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munication we shall be happy to furnish the same. I am, yours faithfully,
H. W. PRICE, President. General Produce Brokers' Association of
London.
To W. H. Cooke, Esq., Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom, 5, Whittington Avenue.
Hongkong. General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 14th October, 1897, H. W. Price, Esq., President, The General
Produce Brokers' Association of London. Sir, I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 13th Angust enclosing copy of a letter addressed by your Association to the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom on the question of the maintenance of the in- tegrity of a Bill of Lading.
In reply I am instructed by my Committee to say that, as the question is not so simple as would appear at first sight. before taking any setion in the matter, they are desirous of dis- enssing it at their next meeting.-I am, dear sir, yours faithfully,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary,
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. Hongkong, 24th November, 1897, The President, General Produce Brokers'
Association of London.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[December 2, 1897.
I enclose herewith for your Lordship's con- | lights in the southern part of the Red Sea I sideration copy of a lotter received by this am directed by the Marquess of Salisbury to Chamber from the Bengal Chamber of Com-state to you for the information of the London merce, Calcutta, together with copy of a letter Chamber of Commerce that the matter has been addressed by that Chamber to the Secretary of receiving the careful attention of Her Majesty's the Government of Bengal on this subject: Government.
I am directed by the East India and China Trade Section to say that they endorse the views set forth in the communication of the Calcutta Chamber, and express the hope that this important matter will receive the careful and sympathetic attention of H.M.'s Govern- ment and that their influence will be exerted to obtain the desired object and thus provide for the safety of the very large amount of British shipping which passes continually through the Suez Caual and the Red Sea.
I understand that the Board of Trade have recently taken some action in connection with this matter and that the same is now receiving
their most careful consideration with a view to a satisfactory solution of the difficulty being arrived at. I am, my Lord, yours faithfully, KENRIC B. MURRAY, Secretary. The Most Noble the Marquess of Salisbury,
K.C.C., Foreign Office.
Bengal Chamber of Commerce,
Royal Exchange Buildings,
Calcutta, 19th May, 1897. To the Secretary to the Government of Ben- gal, Marine Department.
Sir, I am directed by the Committed to address you with reference to the urgent nec s
Sir, In continuation of correspondence on the subject of maintaining the integrity of bills of lading, I am instructed to say that my Com-sity which has long existed for additional light mittee, after further consideration of the matter. feel unable to take any active steps to secure sny alteration of the system as carried on here. They have, however, had copies of the corres- pondence printed and circulated among the members of the Chamber, and will also forward same for publication in the local Press.---I am, dear sir, yours faithfully,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
THE LIGHTING OF THE RED SEA.
Board of Trade (Harbour Department), 7, Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W.,
20th September, 1897.
Sir, I am directed by the Board of Trade to ́acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th ultimo on the subject of the dangers to navigation in the vicinity of the Island of So- cotra, with special reference to the recent loss of the steamer Aden on that coast; and, in reply, I am to state, for the information of the Hong kong Chamber of Commerce, that the matter is at present engaging the attention of the Board of Trade.--I am, sir, your obedient servant,
F. H. W. PELHAM. The Chairman, General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong.
The London Chamber of Commerce Botolph House, Eastcheap, London, E.C
29th September, 1897. Dear Sir, I am in receipt of your favour of the 20th August last, which I will lay before
the East India and China Trade Section of this Chamber at its next meeting.
The subject referred to in your letter to the President of the Board of Trade-Perils of navigation in the vicinity of Socotra-was (under the title of the better lighting of the southern portion of the Red Sea) dealt with by the Section at its last meeting, and I send you herewith for information
your
Copy of a letter addressed by this Chamber on behalf of the Section to the Secretary of State for For- eign Affairs together with a copy of his reply thereto.-I am, dear sir, yours faithfully,
KENRIC B. MURRAY,
Secretary. The Secretary, Hongkong Chamber of Com.
merce, Hongkong.
London Chamber of Commerce, Botolph House, Eastcheap,
London, E.C.
27th July, 1897. My Lord, I am directed to inform you that the East Indis and China Trade Section of this Chamber at its last meeting had under con- sideration the question of the inadequate supply of lights in the Southern portion of the Red Sea.
Funds have already been accumulated by the Egyptian Government for the construction of new lights in the Red Sea. It has not as yet been found possible to come to any arrangement for the erection of these lights, which would be situated on Ottoman territory on the eastern side of the Red Sea, and the question of employ. ing lightships is being considered, one of which would be stationed on the Mocha Shoal.--I am, sir, your most obedient humble servant,
GEORGE CURZON.
THE PINNACLE ROCK fund.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 22nd Oct., 1897, Sir,-In view the recent wreck of the Bri. tish steamer Namoa in the Haitan Straits on an uncharted rock, and the fact that there is reason to believe that many unknown pinnacle rocks exist on the coast of Chius, I am in- structed by my Committee to bring to the notice of Commodore Holland the fact that this Cham- ber has at its disposal a fand subscribed in 1888, and now amounting to over $3,000, established for the purpose of giving rewards to fishermen and others who report to the authorities the existence of any of these hidden dangers hither- to unknown. It was believed, at the time the Pinnacle Rock Fund was started, that, if snf- ficient inducement were offered, much valuable information might be obtained from the native fishermen on the coast who may be supposed to be well acquainted with the position of these obstacles to safe navigation. So far, however, little call has been made on the fund, possibly owing to the existence of such rewards not having been made sufficiently known among the Chinese seafaring population, and to the fact that no vessel of H.M.'s Navy has been on regular surveying duty on this coast for some years,
houses in the lower portion of the Red Sea. The subject is by no means a new one, as the want has been long acknowledged and forcible attention has been drawn to it from time to time whenever a casualty has occurred. The com- mitte understand that a short time ago the British Ambassador at Constantinople issued a circular to the representatives of the Great Powers inviting their co-operation in a joint representation to Turkey pressing for authority to construct lights in the region referred to. The committee are without information as to whether any results of a practical nature have followed from this circular, but they venture My committee therefore desire to suggest to respectfully to submit that it is almost impossible Commodore Holland that Her Majesty's survey- to Overrate the necessity for some sp. edy actioning vessels, when engaged in surveying on the being taken in the interests of the gerly in-coast, might be empowered to offer suitable creasing amounts of shipping which finds it. rewards from this fund for information of the way through the Red Sea to India, China, ¦ and Australia. The course pursued by vessels either downwards or upwards through the most dangerous in the world, and for V.A. Lawford, Esq., R.N., Red Sea is without doubt One of the
nearly nine hundred miles there are no lights - whatever for the guidance of mariners. The | Committee feel that it is not necessary to enter into any detail as, to the manifold dangers of the passage as these must be accurately known to the marine authorities.
2. The matter is assuming additional im- portance at the present time owing to the approaching renewal of the P. & O. mail con- tract, which provides for a considerable increase in speed and consequently tends to increase the risk which is already run by the steamers owing to the absence of lights. The upper portion of the Red Sea where the course pursued by vessels runs close to the Egyptian shore is already fairly well provided with lights, and the Committee are unable to realise that any subtan- tial difficulties can possibly lie in the way of treating the southern portion of the Red Sea with its 200 miles of shoals and islands in a similar manner.
In any case the matter is one which appears to call for prompt and decided action on the part of the British Government, as the great majority of vessels passing through these waters carry the British Flag. The Committee there- fore direct me to request that the Government of Bengal, after giving the matter due con- sideration, will move the Government of India to ask the Secretary of State to take such steps as may be considered desirable with a view to establishing a complete system of light houses in the southern portion of the Red Sea.-1 have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
W. PARSONS, Secretary.
Foreign Office,
4th August, 1897. Sir, In reply to your letter of the 27th ultimo with regard to the inadequate supply of
kiud above referred to, and thus carry out the intention with which it was founded. I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX, Secretary.
Secretary to
Commodore Swinton Holland, R.N.
Tamar at Hongkong, 25th October, 1897.
Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 22nd instant on the subject of rewards to fishermen, &c., reporting the existence of uncharted rocks and dangers on the China coast and to inform you that the Commodore has forwarded the same for the in-
formation of Sir Alexander Buller, K.C.B., Commander-in-chief,
i
2.-H.M.S. Phoenix has been directed to make a survey of the harbour of Swatow on her return from Tamsai where she is now stationed for a short time, and instructions will be given to the officers conducting the survey that applica- tiou may be made, through the Commodore, when necessary, to the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce for any awards which it may be con- sidered that fishermen or others have deserved for imp.rting useful information as to the existence of unknown dangers.
3.-A copy of your communication has also been forwarded to the hydrographer of the Navy so that information may be given of the existence of this fund to any ship which may in the future be employed in surveying work on the China coast.-I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,
VINCENT H. LAWFORD,
Secretary to Commodore. R. Chatterton Wilcox, Esq., Secretary, Hong- kong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 24th November, 1897. - Sir, I am instructed by my Committee to beg you to convey to the Commodore their thanks
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