July 1, 1897.1
:
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT,
The re-
Arnold Karberg's office was observed, and here Deviating from a straight course we will the St. George's flag was shown constructed of now take various places as they occur to us. hundreds of lamps. Messrs. Blackhead and At the Royal Engineers' barracks great care Co., Messrs. Melchers and Co., agents for the and skill were exercised by the men in having North German Lloyd, and the Hongkong a most artistic display. At the entrance a sap. Hotel also hung out lanterns which had a very pers' bridge was erected and on the top and pretty effect. Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and underneath were mines, boats, divers, and Co.'s office received attention on both sides and various other specialties confined to this im- looked very well indeed. Fronting the Praya portant branch of the service, while sand bags was the house flag with the St. Andrew's cross were placed in the rear and the windows of the prominent, and "Ewo" underneath, The In-barracks displayed innumerable lanterns with stitution of Shipbuilders and Engineers gave the words "God save our Queen." The electric a very fine display of coloured lanterns. The light was lavishly used and the whole scene was P. and (). office was exceedingly brilliant. admirably suitable for the occasion. Messrs. In addition to a huge gas lighted star and Noronha and Co.'s premises were handsomely the outlining of the building with lanterns. lluminated and the German Club was also the Company's flag was shown in colours with bright with fiery gas jets, crowns, and stars. great success and the effect was exceedingly Mr. Chan Shui, Messrs. Douglas Lapraik's pretty. Messrs. Lane, Crawford & Co, exhibited compradore, had his honse in D'Aguilar Street three gas lighted stars with 1837 and 1897 illuminated with many lanterns. on either side. Several the Chinese sidence of Hon. E. R. Belilios was brilliantly hongs on the Praya were also finely illuminated illuminated with gas.
There was a long with lanterns. The Central Market was horizontal pipe with 360 rose jets, a "V, R,'
very pretty sight. Over six hundred a Crown, 1837, 1897, and "Long Live Victoria." electric lamps outlined the building, and a "Duart," the Portuguese Cousul's residence, was crown in the centre, composed of 230 lamps, very prettily illuminated with gas and lanterns, was very dazzling, as also were the letters and the Portuguese Club also looked exceedingly "V.R." The Harbour Master's office was well. The On Tai Insurance Office had a most appropriately illuminated. There was crown with D. J.," the Austrian Consul an anchor with "H" and "O" on each sidelighted exhibited a crown with Long Live the by Japanese lanterns and the flagstaff was also Quern in brilliant lights, Messrs. Rozario similarly treated, while a diamond between and Co., of Mosque Terrace, showed a large 1837 and 1897 added considerably to the picture. star with V. R.," Mr. M. da Souza, of Fair The Sailors' Home also displayed an anchor, View, West Point, 2 stars and 1837 and 1897; with V.R., a star, and a line of horizontal jets. Mr. J. M. Machado, of Arbuthnot Road, a "V. Returning to town by way of Queen's RoadR" and "LX." The Spanish Consulate looked one could not help being struck with the enthu- very pretty indeed with a "V. R" and 336 gas siastic way in which the Chinese co-operated jets. The intorior of a large mat-shed on the with the Europeans in making a grand dis-site of the old P. and O. wharf at West Point, play. Not only hongs but many of the private was brilliantly lighted by gas, the whole of the houses and some of the poorer class of houses, fittings being loaned by the Gas Company. too, displayed lamps and lanterns and flags, The Victoria Recreation Club was decorated while the many triumphal arches which were with flags and lanterns and looked very well. erected by the Chinese looked very quaint The Magistracy, the Government Civil and showy. The Stag Hotel was well lighted. Hospital, and Victoria College showed an by a number of lanterns. Messrs. Watkins abundance of pretty lanterns. The Staff & and Co.'s shop looked very picturesque Departmental Sergeants' mess, the smallest indeed, while the shops on the other side also mess in the garrison, made a capital display, made a gallant display. Messrs. Watson The building was covered with bunting, and Co. were most lavish in the consumption the balconies were all draped with English flags, of gas and their illuminations were exceedingly and from the roof floated the Royal Standard, fine. They showed four large stars, three while on a line stretched across the road floated crowns, two V's, two R's, one small star, and a similar flag and the Brazilian Standard. The two triangles as well as a large number of building was profusely decorated with Chinese flags and banners which projected from the and Japanese lanterns, and a very good various windows. The Steamboat Company's feature of the display was a transparency of offices and the offices of Messrs. Heuermann Her Majesty admirably copied from the and Herbst were very handsomely illuminated, well known oil painting that forms the The Clock Tower. next commands attention. principal picture of the mess. This ugly, awkwardly-pitched structure now looked most charming, 3,500 fairy lamps having effected a wonderful and pleasing metamorphosis. Not only was the Tower out- lined but festoons of lanterns stretched from the building to the Post Office and Hotel, the whole scene being heightened by the string of coloured lanterns on each side of Pedder Street. Many offices between the Tower and Ice House Street were gaily illuminated, Messrs. Kruse and Co. looking particularly brilliant. The establishment of Messrs. Gande, Price & Co. was draped in red, white, and blue bunting; portraits of the Queen, Royal Family, etc., were displayed, draped with flags, and there were shields and other devices and at night the whole front was illuminated with vari coloured Japanese lanterns. The premises of Messrs. A. Chee and Co. were very handsomely illuminated with a large number of well placed coloured lanterns. Messrs. Holliday, Wise & Co.'s offices showed the motto "Queen of Queens" and Thomas's Grill Rooms were ablaze with light, while the New Victoria Hotel received special attention. Here Mr. W. Farmer had brought his artistic skill to bear on the illuminations, which were without doubt most brilliant. Sixty years she has reigned" was the sentence which was strikingly shown in fire. There was in addition & portrait of Her Majesty and lamps were also hung across the street and fixed to trees. The Peruvian Consulate on the upper floor of the hotel was handsomely decorated with lanterns and flags, and so were the other offices in the building. The Chartered Bank displayed some exceedingly pretty lamps, which were very effective in outlining the building.
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Looking up the hill, Government House could be seen in full blaze, hundreds of lumps being used for the purpose of illuminating the side of the house facing the harbour. crown of electric light with "V. R.” looked very brilliant indeed. The Royal Artillery Officers' Mess was appropriately illuminated with a lighted crown and cannon, while the Royal Engineers' Mess looked very fine indeed. The houses in Queen's Gardens, tenanted by Mr. W. Dauby, Dr. Stedman, Mr. A. J. David, and others were very pretty. College Gardens presented a gay appearance with many well lighted Japanese lanterns. The terrace belonging to the Spanish Procuration was also very handsomely illuminated, the chief feature being "God Save the Queen "in letters formed of white lanterns. St. Josep College was very interesting to the sightseer, God Bless our Queen" being shown in a long row of brilliant lights surrounded by a red cross. Mr. Ritchie's Peak residence. "Brockhurst," was very finely illuminated and in its bright loneliness formed a particular object of interest.
The harbour illuminations were on a grand scale. All the ships made a capital display and much time and care must have been spent in making the elaborate preparations, some of the illuminations being really surprising in their brilliancy. The men-of-war look exceedingly well, showing hundreds of brilliant electric lights. Nearly all the merchant vessels were entirely outlined with lanterns, the effect being exceedingly pretty,, and the ships looking like so many suspended fairy castles. It is impossible to particularize the various vessels, however much we would like to do so, for the simple reason that we could not unfor- |
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tunately pick them all out. The crews. how delighted with what they saw and expressed ever, may rest assured that the public were unbounded praise with the magnificence of the spectacle afloat. No end of beautiful rockets were fired off, but unfortunately the low hang- ing clouds of Tuesday night resulted in many of the fireworks being lost in the mist. But there was compensation even in this, for the effect of the endden burst of light in the darkness as the rockets exploded was exceedingly pretty.
Among the barbour illuminations Station, which was most effectively illuminated might be included the Tsimshatsui Police and from the Hongkong shore it seemed, by its elevation, to be situated right back on the far distant bills. The Hongkong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Company's premises also presented a very beautiful aspect from the har- boar, there being strings of lanterns stretching from one end of the building to the other, as well as other effective illuminations. There is no doubt that the harbour illuminations made a most magnificent sight, thanks to the presence of so many fine vessels in the harbour at the time, and the spectacle was one which will not be easily effaced from the people's
memory.
THE STEAM-LAUNCH AND FISHBOAT
PROCESSION.
The feature that had been looked forward to with most interest on Tuesday was the steam- launch and fish-boat procession, which was ander the direction of the Hon. H. E. Wodehouse, C.M.G., and Captain Ramsey, R.N. If the expectations that had been formed were not fully realised it was only because too much attention had been bestowed upon the brilliancy of the illuminations of the lines of cargo-boats be- tween which the procession passed. These
were
so bright and continuous that the launches as they slowly steamed up the course in line ahead did not forcibly strike the eye of the observer, but had rather to be watched for. When massed together for the start, how- ever, their illuminations were more effective and formed a very pretty spectacle, and this was still more the case at the close, when the launches wheeled up in line abreast bows on to the Praya, a movement that was neatly executed. The final screeching of their whistles as they dispersed formed a fanfare of a novel, effective, and not inappropriate character.
The fish-boats that followed the launches boat carrying enormous fish lanterns, that is, were towed in strings of three and four, each
lanterns made in the form of fish and illumin- ated by candles. To most of the Europeans teresting and to the Chinese it appeared to who witnessed it the sight was new and in- afford much delight.
CONGRATULATORY TELEGRAMS. The following are copies of telegrams des- patched to London during the day :-
THE JUBILEE COMMITTEE. "The subjects of Her Majesty and all other residents in Hongkong respectfully tender to the Queen Empress their heartfelt congratula tion on the completion of the sixtieth year of her Glorious Reign and humbly pray that Almighty God may long spare Her Majesty to rule over her loyal and affectionate people. CHATER, Chairman Jubilee Committee.
ST. ANDREW'S SOCIETY,
beg leave at this time of national rejoicing and
• The Saint Andrew's Society of Hongkong thanksgiving to express their loyalty and devo tion to the Queen and carnestly pray that Her Majesty may long continue to reign over a happy and United Empire.-STEWART LOCK- HART, President."
THE MASONIC BROTHERHOOD. CHAPELRIES, London. Following for- warded. The Masonic Brotherhood in Hong- kong and South China of many nationalities tender in reverent respect their profound con- gratulations and pray that the Great Architect of the Universe me reserve to the fulness of time the gracious arch who for over sixty years has Governed Great Britain and Great Britain's possessions with her wise and benefi- cent rule. Chater, District Grand Master. ROBINSON."
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