April 29, 1899.
PIONIC.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
PRINCE AND PRINCESS HENRY'S 80 to press, the coolies are rapidly shifting the coal, over which the fire-engine continues to pour large quantities of water. It will be several hours before the seat of the fire is reached and even then it will hardly be possible to guage the entent of the damage done. Ștraits Times.
Shanghai, 28th April. T.R.H. Prince and Princess Henry of Prus. sia, Dr. and Mrs. Knappe, Count Hahn, Baro- ness von Plaenkner, Baron von Witzleben, and Dr. Reich of S.M.S. Deutchland returned at 9.30 yesterday morning to Shanghai having had a most enjoyable picnic. The Settlement was left on Saturday morning last, the party proceeding in three well-appointed honse boats partly under sail and, when the wind failed or headed, in tow of a steam launch to Hangehow. At Kashing there were met by Mr. T. Macphail who showed them every atten- tion. On leaving the latter place they learnt that some days previously the bridge at Samen had collapsed and was blocking the waterway, consequently a détour had to be made by strik. ing north to a village half-way to Soochow and then navigating the creeks to Hangohow Here they were met by the Commissioner of Customs, Mr. P. H. King, and, leaving their boats, were escorted by him to the various places of interest, the most beauti- ful being Pagoda Hill to which the ladies were carried in chairs and the gentlemen on horse. back. From the hill a lovely view of West Lake and of the surrounding country, which was at its best, was obtained. The first day the weather was all that could bo-desired, but on arriving at Hangchow lowering rain clouds hung overhead. On returning to the city Dr. Knappe was somehow led astray and, not know. ing Chinese, found himself in a somewhat awkward pre icament; however, he event- nally regained the city, and on going to a famous old Chinese medicine shop, there found the remainder of the party anxiously awaiting him. Here they visited several of the old temples, but the rain, which through the day had been threatening, came down in tor. reute, and for two hours a perfect deluge was encountered which somewhat marred the pro- ceedings, compelling the excursionists to keep under cover. That night they left for Soochow which they reached the following day (Tuesday). In Soochow the city temple and the various pagodas were visited, and, after a number of souvenirs had been purchased, the boats were again sought, and at 8 o'clock that evening tracks were made for home.-N. C. Daily News.
SHIP ON FIRE,
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THE SUEVIA '- PUTS BACK, The German steamer Suevia, a vessel of 2,616 tons, commanded by Capt. Forck, left Tanjong Pagar early this morning bound for Hamburg with a general cargo. She left Yokohama on the 16th of last' month and had been lying at Tangjong Pagar since the 4th April, loading cargo and taking in coal. When she left this morning everything appeared to be in the best of order on board and the ship was making good steaming. Just off Asia Point-which is some fifteen miles from Singapore, in the Straits-a smell of burning was noticed and further in. vestigation revealed the presence of smoke which was rising from coal on deck. This coal was stacked over the second hatch forward, and the captain immediately came to the conclusion that the cargo below it which includes a quan- tity of hemp and miscellaneous goods-must be on fire. Captain Forck therefore promptly turned his ship round and made for Singa pore with all speed. When within sight of the signal station, he signalled the state of affairs on board and preparatious were made at No. 7 section Tanjong Pagar for the berthing of the vessel. When she arrived alongside the smoke was rising through the deck coal in con- siderable quantity and seemed to indicate a0 extensive fire underneath. The new dock fire engine was summoned and, on arriving at the section, was set to work pumping water over the coal, while at the same time a large gang of coolies commenced removing the coal to the wharf. A message was sent to Messrs. Behn, Meyer and Co., who are the agents of the vessel, and they examined the ship. There was little to be learned, however, and still less to be seen. Until the cargo below the coal has been reached Captain Forck will not be able to tell what is actually burning or what is the cause of the fire. Meantime, as we
FORMOSA.
We have received the first copy of a weekly journal published at Taipeh and entitled The Formosa, which is in its way a newspaper curiosity. It is produced by a mimeograph and copying machine. The publisher is Mr. H. Zagawa, who is to be congratulated on his enterprise, which we hope will be sufficiently successful to justify the setting up of a regular printing plant for his journal. In its present form it is not very agreeable to read, owing to the indistinctness of many of the lines, but it is a very "newsey" little sheet. We extract the following items, some of which will be found to possess local interest :-
THE NEW GERMAN CONSUL.
Mr. Heinze, German Consol, who was trans- ferred to Tamsui from Hongkong, arrived on the 13 h instant..
DIVERSION OF THE FORMOSA TEA
TRADE TO KOBE.
Mr. K. Matsumoto, of the Formosa Trading Co.. as representative of his company and Messrs. Mourilyan, Heimann & Co., had an in- terview with the managers of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Osaka Shosen Kaisha at Kelung a few days ago on the subject of reducing the freight rate for Oolong tea from Kelung to Kobe, and both managers were brought to ac- cept the reduced rate of 15 cents per chest. Mr. Matsumoto then went to the Lighter Company, which likewise reduced its charge to 2 cents per chest. It is stated that he is now in the course of negotiation with the Railway Section to get the tea freight of the railway lowered to $3 per wagon car. It is believed that in the event of the desired rate being accepted by the railway authorities, some 200,000 chests will be shipped to Kobe this year.
THE TAMSUL WATERWORKS, The Tamani (Hobe) waterworks, which were in construction from the year before the last, have at length been completed, and water for the first time passed through the pipes on the 10th nstant without any hitch. People in Hobe have now reason to rejoice in having pure water, for which they have anxiously been waiting a long time.
RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION,
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Dr. Hasegawa, chief expert of the Formosan Railway Construction Bureau, started on the 11th instant to inspect the proposed new rail- way line to the South in company with Mr. Watanabe, expert of the Burean, and Mr. Koyama, Chief of the Formosan Railway De- partment. According to a vernacular contem porary, Dr. Hasegawa will proceed to Tokyo as soon as his inspection is over and that he will make the purchase of the railway materials.
THE TEA CROP.
Owing to the scanty rain and the prevalence of warm weather during the spring the new crop of Oolong tea will appear on the market earlier than in an ordinary year.
We understood that the tea-pioking at Bar- yoko, Sekitei District, East of Taipeh, was commenced as early as the 29th ult.
THE BANK OF TAIWAN.
Applications for the shares of the Bank of Taiwan, Limited, will be received from the public within the period of 14 days beginning from the 1st of May. A part of the shares has been already taken by the Central Government, Shares for the sum of $500,000 in silver are in tended to be raised in Formosa. It is also re- ported that at the meeting of the promoters held in Tokyo on the 16th ultimo they passed a resolution urging the Minister for Finance to prohi bit the importation of British and Mexican dollars into Formosa in order to consolidate the Formosan currency.
COMPETITION ON THE TAMBUI HONGKONG LINE.
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A bitter struggle for the supremaoy of th line is generally anticipated between theirival Companies. We learn that the Osaka Show Kaisha will shortly bring a wheel boat from Osaka to facilitate the river-traffio Twatutis and Hobo. The boat is said to able to ply on the river at the lowest tide.
PLAGUE.
Plague in Tainan is still raging if not indi creasing, about 30 cases being daily reported. The epidemic is said to be of such a violent : nature this time that the majority of the victims o cannot escape mortality Physicians, police, and nurses connected with the sanitary work there having been not infrequently caught byn the disease, there seems to have occurred a great! terror among those who come in contact with a the patients.
A DISASTROUS INOCULATION FOR PLAGUE I Dr. Hirouaka and Dr. Takiguchi, who were ordered by the Government to proceed to the infected city of Tainan as reinforcement to the sanitary force there, left Kelung on the 30th, ultimo by the steamer Akashi Maru and arrived at Anping on the 1st instant. Being cautions. persons, they had while in Taipeh undergone the inoculating process after Dr. Kitasati's system, with the hope of guarding themselves against the infection of the plague. It occurred however, to their great surprise that they were attacked by a violent fever during the voyage, and when they landed at Anping the condition of Dr. Hironaka became so bad that he suddenly fell down on the roadside, while his companion, great difficulty. A doctor who was sent for “ Dr. Takiguchi, could barely stand erect with
after careful examination to be cases of the “ hastened to the spot, and as he found them"
house, Dr. Hirouake's case proving fatal soon real plague they were at once taken to the posts, afterwards. It is natural that the medical circle in the south now seems to entertain some material now in use at Taipeh for the epidemic...... doubt of the genuineness of the inoculation
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disease.
THE REBELLION IN THE SOUTH; The Nichi Nichi Shimpo states that as a result of the indefatigable efforts made by the pollee authorities and military punitive expedition against the savages in the south, their strength* such a degree that the principal rebel-leaders: and influence have gradually been reduced to r have now been compelled to one by one surrende der themselves to the authorities, finding no more room to loot and raid to satisfy even the bare necessaries of their life. The number of the insurgents who have been pardoned by the Government for the period from January last up to date reaches 883 persons in the Tainan- Prefecture, and 1,415 persons in the Taichu Prefecture, making the total of about 2,300 persons. It must, however, be admitted that there is still a small number of highbinders and in raiders concealing their traces here and thers in the interior, but it is believed that it is a matter of time rather than of the ability of rulers to extirpate them all.
CAMPHOR MONOPOLY.'|
The Bill relating to the camphor monopoly Diet with a sum of yen 1.681,434 appropriated in Formosa having lately been passed by the
towards its working funds and the expenses OLE the camphor offices for the present fiscal year, we understand that the monopoly system will be put in operation from July next, when the new treaties will ta e effect. As regards how the Government will dispose of camphor on the market rumours are various, and no one outside. of the Government seems to know anything of the matter, the strictest reticence being kept among the authorities. The Tainan Nichi Nichi Shimpo, a Government organ, had a long leader on the subject in question, continuing. for four days and only finished it by yesterday's issue. Our vernacular contemporary enamer. ated three methods for consideration as the courses left to the Government for its choice the subject of selling camphor on the
The first method is to sell it by public, but this the journal blames as liable to ab such as the private combination of tender beat down the price. The second is to the public at a regular price fixed the Osaka Shosen Kaisha on the Tamsui- undvisable as against the not In consequence of competition started by or half-yearly, which the Hongkong line, the Douglas 8.8. Company of economic science, for has now made a reduction on their freight rates, & Government will, the
ndar
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