18
of what we have hitherto worked, some slight idea of the enormons amount of reserves there are available in this mine alone, may be got.
No. I South Engine Shaft. The erection of the pumping and winding plant over this alue is completed and is working very well. Sinking the shaft has and timbered
a depth of 92 ft. As soon as it is down the required depth will open out and connect with No. I south level of Bukit Koman.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
least the necessity of reforming the native. administration may be thoroughly recogniz. ed and that Hor Majesty's Government will not hesitate to undertake the task. The Chinese Government, unable or unwilling to maintain order and fall its international ob- Peking and in the Provinces.''
lor resumed, and it is now sunk | ligations, must be assisted by foreign control at |
BUKIT JILLIS,
As stated in my last report, the water being too much for the pumps I have drawn them from the 350 ft. to 150 ft. level and have opened out at this level.
The cross outs have been extended 40 ft. east and about 26 ft west)
At this distance in the wast crosscnt
We met with a burst of water which brought in the whole face of the drive and drove the men up the shaft. The drives are now full of water, bat I am in hope that will drain in a few days. Steps are being taken to place much heavier pumping machinery on this and Bukit Hitam
mines.
BATTERY.
The usual rough clean up for the four weeks took place on the 5th instant, when 1,109 tons yielded 2,5 10 ounces of analgan; this is well up to the late average: Crushing was resanied the same evening and has continued steadily
since..
ELECTRIC INSTALLATION, SEMPAM SECTION,
Good progress is being made with the work on this rection. We have finished all the work on the Hydraulic works to the pipe head re. servoir. The power house is fiuished, about 3 miles of cable posts are erected, and about one mile of cables are placed in position on the posts. Three miles of telophoue is fiuished. We are now waiting for the remainder of the pipes and the generators to complete this sec. tion of the work.
About two miles of the posts for carrying the cables
are erected at the Raub end of the line; this leaves about 8 miles to close up the connection; but as this part of the country very rough and mountainous progress will be slower. I expect in about a mouth or six weeks to bave the whole of the pists erected on the line.
NEW BATTERY.
Good progress is being made with the erec- tion of the new 4 bead stamp mill. We are now patting the roof on the buildings and good progress is being made with the other
DAY FOR NEW MILL,
works.
About 9.000 yards of the earthwork has been put into the dam and I hope to have this work completed in about six weeks.
WM. BIBBY, Manager.
CORRESPONDENCE,
(We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expresal by our correspondents.]
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
D
K DAILY PRESS.
""
TO THE EDITOR OF THE
Sir.-In your leading article of the 19th June, referring to the "Kienyang Missionary Outrage," you close as follows:
|
Theoretically the above pronouncement sounds very nice, and all that seems necessary, in order to solve the Chinese question, is to put it into practice. Here, however, comes the rub. and it seems strange that any one having experience of China and the Chinese should be found to a Ivance such an impractical suggestion. It is also a strange fact that suggestions for compelling the Chinese Government to follow a course diametrically opposed to their inclination, their inherint nature, the habits and interests of
the Chinese literati, who are the real rulers of the country, and the whole of their past record are constantly being promulgated by tho a who oppose all suggestions as to setting up spheres of influence, the only really practical solution of the Chinese Problem. If, as has been re peatedly suggested, a sphore of influence is too big a task for the British to undertake, how on earth are they going to audertake the rule of the whole of the Chitosa empire, which the suggestion you make amounts to, and then what are Russia, Germany, France, and Japan going to be doing in the meantime, ant to mention America, Austria, Italy, and other Powers who may feel that they ought to have a say in the matter?
Doubtless the successful working of the Mari-
the admin-
time Customs is the foundation of the idea of extending foreign control to the Chinese army, navy, and general administration. If so a little reflection will show that there is not the slightest analogy between istration of the Foreign Customs and that which it is proposed to extend to other branches of the Chinese, or rather the Manchu, alminis- tration. To ga into it fully would, however. require a lengthy article and it is not proposed to do so here. One point, nevertheless, may be mentioned, it having a very important bring on the subject.
Everybody knows that the head of the Foreign Customs is a Britisher, but every one does not know that he would be the chief opponnut and has been the chief opponent to the extension of for.igu. control to othe branches of the Chinese Administratiou. Ho
is quite willing that the various departments of fered by a foreigner provided that in every case he is that foreigner, or that protegés of his are appointed and are removable by him at will. What do you thi ik he cares as to whether the Chinese Government reforms or does not reform so loug as be builds up a name and a fortune and buttresses the position ho has attained by surrounding himself with his relatives and their retainers, who are bound by the strongest tie, self-interest, to support him through thick and thin? Those who kuow him well are aware that the one thing he fears and the chief thing he guards against is the possibility of any other foreigner. British or non-British, attaining to the position of a confidential advisor of the Cai. uesa Government. There is one exceptiou to this rule of his life, and that is the Secretary of Legation, London, who is in realty bis sub. ordinate and who owes his position to him. Did the latter follow an independent line he would be promptly suppressed.
the Chinese Government should be adminis
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July 1, 1899.
THREE TIMES IN A CENTURY.
TO, THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
Dear Sir,The fact that, as you noticed, the recent eclipse of the moon was not observed by many who would have been glad to witness such an interesting phenomenon, suggests that those should who, possess a knowledge of these things give us timely warning of the much more rare and beautiful celestial phenomenon which, it is believed, is likely to occur this year.
...
There is probably no one in the colony who witnessed the remarkable meteoric shower" in 1833; there may be several who remember its recurrence in 1866; and there must be more. who are looking forward in the hope of seeing this phenomenon when the opportunity comes again. If it be true that the period of its re currence is 3 years, the night of 13th Novem- ber, 1899, should be one never to be forgotten by those who are then ready and able to see Low the heavens declare the glory of God"
**
Will you very kindly call attention to this expected phenomenon, and induce the local Observatory to put the public in possession of such information as may be available. Can the date and hours be accurately known? Shall we, on the 114th East Meridian, have seeing the "Shower," provided of course that the sky is cloudless? How long is it likely to last?
a
chance of
Possibly some preparations might be made by amateur photographers to make a permanent, pictorial, and accurate record of the event. It would be interesting to learn whether the Chi- nese have any written or traditional account of a similar event in the past.-I am, sir, yours faithfully.
RF. COBBOLD. Hongkong, 28th June, 1899.
THE ECLIPSE OF THE MOON AND THE APPROACHING METEORIC SHOWER.
"
10 THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
SIR,-In reply to the letter of the Rev. R. F. Cobbold in your issue of to-day, allow me to remark that it does not seen to be so generally known as it should be that the circumstances under which all calipses of the sun or moon take' place are published regularly in the Nautical Almaneu, at least three years before they occur; and that from thence they are copied into all If therefore the public wish local almanacs. to he reminded of facts which they can always find out for themselves they might surely depend upon the daily press if the matter is considered by the Editors of sufficient interest to deserve their attention, as it is no part of the duty of a Government Observatory to act as a public re- membrane r. Ihave had the honour of being connected with three of the largest English Cambridge, and observatories-Greenwich, Glasgow--and it has certainly been the aim of theso establishments to ascertain new facts, to advance knowledge, and not merely to disseminate what has been already published and is open to the most casual enquirer. Such aims may suit the ambition of the observatories of Manila or Sicawei, but are beneath the notice of even the smallest English observatory.
:
The shower of meteors which is expected to aceur in November next and to which Mr. Cobbold more particularly refers is a phen- omenon which comes into an entirely different category, and as one of the few who were eve witnesses of the display of 1866 some, remarks from me may interest some of your readers, be expected to be repeated this year, lasted That shower, which in most of its features may Human about 5 hours and might be considered to bave maintained its full splendour Whether it will te about half that time. seen here depends mainly on the question whether during that 21 hours the sun will be below the horizon and the constellation of Leo, from which the meteors emanate, will be above it. If the exact position of the meteor stream in space were known it would be easy to predict this, but uninckily such is not the case, and there is a doubt of as much as 10 or 50 hours as actual time when the earth will en- to the counter the stream. It will therefore be neces- sary to have obsarvers on the look out in differ- ent longitudes around the world, and to secure this Prof. E. C. Pickering, of Harvard College,
The sphere of influence remedy for the disor der aud disorganization perniating the Chinese The most important point for consideration, Empire is progressing in spite of all opposition. as natural influences must, in the long run. however, is what measures are to be taken to prevail against the schemes of man. prevent the recurrence of such outrages. This question has been before the Foreign Govern- efforts can only succeed permanently where they are directed to th facilitating of nature's ments for the last half century, and, bas been
course, and who can dispute that nature is bring dealt with for the most part in a very in ing about the disruption of the Chinese Empire adéquate manner. Germany has within the last and its substitution by the various Powers few years shown us one way of treating it, by whose expansion can be distinctly traced in the the seizure of Kiaochao, and it is to be hoped history of the last half century. Nature not that the action of that Power will on the only abhors a vacuum, but she abhors disorder, present occasion be emulated in its vigour if and the cure for the disorder so prevalent in not in the precise details of its methods. Great China is at hand and the events of the next ten Britain h has disavowed any desire for the as-years will emphasise those of the past eighteen quisition of territory and has in a measure months. pledged herself to uphold the integrity of China, but if territorial compensation is not to be hoped that at to be exacted it is t
SPHERES OF INFLUENCE. Hongkong, 25th Jnue, 1899.
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