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Office "Friend of Chit *," Victoria, 10th October, 1815. §

THE FRIEND OF CIUNA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE.

leavy has had under consideration in council your letter of the 30th olt, reporting the second disas trous fire at Quebec, whith took place during the night of the 28th ult, and also the Resolutions on the subject adopted at the Public Meeting of the Citizens of Quebec held on the 30th,

His Excellency commands me now in reply to assure you, and through you the Citizens of Que bee, that he most deeply sympathizes with them in the magnitude and distressing circumstances of this calamity, in the individual loss and suffering it has caused and in the general injury it is calcu lated further to inflict. With this feeling he has anxiously considered in what manner public aid can be legitimately afforded, and what steps can be taken for the prevention of such fearful disasters hereafter.

To aid in the erection of temporary buildings (having in view the impossibility of a sufficient number of permanent buildings being prepared before next winter), and also in the affording of necessary relief to persons otherwise destitute, His Excellency has been pleased in Council to direct that advance may be made from the Public Chest, as required from time to time, by yourself, as Ma- yor of the City, or by the Committee of Relief, to the extent of five thousand pounds currency; to be

occasions of trial and emergency, requiring prompt decision and ready execution, his proverbial cool. ❘ness, energy and courage, enable him to overcome obstacles almost insurmountable; of this fact evi dences are not wanting, but the deplorable colami- ties which have lately called forth the exercise of these noble qualities hear additional testimony to it.

The gratitude of the Mayor and Inhabitants to Sir J. Hope, has been strongly expressed in a Re. port to the Governor General, not only for the ad- mirable, efficiency with which be directed the operations of the Troops during the progress of the fire, but also for the shelter afforded to the houseless sufferers, which the Military Magazines at his disposal enabled him to afford,

I have, &c, &c,

(Signed) Captain Talbot, Military Secretary, &c. &c. &c.

(Signed)

J. H. HIGGINSON.

F. J. GRIFFIN. Captain, D. A. A. Gy

officers of intelligence and energy to direct them, continued during night, with persevering devotion, to stop the fire, as well as to aid in disentangling the people and their goods from the burning streets, By four o'clock, all efforts to subdue the fire to wards the north were obviously futile, for most of the buildings in St. John Street, and towards the brow of the cliff, were either burned down or on fire, and those that were still standing between the Glacis and the Martello Tower, No. 4, were in such a situation as to be momently threatened with the destruction that had involved all around them, The military, therefore, confined their exertions to the south part of the streets communicating with the St. Lewis Suburbs, all of which at the north end (towards St. Johns) were already borning, and the fire extending along them with unabated fory. Full authority having been given by the Mayor to (From the Montreal Herald and Daily Str James Hope, the letter at once put in execution

Commercial Gazette, July 12.)

the only method that remained to him now, as at THE LATE FIRES AT QUEBEC.

the former conflagration, to obstruct its march. The ashes of the first dreadful fire of Quebec are He, therefore, directed houses to be blown up hardly cold, ere we are called upon again to record wherever it could be of avail in the different streets an equally extensive calamity The first broke out running from the St. Lewis Suburbe to the now on the 28th May, between eleven and twelve o'clock prostrate Suburbs of St John. The streets which noon. and raged until near midnight; the second appeared to him to warrant his adopting the dread on the 28th June, between eleven and twelve ful alternative were six, and according to his orders, o'clock at night, and raged until nine o'clock next houses were blown up as follows:-In St. Eustasubmitted for the approval of the Provincial Par issue, the decease of the opulent Hindoo Merchant

che Street, 1 in St. Augustin, 4; in D'Artigny,liament at the next session. The impression which the first fire had made 2; in Artillery, 2; in St. Michel, 2; in La Che. upon the minds of some of the inhabitants of Que-vrotiere, 2; making 13 in all. This completely bec was of so melancholy a character, as to pre-arrested the further advance of the fire into the St. dispose them to entertain feelings of the most mor. Lewis Suburbs, but from 1200 to 1300 buildings In had already becomin a prey to the devouring ele bid description. Nor is this to be wondered at. such a vest multitude of people as that fire threw ment in that of St. John, and a portion of St. Lewis, currency, payable with interest in a fixed number Knight of Bombay, that we may be excused for into the streets houseless and naked, it would ra- ther be matter of surprise if there were not found persons of such a temperament as to be deeply, nay permanently, affected by the horrors of the scene, In such minds the deep shades of the past coloured the anticipations of the future, and led to a presenti ment of some more dreadful calamity that was yet to come. Accordingly it is said that a prophecy had obtained general circulation, and a limited credence, that Quebec was again to be visited by the destroy ing Angel. But the random expressions of depres- sed feelings, if ever actually uttered as reported, must have fallen far short of the awful reality.

morning

There have been several suppositions as to the origin of the fire, none of which appear to be com- pletely satisfactory. It is certain that it broke out in a hangard connected with a stable belonging to and occupied by Mr Tessier, Notary Public, in rear of his house, situated near the corner of the Glacis and D'Aiguillon Streets. The first report was, that the servant girl had thrown a pan of hot ashes upon a dunghill, which set fire to the loose straw,--and that after smouldering for some hours, the fire at length broke out at the truth of this report is denied by the girl, who asserts that she had thrown no ashes as stated. She says, however, that she had been in the hangard with a light a short time before, brushing, shoes, &c., but that it was in a different part of the building from that where the fire was first seen.

Again it is admitted, that the hangard in ques. tion adjoins a shed in the next yard, to which there is a free access at all times from the strect, and that the fire broke out in the angle formed by the two buildings. But as there is no proof whatever of the fire having been set by an incendiary, and as Mr. Tessier servant acknowledges having been in the place with a lighted candle, there is every reason to believe that it is owing to her carelessness in some way or other, that the second conflagration

wes it origin,

The state of the weather on the occasion of both fires was singularly similar. A long track of dry weather accompanied by high winds had rendered the shingled roofs and wooden buildings of which the greatest part of the Suburbs of Quebec were composed, peculiarly fitted for catching and spread ing fire. As at the first fire also, a strong gale from the North East, was blowing at the time. And as the fire began at the North East angle of the Suburbs, between St. Johns Gate and Cote a Coton, the whole body of houses standing beyond the walls Westward, lay open to the full sweep of the wind and fire.

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The heat of this burning mass was like that of furnace, and the smoke and ashes and flakes of fire, driven before the gate, were suffocating. But the noble exertions of Sir James Hope and his gallant troops were not more conspicuous during the fire, than was the Major General's humane consideration for the destitute sufferers after all was over. With a praiseworthy readiness he or dered tents from the military magazines to be erected on the Plains of Abraham for the accom, modation of houseless families, and also placed the splinter proof barracks (a large stone building a short distance from St. Lewis Gate towards the Cape,) at the service of the Mayor, for the relief of the people. The true British soldier has a heart as well as head and hands,

It is matter of thankfulness that although more valuable property has been destroyed by the last fire, than there was in St. Rochs. yet the loss of lives has been much less, nor did they occur by the fire directly. It happened hare, as on the former occasion, that the people crowded upon the party. of Artillery who were blowing up the houses, and no caution would deter them from approaching as near as possible. The consequence was, that one man was killed, and another so much hurt that he died soon after.

A considerable quantity of furniture has been saved, but a great quantity has also been lost, after being tarried to what was thought a place of sa- fety. The English burying ground, situated in a comparatively open space, was supposed to be beyond the reach of danger, and was made the receptacle of many valuable goods. But the flakes which fell in showers, set a portion of them on fire, and in a few minutes not only the goods were to tally consumed, but the grass on the ground, and the monuments erected over the dead were involv ed in the same common fate: Even the tombstones were cracked and broken by the intense heat. One beautiful and every expensive tombstone of marble, we are told, was entirely destroyed in the wooden case in which a few days previously, it had arrived at Quebec. The reflection of the fire was seen at a great distance from the city. The passengers on the steamer from Quebec to Mon- real saw it distinctly from Lake St. Peter, and, we are informed, that some persons observed it from Sorel-forty-five miles below Montreal,

The loss sustained by Quebec in the two fires would stand as follows:-

Houses

Blown

Streets,

burned

up.

On 29th May.......... 38 · On 28th June... 33

1630

2

1302

13

Total...

71

2032

15

It was some time before the fire bells announced to the inhabitants within the walls the danger that ! had come upon those without. But as a view of the whole Suburbs is commanded from the West- The population thus rendered destituto cannot ern wall of the Cily, the sentries on duty on the be estimated at less than 20,000 souls —The rea ramparts gave an early alarm to the garrison, and son why so many houses were blown up during officers and men were promptly on the spot. Sir. the last fire compared with the previous one is James Hope was again on the ground in person, obvious. As the fire of the 29th May was all West as at the former fire, to direct and encourage the of Hope Gate and travelling Eastward, an inspec. efforts of those under his command.

tion of the map will shew, that there was but a very narrow passage for it to make its further way into the Lower Town. The blowing up of a cou ple of houses in this passage effectually checked it, But in that of the 23th June there were a great many leading streets running continuously through both the St. Lewis and St. John's Suburbs, in all of which it was necessary to cut off the communi. cation.

$

But the flames again spread with such incon- ceivable speed, that all efforts were for a long time jueffectual. Some idea of the rapid progress of the fite may be formed from the fact, that in the course of two hours and a half houses were on fire from one end of the Suburbs 10 the other, in the in- mediate direction of the wind. The Suburbs stands upon the Plains of Abraham, with a North Eastern exposure, elevated above all the surrounding coun. The public buildings destroyed are the Fabrique try, and to windward-commencing upon a pre-School House, the Protestant Chapel, the Wesleyan cipice, 200 to 300 feet above the level band below. Chapel, Arullery Street, the large School House This pecularity of situation allowed the wind to used by the Freres de la doctrine Chretirane, Or spread its unbroken #iolence upon the nubappy phan Asylum, and Roman Catholic Chapel, &c. suburbs, and accounts for the rapidity with which the streets to leeward were enveloped in flames, The fire in the first hours of its existence, was not indeed continuons, but the flakes being carried be fore a furious wind to great distances, set fire to the shingled roofs of the houses in different streets, and these again furnishing their supply of fresh material, gare new vigour to the conflagration. In this way a complete line of burning houses was quickly to be seen from this line the fire worked its way among the buildings on either side. At various places it received strength from the piles of dry boards which the carpenters, and dealers in lumber had laid up in ther yards, and

I compared with other calamities of a like na- ture, we suspect that Quebec has suffered more proportionally than any other city of which we have any account.

In the great fire of London in 1666, there were 18.200 houses burned and property amounting to £16,720,500 destroyed. Is the fire in Harburgh in May 1832 the property destroyed was estimated at about £4,000,000, the number of bouses burned we do not recollect, but it was stated at the time fust 30,000 persons ont of a population of 150,000 were rendered houseless.

In Quebec the whole population did not exceed 35,000 before the fine, and the loss of property cannot be less than £1,230,000,

The mode of relief now becomes an interning question, but as this article bas already exceeded our intended limas, we shall not enter upon it to

It would be of little use to detail the exacted pro- gress of the destroying element from house to house, or from street to strect; suffice it to say, that it was such as to paralyze, from on early period, the eser tions of the people to arrest it. In fact they seemed to day. have made up their mindsfrom the commencement, that their houses must inevitably be consumed, and therefore made no attempt to save them, ben direct- el say little energy that was hf them to the saving of their lives, their furniture and effects. The mil

SECRETARY'S OFFICE,

Montreal 4th July, 1805. Si-1 are the humor, by command of the tary, however, being under no panic, and having Gerator General, to interes you that bis Excel.

In the temporary absence of the D. A. G.

(From the Bombay Times, August 23 ) THE GREAT OPION MERCHANT OF AHMEDABAD, -We inadvertently omitted to notice, in our last For the permanent rebuilding of the destroyed died in his native city on the 8th instant, after a of Ahmedabad, Sett Bathi Sing Resor Sing, who Suburbs, His Excellency will be prepared to re- cominend to Parliament to authorise the negotiation single day's illnesss, at the age of forty-eight years. of a loan in England, on the security of the Pro-There are so many points of resemblance between the character and acts of this worthy individual- vince, for the sun of one hundred thousand pounds and those of the wealthy and benevolent Parsee of years; the monies so to be raised, to be employ devoting rather more space than is usually allotted ed in granting to owners of land within the limits of the fires, to aid them in building thereon, loans to an obituary notice, to some slight record of his on us favorable terms as may be found practicable claims on popular esteem. We think, besides, that considering how prone the Home Press is to tram. without ultimate loss to the Province, the sums so loaned to be secured on the lands of the borrowers, pet forth the charitable deeds of the great nobles of and porhaps made a privileged claim thereon, and ur own land, it is only bare justice to the Natives igno- further security where required to be taken, each of India, whose national character is often so loan to any individual and the security offered by rantly and cruelly misrepresented, to bring pro him to be approved of by the Attorney General minently forward every striking manifestation of the grand redeeming point which their conduct fur Lower Canada; and all other necessary pre- cautions taken to secure the expenditure of all presents-the proper and philanthropic use of those monies so loaned on the erection of buildings of bounties which Providence bestows upon them. The comprehensive charities of Sir Jamsetjee Jejec specified manner and character........

bhoy are too well known to need eulogium-those of Hathi Sing have been less generally noticed, and now that their author is no more, the publication of them will turnish in itself effectual commendation. The princely fortune of Sout Hathi Sing had been amassed within the last twenty years, chiefly froin the trade in opium. He is represented to have been a plain and unostentatious man, who became popular without desiring popularity, and many of whose benevolent acts were, specially concealed from the public eye with the view of provcutius

For the prevention of such disasters hereafter, His Excellency will further be prepared to recoin- niendio Parliament to confer on the Corporation of the City very extensive powers for the regula- tion of the mode of building within the City limits, and for the widening of Streets, on making com- pensation for land taken.

Upon the many details of the measures above suggested, His Excellency is desirous to receive suggestions from yourself and the Corporation; and I am accordingly to assure you, that any res presentations which that Body or yourself may make in regard to them, will not fail to receive his most attentive consideration.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your must obedient servant,

D. DALY, Secretary

The following General Order records the opi- nion entertained by the highest authorities in the country of the service of the troops on this ma lancholy occasion:-

✪

DENERÁL

Head Quarters, Montreal, July 3, 1815.

ORDERS.

(No 2)

y suspicion as to the prefect disinterestedness of his motives. The objects of his active charity cnsisted chiefly in the founding of Dhurmsales, and supplying the same with food and other neces. saries, for the benefit of the poor of all castes and creeds, of whom numbers have for a long time past been daily fed and clothed at his expence. Besides this, he erected Temples, and provided indigent pilgrims with the means of performing their reli gious vows. We have observed that he was in an eminent degree one of those who

"Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame”; and we may mention out remarkable instance of this secret benevolence, on the accuracy of which we have reason to think our renders may confiden- ily rely. It appears that there are hundreds of res- pectable but decayed native familes in Guzerat, the In promulgating to the Army serving in North members of which, having little left them but the America, the following letter from Mr. Secretary memory of their former opulence are nevertheless Higginson, conveying the approbation, and an ex-nshamed to solicit charity, and would rat'ior subunit pression of the admiration of the Governor General to the greatest misery-even death itself than of the praiseworthy condust of the Troops upon publish their penury to the world. Infanticide seems to have frequently taken place under theso the occasion of the second extensive and calamitous fire at Quebec, the Commander of the Forces takes melancholy circumstances; and our.informant sta- the opportunity to assure Major General Sir James tes that Flathi Sing, with the view of relieving such Hope, that his own sentiments in regard to the distresses, and diminishing the crimes to which personal example shewn by the Major General, the they often led, employed confidential agents to judicious measures he adopted for checking the make enquiries into the condition of all who were progress of the flames, and his humanity in provid. I supposed to possess scanty means of support! This ing shelter for the houseless families, as far as the says more for the philanthropic Hindoo than the means at his disposal would admit of, cannot be heading of a dozen subscription lists with the most exceeded by the expression of any approbation, princely donations Fathi Sing had built a little however high may be the source from which it town not far from Ahmedabad, called Hathipoora, proceeds.

after his own name, and here he constructed an unusually large Dhurmsalla at an outlay of three laes of rupees, together with a stupendous Temple, computed to have cost five lucs; the letter, how- ever, was not quite completed at the time of his deccase. The total amondt expended by him in Where all have so nobly done their duty, it is charitable works during the last eight or ten years difficult to particularize the merits of individuals, is supposed to have exceeded ificen lacs of rupees, In offering, however, his thanks to the several Re- or £150,000. His testamentary bequests, on be giments and Corps of the Garrison of Quebec ge- coming conscious of his approaching end, wero nerally, for their zealous and unwearied exertions marked by a similar spirit of warm benevolence. on the night of the 29th ultimo, Lord Cathcart feels We are not able to particulise the whole; but great pleasure in noticing the conduct of Captain the following may be appropriately recorded Boxer, Royal Naval, Captain Warburton and

For the promotion of different Lieutenant Shakespeare, of the Royal Artillery, which Sir James Hope has represented to have

charitable objects. For completing the Grand Tem- ple and other religious works. been incat conspicuous, and as having, under pro-

To relatives. vidence, materially contributed to arrest the pro- gress of the conflagration, and to save the remainder

To his nephew, who perform- of the city from destruction.

ed the obsequies.

Tee Lieutenant General feels proud at having under his command, a body of troops, who have so greatly distinguished themselves by their gallantry, steadiness, and humanity upon two such trying oc

casions as the late fires at Quebec.

Civil Secretary's Office, Montreal, July 5, 1645. Sm-I am directed by the Governor General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yes terday's date, transmiting, by command of the Commander of the Forces, a copy of Major Cene ral Sir James Hope's Report of the late calamitous fire in Quebec, and of the exemplary conduct of the officers and troops, of the garrison, os that melancholy event.

Rs. 7,00,000

4,00,000 5,00 000

19

1,00,000

Rs. 17,00,000

The residue of his large fortune, after the pay- arent of these bequests, he left to his adopted son. It is not wonderful that the sudden death of such a man as this, in the prints of life, should have spread a general gloom throughout the province of Cuzerat, or that the inhabitants of Ahmedabad, on receiving intimation of the calamity, should have closed their shops and suspended all their The Governor General bar, unfortunately, too) usual avocations for three days, as a marks of gore recently had occasion, on the occurrence of the tow at ha demise and respect to his memory. presions fire, to express the very high sense enter There can be no doubt that he will be long beld isined by him of the valuable services then rendered in affectionate remembrance by the people, and that by the troope; but be requests that Sir James Hope; be richly deserves to be so. We so often see bes and the officers and men emploved under his com- mined, that it is pleasing to record an instance, mind, may be again assured that be bas peatsed, like this, of wealth having been applied to its only with the most lively admiration, this fresh record) gond purpose-datribution amongst these on whom of their humane and untiring exertions on the the iron hand of poverty moest heavily presses. painful and barrassing duty which they have been, withen so short a period, a second time called on to perform. It is not alone before in ecemy, fly Excellency cheerves, that she worth sad valour of! the British soldier santa compicuous; hat on el

Eddiens, Printed and Published by Jaws Cazuz At The Friend of China and Hongkong Gazets, Printing Offen, Caunas?• Ethan, VICTORIS, HONGKOSU, 1935,