August 19, 1890.]
There were 2,353 visitors to the City Hall useum last week, of whom 154 were Europeans. The stamp revenue last month was $17,636, being a decrease of $1,004 on the amount col. lected in the corresponding month last year.
A Chinaman was fined $50 at the Magistracy on the 12th August fortrespassing near the forts on Stonecutters': Island.
At the Magistracy on the 13th August before Hon Commander Hastings, a boatman was charged with anchoring at Bay View within the prohibited area which embraces the line of tele. graphcable. The defendant was fined $25.
The death rate last month was, for the British and Foreign community, civil popula tion, 48.8, and for the Chinese community 18.3. Of the deaths amongst the British and Foreign community three are entered as due to heat spoplexy and one to sunstroke.
The Tientsin correspondent of the Mercury, writing on the 4th August, says: An express issued here to-day advertises shipment of freight from Hongkong to New York 16 shillings per ton, including "transhipment. Cheap indeed as against 44 shillings to London from here.
On Wednesday afternoon Mr. Prosser sold by auction a piece of Crown land at the North of Honghom Police Station. The lot, which contains 19,300 square feet, produces an annual rent of $95 and was sold to Mr. Ho Tak Wing for $1,554, $10 above the upset price.
.
By the Empress of China on the 12th August Colonel Anstey, R.E., Colonel Barr, of the Pay Department, and Surgeon-Major Hayes left for England, all of them invalided by a Medical Board and, on the recommendation of the Board, granted six months' leave. Much regret will be felt at the loss of these officers from the local garrison and at the cause of it.
On Wednesday night a Chinaman fell from the balcony of the Kow Shing Theatre on to the floor and severely cut his head. Fortunately a police officer and warder were near at hand and they stopped the bleeding and bandaged up the wounds. The injured man is now so much better that he thinks, it is said, of trying for the St. John's Ambulance badge himself,
The Right Rev. L. M. Piazzoli begs to ac- knowledge with thanks the following donations to the Home for the Aged and Infirm :-
Already acknowledged...
Mr. Leon Vincart (Belgium Consul) Mr. G. de Champeaux
$3,140 25 25 25
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Telegraphic intelligence has been received that the medical inspection of vessels from Canton, Hongkong, and Swatow has been discontinued at Shanghai.
The native papers state that the Tsungli Yamen has presented a memorial to the Throne, suggesting that all goods manufactured by the aid of machinery in China shall be subjected to a duty of 10 per cent. on their value upon the goods leaving the factories or mills, such duty to render the goods free to go wherever they are to be taken.-China Gazette.
Her Majesty's approval of the Ordinance to prevent doubts as to the validity of documents heretofore sealed with the Seal of the Colonial Court of Admiralty of Hongkong and the Ordinance for the Incorporation of the Pre- sident in Hongkong of the Basel Mission is notified in the Gazette, and, both Ordinances having been passed with suspending clauses, it is proclaimed that they shall come into opera- tion to-day, 17th August.
On Sunday the Chinese theatres in the colony were opened for public performances by permis- sion of the Governor. This is the first time the theatres have been allowed to be opened on a Sunday, and we understand that the new system, which was adopted in response to a petition from the Chinese, is to be on trial for three months. If satisfactory reports are presented at the end of that time it is probable that the theatres will be permanently opened on Sundays.
Shortly after three o'clock on the afternoon of the 14th August a fire broke out under the stairs of a coalstore at 10. Ship Street, Wanchai. The alarm was given at No. 2 Police Station by a lakong, and a detachment of firemen, under Mr. Lethbridge and Deputy Superintendent Corcoran, at once turned out. The building is a two storey one, the upper room being used as a coolie house, and the place was completely burnt out. No one was in the house at the time and it is not known what caused the fire. The pre-
mises were insured for $500.
The work of repairing the damage caused by the typhoon at the Victoria Recreation Club is almost completed. The bath itself has not been touched, and instead of the set of dressing sheds one large covered matshed has been erected on the same spot. Bathers will prepare for their dip in the dressing room of the club and then cross a screened bridge to get to the bath, the large matshed being intended, not for dressing, but for a sort of lounge. The annual aquatic sports will be held on September 4th At the Police Court on the 12th August and 5th and special arrangements are being Captain Stopani was summoned for blowing the made for the meeting. We understand, that a whistle of the Fame for an unnecessary length letter has been sent to the Government asking of time. The Fame was towing the Empress of for permissiou to erect a substantial club build China into dock and inorder to attract the ating near Blue Buildings. Although the site is tention of the dock officials four rather long blows of the whistle were given. Hon. Com. mander Hastings fined defendant $2 for each blow.
Mr. J. M. de Costa Campos Mr. A. Cattaneo
5
The plague is dying, but dying slowly. From noon on Saturday, the 8th inst., to noon on the 15th inst. there were ten cases. From noon last Saturday to noon on Monday there have been five cases. Two of the patients are pri- vates in the Hongkong Regiment and one is a subadar in the Regiment. It is believed that an Indian child has also been attacked with plague.
The Secretary of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce informs as that under date of the 4th inst. the Colonial Secretary has addressed the following letter to the Chamber:
With reference to my letter No. 672 of the 2nd May, I am directed to inform you that I learn from the Consul for France that the prohibition of the importation of cattle into Indo-China from Hongkong has been with- drawn.
pore,
5
Mr. A. Kidd, Lloyd's representative at Singa- writes to the Free Press:With reference to your query regarding the wreck of a steamer called the Drummond Castle in 1823, this is obviously & misprint, as no such steamer existed at that date, nor had any steamer then reached Chinese waters. The wreck you refer to was that of the steamer Drummond Castle belong
Messrs. T. Skinner and Co. (as conjectured previous correspondent) and built in Dec 1871,1,985 gross tonnage. She was wrecked in 1873, as recorded in the Society's Register Book for that
DVA
perhaps rather too far away it is to be hoped that the Government will see its way to accede to the request or else offer a more suitable site. The present building and the miserable accom, modation for bathers would never be tolerated by any insignificant and impecunious local authority anywhere else, and why Hongkong, of all places in the world, does not offer better facilities for a refreshing swim is one of those things nobody can understand.
MACAO
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
14th August H.E. Governor Horta e Costa, who is on leave t at Lisbon, has telegraphed to his Secretary say ing that in a few days he is leaving for Spain and Paris on his return journey and will leave Marseilles by the French mail of the 30th inst so we may expect him to be amongst us again by the beginning of October. His Excellency went home on account of his health and also to urge upon the home Government to sanction im- provements in the colony. During his two years here as Governor His Excellency has worked very hard and done all in his power for the welfare and prosperity of the place. That he has not accomplished more is only because the home Government has refused compliance with many of his requests. Amongst the most conspicuous of the improvements he has effected is the doing away with the most filthy and unhealthy quarters. of Volong and the encouragement of the build- ing of a better class of houses at Sakong. No doubt after personally informing the home, Government of what is required for the benefit of the colony he will return with enlarged powers and on resuming his difficult task will be able to carry out many of his schemes that he has hitherto been obstructed in. His many friends here are anxious for his arrival, which will be a gala day for Macao, as the whole community are eager to have the oppor- tunity of showing to Senhor Horta e Costa our gratitude for all he has done for the colony during the two years of his government which have already elapsed and for his previous services as the colony's deputy in the Chamber at Lisbon.
About 4.15 on Saturday afternoon a some- what serious accident occurred at 16, Praya Central. The building is a three storeyed one and is owned by Lai Him, a well-known land, lord. The ground floor is occupied by Messrs. Lamke and Rogge and the Gordon Steam-launch Company, the first floor by Messrs. Lants, Wegener and Co., and the top floor by the British Mercantile Marine Officers' Association. During the past few days workmen have been engaged in pulling down the verandahs, which were in an unsafe condition and were to be re- placed by new ones. Instead of starting at the top the workmen adopted the principle of pull ing away the supports of the two lower storeys and of course the inevitable result followed. The verandahs collapsed and a workman named Lo Yan, 29 years of age, was injured about the legs and had to be removed to the Government Civil Hospital. The other workmen fortunately escaped injury. They heard sounds of the com- ing crash and hastily sought places of safety and so got scot free. The police were very soon on the scene and blocked the roadway, and later the P.W.D. officials arrived and took steps to prop up the ricketty portions of the verandahs which had not fallen.
A supplement to the Boletim Official has just been published notifying receipt of a telegram saying that in view of the representa- tions made by the Governor in person at Lisbon the Government authorises, provisionally, the payment of the native soldiers of Macao at the same rate as formerly. A few months ago an order was received directing the pay to be reduced, which was done. By native soldiers are meant the Macaoese of the local Regiment.
Up to the present the Leal Senado has done nothing more about the new tax it wanted to impose on pork, but the price of the article has already increased, and no step has been taken by the authorities to check this abuse.
The repair of the Praya Grande, damaged in the late typhoon, has not yet been com- menced. Perhaps it will be allowed to remain in ruins like the San Domingos market, to which nothing has been done since the great fire of about four years ago and no one knows when the Leal Senado will begin to think about rebuilding it. It is scandalous that in a civilised city a public market should be allowed to remain in ruins for almost four years, with the market people exposing their good for sale in one of the adjoining streets, thus obstructing the thoroughfare and rendering it impassable. The San Domingos market is the only import ant market in the place. It would be better for the Leal Senado, if it cannot itself undertake the work of rebuilding it, to let it out by contract for a term of years on condition that the con tractor should erect the necessary buildings, the whole ground and buildings to revert to the Leal Senado on effluxion of the time agreed upon. But no; nothing is done, and the whole thing is allowed to pass as in a dream.
At the meeting of the Leal Senado held on the 4th ultimo it was said that by imposing the proposed tax on pork they would be able to raise money enough to repair the Praya Grande and also to gradually carry out the plan of the Engineer Loureiro for the improve~*^ ment of the harbour. It would be better for the Leal Senado to look after the things that must be done at once than to think of slowly carrying out the plan of Engineer Loureiro for if that has to be carried out at all the Government must do it. As the proverb say who wants to do many things will do not If the new taxis sanctioned. -- Senado should first of all attend things under their immediate charge, many which are in a very bad up new ideas and increas should see to the bette of the streets, the reb market, the better draining
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.