22 1896.1
ved by the Legislative Council on 25th November, 1895. This is practically the same Infections Diseases Notification Aot of 1889 at home. The object of these by-laws obtain early and complete knowledge of all cases of notifiable diseases and information of the particular district in which they occur.
New Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance — The present unsatisfactory state the registration of deaths requires early ideration. The obtaining of accurate vital statistics is a matter of great sanitary import ance, and I note with satisfaction the intention f the Government to introduce at an early date an amending Ordinance dealing with this subject,
During the year under review all chair and jinricksha coolies applying for licences were medically examined for the first time in the month of December. The result of the examination was as follows:-2,072 men were examined; out of which 124 (6 per cent.) were rejected as unfit for such employment. Each coolie is photographed when he receives his licence, but it is feared that many transfer their licences. The recent introduction of a medical examination before granting a licence, however, affords some protection to the public, who have a right to demand the production of the licence and photograph from the coolie, and it is to be hoped that this right will be exercised and in the event of the de- scription of the holder not answering to that contained in the licence and photograph the case will be reported to the police.
Though there has been an exceptional amount of disease of the nature of malarial fever and in some cases of dengue reported during the year, the statistics, especially of the police and troops, show as compared with previous years a general improvement in the health of the colony.
THE AFFORESTATION DEPART- MENT.
Mr. C. Ford, the Director of the Botanical and Afforestation Department, in his report for last year, says :---
PLANTING.
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The total number of trees planted was 55,664. They were placed in various localities extending from Pokfoolum Road in the west to Mount Parker in the east, and Stanley in the south The largest number in one place was at Stanley, in the vicinity of which 14,000 were planted. South of Quarry Bay stands next in order with 10,000 trees. In 1894 the pine trees near Quarry Bay sustained greater damage from the plague of caterpillars than trees in any other locality. Those planted to replace the losses consist of eight kinds, no pines being included. The road between Aberdeen and Little Hongkong, which is unshaded almost through. out its entire length, has been planted on its margins with shade trees. The Pokfoolum -Road, also, has received similar attention where
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE KEPORT. wards of 9,000 trees were burnt. At Repulse Bay six coolies were arrested by a Sikh con- stable for setting fire to grass, which destroyed 650 trees, while they were conducting ancestral worship at graves. Each man was fined $10.
CATERPILLARS (Eutricha punctata, Walk.) Vigilant observations were maintained for the detection of the re-appearance of cater- pillars; early in April they were found in very small numbers in Hongkong in all the districts, except near Chaiwan, where they occurred in such vast numbers in 1894. Hand-picking was commenced on May 25th, and by June 14th all which could be found had been collected and destroyed, the total weight being only 38 catties. In Kowloon, however, the caterpillars were abundant, and the collection of them and cocoons was continued from June 5th until July 9th, when 912 catties of caterpillars and 39 catties of cocoons were destroyed." A second generation appeared, and operations for their destinotion were commenced on August 13th and completed on the S1st, when 1,100 catties of caterpillars and 148 catties of cocoons were collected.
The cost of this work was $185.92.
So far as Hongkong is concerned, the pest seems to be completely exterminated, as no trace of it has been seen since July 14th, 1895. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Kowloon; there the caterpillars have been in great abundance this year, about 10 tons have been collected, and a new generation has deve- loped which will require to be dealt with shortly. One satisfactory circumstance this year is that the collectors have seen their way to do the work at a greatly reduced rate.
Last year I accumulated interesting informa. tion on parasitical enemies to the Eutricha in its different stages. I have now speci- mens of parasites on the egg, pupa, and larva, but no parasite on the moth bas yet been discovered. All the parasites are species of wasp, that on the egg being an exceedingly small one, only about a line in length, another on the pupa is 2 lines, and three others on the same are each about 6 lines long. These were obtained by developing them in boxes.
My thanks are due to Mr. Albert Koebele, the able entomologist, for kindly identifying the genera of the parasites and for assistance in obtaining some of them. Mr. Koebele was staying some time in the colony on a mission to the Far East to obtain parasitical insects for the Honolulu Government, for the purpose of destroying insect pests affecting various crops, a work in which he has been eminently success- ful in various parts of the world.
It is a curious coincidence that in 1894 the great bubonic plague and the great caterpillar plague occurred in Hongkong, while. Last year both were nearly absent, and this year they are again greatly in the ascendant.
In 1894 the long drought was supposed to be, to a great extent, accountable for these plagues, but last year was one of the driest on record, yet the scourges were in subjection, while this year when the bubonic plague and the cater- pillars have so greatly increased, there was an Portions of plantations in about 14 localities usually heavy rainfall during the first three
months of the year.
required.
THINNING OF PLANTATIONS AND SALE OF FORESTRY - PRODUCTS.
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were thinned. The total amount realised for forestry products was $657.97.
Protection has become rather more difficult formerly owing to the commission of stions, being conducted at early hours in ing and late in evening when it is the forest guards have not arrived have left, their beats. This has neces- the adoption of special precautions with the evil. The punishments by the Magistrates are, I fear, in ses, far from sufficiently deterrent. A fine, or its equivalents of detention in latter especially-is, probably, hardly S& punishment. About 1,100 trees down by law breakers in 1895, being of 500 over the number for 1894. stguards obtained 72 convictions, convictions in the previous year. ere 889.75 as compared with $145 The highest fine was $5 and the ents. In the previous year the highest was 825 and the lowest $1. -
FIRES.
fines
There were 51 grass fires during the year 913 trees troyed 1 by them. The gest fire was at Little Hongkong, where up
MYSTERIOUS SHOUTING CASE
AT POKFULUM.
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!
CHINESE PRESENTATION
DR MARQUES.
On Sunday afternoon some Chinese friends of Dr. Marques called at his residence and presented him with the following address
Hongkong, June, 1896 To L. Pereira Marques, Esq., Fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Irel Member of the Royal College of Physicians, &c., &c, &c. una
Dear Dr. Marques, It was with deep regret that we first heard of your retirement on pension from the Government Service of this colony, as we felt that by your withdrawal the public had lost the valuable services of an honourable and most conscientious officer
For fully fifteen years were you attached to the Medical Department of the Public Service, and during the whole of that period you dis- charged your various humane and arduona duties, which were oftentimes attended with considerable danger to your own health, to the entire satisfaction of the community at large. You were always skilful and painstaking, kind. and considerate in the treatment of your patients, and many there are who can testify with gratitude to your great skill and kindness.
Your constant sympathy with the Chinese and your genuine admiration for their ancient civilization, together with your genial and kind disposition, have attracted to yourself many admirers and friends from that people, and we who are now addressing you do so on behalf and as the representatives of a very large number of our fellow-countrymer.
SSA
We cannot allow this occasion to pass by without expressing to you our profound respect and esteem, and as a small token of that esteem and affection we beg you to kindly accept the accompanying souvenir with our best wishes for your future happiness, health, and pro- sperity. We are, dear Dr. Marques, yours very sincerely,
Josephs Li Tsung Sz Kai Kaw Hong Take Shi Ping Kwong Li Hong Mi Wong Shing Tang Kit Shang Ho Tung. Choa Chee Bee.. Ho Wyson Wong Chi Nam Wong Yat Sun ̧ Sin Tak Fan Ho Kai Ho Fook
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Lau Wai Chuen · Ng Kwai Shang -- W. Quincey Ng Fuk Shang Leang Kwai Kai Fran. Tse Yat Tam Châu Ring Leung Pik Sban Wei Long Shan Yung Hin Pong Fung Wa Chan Chan A. Fook Wei A Yuk Hung Kam Shing Chung King Us Chan Tseung Fat- The souvenir, which is a handsome massive embossed silver tea set and salver of Chinese workmanship, was much admired and bears the following inscription
Cheung Hoi
To Dr. L. Pereira Marques, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, Member of the Royal College of Physicians, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of Lisbon, Member of the Franco-Hispano-Portuguese Academy of Toulouse, &c, &c. From this Chinese friends as a token of esteem on hie retirement from the Public Service on Pension. Hongkong, June, 1896.
The presentation was made by Mr. Ng Fak Shang, who task should have fallen to Hon. Ho Kai, whose
unforeseen circumstances:
After thanking Mr. Ng Tuk Shang for the eloquent and flattering speech he made in
address, Dr. Marques said senting the add find adequate expressions to thank great honour this house this beautiful
eneral
The Police are making enquiries about a curious shooting case which occurred at Pok- fulum on Saturday afternoon. A little boy, the son of water carrier at Pokfulum re- servoir, was sitting near the caretaker's house, which is near the road leading from the reservoir to the Peak, when he was shot. His loud cries at once attracted attention, and as speedily as possible he was removed to the Gov. ernment Civil Hospital, where he was detained. He is suffering from a gunshot wound, but fortunately it is not a dangerous one. The thất police are now trying to find out who pens. This
The shot the child.
the case is not looked prov upon as one in which there was any crim-sur inal intent, and it is thought most likely" that someone, probably & European, was shoot- ing birds amongst the wood near the caretaker's. house, and by a pure accident the little boy re- ceived one of the pellets It is to be hoped that the party responsible for the injury will come forward so that he may be told to exercise greater care in future? ́s
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