Sessional_Paper_1894 — Page 290

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18. From time to time I have kept your Lordship informed of the progress of the plague, from which you will have learnt that there has been no considerable diminution in the ravages of the disease hitherto; but I am happy to state that the last returns are really more satisfactory, and sanguine hopes are generally entertained that the worst is at last over.

19. Owing to the number of persons it has been necessary to dislodge from the infected houses in the Chinese quarter, a number which is estimated at about 7,000, the Government has had to incur considerable and immediate expenditure. Nu- merous matsheds have been erected and Government has hired blocks of unoccupied buildings and godowns for the segregation and isolation of those whom it has been necessary to keep under observation. Upwards of 350 houses have already been condemned as unfit for habitation. These have been closed and walled in. A cordon sanitaire has also been established with a view of keeping persons from the infected portion of the Town--the Western District—from migrating to the Eastern District. Thousands of people, roughly estimated at 80,000 as I have stated in my telegram of the 16th June, have left the Island for the neighbouring province within the last month in every sort of marine conveyance-sampans, boats, junks and river steamers; and I am informed that persons have even walked on board the steamers at the wharves at Hongkong and have died before they reached Canton 8 or 9 hours distant.

20. Onabout the 12th of this month the Glass Works hospital under the manage- ment of the Tung Wah Committee became seriously over-crowded, there being some 200 patients in a building capable of holding about 100. Owing to the great scarcity of labour it was impossible to build refuges fast enough. The new building recently finished for a Pig and Sheep Depôt was about to be placed at the disposal of the Sanitary Board, and the staff of the Nethersole Branch of the Alice Memorial Hospital had offered its services to Government. In the meantime, however, and before these transfers could be effected the Directors of the Benevolent Hospital at Canton through the agency of the Viceroy requested that any sick Chinese subjects who might wish to go to Canton or desire in case of death to have their corpses sent to their native villages might be forwarded in specially prepared junks to that capital. Several of the compradores employing large numbers of clerks also requested that they might be allowed to move the sick wherever found to Canton, and they also gave a pledge that if that were permitted they would remain in this Colony and not take part in the general exodus. Failing that permission they would leave at once thus placing the Banks and houses of business in even a worse position than they were at the time the application was made.

21. After serious consideration I did not feel justified in acceding to these requests. It was true that the Chinese hospital was considerably over-crowded, that the Chinese doctors had not proved that they were capable of dealing with the plague, whereas there was no doubt that a compliance with the request would have more or less defeated the efficiency of the house to house visitation, and that cases of sickness would not have been reported to the Police as they were then and are now obliged to be. After consultation with my Executive Council the majority of Members agreed with me in thinking that as a tentative measure one or two large junk loads of sick Chinese subjects might be removed to the Benevolent Hospital at Canton on the following conditions :-

(1) That the case of sickness had been reported to the Police.

(2) That the patient had passed through the hospital.

(3) That the patient expressed a desire to go to Canton.

(4) That the doctors certified that the patient was fit to be moved.

(5) That the junk or junks were properly provisioned, equipped, etc., etc.,

for the comfortable conveyance of such patients to Canton.