814
trioyoles would be a good accompaniment to a bicycle volunteer corps. I venture to say that a bicycle volunteer corps would reader volun. teering popular with many who would other wise not join that useful arm of defence.
INNOVATION.
Hongkong, 12th April, 1899.
MINES IN THE NEW TERRITORY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE " DAILY PRESS." Sir, There is little doubt that some rich mineral deposits will be found and worked in the new territory added to the colouy, and the royalty charged on working them will probably prova a welcome addition to the local revenue.
The silver mine in Lautao and the lead mine in Kowloon (situated about three miles due north from the old frontier line), now that they are free of all danger of having a lot of Chinese official harpies saddled on to them, should under the new conditions prevailing pay for the work- ing; these would be the first of the new mining industry.
PROSPECTOR.
Hongkong, 12th April, 1899.
HONGKONG GRANITE.
"
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS,'
SIR,-There is such an ample store of good granite in the Colony easily got at and easy to ship, that it is strange no company has been formed to work it for export abroad.
There must be a large market for granite worked into blocks, slabs, and columns all over the Far East, not to mention seaport towas in India, America, Australia, and Caunda, where the granite ought to be landed from here at a math lower figure thau it could be worked locally. The Philippines, too, under American administration should likewise prove a good
market for it.
ENTERPRISE.
Hongkong, 12th April, 1899.
LANTAO.
56
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
DEAR SIR,As the large island of Lautao forms part of the new territory to be formally taken over on the 17th instant, I am surprised that so little notice has been taken of it; in fact, I fear our officials have not even paid it a visit. We have heard a great deal about Mirs Bay, Deep Bay, Tolo Harbour, and Crooked Harbour, but no word of Lantao and its harbour, which is in my opinion the finest in the world. The depth of water varies from 3 fathoms in shore to 15 fathoms in the stream. It is well sheltered and
would contain the combined naval fleets of the whole world. It has four entrances. Lantoa
Island has a population of about ten thousand, so I am informed, and the largest village is Tai ho, near the west end of the Island.
The harbour of Lantao was formerly spoken of as the Tongku anchorage, and was strongly recommended to Captain Elliot by all the East India Company's captains in preference to what is now Hongkong harbour.
As the traffic increases as it surely will do- on this island, the Steamboat Company will
connect it to their Macao line for the con- venience of the general public.—[ remain, dear air, yours obedient y,
W. E. CLARKE, Hongkong, 13th April, 1899.
ANOTHER DEMAND FOR T RRITORY,
The following special telegram dated Peking, 7th April, and the accompanying note appear in the N. C. Daily News :~~~
The Island of Yangmao (Yang-mao-tao) uear Shanhaikun, Gulf of Pechili, has been formally demauded from the Tsungli Yamen by a certain Power Although the Yamen has refused further cession of territory to any Power sach strong pressure has been brought that there are doubts whether resistance is possible unless by force of arms. General Tung Fa-hsiang has offered to hold the island with his Kansu troops, but up to to-day the Empress Dowager has still refused him permission, owing to the weakness of the Chinese modern fest.
•
[Note,-In the summer of 1898, under seoret instructions from Jung Lu, then Viceroy of Chibli, a corps of graduates from the Military and Naval Academies of Tientsin were sent as quietly as possible to visit all the islands and ports in the Gulf of Pechili to select and sur- vey the most likely place for the future Naval Station of the new Peiyang Squadron. Yang mao Island was selected, and plans were drawn up for fortifying the place, and constructing docles and machine shops. The news has caused considerable conjecture amongst local man- darius as to who the "certain Power is, the general feeling being that it is either Russia or Japan.-ED.]
GREAT BRITAIN. AND SIAM.
ALLEGED SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES, The following is from the Siam Free Press the French organ, and should probably be accepted only with considerable reservation:- A serious dispute bas broken out between Great Britain and Šiam in connection with the claim of the former conutry to the Siamese Malay State of Rahiman, north of Perak.
Mr. George Greville, C.M.G., the British Minister, insists on au extension of the Perak boundaries, but the Siamese have refused to obey his orders on this point.
This dispute is one of long standing, having begun several years ago, when a British subject lost his life in the disputed territory owing to the lawlessness that prevailed in it.
From reports that have come to hand from the north sensational developments may be ex- pected there shortly.
THE A › GLO-RUSSIÁN AGREEMENT.
We (China Gazette) have high authority for stating hat the long-talked-of agreement be tween Great Britain and Russia respecting the interests and policy and spheres of the two
Powers in China has been alvinced to such a
stage that it may be considered as definitely settled-unless something unforeseen occurs between this and the exchanging of the final Notes between St. Petersburg and Londou. The coutents and extent of the agree- ment, of course, are not divulged, but we are assured that the British sphere in the Yangtse will extend northward to very near the Yellow River, which will be the Southern boundary of Russia also agrees not to interfere in any Russia's sphere. From what we can gather disputes that Great Britain may have with other Powers respecting Chine, so that France cau play her cards in this part of the collapse of the Belgian Syndicate's railway One of the first results is the
scheme from Haukow to Poking, from which Russia having now withdrawn her support- it was mainly got up by her and to enable King Leopold to add some more to his rast is unwilling to capital for
world alone.
"
带价
it.
store of wealth-France advauce the necessary Belgium, without army
or aary to euforce her rights in China if the latter shuld violate her agreement or repudiate her liabilities, refrains from investing her money in that hairbrained venture, which as a strategic move was undoubtedly excellent, but as a commercial undertaking was foredoomed
to failure from its birth.
THE KIAOCHOW RAILWAY.
Own
Mr. P. Hildebraud, formerly of the Woosung Railway, was to begin the special survey of the railway from Kiaochow to Weibien on the Tsintao to Chinaafu and back to Isboafu and 22ud ult. The general surrey of the line from
Tsintao, was finished four months ago by Mr. H. Hildebrand, the Managing Director of the Railway, and all the general plans for the whole line from Tsintao to Chinaufu were finished two months ago. The building of the line is to be begun very shortly, and the work will be pushed forward rapidly.—N. C. Daily News.
Messrs. Shewan, Tomes & Co., Agents of the Yangtsze Insurance Association, Limited, have received information that the directors will recommend at the general meeting of share- holders the payment of a further dividend at the rate of 10 per cent. for previous years.
[April 15, 1899,
THE ANTI-FOREIGN OUTRAGES IN SHANTUNG.
ATTACK ON THREE GERMAN TRAVELLERS
PLUCKILY REPULSI 1)
We (N. C. Daily News) have been kindly permitted to publish the following extract from a private letter dated Ichoufa, the 23rd of March -
To the south-west, twenty miles from us, there have been a number of riots, but no ono punished for anything as yet. A Catholic priest who is just in from that vicinity to-day says that his life has only been saved through the fleetness of his horse; and that for three months he has had to keep the horse saddled day and night, so that he might be able to flee at any hour.
Three Catholic Christians have been killed in Feihien, about 40 miles to the west of us.
Six of them have been killed at Shenshan, 20 miles S.W., of whom two were burned to death in a big public bonfire. This is a different affair from the one I wrote of in my last letter, when the child was burned, and two had their eyes put out by the fiendish mob.
The perpetrators of the outrage to the east of ns, who dismembered the bodies of two Catholics, and burned them over the fire, burned the living child, etc., having received no punishment of any kind, have been emboldened to attempt still further outrages. Yesterday, however, they met with an unexpected check. Three Ger- maos, Lieut. Hanneman, Mr. Forschulte, and Mr. Moots, who had been landed from a gunboat on the coast directly east of us, and who were on their way to this city, stopped at Wangkia- chuang, the headquarters of the rioters in that vicinity, for their breakfast. Everything was perfectly quiet and peaceful. There was no disturbance, and after settling for their breakfast they started on their way to this place, After getting ont abont from the village, however, they suddenly lowed by a large number of armed men, a became aware that they were being fol-
two li
hundred or more in number, who had spread out ou both sides aud were rapidly surrounding them. Some of them carried the ordinary native guns, and some carried the big two-men guns. They were evidently bent on mischief, but the Germans did not at firat realise how serious the situation was. Mr. Moots, who has been an official interpreter, stopped and talked to the people, urging them to keep the peace. He assured them that they were not Catholics, or indeed missionaries, but travellers going quietly to Ichoufu. They coutinned to close up on them and then opened fire. The Germans did all they could to induce them to desist with- out bloodshed, but without avail. They had taken refuge behind some graves while parley- ing, but as the only response to their entreaties was a general fusillade from their assailants, and as brauches from the trees were falling about them, cut off by the bullets or by shots from the enemies' guns, they saw that the situation was desperate, and determined to Isel their lives dearly. They were all armed with revolvers, and began returning the fire of their foes. As their rovolvers made comparatively little noise, and gare, off almost no smoke, the Chinese set up a shout of derision, and came on more boldly for a little time, until they noticed one aud another of their company falling, and then they began to réalise that the foreign revolvers were doing execution, if not making a noise, and they began to give way. The Ger- mans then sprang to their feet, ran toward their assailants twenty steps, and falling to the ground, renewed firing. This movement they repeated two or three times, when the Chinese turned and fled. In the meantime their servants and barrowmen had scattered and of their six barrow- loads of effects all but one barrow-load had been carried off, With this they made for Ichoufu, about 25 miles, on foot reaching here about sunset, having been followed by their foes all the way, but without suffering from another attack At the time they themselves did not know how severely they had punished the enemy, but word comes to-day that three Chinese are dead and three others so badly wounded that recovery is not expected. And now the strange thing is that this morning the missing goods aud barrows and men were all brought in by a party of men from
1.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.