to
March 18, 1896.]
Al-
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
portant explanations were made in reference to the sale of building materials from the Tai- pingshan area, which was the hotbed of the disease in 1894. A Marine Court of Inquiry was held on Monday to hear charges preferred against the second officer of the Chittagong. The case was dismissed. On the same day St. Patrick's Day was celebrated by a dance in the City Hall.
The Garrison were engaged in field firing on Saturday.
The Loosok made a quick run up from Bang-
There were 2.284 visitors to the City Hall Museum last week, of whom 129 were Eu- ropeans.
The Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders has issued invitations for a dance at the City Hall on the 27th March.
The football match between the Hongkong Football Club and the Rifle Brigade on Monday afternoon resulted in a draw, each side scoring
one goal.
The maximum temperature last month was 68.7, on the 24th, and the minimum 43.2, on the 15th, the mean for the whole month being 56. The rainfall amounted to 7.945 inches..
The two truck coolies charged with causing the death of a boy in Queen's Road by running him down with a truck were on the 11th March committed for trial at the Sessions. Mr. Hast ings appeared for the defence.
route, by steam-launch and chair. He pretended to shun the new Maloo that Chang Chih-tung had just finished, and, as Chang was still at Nan- king, Liu thought it was wise to have nothing to do with the improvements Chang had made, for fear he should be called upon to finish what Chang had commenced. Lin also preferred to take up his quarters at the Kinchsi yamen (yamen for Ambassadors) instead of going direct to the proper Viceroy's yamen. thongh Lin pretended not to care for the new Maloo and other improvements, as soon as Chang's back was turned he at once letkok in five days eighteen hours. those around him know that he intended to commence the march of progress, and it is now reported that he intends to continue the extension of the new Maloo to Nanmen (South Gate) which will make it three miles longer. This alone shows that he is determined ahead in the right direction. To the go surprise of many of his own people he sent out invitations to all German commissioned officers to take tiffin with him at the Kinchai yamen yesterday (Sunday), and for several days the yamen underlings were busy borrowing and buying glasses, knives, forks, spoons, crockery. &c., for the occasion. Why he should only invite the German commissioned officers and leave out the civil engineers, of whom there
are four now
in Nanking, is not known, whilst others are surprised that Lin did not wait till he had got into his own yamen, which is now being repaired and renovated. Liu has also made another move in the right direction, in giving orders to dig out the canal running from Kyautomen to Shakwan. This canal connects with the Yangtsze, and it has sadly wanted cleaning out for a considerable time, as navigation was almost impossible; while, if dug out properly, it would prevent The following Ordinances have been allowed inundation in the case of heavy rains, etc. Aby Her Majesty :-An Ordinance to further large number of soldiers left Nanking on Satur- amend the Bankruptcy Ordinance, 1891, an day morning last to commence this work. Ordinance to further amend the Stamp Or Before leaving, Chang Chih-tung memorialized dinance, 1886, aud an Ordinance to authorise the Throne asking that Liu might take over in certain cases judicial investigations into the all contracts in regard to the employment of
causes of fire. foreign officers, etc. By latest intelligence from Nanking, then, it seems that Liu is in- clined favourably towards foreignersand Western progress; but some are inclined to doubt his sincerity, and think it is only pretence on his part; however, in a short time this will be easily proved. Nothing has yet been settled about railways, nor has the task of surveying been commenced, although there are two German civil engineers, as well as two from the esta- blishment of Messrs. Cockerell & Co. Viceroy Chang Chih-tung left Nanking on the 1st inst. in a Chinese gunboat; he travelled up slowly, making a number of stoppages, which were no doubt made to enable the officials at the different places to make their calls. He has arrived safely at Wuchang.—Mercury.
WRECK OF THE “HUMBER,” The Chugai Shogyo published the following telegrams
Pescadores, 3rd March.
The British steamer Hunder, owned by the Mercantile Steamship Company, with 3,000 tons of rice belonging to the Mitsui Busan Kaisha on board, has run ashore on Sand Island.
Later.
The British steamer Humber, which stranded on Sand Island, has finally foundered. All hands were, however, rescued. Three thousand tons of rice went down with the vessel.
HONGKONG.
The bubonic plague has fallen into second place this week owing to a cattle plague which broke out on the Pokfulam Dairy Farm. One hundred and thirty-four cattle out of a herd of one hundred and ninety-four have been at- tacked, and all the diseased ones were, after a disgraceful delay on the part of somebody who has not yet claimed the blame, dumped into the
sea.
The dumping process was far from suc- cessful, as several of the carcases are now. floating about the sea in the neighbourhood of the colony. The number of bubonic plague cases has now reached 251 for the year, so that the daily average remains about the same. On Thursday the Sanitary Board met and im-
There was a rise of ten points in Hongkong and Shanghai Bank shares on the 11th March due to the conclusion of the new Chinese loan of £16,000,000 by the Anglo-German Syndicate, of which the Bank is the leading member. A further rise of six points has since takeu place.
Medical inspection has been established in the ports of Iudo-China as regards arrivals from Hongkong, but quarantine will only be enforced where there is sickness or suspicions cases on board. The import of rags, old clothes. and bedding of Asiatic origin from Hongkong is interdicted.
Mr. Van Buren, Agent of the P. M. Co., informs us that he is in receipt of a cable from San Francisco advising him that the City of Rio de Janeiro, which left San Francisco on February 6th, arrived in Honolulu on 1st March short of fuel, and that she sailed again
on the 5th for Yokohama.
The Jubilee of Zetland Lodge will be cele brated on Saturday evening by a dinner, to be followed by a Lodge meeting, at which we understand the District Grand Master. Hon C. P. Chater, has consented to preside and give an address on the history of Masonry in the colony and of Zetland Lodge in particular. All the offices in the Lodge are on this occasion to be filled by Past Masters.
On the morning of the 11th March Charles Murdock Mobberly, paymaster of the Swift, was tried by court-martial for being absent from his ship.
The Court consisted of Captain Lane (President), Captain Login, Commander Wylie. and Commander Lisle, and the trial took place on H.M.S. Narcissus. The accused was sentenced to lose all seniority as paymaster, was dismissed his ship, and also severely reprimanded.
Mr. Frank Collins, Local Secretary of the Gas Company, writes-In reference to a paragraph in your paper of the 11th March reporting the firing of a gas meter, I think it advisable to inform you that the mystery" is easily explained. The meter and connections have now been removed and we find that the brass plug of the main tap, fixed to the inlet of the meter, has been stolen. When this occurred gas escaped at once and this was most probably ignited by a light carried by the thief. I hope this explanation will prevent any unnecessary alarm arising amongst gas consumers.
There was another armed robbery late on Thursday night. Six men, four of whom were armed with revolvers, entered a mat shed at Quarry Bay Point, ordered the inmates- ten in number to observe silence under penalty of being shot, and then ransacked the premises. I
241
On the previous day $300 was stored in the shed, but it fortunately happened that most of this money had been paid away, and the desperate thieves could find only $50, which of course they carried away. The victims were so alarmed that they did not give information to the police until hours after the occurrence. This was a pity, because if the police had known earlier the gang might have been captured on their return to town.
MISCELLANEOUS,
There has been a strike of hackney carriage owners at Saigon owing to an increase in the licence fee.
The China Gazette says the Chinese up river have various reports about German steamers be ing put on the run from Shanghai to Hankow.
Hangchow despatches state a number of Japanese have recently arrived in that city for the purpose of purchasing property in the new settlements.-N. C. Daily News.
The schooner Aida, twenty-six days from Shanghai, arrived at Port Townsend, Washing- tion, on the 9th February, having made the passage across the Pacific Ocean on record for a sailing vessel.
best
A heavy snowstorm was experienced over a large part of Japan on the 3rd March. A down train from Tokyo was blocked by snow, and found it impossible to reach Numasaki Station, so that it had to return to Shirai. The hills to the east of Kobe, including Maya- san, Rokko-san, and beyond as far as the eye can see, were on the morning of the 4th covered with a mantle of snow--a sight that has not been visible there for years.
H.E. Chang Chih-tung, we have been in- formed, has obtained the consent of the Throne to taking with him from Nanking many whom he had gathered round him during his short régime in Nanking. Amongst these are Huang Taotai, ex-Consul General at Singapore, and recently appointed one the four directors of the proposed Shanghai-Soochow railway, and several other well-known officials in Nanking and Shanghai. The reason given for taking these foreign educated officers with him to Wuchang is that he must have reliable men to push through the Hankow-Peking_line.-N. C. Daily News.
The Kinkiang correspondent of the N. C. Daily News writes under date of 4th March The Viceroy Chang Chih-tung passed here this morning on his way from Nanking to Wuchang on board his steam yacht, and accompanied by several other steamers and native craft. The banks of the river were lined with braves clad in their best attire, who gave the great man a salute with musketry as he passed. The people here are quite indifferent as to whether he goes or stays. Like the donkey in the fable who was being urged by his master to flee with him from the approaching enemy, and replied, Not I, leave me in peace to finish my thistles, it matters little to me whose donkey I am, as long as I have to carry my panniers," so the people are not concerned in either the arrival f Liu Kun-yi or the departure of Chang Chih- tang, for their burdens are made none the lighter in any case.
1+
We learn from the Shanghai Mercury that two serious accidents happened at the Shanghai Paper Hunt Club meeting held on the 7th March. In the first steeplechase Mr. Cumming, who had been riding Geronimo in good style, fell under his horse, who came down at one of the hurdles. As the jockey did not rise, Dr. Macleod and Dr. Lalcaces at once ran to his assistance, but a man-of-war's man, with com mendable energy, though perhaps with less dis- cretion, ran and at once raised Cumming and was about to carry him off to the stand. It was found that the jockey was cut somewhat, but was not seriously injured. He was borne off the field on the stretcher. Ruff Lad by this time fallen, and Mr. C. Dallas, who was riding in the race, at once stopped and got off to assist the injured man. His case was more serious, and in addition to being unconscious it was feared he had sustained internal injuries. Ha was borne off the field unconscions on stretaker and sent to the General Hospital.
L
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.