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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The Plague Recognition General Committee | the south-west fort were also being fired, so we are compelled to make another appeal for have something to interest us aud prevent us subscriptions, owing to the Chinese community sleeping too much this winter. having subscribed only $145 instead of the The Japanese northeru army us captured $2,000 expected, and the plague concerts having and is fortifying the town of Anshanchang, realised only $416 instead of the $1,500 estimated. which is about half-way between Haicheng and On Tuesday afternoon the annual tea and prize Liaoyang, They still coutinne to strengthen the distribution of the Union Church Sunday forts at Haicheng We have heard no really School was hold. There was a large attend reliable news of the movements of the southern auce and the affair passed off most pleasant-army, who are reported by soine to have gone ly, the fourteen recitations, songs, and instru-east. Probably by this time they will have mental picces being very creditably given, joined Marshal Yamagata's forces, for the Among the prizes little Miss Daisy Mather re- advance on Monkden, between which city and| ceived the first for attendance and Miss Mary Liaoyang there must be at least 50 000 Chinese Rodger as usual took almost all the other first and Manchu troops. With this large army at prizes that were open to competition.
Moukden and Sung's army at Tienchwangsai. the Chinese ought to be able to offer some resistance to the enemy, The natives here say that at last their turn has come, and the Japanese are to be wiped out, Haicheng is to be recaptured,' and other wonderful things are to happout We shall see.
CANTON NOTES.
FROM THE “CHUNG NGOI SÀN PO.” On the 15th iust, a large quantity of warlike stores, consisting of quick firing guns, rifles, and cartridges, was, under the command of Admiral Cheng Shin Chung, convoyed to Tiger Pass for the use of the garrison there.
The 26th inst. being the Chinese New Year all officials will, according to the usual custom, assemble at the Wan-shin Temple at the fifth watch and worship before the effigy of His Majesty the Emperor. The 4th proximo is the birthday of the Empress and on that morning the door of the same temple will be again opened for the reception of the officials of every rank, who will perform the same ceremony as a token of congratulation. On the 3rd prox. the two Magistrates will go through the usual ceremony of receiving the Spring, in the hope of having a good harvest this year.
Far forse than any enemy must be the wea ther which at present prevails throughout the province. On Wednesday last, the 26th ult. there was a blizzard, which must have severely tried all men and beasts. It commenced with rain. then changed into sleet, and next came very small and blinding snow, with bitterly cold north winds. This was followed by two or three days of very cold weather with the thermometer at or below zero every night, and during the last three days the wind has been from the south, causing the snow, especially where much trodden on, to thaw. All this must severely try the Japanese, as no foot gear. however good, will stand such weather and we expect to bear that before Moukden has been reached thousands of On the 17th inst. seven convicts were con- the Japanese have died or been rendered anfit veyed under escort to Canton from Kowloon for active service. The coldest month has yet city and taken to the Viceroy's yamen. It is said to come, and already constant reports are com that one of these culprits was an accomplice of ing in about the terrible sufferings of the Japa- Wong Chi, who was recently found guilty of col-nese from frost bites and other troubles of the lecting men on behalf of the Japanese Govern feet. ment and beheaded.
Owing to many blackmailing letters having been received by the traders, a petition signed by the Wai Sing lottery guild, bankers, salt dealers, &c., has been presented to the Viceroy asking for protection. In compliance with this request, the Government have now ordered numbers of soldiers to be stationed at different posts, so as to guard against any breach of the peace. The authorities have also posted up notices offering a reward of $100 to anyone who may give information leading to the apprehen. sion of any scoundrel connected with such ex- tortion. It is stated that several arrests have
been made up to the present.
The war loan contribution collected by the Customs recently aggregated Tls. 1,837,750, and the amount promised by the seventy-two guilds in the city was Tls. 1,000,000. It is hoped that the collection will soon be accomplished.
NEWCHWANG.
1st January Since writing to you on Christmas Day there has not been a battle of any consequence. Skir mishes between scouting parties cousnantly take place, and a wondrous story is told of the doings of the Frontier Hunters," about 4,000 of whom have come from the north under the leadership of the celebrated Han Chang-shun. They are well mounted, well armed, and are excellent markmen, and are reported to have attacked the Japanese last week at night time, and to have killed about a thousand of them with very little loss to themselves. Very little credence can be attached to this, but there is no doubt if these men act as they propose to do, viz., keep out of sight of the enemy in daylight and worry them at night, they may be very trouble- some to the invaders.
General Snug with his army, which must now number about 40.000 men, still occupies the villages north, north-west, and north-east of us. We can see some soldiers and tents a few miles off, and supplies of ammunition and grain are constantly passing through the settlement. On
It is interesting to watch the troops from time to time marching through the settlement. They pass along the narrow roadway between H.B.M.'s Consulate and the bows of the gun- boats. On the one side gaily and comfortably dressed soldiers, with a beautiful white bull's eye on the frout and back of their uniforms, which must prove very convenient targets for the enemy, flags flying, trumpets braying, and here and there a mounted officer; ou the other side the earthworks round the gunboats with the sentries marching up and down, and the officers on the alert, ready for any emergency, Above the earthworks can be seen the main batteries and machine guns, and high above all, in the fighting tops, there are three nasty look- ing but very useful machine guns mounted on carriages, ready for service in any part of the settlement, so people need not be surprised that we feel secure aud have been able to spend a very pleasant Christmas.
Our usual New Year's Ball took place and was thoroughly enjoyed, and in wishing each other a Happy New Year we one and all trust that war may have ceased before many months more, as although it is interesting, it is awful to think of the suffering going on all round ns. all sides we hear of great poverty and distress amongst the people, and from towns and villages the residents are fleeing frightened of their own soldiers and of the enemy.
From
Last week a native of Honan warned the mer- chants that their properly was not safe in the foreign godowns, and unless it was removed to the native town the godowns would be looted. He was promptly arrested and without any delay was beheaded. His head is at present hanging in a cage at the east gate, which is at the end of the foreign settlement.
On the 29th ult. the river at last froze oven, and to-day the natives are crossing in thousands to the extensive reed marsh on the other side. Quickly overpowering the owner and his assist ants they are quietly stealing thousands of bundles of reeds, and these will be used for fuel, instead of making them into mats. appealed in vain to the Taotai for help; it
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[January 31, 1895.
able. General Sung, after leaving Kaichon, re- tired to the village of Kangwangtsai, where as quickly as possible he threw up earth and snow works. On the 18th December his scouts came across those of the enemy and a few shots were exchanged. Next day the main body of the enemy advanced and offered battle to the Chinese. General-Sung's army, numbering about. 17,500, was arranged in three divisions. in the village itself General Sung took up hs position and directed the movements. General Ma with 3.500 men was with him. General Lin with 7.500 men occupied a good position about two miles to the porth of the village and the heavy artillery was about the same distance to the south-cast. The Japanese were first seen at 8 am. advancing from the east them and the heavy guns opened fire on when two and three miles distant. Although somo of the fire was
the well directed, Japanese held their ground, and when the main body, numbering about 10,000 men, were seen about noon steadily advancing, General Sung ordered the artillery to retire, fearing the capture of the guns. General Liu with his troops also, fell back on the fortifications around Kangwangtsai. In the afternoon the Japanese had advanced to within 2 li of the vil lage and obtained good cover in a small wood, and from that position made good use of their artil lery, which quickly knocked down the houses and earthworks. As evening came on the Chinese abandoned their position and retired towards Tienchwangtai; the Japanese did not pursue them, but returned to Haicheng. It is impossibe to discover the number of killed and wounded. Roughly speaking about 200 on either side were killed. The Japanese loss was as heavy as the Chinese owing to the good- cover the latter enjoyed at the commencement of the battle. All the Japanese wounded were carried to Haicheng the day of the fight, and next morning the frozen corpses were buried. The Chinese wonuded and dead were left on the plain, and a few of the former have been carried to this town.-N. C. Daily News corres- pondeut.
MISCELLANEOUS.
A telegram from Raub, dated 11th inst.. reads as follows:-" Crushing finished, 1.200 tons stone
realized 807 ounces smelted gold. Prospects gel.''
*
A telegram has been received at Shanghai from Chefoo announcing the safe arrival at that port by the U.S.S. Yorktown of the missionaries
stationed at Têngchow.
It is reported that the Taotai of Feng. hwang has committed suicide by taking gold, as be fears the loss of that place might be placed to his blame,,
The Emperor has by a recent decree presented Admiral Yang of Amoy, Commander-in-Chief of the forces in Formosa, with an Imperial Yellow Riding Jacket, or Huang makúa.
The wreck of the steamer Taiwo, lost on the Centaur Crossing, has been sold by auction at Shanghai for the sum of Tls. 280. The entire remaining cargo on board of the ship was sold for the nominal sum of Tls. 205.
It is rumoured, says the Kobe Herald, that, Nagasaki is to be shortly made into a naval port, and that not more than two foreign men- of war of any nationality will be allowed in the harbour at the same time. If a decision to this effect has really been arrived at it will not be very pleasing to the Russian Government The reason assigned for this step, which looks very much like a slap at Russia, is that the harbour is a small one and it is feared that merchant vessels will not have enough room,
the last day of the old year we could hear con- haveb on a very difficult task to proruld247′0′′; breadth, moulded, 34′ 0′′; depth, moulded
stant firing from both small and large guns, which was evidently taking place a few miles to the north-east of us. At first we thought a battle was being fought, but soon scouts brought in the news that General Sung was training his soldiers and festing some guns, which had re- cently arrived from Tientsin, The big guns at
On the 12th inst, the fine new steel steamship Suma, built at the Mitsu Bishi Co's shipyard at Tategami, was successfully launched. This is said to be the largest steel steamship built in the Fast up to the present time. Her dimen- The owner sions are:-Length between perpendiculars, the to main deck, 15′ 9′′; depth, mean. with Lloyd's freeboard, 16' 8"; speed, fully loaded, 103 knots; dead weight carrying capacity, 1.750 tous; gross tonnage, 1,485 tous; engines, triple expansion of usual type; diameter of cylinders, 1837, 30′′, and 40"; length of stroke, 36"; two single-ended steel boilers, with working pressure of 150 lbs. per square inch; indicated horse-power 925.
poor people carrying out their designs as every man and boy seemed to be engaged in the task, This will help to tide over the distress, of the next few months, as little or no millet stalk is coming into the market.
From eye witnesses and others a fairly accurate account of the battle of Kangwangtsai is obtain
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