting and watching for her husband's retura," or "the child on her back rock!

2

and the People's Volunteers in the Loting District, West River, still continue. The Conficts between the Peasants' Corps

Labour Unions in Canton City, under the direction of the Kuomintang. Workers' Delegate Conference, are siding with the His Lordship. But we have nothing to Peasants, and rushing re-inforcements do with the law of England. to the scene of the disorders. The gen eral belief appears to be that the People's Volunteers will be defeated.

as the demands of the folis for high Drug shops in Canton have re-opened, wages have been conceded. The strike lasted more than a fortnight and during the days when the employees did not work they were involved in a loss of some $0 daily

SEND OFF TO "CANTON OFFICIALS.

GREAT MASS MEETING

It is estimated, says the Casette, that over 100,000 persons parti Canton cipated in the great mass meeting held shan University to bid farewell to the on Saturday on the grounds of the Chung personnel of the Nationalist Government and the Central Kuomintang, who are leaving this week for Wuchang.

Parade was called to order, and was led At the conclusion of the meeting, ♣

by members of the Strike Picket Com out to the roads in perfect order, beaded

the All-China General Labour Union mitte, the Bureau of Public Safety, and All along the way the parade passed, there were walls of spectators which blockaded trafic for some time."'

the law of England is that prior to 1883 Mr. Potter: The only importance of!

by statutory rights, in this Colony and the common law was in force, as varied that prior to that year there was a com mon law right to the landlords in this Colony to seize goods of a stranger found on the premises of the tenant. I shall submit (subject to statuary or com mon law exceptions) that the statute will never be construed detracting from existing rights unless the language in that Ordinance is express or that the implication is one of absolute clearness ia depriving a person of the right he had." "Mr. Potter also submitted that cases he would cite weat further in holding two meanings, cut of which would de that, assuming a statute was capable of prive a person of common law rights and construe it in accordance with that which one of which would not, the court would would not deprive the person of his rights

is said about that, is there any repeal of porta to be a code of the past and nothing that law by implication !

The areas for the meeting, on which fare the present, Ordinance," was such His Lordship: Supposing the law, bẹ Platforms had been built, was decorated that one could not distrain on the goods with flags and numerous hangings pre-of a stranger. If you have what par- sented by the various organized bodies.

"Among those present at the gather were Chairman Tan Yen Kai, Mrs. Liao Chung Kai, Chief of the Women's Department of the Central Kuomintang, press statement taking away prior exist Mr. Potter: In the absence of an ex- Mr. Peng Tsek Ming Chief of the Overing rights," the court will construe the seas Department, and Mr. Tai Chi Tao, Chief of the Committee of the Chung- existing prior to the passing of the code. code ns-permitting the exercise of rights shan University,

that the case against him amounted to

Mr. Potter then cited several cases. Continuing, counsel said that the most

himself maintained that there was no was that there was ambiguity, though he right additional to that laid down in the ambiguity. He was not trying to get a Ordinance The Ordinate, had to be accepted in its present forth and if there was an indication that the landlord's common law right had gone he would not be making the present application. The the right to distrain on the goods of a Ordinance expressly gave the landlord made the application for leave to appeal, stranger." Their Lordships, when he

be held that goods referred to in section indicated that it might in their opinion, 15 were only "séizable" as distinct from that the whole of part 2 of the Ordinance "distrainable.” He would point out in question debit with the a distress" and as such it kas beaded. as defined in part 2 and consequently in section 15, the words "the bailin shall Dealing with the powers of the bailift,

seize movable furniture found in the

To Start To-day,

It announced that the first groups of and the Nationalist Government, will the Central Kuomintang Headquarters, start for Wu-hen this (Tuesday) morning by the Yueh-han Railway. Central Kuomintang Headquarters will Dames, the The members of the Party of the probably proceed to Hupeh through Hunan, vid Fingahih after their arrived at Shackwan, while the members of the direction of Nanchang in Kiangsi. Nationalist Government will go in the

been sent out by the Nationalist Govern- Aide-de-camps and bodyguards have ment to Shaokwan to look after the arrangement of posthouses, etc., and to give protection to, the journeying mem-apparent possession of the debtor" were Bars along the way,Canton Gatelié

Mr. Lindsell was warmly applauded at the conclusion of his lecture.

Sir Shou-son Chow proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Lindsell and said that speaking as a Chinese he was in a posi- tion to state that the lecture was a excellent one." (Applause.)

CHAPMAN'S RETURN.

FURTHER NEWS OF HIS EXTRA. THE FROBLEM OF "SQUERZE.”

DITION TO SHANGHAL

CO-OPERATION WITH THE POLICE NEEDED.

CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

mitting of

a continuation of the direction as to his powers of distraint. M.Potter claimed that the bailiff's powers were not limited to mere seizure ”.

of goods other than those of debtor.

Bailly Protection. Mr. Thurston R. Porter, United States

His Lordship Is it not possible that Marshal för China, hat received a wire-

these words are for the protection of the less message from Mr. E. B. Benn, U.S. Marshal for the Western district o

landlord and his agent. The law says Washington, to the elect that W. A

you are entitled to levy distress with Chapman, former Clerk of the U. 8.

The Chinese General Chamber of Com the goods are somebody else's. The fict out sullering anything, whether or not the Président Jefferson and would be statement advising all persons to all sion of debtor justifies you in the Court for China, had been put on board merce in Hongkong yesterday issued a that the goods are in the apparent posés. returned to Shanghai on December 17th any attempt on the part of constables section! It justifies the original seizure the attention of the Police authorities to seizure." But does that conclude the Chapman, it will be remembered. 1a and searchers to exact squeeze" while but another to say that the whole ques xileged to have absconded with about The Manager of the Netherlands India 820,000 of the funds of the U. S.- Court inspecting luggage or goods in transit. Commercial Bank gave a special rate for for China de months ago. He was not few complaints of attempted black, one which could be raised against his The Chamber states that it has received Mr. Potter, said the point was; the only

Hon is therefore concluded. the draft and contributions were received arrested in Seattle when entering the mailing but it cannot suggest any relaza case. If he might anticipate his argu from the Officers and men of H.M.B. United States and had been held there tion in the work of search and inspecment, in his opinion, it was not a fair in- Whitherington and H. M.B. Verity and also from members of the Dutch, French, tion of extradition from America to precaution to prevent piracy. Co-operation be put upon it when, before the ever since pending litigation on the question owing to the need of taking every terpretation. Why should that construc Danish Rusian and

Italian com- Ohins. It was reported a few days ago on with the police is, therefore, urged paning of the act, one of the most im manities.

that Chapman was returning to China and the Chamber points out thas Chinese portant rights of the landlord was to Swatow has been having a very bad for the President McKinley-N.-G. Ddily complaints may be filed with the Police seize the goods of a stranger fa time recently and their effort is a splenewin did one, and the value of the contribution 16 enhanced by the fact that so many

Mr. Potter then cited cases in support different nationalities have, participated

Bwatow's subscription to the "Wan hsien." Fund closed about a month ago with a total of Mex $553.

(Continued on next Caluma).

All contributions from the outports have not yet been received, but when amounts collected and remitted Home this has been done a list of the various will be published.

Swatow's contribution brings the, total received up to date to $14,000,

or the Secretarist for Chinese Affairs. ·

A Chinese concern is soon to open a of his Argument and also dealt with the cinema theatre at Bhumshuipo. ordinances. At the conclusion, the Chief business through its members that begin the time, and trouble he had taken in The guild of compradores in HongJustice announced that judgment would Kong has issued a notice to those doing be reserved. He thanked Mr. Potter for of one per cent instead of half per cent, all the considerations were now before ning from January 1st, a commission fee preparing his argument and added, that will be charged.

Wm: POWELL, Ltd.

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