November 10, 1897.]
- Balmoral Mine-In addition to the two men who are engaged driving the tunnel to cut the True Blue reef there are four parties of two men each prospecting on different portions of the mine. These are working on half pay and share system and are doing good prospect ing work and in two cases they have a fair | show of succeeding.
OLIVERS FREEHOLD MINES,
LIMITED.
The General Managers, Messrs John D. Humphreys & Son, have received the following report from their mining managers by the steamer Airlie :-
Mount Macdonald,
8th October, 1897. Eureka Mine.—Main shaft sunk 66 feet below 200 feet level, making a total of 266 ft. from surface. Reef in bottom 6 ft. wide. Ore of usual grade. From a depth of 20 ft. to present depth we have taken the reef out the full width. This, as stated in a previous report, somewhat retarded the progress in sinking, but yielded a large supply of ore, which is now at grass ready to send to the battery. At 253 feet bearers were put in and the shaft timber placed in position, the space behind, from whence the ore already referred to was taken, being filled up with mullock or refuse sent from the surface, so that when we come to work the reef up from the 300 feet level the ore can be all taken out without in any way interfering with the
shaft.
Timber Winze at 200 feet level sunk 10 feet. Reef 7 feet wide, of fair grade.
Air and Mullock Shaft securely timbered and divided and Indder way fixed in air compartment leading into slopes abore the 150 feet level. This will be a great convenience in the future working of the mine. We have two men engaged breaking ore in the stopes above the 200 feet level, where the reef is 6 feet wide. Stone here of the usual grade.
Mining Tenement 18.-On this a small shaft is being sunk in which we expect to strike an off-shoot from the main Eureka reef. It was necessary to do some work on this M. T. and there is every reason to believe that the work will prove remuneratir”.
G. L. 105.-The reef in the underlay shaft is over 3 ft. wide between two good walls and prospects about 4 oz. of gold per ton. which will when opened up pay well. Present depth 54
feet.
Everything in connection with the mines is in first class order, and large quantities of ore are ready for treatment.
GERMAN ACTIVITY IN SOUTH CHINA.
It has been reported very frequently of late that the German naval authorities were making surveys of various parts of the coast of Southern China, with ulterior objects, but all such reports have been as often *** officially contradicted,” Within the last few months, we know a good * deal of attention has been bestowed upon the North China coast, as well, by our Teutonio triends, and it is only quite recently that two of their warships were in Kyao-cbao, making very careful and close surveys under the eyes of a special official sent out by the Berlin Govern- ment for that purpose. But there is a concensus of opinion that it is Southern China that the Germans are devoting their chief attention to, and the neighbourhood of Amoy has been more than once closely surveyed by varions Ger- man warships. Once more reports reach
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. view of certain contingencies arising respect- The Viceroy Pien Pao-chuan ing Formosa. seemed to give a half assent to the proposition, and sent a deputy named Li in a steamer to report on the matter and see the place selected, which is a considerable distance from any port open to foreigners. On Li's arrival at the place it was given out that he was making investiga. tions with reference to the tea-tax, lest the Li remained there people should be disturbel. some months, and lately he reported to the Viceroy that a German man-of-war eutered the harbour in the district of Funing, without showing her flag, and that he (Li) had called on her officers to ascertain their business They are reported to have informed him that certain developments, in reference to Formosa, were shortly expected to arise, and that the German Government wished to use the un-opened ports of Erbta, Santu. Feiluanghing and Sanshan in case of necessity for the storing of munition. and the accommodation of naval forces. The deputy went very minutely into what are said to be the details of the German requests and asked the Viceroy for tele graphic instructions. Upon the receipt of this despatch the Viceroy sent another magistrate named Chien to the Funing district to in- vestigate the strange affair, Chien having a good knowledge of the locality, having last year visited it with some German officers in con- nection with the settlement of the outrage ou the Basle Mission. So important is the matter regarded by the Viceroy that he has declined to have anything further to do with it on his own responsibility, and has addressed a tele- graphic despatch to the Tsung-li Yamen asking what the views of the Imperial Goverument
As subject.
said at are upon the the outset we do not know what truth there is in the whole story, but even in China smoke does not twist and twirl upward on the contortions that truth often takes here, without at least a spark of fire. What could be hinted at about Formosa we are quite at a loss to imagine, but that Garmany is very anxious to get a foothold of some sort in South China we are quite ready to believe and no one would blame her, for so far she is the only one of the Triple Alliance of 1895, which assisted China against Japan, that has not got either a sub- stantial reward, or at least a shadow, as the French have got. But our private idea is that neither France nor Germany will get anything more than the shadow; Russia have astutely nobbled all that there was to get without creat ing a general scramble of the Powers which
WO
Russia does not want.-China Gazette,
TIENTSIN.
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Tientsin, 24th October. Probably the most important news of the Autumn is that concerning the Trans-Mon- golian Railway. It is curious to note bow little public attention this bas attracted, al- though its potential gravity exceeds that of all the Renters of the year put together. It is believed in semi-official circles in Peking that Russia has arranged for a railway across the Gobi from Kiatcha on the Siberian frontier to Kalgan, about 200 miles from Peking. The terms roughly are--that the Northern power shall find the money, make the track, and ad- minister the line for 80(18) years, after which China shall have the option of buying ber out. China meanwhile promises to com- plete the line through the Great Wall to Peking and to establish through connection with such trans-Celestial lines as may be constructed, and she further guarantees protection from Mongol raiders.
us from various sources-all native it must be added—of increased German activity on the coast of Fulkien, which operations are greatly exciting the native papers. How much truth is in them we do not know, but that they have some foundation, in fact, we are ready to believe, though the Chinese bare a strange facility for twisting the truth sadly away. It is said that some months ago a German naval officer, during an interview with the Viceroy of Minche❘ (Fuhkien and Chekiang), hinted at the advis. ability of the Chinese Government granting the -use of certain parts of the coast line of Fuhkien to the German naval and military anthorities for the purpose of stationing a German force there in | the event of their presence being required in them.
When I call this news, let me hasten to add that it is reported news. Well-informed officials here who are cognisant of the more occult our- rents in the political tides of the capital actually say that the preliminary guarantees have been given. Personally I am disposed to discredit this, but I deem it exceedingly probable that such a project has now been adumbrated and that it will be boldly pushed in the immediate future. The political, strategical, and com. mercial sequences and bearings of such a rail- way are so obvious that I need not delate on
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Russian diplomacy has not been inactive in Northern China since Count Cassini's departure; and indeed there are those who say that bis Excellency's furlongh has only given a freer hand to Mr. Papilon, the able first Secretary, who was the real originator and mainstay of the Cassini projects. This policy at present consists of multiplying and enhancing Russia's interests in China; of getting into closer educational, military, and trade contact with the Northern provinces, and of slowly instilling into the Chinese mind that Russia's present friend- ship is indispensable and her future domination inevitable.
The alertness and activity of Russian Agen- cies up here is incredible: they are omnipre- sent and indefatigable. Colonel Wogack, the mili. tary attaché, now keeps two secretaries fully em- ployed and in bis personal movements is asubiqui ious as the back reporter of an American paper. The local Mining College for Chinese students is being pushed, notwithstanding the masterly inaction of the officials; the language, methods, and experts are to be exclusively Russian. But after all perhaps the most subtle and incisive attempt to spread Kussophilism and to depre cate Russophobia is seen in the endeavour to control the new vernacular paper. This journal will not be subsidized in the crude sense of the
word, but none the less it will be a platform from which the Great White Czar will be exhibited in his most benign aspect to the Chinese reader. There will be no backsheesh, but the paper will circulate largely in Kussian territory where Chinese settlers are found, and will be found advocating the uuity of interest and destiny of the two peoples.
It may be asked if our folk are showing them- selves alive to all this. Well, there is no doubt that Sir Claude MacDonald is kept fairly well informed, and that Downing Street understands that Russia is heeding the infinitely small as well as manipulating the big key-board of diplomacy. The Foreign Office recently communicated to Peking its warm approval of the policy which has resulted in 1,400 mow of land being handed over to the control of the British Municipal authorities in Tientsin. I may here interpolate the flattering remark of a legation official that in a long experience with the Chinese he had never known any- thing put through with so much tact and good will, and with so little friction on all sides.", We distinctly feel this to be a feather in the cap of the three or four Tientsin gentlemen who so unobtrusively initiated and upheld the policy for which Consul Bristow got all the credit: assuredly he deserved credit, though not a monopoly thereof.
•
Sir Claude himself manifests the most eager interest in all that concerns his countrymen. He also is seeking to enlarge and strengthen our stake in China. He is at present on a visit to Mr. Claude Kinder at Tongshan, inspecting the result of some fifteen years of hard work by that able engineer. It is suspected that Mr. Kinder is once more the object of a big in- trigue, and that the Minister's deliberate manifestation of interest in his work has a
significance greater than meets the casual We have his Excellency's own word on this occasion he is not not ce. for saying that going South.
This is the eve of the race meeting and our sporting community is tremulous with the ex- citement of lotteries and anticipation. Last night the Championship lottery reached the aggregate of $2,100, $70 being offered for Mr.
T.H.P's stable. These modest numbers are record figures for Tientsin, where the gambling element of racing has always been subordinate.
It may interest Hongkong racing men to know that an enterprising Tientsin owner hopes to go down this winter and try his for- tones in your Olympians, The last time this was done was, I think, in 1892. In the Seventies and early Eighties it was by no meana as rare a proceeding as it has since be- come. I will not assume the mantle of a pro- phet; horse flesh has a curious tendency to illustrate the slipperiness of the short route twixt cup and lip; but if our Tientsin owner does pat in an appearance, your men may have to look to it. One of his ponies holds the China record for 14 miles and the other is supposed to be a phenomenal griffin held back in honour of the occasion.
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