June 22, 1897.}
more cheaply and expeditionsly obtained by ad- hering to the present road as far as Aberdeen with improved gradients.
I am sending a copy of this letter to the local Press.-I am, sir, yours faithfully,
GODFREY C. C. Master.
TEBRAU PLANTING CO., LIMITED. This, one of the latest enterprises brought into this colony, has been successfully floated by Messrs. John D. Humphreys and Son, the General Managers, with a capital of $100,000. The Company has bought the estate of the Tebran Planting Company in Johore, which consists of 2,000 acres of fertile land of which 200 acres have been in cultivation for some years and have shown good results in the
pro- duction of gambier. It is now proposed to plant 300 acres with Liberian coffee and pos- sibly extend the gambier production. Coffee is being successfully grown on the adjoining estate, Castlewood," and the Tebrau manager, Mr. M. Larken, who is well known throughout China as a thoroughly experienced planter, has a large interest in both the Tebrau and the Castlewood estates. The old Tebrau Planting Co., has paid a dividend of 6 per cent, for the last three years and it is expected that when the new crops come into bearing a much larger dividend can be paid. The General Managers have received a bag of coffee from the Castle- wood estate, which they will be pleased to show any of the shareholders.
PANIC AT TIENTSIN.
FOREIGNERS INSULTED
THE CONCESSIONS PREPARED
[SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE "DAILY PRESS."
Shanghai, 18th June. Absolute panic prevails in Tientsin city formented by anti-foreign ruffians.
The causes are (1) The intended dedication on Monday of the French Cathedral; (2) Mahommedan discontent; (3) Kidnapping by Southern junkmen; (4) Discontent amongst the boatmen who have been superseded by the railway.
Some Foreigners have been insulted, but the Concessions are prepared and. not alarmed.
Was
The Tientsin correspondent of the Shanghai Daily Press, writing on the 1st June says:- This community has been much excited for the past few days by the great number of rumours that have been in circulation since the commencement of the rebuilding of the Catholic cathedral, which was destroyed at the time of the Massaore, and has been in ruins since. These rumours have been of all kinds, some of them the most atrocions, but no serious notice was taken of them until Sunday last, when an incident calculated to cause the greatest disquiet occurred. On that day two men were attacked by a mob in the streets of the native city, and killed, the charge against them being that they had stolen children to place under the foundations of the new cathedral. Later on during the same day another man accused of the same crime and, was thrown into the river by the excited people, and was drowned. These murders have caused great excitement, and as the cathedral is to be conse- orated on the anniversary of the massacre, the natives affirm that there will be another outbreak and that it will mark another day of sorrow to the foreigners. The consular body is aware of the serious state of affairs, and it is reported that they have seat for gunboats to come here with the least possible delay. The excitement among the people is at fever heat, and you need not be surprised to hear at any time that there is more trouble. The consuls have sent word to the authorities, but so far as I can learn no official steps have been taken to prevent an outbreak. The Viceroy has too many troops here, however, and his."face" would be too much damaged by an outbreak, for him to allow any great trouble.
"
The Peking and Tientsin Times of the 5th June writes on the same subject as follows:-
As is not unusual at this time of year, when the rice boats from the south are bringing up their precious freight of tribute grain, kidnap ping is abroad in the native city again, and has this year been attended by more than
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
usually serious consequences. The disappear ance of several children last week led to two suspected Cantonese junkmen being attacked on Sunday last, and summarily decapitated outside the city gates, and since then, as the disappearance of children has continued, two or three more lives have been sacrificed. Con siderable excitement prevails in the native city in consequence. The Taotai has shown commendable zeal in endeavouring to make some one responsible for these murders, and an official has been, we are told, beaten for the outrages having taken place, while a vendor outside whose shop one of the bodies of the victims was found, has been arrested. But, as some of our readers know only too well, the mischief is one which cannot be prevented, and scarcely even checked by such means. It is hard, indeed, to say in what way it can be avoided at all in the face of certain institutions and recognized customs prevailing in China, coupled with the almost impenetrable ignorance of the popular mind. Kidnapping is an evil which, under some excuse or another, prevails more or less all over China; but there are places and seasons in which the crime displays exceptional activity. The advent of the rice boats north furnishes an instance, and always brings more or less trouble in its wake. The Cantonese market for female children is always an active one, and if the usual demand is not satisfied by legitimate sales by poor parents of their female offsprings, a practice legalized by Chinese law, the required children are appro. priated by force, and kidnapped by the Cantonese boatmen for the nefarious flower boat trade of the south. This particular year the supply of these unfortunate children, foredoomed to infamous slavery, is apparently limited, and kidnapping annual demand should be made in this district has been proportionately rampant. Why this
tion of proverty, as in years of privation the is not quite clear, but presumably it is a ques- barter of children goes on with exceptional know at least how small a thing serves to excite briskness. Those who know anything of China, the public mind, and start superstitious fear and explanation for the, to them, incomprehensible is ignorant romance on the rampage, and how an frequently sought by the Chinese in apparently unreasonable directions. While, therefore, the disappearance of these children is laid by the better informed sufferers at the door of the real delinquents, it is inevitable that wild rumours should be circulated in which the, at best only dimly comprehended, foreigner should be in- volved. We are pleased to notice an absence, so far, of the more extravagant eye-gouging, heart-stealing medicine stories, but the mere fact that this wholesale disappearance of children is associated in the public mind with foreigners is sufficient to make it the obvious duty of all to avoid giving colour to these stories in any way. This can best be done, we believe, by foreigners of all nationalities and creeds refraining alto- gether from entering the native city until the kidnapping excitement has subsided. By so doing they will render not only themselves, but both the foreign and native communities a ser- vice which will be well repaid by the obviation of any possible trouble. The interests of a single business transaction or religious service may well at these times be sacrificed for the public good, and our intercourse with the Chinese is in no way fostered by any in- judicions exhibition of a spirit of bravado, or callous indifference to their superstitions and prejudices, It is to this very indiscretion and indifference that many troubles in China are distinctly attributable, and all religions bodies who are here for the ostensible purpose of doing good, would do well to unite far ав possible with their commercial fellows in avoiding ground for offence or mis- understanding.
In connection with this thought. we are in hopes that the Catholic body will not, as we have heard it suggested they may, fix the opening ceremony of their new cathedral for June 21st, with which date such unfortunate memories are associated. The events connected with the former cathedral building may be ancient history, but not sufficiently so to obviate the possibility of such a pointed reminder acting as an undesir able stimulus under present circumstances. Whether there is any risk in the association of such a ceremony with such a date or not, however, our Catholic friends would earn the
AN
487
respect and admiration of the entire foreign
community we feel sure, and probably enlist the sympathies of the more intelligent Chinese, by a change of programme, thereby obviating any reminiscences of the past being associated with the reopening of the cathedral.
Since our article was in type we have received information which tends to show that the excitement in the Native City is being utilized by some person to get up an agitation against foreigners, which undoubtedly has the new Catholic cathedral as its object. We are sorry to find this is the case, but fear there is a good substratum of truth in the rumours which reach 18. It behoves everyone therefore, to exercise great circumspection just at present, and avoid fermenting the publis feeling in any way. The tablet inscribed with the Government sanction for the reconstruction of the building, appears to have appealed favourably to the public mind. There is less excitement observable in the public demeanour according to latest accounts, but nothing to justify any relaxation of caution.
DIAMOND JUBILEE SUBSCRIP- TIONS.
The Hon. Treasurer begs to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of the following contribu- tions, viz:-
Already acknowledged Institution of Engineers and Ship-
builders of Hongkong Horse Repository & Hongkong
Dairy
Yuen Cheong Leo W. F. Wenyon Frederick Bishop
J. W. Boles
.$55,950.84
150
50
50
25
20
N. G. E.
20
L. M. Alvares & Co.
20
John Lemm
15
15
10
10
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10
10
10
10
10
E. Osborne
Geo. Eckley Arthur Anderson
Rev. A. Iliff
A. Moir
Wm. Blaynay
W. B. Walker A. P. Nobbs A. G. Morris X. Y. Z.
D. H. Silas W. H. T. Davis A. M. Roza Pereira C. W. Duggan....... J. Mahomed R. A. Gubbay S. H. Michael
P. P. J. Wodehouse T. K. Dealy J. E. Gomes C. Lesbirel George Weller Chadwick Kew
J. M. Gomes
:
Canadian Pacific Railway Co... Nippon Kyowa Kai..... E. C. Ray...
Geo. Medhurst... Jehangir Pestonjee... H. J. Holmes M. Takano Herbert J. Gedge J. S. Perry Leon A. Levy P. Witkowski R. O.... R. W. Dale L. Schinz... N. V. Leefe E. Mast
Smaller Subscriptions H. S. Cooke
Dr. A. P. de Carvalho H. D. Hawks
H. J. M. de Carvalho H. Barter... E. Goetz
A. Fuchs
***
Julio A. de Carvalho F. B. Deacon A. Sandor... M. Alsberg A. Hahn .S. A. Joseph
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