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January 20, 1900.]
MISCELLANEOUS.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
An application for permission to erect a they could not devise some means to mitigate | Imagine his state of mind when the freska,”
structure at the end of Wo On Lane had been this horrible scourge. received.
*con•
then and the next meeting and see whether | address, and then " West River," South
signment arrived some some weeks late, with Mr. McKIE said that at the previous meot-printed inscription," Missent to Shanghai !"
power was given to prosecute offenders as regarded lime-washing. He should like to know whether the prose actions had been carried out in the interval.
On the motion of the PRESIDENT, secondeding by Mr. McKIE, the application was refused.
"An application for extension of time to remove certain cattle sheds from Kennedy street had been received.
On the motion of Dr. CLARK, seconded by the Hon. R. D. ORMBBY, three months' exten. sion was granted, the Hon. R. D. Ormsby say ing that a substaiutial cowshed was being
erected.
An application for permission to erect two waterclosets on the ground floor of Victoria Buildings had been received
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Mr. OSBORNE proposed that one water closet be granted.
The Hon. R. D. ORMSBY seconded. Mr. CHAN A FUE opposed the motion if fresh water was to be used. He had no objec- tion if salt water was used.
Dr. CLARK also opposed the motion on the ground that this building did not come within the category of those buildings to which some- time ago the Board limited waterclosets.
The motion was lost three voling for and four against.
THE RECENT OUTBREAK OF RINLERPEST AT POKFULAM.
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Dr. CLARK said that owing to difficulties pointed out by him at the previous meeting of the Board it was necessary, although these people had had two months in which to do it. Ten days' notice had been served during the past fortnight on the offenders and that ten days was barely up. During the past fortnight only seven out of 106 tenements had been lime-washed. There were still some 600 houses in the Western District not limewashed.
The SECRETARY said no.
Dr. HARTIGAN thought the Government should be approached again in the matter. This delay was a serions matter. The first outbreak occurred early in March, and it was believed that it was introduced by the influx of people from Canton at the time of the Races. He understood that there was plague in Can
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I leave this painful subject with the intima- tion (which may be of use to those persons whose duty it is to announce the winning numbers in the Macao and other lotteries) that up the West River ports (including Nanning, where the open door is temporarily ajar) are connected by telegraph, and that it is quite unnecessary to oharter a special steamer to convey news of im portance to us, an arrangement that was actully contemplated during the recent visit of an exalted personage to these benighted regions.
Talking about steamers reminds me that the West River possesses among its other attractions Dr. HARTIGAN asked of there had been any as peculiar and variegated an assortment of vehi. reply to the communication sent by the Board oles propelled by steam as you can find the wide to the Government at the previous meeting as to the necessity of the Board being able to pro-waters would bring tears to the eyes of a Clyde world over. Some of the craft which ply upon these ceed more expeditiously in regard to these pro- shipbuilder. Launches with box-like structures secutions.
piled on top of them till only a foot of funnel peeps out to the sky; gigantic oblong bird-cages with a paddle-wheel churning up the water behind and a boiler reposing in the middle of the first-class saloon; a man-of-war making four kuots an hour under favourable conditions and one and a half against the current, with a ton. deney to turn round and steam sideways unless carefully watched-all these are doubtless objects of legitimate interest to the tourist, But our piéce de resistance, our "Tumbo," is a Chinese junk fitted up with a bowsprit, a boiler and engines in the hold, surmounted by an elegant funnel and superior passenger accommodation aft! As she carries more cargo than vessels twice The PRESIDENT said that the papers on be her sise her owner can afford to treat this de. matter were being circulated among the mem-seription with contempt. bers of the Excecutive Council, and they would hear from the Government as soon as possible. He thought one of the main things to do to stop overcrowding at the Races was to place some restriction on gambling.
ton now.
Mr. C. V. Ladds (Colonial Veterinary Sur geon) reported on the 15th inst. that the pre- mises at Sassoon's Villa, Pokfulam, the pro-intimation to that effect. perty of the Dairy Farm Company, which were declared by the Board as infected with rinder- pest on December 7th, might be declared free from disease.
The PRESIDENT-There has been ng official
The PRESIDENT said that this shed had been burned down, unfortunately, through an acci. dent when the place was being disinfected.
Dr. HARTIGAN-Can you inform the Board how many cattle were burned.
The PRESIDENT-Eighteen cattle were killed
out of 22.
QUARTERLY REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT ANALYST.
Mr. F. Browne (Government Analyst), in his report for the quarter ended Dec. 31st, said he had examined two samples of whisky, three of brandy, and found all genuine.
Answering Dr. Hartigan, Dr. CLARK said the samples were collected by the police.
Dr. HARTIGAN thought this was a perfect farce. The samples should be collected by persons unknown.
The PRESIDENT-I am informed that the Inspector goes in private clothes.
Dr. HARTIGAN-But he is known all the
same.
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
The death rate for the colony for the week ended 30th December was 241 against 20-1 for the previous week and 138 for the corres- ponding week last year.
During the week ended Dec. 24 there were 41 deaths in Macao and 46 during the following week.
PREPARING FOR THE PLAGUE.
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Mr. OSBORNE proposed that special efforts be made by the Board to prosecute the owners of 579 tenements not cleansed during the last quarter of last year. The mortality returns showed,, unfortunately, the thin end of the wedge of a visitation of plague, and, judging from the experience of previous years, they were going to have another outbreak and they expect it to commence very shortly. Therefore, as guardians of the public health, they ought to bear in mind the warnings given to them by Dr. Manson and other authorities and take time by the forelock and do all they could to prevent an outbreak this year. They ought to prosecute these offenders vigorously. Good ness knew they had reminded them enough during the past year. Another point in con- nection with the threatened ontbreak of plague was the influx of visitors to the colony during China New Year and during the Races. Hither- to it had been noticed that plague had broken out particularly after the Races, and it had been supposed that there was some connection between this influx of dirty people from Canton and the first outbreak of plague. He was not prepared at the moment to say what they could do, but he would ask every member of the Board to think the matter over between
Dr. HARTIGAN said there was good reason to believe it was there, and they should take every precaution.
being done.
Mr. MCKIE said ho believed that that was
the Government to give them some means to Dr. HARTIGAN, proposed that they should ask get the house inspected with all possible speed. They were now in a very oritical position, and they should make every affort to have things straight before he epidemio commenced, as it certainly would.
Dr. BROWN seconded and, the motion was carried.
This was all the business.
WEST RIVER NOTES. (FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.)
It is surprising, Mr. Editor, how little sooms to be known of the West River in Hongkong. Even its whereabouts in the minds of most people are veiled in doubt. Some believe it starts at Canton: others opine that you must first go A recent would-be visitor gathered from au- to Macao and there make further enquiries!
thoritative sources that he couldn't get there at all, and naturally presumed that the foreign residents on the river must, like Topsy, have "growed" there!
I hope no one will accuse me of exaggeration when I say that one or more steamers leave the colony daily for West River ports. These same ports, moreover, are the' victims of woeful misrepresentation, more especially in well informed postal eircles. We have vainly protested that Wuchow and Wenchow are different places and that Shamshui is not a port of Formosa,, A gentleman "doing time" in the latter place ordered last spring, in a moment of horticultural enthusiasm, a parcel of seeds in Hongkong wherewith to adorn his garden. You may think I am going to say that he never got those seeds-he did, bat they arrived at the latter end of June, liaving journeyed round the island of Formosa and bearing on a battered and weather-beaten label indignant remarks such as
'Not Known," Try Tainan," &o., &o.
..
I relate the following incident more in sorrow than in anger :----
A well known West River resident, desiring to receive his home papers direct instead of cir- cuitously, caused the wrappers to have printed on them in large black letters his name in full,
Really oxciting topics of conversation aro naturally few and far between up here, except when the pirates favour us with an entertain. ment. One great standby we have, however, in the rules which govern steam navigation on these waters. They are a most fascinating study because it is, humanly speaking, impossible stance, the uninitiated might suppose that the to thoroughly grasp their meaning. For in.
West River, being open, steamers can go where they like, including going on shore,
So they can, but they must be careful to start from the proper place. Imagine you are on a trip from Canton to Wachow, and on the way up you desire to stop at Dosing and visit a missionary friond (there aren't any missionaries there yet, but we can suppose one for the sake of argument). "Sorry," says the captain, "can't stop there, I'm an inter-treaty port boat; you can go to Wuchow and take a steamer from there." If you are sensible you will give up the idea of visiting Dosing and your friend.
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launch and run down. Having concluded your But, again, supposing you do take a steam
visit you say, "Now let us return to Canton." "Sorry," says the captain, “mustn't; I'm in an inland water boat. Take you back to Wuchow and change!" Compared to this, travelling on the "South Western" on a bank holiday with spe- cials running is child's play.
Friends have parted on this subject and do- mestic bliss has been shattered. West River dinner parties (yos, we do have such things) usually resolve themselves into animated debat ing societies. Jones says, "My dear fellow,
happen to know that you are quite wrong.” Brown, while admitting that Jones takes a sensible view of most things, cannot understand bis strange infatuation on this obvious point. Robinson is firmly convinced that neither Jones nor Brown have yet grasped the rudimentary principles of the subject. And so they are left talking till the "wee sma' hours" and next morning the boy is busy classifying "empties."
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The wife of the gentleman who applied for s divorce because she had "jawed constant for twenty years could find a fruitful field for her eloquence in consideration of our regulations.
I should properly conclude these remarks with a few original observations jou the state of the weather after the mauuer of the reverend gentleman whose contributions from the various health resorts in Shantung, Shansi and other anpronounceable places in the interior of China adorn the pages of your northern contemporary. After careful enquiries I have been unable to
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