180
extent of payable ground to work. Very fair gold can be seen in breaking the ore; of late this section of the mine has turned out much better than I expected. There is still a large extent of ground available for stoping.
Battery-Since the battery started after the general clean up on January 7th., it has been kept steadily at work night and day. On Mon- day, the 3rd inst., a rough clean up took place; 1,134 tons of ore crushed yielded 1,350 oz. amalgam. Crushing was resumed again the same day and has been kept going steadily since. A new assay office has been built for the pur- poses of assaying the ore and tailings. It was found that the vibration from the battery in the old office was too great to allow the weighing of the samples, &c., correctly.
WM. BIBBY, Mining Manager.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[February 27, 1896. being driven beyond the Yalu. Unfortunately, Ministers have been dismissed, some in the very it was too often Japanese of the lowest and least effectual manner characteristic of Eastern lands reputable classes who descended upon Kores in in constitutional orises. Kim Hoing-Chip, ex- the wake of Japan's victorious armies, and their Premier, and Chong Pyong-ha, ex-Minister conduct revived and intensified the old esta- of Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry have blished Korean hatred. Meanwhile the Japanese been killed, and their bodies have been exposed Legation, instead of using its powers to deport at various places in the city. This unfor- these men who were doing all they could to injure tunately has not sufficed to appease the wrath their own country, occupied itself and harassed of the reactionaries, as a royal decree has been the Koreans with the imposition of petty worry-issued for the arrest and beheading of Cho Wi- ing reforms. However good their intentions on (until recently Minister of War) and may have beou, they did not succeed in conciliat several others. Cho Wi-yon and Yu Kil-sun ing the Koreans or the foreign powers repre- (Minister of Home Affairs) managed to evade sented in Korea. Many of the Koreans whom their pursuers for the time being, but it is they succeeded in winning over to their side doubtful whether they will be able to make revolted and became pure patriots when they good their escape. The Taiwonkuu and Li had climbed into power by the Japanese ladiler. Chai-men (ex-Minister of the Household) have Then came the despairing despatch of Miura to been transported by force to the Russian Lega- Seoul, and his clumsy cutting of the knot, with tion. Such is the news. There only remains the aid of the King's father the Taiwonkun by to be added that no Japanese were injured the murder of the Queen. Unfortunately the during the disturbances in which the ex-
Ministers were butchered.
LI HUNG-CHANG ORDERED TO ST. Japanese did not stop at this. They put in
PETERSBURG.
:
Peking. 11th February.
An Imperial Decree orders Li Hung-chang to proceed as Special Envoy to St. Petersburg to represent the Chinese Emperor at the ceremonies of the Czar's coronation. He takes with him many costly presents and will leave hero as soon as navigation opens.
Peking. 15th February.
It is arranged that Li Hung-chang will leave Tientsin about the 28th instant, and the steamer Haian has been telegraphed for to be ready. He will be accompanied by Shao Yu-lien, ex- Acting Governor of Formosa, Taodai Ma Kien- chong, late Manager of the China Merchants, Wang Chih-chang, ex-Minister to Russia, and Mr. Pethick. Ma and Wang have both been ordered to prepare for their journey. Li will have all his honours restored to him before leaving. His selection is believed to be an act of friendship on the part of Count;Carsini.
Shanghai, 19th February. Passages for Li Hung-chang and his suite have been taken to Marseilles in the French mail steamer Ernest Simons, which leaves here early in March,-China Gazette.
NEWS FROM KOREA.
power a Cabinet of their creatures, making the King virtually a prisoner in his own palace, a prisoner with the sword of Damocles always hanging over his head. On the 28th of Novem ber last a futile endeavour was made to rescue the King from the hands of his usurping Cabinet.
the
power
What the Koreans unaided could not do the Russians have now done for them. They have taken the King and the Crown Prince from of their enemies and put them in safety under the Russian flag. They have taken the Taiwonkun and his grandson Li Chai-men, and hold them securely. They have sent the usurping Cabinet packing, two of the Ministers having been killed in the tumult. and the others having the death penalty hanging over them if they are found. These are the men who recently had the andacity to announce to the world that the Queen's death and dishonour were due to three Koreans only, who were accordingly executed Pak, who, they tried to have it believed, killed the Queen single-banded; Yi, who confessed soldiery; and Yan, who found the Queen's body ander torture to having magical power over the thirty-six hours after the murder and buried it. Of this Cabinet, then, two members are killed and the rest are fugitives; but it is doubtful whether they will be able to make good their escape. There is more excitement in being a Cabinet Minister in Seoul than even in Paris; changes come quite as often, and there is the additional chance of being killed at the first crisis. A new Cabinet has now been formed under Russian protection. We know that it is the conviction of Mr.. Waeber, the Russian Chargé at Seoul, that the Koreans can govern themselves. successfully if they are let alone. The best thing to be hoped now for the country is that there will be no more interference on the part of Japan or any other power, but that the King and his new Cabinet will be left for a little while to see if they can rule Korea, and that the Western powers will agree to secure them a fair field and no favour.-N. C. Daily News.
Shanghai. 19th February, On the 10th of this month a hundred Russian marines were marched up to Seoul with a machine gun,
for the protection of the Legation, and the next day there was another coup d'état at the palace. The Ministry were dismissed, Kin, the Minister President, and Tei, the Minis- ter for Agriculture, being killed and their bodies dragged through the streets. The other Ministers escaped, but a royal order for their execution has been issued. The King of Korea and the Crown Prince removed to the Russian Legation and there organised a new Cabinet. The Taiwonkun and his son were also taken to the Russian Legation. This news is from pri- vate sources and from a Japanese telegram The Kobe Herald of the 13th February gives quoted in the Nagasaki Shipping List. the following particulars-News of a startling learn further that the rebellion in Chung-nature is to hand from that hotbed of exciting chingdo has assumed serious dimensions, the Governor of the province having cut his throat to avoid being burnt alive by the mob. Ten Japa. nese soldiers who were sent to quell the riots have been all killed by the rioters.
We
Shanghai, 20th February. What the unbiassed friends of Japan warned her would happen when she attacked China in order to secure the independence of Korea has come to pass, and Russia has now established her protectorate over the Korean Court and Government. If Japan had not wanted a war in 1894 she could have come to an arrangement with China for the supervision of the govern- ment of Korea, but she wanted the peninsula to herself, and she has turned China out only, as she was forewarned, to let Rus- sia in.. If she had sent good men to Seoul when the Chinese were expelled, and had been very careful as to the character of the men whom she allowed to go on their own account to exploit the country, she might have maintained her suzerainty, for though the hatred of the Japanese is traditional in Korea, the Korean does not altogether forget the bene- ficent influence of the showers of dollars that descended upon him while the Chinese were
THE STRANDING OF THE “ON ŞANG."
Captain Carmichael, late of the On Sang,
writes as follows to the China Gazette
Hotel des Colonies!
Shanghai, Feb, 1896, notice a report copied from the Hongkong Sir,-In your issue of the 18th instant I Daily Press of the 8th instant of the enquiry into the stranding of the steamer On Sang in the harbour of Hongkong when under my com- mand. Kindly grant me space for the following. explanation.
Rock when entering Hongkong harbour on The steamer struck the Dunmale or Cust
her to prevent her going down in deep water. the night of the 20th of January, and I beached After I saw the ship safely docked, the cargo
Matheson, that there would be no enquiry into discharged, and crew paid off, I was informed by the owners and managers, Messrs. Jardine,. the matter as they did not see any necessity. This was on Monday, the 27th of January, and rangements for going to Shanghai, and I glad as my contract was finished. I had made ar-
passage and left Hongkong on the 30th per ly availed myself of their kind offer of a free Tuisung, arriving here on the 4th inst. I received on the 12th. inst. the following letter from R. Murray Rumsey, Esq., Harbour Master, Hongkong :-
· No. 22 M.
"Harbour Department, Hongkonge 5th February, 1896. "Sir, I have the honour to inform you that of Section 13 of Ordinance 26 of 1891, has been a Marine Court, in pursuance of the provisions
constituted to enquire into the circumstances steamer On Sang, Official No. 105,745 of London, connected with the stranding of the British
on the night of the 20th instant, while under your command.
:
The Court will assemble at this office on Friday, the 7th inst., at 10.30 o'clock in the forenoon.
I have to request you will be good enough to attend, and bring such officers and crew to this office, together with such charts, logbooks, and other documents as will assist the Court as to the cause of the stranding in question.-I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,
R. MURRAY RUMSEY, Stipendiary Magistrate, and President of the Court, William Vize Carmichael, Esq.,
Master, steamer' On Sang."
+
I replied the same day as follows:- Hotel des Colonies."
L
Shanghai, 12th Feb., 1896.
developments-Seoul. Russia apparently has resolved to show her hand at last and to strike for undisputed mastery in the Hermit Kingdom. The stroke has long been awaited. What the consequences will be it is impossible to prediet. Meanwhile, however, the Czar's influence is para mount in the Court: at Seoul, and the more important friends of and sympathisers with Japan have fallen victims to the sword. The facts are thus related by the Osaka Asahi. During the night of the 10th and early on the morning of the 11th a large force of Russian marines (127' is the num- ber mentioned) marched into Seoul from Jinsen, with one field piece. No opposition appears to have been offered to the intruders. The King of Korea with the Crown Prince repaired to the Russian Legation and there, Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge the in the presence of M. Waeber, H.I.R.M's.receipt of your letter dated the 3th inst. As I representative, a new Cabinet was organized. was in Shanghai at the date you mention for The new Cabinet consists of Kim Pyongsi, the assembling of your court I must protest Premier; Pak Chong-yang. Home Minister; against any finding of that court during my Li Wan-yong, Minister for Foreign Affairs, absence.-I have the honour to be, sir, your Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, and obedient servant, Elucation; Li Yunyong, Minister of War and Superintendent-General of Police; Chong Pyong-chik, Minister of Finance. The late
Mr. Rumsey,
་་
"Harbour Master,
45
Hongkong.
*
W. V. CARMICHAEL, Late master steamer On Sang." I now not alone protest against the finding
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