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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
wei coal mining syndicate, the form.it has been himself condemned upon a secret which was explained in our issne memorial, forwarded by the redoubtable Kang It would appear that there is Yi to the throne, for malversation of funds Richmond in the field iu the shape of and treacherous .conduct while in charge mining syndicate who claim certain to affairs at Woosung. He has according- rights over the territory and intend ly left Shanghai in hot haste for Nanking, ing for an injunction to restrain the other and the rehearing of the case has been ad- oncern from working in the vicinity of Wei- journed sine die. It is reported that Kang Yi
-Shanghai Daily Press.
has denounced Sbun as a traitor for bringing the Germans into the Woosung forts! and that be has been banished to the post roads of Mongolia. As an illustration of the humours of the bench this story is probably unparalleled. It will be interesting to know what class of inan will finally dispose of the Bank of China case, considering that the former judge, Tsai, and the judge that was to be to-morrow have been b th condemned unLeard for peccadilioes alleged by their enemies. The announcement has created great consterna. tion among the native mandarins.--China Gazette.
CATCHING AND TINNING RICE- BIRDS.
*. Also, W. Cross, Acting Commissioner of Customs at Samshui, in his report for 1898 rite the following interesting account of the rive bird industry at that port:----
An interesting occupation carried ou in cam is the Linning of rice-birds, soles, and
in a limited quantity. This lucrative! - was started seven years ago, and in here were 10 shops engaged in it, mostly Pun by men who have been in the United States d who have learnt the business of canning The rice-bird season is short, begin- the middle of the 8th moon and lasting *t weeks. The birds' are caught at ▲ reed patch on the bank of the river ranted for the season. After dark 120 feet long and 15 feet high, is the reeds, which are 8 to 10 rope is then dragged slowly towards the open net. The birds can heard twittering and flying from stalk to alk before the advancing rope. Near the net rope is given = sharp jerk, the haulers yell, the men holding the net up on bamboo Immediately close the bag. An average catch is 200 birds, an extremely good haul 1,000, while the whole, night's take is usually 5,000. These are sold for 2 cents each, the price depending on the harvest. After being plucked and cleaned, they are fried in pork fat for half en hour, pat into tins of a dozen each, which
then filled with boiling lard, soldered, and boiled in water for an hour or so, The tins are packed in boxes of 4 dozen, and shipped to Hongkong, where they are retailed at from 35 to 4 cents a tin. In a gool year as many as 700,000 are canned, whereas in an ordinary Paton the supply is only about 300,000. There isa curious legend concerning these birds, which spposes to find general credence, even amongst the educated classes, and is to the effect that a species of yallow fish leave the ea during the 8th moon, when the grains of rice are in the tender stage, trausform themselves into birds, and feed on the paddy. After the rice has been harvested the birds disappear, but it is not known what becomes of them-many believing that they die, being unable to procure food! Quails are also preserved, but only in limited quantities, as they are not plentiful in the district. Three birds go to a tin. Soles
al
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canght in the North River (none are found in the West River), treated the same way as Hae birds, and weighed into tins of lb. each. The annual output at present amounts to 400 et en ting, which are sold in Hongkong for 40
ents each.
FOOCHOW NOTES.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT]. that the climate of Foochow is mild and delight- In the Chronicle and Directory it is stated ful for about nine months of the year, but in summer it is rather trying. A refuge from the three hours' chair ride to the top of Kuliang. heat of summer can, however, be gained by a All this is very true. Kuliang is, especially in the morning and evening, a cool and delightful spot, but—— Besides seeking cool breezes the average taipan seeks quiet. What with heat and flies and noisome smells and brazen lunged beggars and one thing and another from which he has just escaped, he expects at Kuliang to be able to lie back and enjoy a quiet smoke and a chat without having to trouble himself about “Ob what must it be to be there and so forth. Just in the same way as in Amoy, where the missionaries would have their hospital on Ku- lagan, so at Kuliang they will iadulge in psalm singing, maskee any body or the swears they The man responsible for the following ad. must have said a good many before his
Wanted, a house at Kali patience gave way
swear.
ang for August and September. Rent no object, but must be out of earshot of mis sionary dwellings as perfect rest and quietude is necessary. Apply, etc."
The following little episode is interesting as iliustrating one phase of life in the Gorgeous Fast. Early in the afternoon a few days ago a coolie ran up quickly to another coolie in quiform standing in all his glory before the door of his master's godown and pulling him smartly and unceremoniously aside. slipped in through the door and locked it. Sir Yellow. plush was just getting himself worked up into a furious tear when things developed a bit. First came a coolie running with what appeared to be a big Chinaman's hat in his hand. turned out to be a shield made of stont wicker- work the gentleman's arm, and in his hand he carried a sword. Close behind him came a few
This
others similarly provided, then three men carry ing bundles of bamboos about 8 feet long, each with a large knife fastened at the end, and then two excited savages armed with muskets dating from before Waterloo Much load talking THE BANK OF CHINA CASE AND
was indulged in, the knives on the bamboos THE CHINESE Judge,
were thrust in through the stoutly barred win. dows of the hong, and one gentleman discharged his musket at the sun and ceremoniously and Shanghai, S1st July.
By and The
disgraceful conduct of the Chinese dramatically cast about to reload. Government in reference to native shareholders bye some of the Chinese inside obtained a and their unpaid calls to the Bank of China, hearing and the besiegers consented to par Japan and the Straits Limited has been relievedley and soon after melted away, and all was as by the saving grace of humour. Iu our last quiet again as after Roderick Dhu had made issue we referred to the fact that the Taotai his signal to his merry men in the High: Shan Tan-ho, who had been delegated by land defile. Upon enquiry it was found that the men employed matting tea boxes were the Nanking Viceroy to re-hear the case to-morrow, along with the British Consul. partly natives and partly Cantonese. One of General, Mr. Pelham Warren,
the Cantonese had put a cup of tea aside to cool and one of the Foochow men had drank it, the self ander glond, having been already murderous demonstration. described above was denounced for his maladministration-... of affairs at Woosung when he was in charge of the result, and it was only after the most abject the defence works at that place. But we had apology had been made that the Cantonese no ides that things were going so badly with allowed the matter to drop. It is true the poor gld Shun, who, from a Chinese point of weapons brought out were from a military rier has not been such a bad specimen of point of view. contemptible, but they were mandarin, after all; bat to-day we learn that evilently well cared for. and even a fifty year old sword is an awkward thing for a totally un- the re-hearing of the case has been postponed armed man to come into sudden and violent indefinitaly because the Judge who was to try collison with, and the fact that there are such
was him-
[August 12, 1899.
weapons kept ready for instant use, or abuse, in the principal street of the European quarter of a Treaty Port without anyone being called to account is significant.
The question naturally occurs, where are the police? The reader, gentle or otherwise, must suppose not Foochow is such a benighted place as to be without a polich force. Some eighteen months ago several of the Consuls were going home. Whether they thought it would lend diguity and importance to their departure if they were accompanied to the wharf by a lot of uniformed police or not deponent saith not, but certain it is that the Consular Body caught a dozen or two coolies, provided them with a more or less magnificent quiform, and called them policemen, and when the departing cousuls went to the wharf these men went too. Some people might not think it particularly dignifled to be attended by a gang of men looking like monkeys just deserted from barrel orgaus, but there is no accounting for taste, as the old woman said ou that memorable occasion when sho kissed the cow. Except on these red letter days, where are the police ? is a question hard indeed to answer. Of what use are they? would be a still harder question.
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CANTON NOTES.
[FROM THE CHUNG NGOI BAN PONA
."
The robbers under the leaders: Fo Tau Hoi, An San, etc., in Saichin mountain have become more formidable and their numbers have been greatly increased, bad characters having come from all districts to join them. It is reported that at every meal there are over three hundred tables each accommodating ten robbers, and about one hundred cooks are employed. They go to different markets to buy food, which is rea- sonably paid for. They are not to commit robberies on ordinary people, but to blackmail. the shops, junks, and the well-to-do families. Some shops, being unable to pay the heavy blackmail, have been closed, and many junks conveying native products from different places to Canton for sale have been also obliged to discontinue the traffic. Some European firms have been disappointed ou account of the non- delivery of raw silk ordered by them from various places in the neighbourhood of Saichin, which is the centre of silk manufacture. The Namhoi. Magistrate bas gone there in person with one hundred yamen runners to cope with the robbers and Colonel Cheng and Colonel Kwan have also been sent there by the Viceroy with two hundred and three hundred Canton soldiers respectively, but as the force of the robbers is so great, the Namboi Magistrate asked the Viceroy for reinforcements, in reply
to
which one thousand Hunan soldiers were recently sent, together with several ganboats. After the arrival of the soldiers од the scone, the robbers retired into the fastness of the mountains and do not
come out to meet the soldiers, who also dare not break into the mountain to root them out, for the robbers have guarded all the passes with big guns. It is said that the robbers have in their possession a good store of various kinds of provisions and they are able to issue forth to get food from the other sides of the mountain, Seventeen arrests have been made on suspicion, most of the prisoners being lukongs and haw- kers. Ten of them have been released after trial at the request of some gentry and the remain- der are still imprisoned pending further on- quiries.
Some gentry of Kwangsi have sent a petition. to the Viceroy asking him to send soldiers for the defence of Waichap, in Kwangsi, for
the robbers there, as lately reported, are getting worse and worse and a rebellion is likely to break out again if the authorities take no notice of them. The Viceroy replied that he has asked the local Magistrate of Waichap to report upon the matter.
The Viceroy has sent General Liu Yung-fu to enlist ten thousand soldiers to be sent for the
protection of the sourturn districts. One thon-
sand are required to bo enlisted in all haste.
Some days ago a junk running between Fat- shan and Lopan was attacked midway by pirates coming in long boats. The junk-master, being
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