52
Mr. RHODES'
THÈ HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Mr M.OREIN's scheme, however, does not end with its connection with the Indiņu.
lines, but takes up their proposed junction with Burmah and China. This, however taken in conjunction with proposed Russin extensions iù Axin, is of too much interest and importance to be tagged on at the en of an article, and we propose to revert to it in a subsequent issue.
OCCASIONAL MUTES.
Many of your readers, Mr. Editor, will be pleased with the assurance of the ancient Viceroy that he willingly accepted the co-oper ation of the British in suppressing piracy on the West River. Considering that only a few days ago a party of British bluejackets were fired
on and one wounded, and that British boats
have been held up and pirated, Li's acceptapo of such an offer is benevolent and impressive It is one way. a very graceful way, of ducking out of his responsibilities. Henceforward be will always have the femsub e excuse to send to Peking, if the piracy continues, that even the British are unable to suppress it after he had given them a carte-blanche. How exceedingly amiable-that instead of reprisals being threat ened, the cony rsation over the sherry and bitters should merely binge on affectionate co-opera-
tion.
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[January 27, 1800.
The action of the Sanitary Board in starting a crusade against rats is no doubt very wise, and one which will commend itself to the house. wife and also to the Cantonese eploure. if those
stories about the Canton markets be allowed a
bearing. It is both generous and brave of the Sani- tary Board, because the wholesale accumulation. of rats, "dead or alive oh" in their immediate vicinity will doubtless increase the premiums on the life-policies of the staff. In Shangbai they could deal very comfortably with the rat catching industry, because through the morbid eloquence of two or three old stoica, they have unto themselves an expensive and built elegant crematorium (with a chapel attached that by some mistake or other was consecrated) at enormous expense, though as non, of the promoters are a xious to get incinerated, the stoker-in-chief has a sineenre in the way of a bill-t. Still the crematorium adds consider- bly and impressively to the architectural aspect of Shanghai, so much so that rents in ita im- mediate vicinity have not declined-but the
reverse.
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However, when the stock of rats at the Sani- tary Board Offices grows sufficiently large enough, no doubt, it will be well to bear the cremating facilities of our northern port in mind and forward a cous gumout. By the way, although I promptly borrowed some traps from the Sauitary Boaid, my house boy is not rushing matters. I have an idea that he is waiting for the rate to rise," twenty cash being too muchee smallo." Yet even it is to be devoutly hoped the enterprising Celestial won't import from outside any rats wholesale to get the two cents apiece, but that of course depends a good deal upon its market price elsewhere
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Since penning the abore I have discovered one reason why the Sanitary Board have only
Like an earnest citizen secured oue rat.
There
line, in so vital a portion of his dominions, in English ~hands an earnest of his own reduction to suzerainty. But Englishmen had long ago, hefore English enterprise had possessed itself of Egypt, also been planning an alternative route to the Persian Gulf through North Arabin; but the terrors of laying down a line through the then un- known desert led to the iden being rejected as chimerical. English engineers haul, however, had some experience of laying lines through the deserts of Scinde, and political reasons led them to run similar lines though the track less sands of upper Egypt. The result was favourable, the lines were easily and cheaply laid, and proved unexpectedly profitable. It was natural that Cairo should present itself as an ideal terminus. With lines ex- tending within fifteen degrees of the equator at each side, the greater part of the inter- mediate country under British influence, a railway al eadly approaching completion midway in Uganda, and three great navig- abla laken raxi▼ 16 rm links in the chain of communication till a railway without a break was feasible, a Cairo to the Cape Rail. | way came into the world of practical poli- tics, and may now be said to be a certainty of the near future. But if a Cape to Cairo Railway, extending through sixty-five de-
Li will welcome all the co-operation providing grees of latitude from 30 north to 35 south, it is harmonious and inexpensive. As a rule the were fensible, there were other and fur less Viceroys among themselves don't co-operate, formidable ventures waiting to be taken but prefer to ran their viceregal institutions up nearer home. One of these, it possible on their own merits. During the China-Japan war a considerable number of meu-of-war lying mora far reaching thau line to the Cape, was presented to the idle on the Whangpoo, the Yangtse, and at southern ports would have turned the scale British public by Mr. C. A. MUREING at Yalu had they been present, but they in the Nineteenth Century magazine for Sep were not. The only excuse for their absence tember last, and consisted in a proposed was that the owners of these vessels of war: promptly borrowed two traps from the Board, line from the Suez Canal to Akaba, at the Viceroys, had paid for those ships, and you and the "boy" triumphantly informed me that the head of the Gulf of the same name, and don't suppose they were going to sea their ships he had caught two rats, and five healthy from there to Koweyt in Turkish territory the outcome of so many hard squeeze! taels-specimens of their kind too, they were
was no plague about them! On asking the near the head of the Persian Gulf, a port of blown to pieces because their northern confrére
was, metaphorically, up a gum-tree, Not much," boy the following morning whether he had some importance, and commanding the em-
and so these vessels float to-day at their moor- claimed the four cents reward, greatly to my bouchure of the united waters of the Tigrisings in all their power and glory-frequently a horror-it was just before breakfast-be pointed and Euphrates. From Ismailia to Akaba danger to riverine navigation-but still they to two adornments on the kitchen wall, being is something under 200 miles, and from float, and while they do that they do not require the rats skinned and dressed, which he said the chair-coolies were going, în due season-or after Akaba to Koweyt Bonie 800 to 900. The replacing-a costly, and to the viceregal mind, au
the rats bad been duly seasoned-to masticate! route lies. through Nefood, itself indeed a altogether unnecessary proceeding.
Thas the problem that presented itself to my sandy desert, but with settled districts
mind was, supposing those two rodents (the name north and south, and somewhat difficult
sounds better as an article of diet) possess negotiations would have to be entered into
plague germs, and the coolies eat them shall I with the tribes on the way. England is,
and the Sanitary Board (for the responsiblity however, paramount in Egypt, and has a
will be mutual), he answerable for the untimely preponderating influence in the Gulf of
decease of those coolies? I shall really wel. come the opinion of the Hon'ble the Attorney- Persia, and in consequence is in a position
General on the subject. to treat on favourable terms. The engineer- ing obstacles are not greater than have been overcome in upper Egypt. Koweyt is some 70 miles from Bass, where the German concession of the Euphrates is to end so that a junction can be easily effected. At all periods of history the lower part of the Mesopotamian Valley has been of impor- tance, as there has concentrated the trade of Egypt and the Levant with Persia and India. It is now of more importance than ever, as there the stream of traffic will in all probability be joined by that of Russin. It will readily be seen that the proposed line, so far from being an opponent, will actually tend to become a feeder of the German and Russian systems, All this is pointed out by Mr. GERALD F. T、Bor in a letter to the Times, which is well worth careful perusal. But there is more. Once there for some years, draws a comparison be arrived at Basra, a line along the north tween that old city now and what it was in days coast of the Persian Gulf connecting through of Spanish rule. Personally, he prefers life un- Beluchistan with Karachi must follow | der the old conditions. The cost of living, at almost as a matter of course, and this would | the expense of luxury, has increased tremendous- go through terr-tory acknowledged as with. He is ever fervent in his prayers for the in the sphere of England's influence. It is settlement of the Filipino question, but like the war in the Transvaal, a hippy and peaceful something to find that so able an engineer consummation of bis wishes appears to be a long as Mr. ARTHUR BARRY'has favourabl.
way off. "Agie" (i.». Aguinaldo) be 6456, “bas endorsed the scheme, which it is now to be migrated south, and there - re'a few expedition- hope will be taken up energeticalty in | looking for uim.' Aguinaldo is certainly one o. England.
́the most moving personages in recent history!
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While the police work on the West River is left to two small British gunboats, which cannot possibly be at the most likely piratical spots at the same time. I counted no less then six Chinese gunboats, with several lauuches. on Sunday fast, anchored near Causeway Bay. They had evidently-on the Viceregal principle of let him keep who can-com to Hougkong for safety fearing no doubt in Chinese waters the possibi. lity of being boarded by pirates. There are men in the memory of Li, before whom, as the represen atives of Britain's power in China he would have trembled in mentioning the word co-operation in regard to his initial duty
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It is a great pity the British do not act in the spirit and on the advice of your leader. Mr Editor, and secure either the ringleaders in the attack on the man of war pinnace, or destroy the village. Gunboat policy, which bas in past appealed so convincingly to the Chinese official, would exe ciss a wholesome influence for good on the individual. Surely. consider ng the sate of abject incompetency Chinese officialdom is in, or abject cowardice, whichever you prefer. it is the duty of some British official to exert a little salutary influence ?
A friend of mine in Mauila, who has resided
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The entertainment given by the officers and men of H.M.S. Bonaventure in Shanghai added to the Patriotic Fund the splendid sum of $1,277, thus bringing the total realised by the two entertainments to 82, 92. Surely the nu- merons men-of-war in Hongkong will not allow he Bonaventure-a second class orniser at that -to carry off all the laurels ?
OBSIRVER
A fire broke out ou Friday night, 'th inst, in the compound of No. 13 Bund, Yokohama occupied The building by Messrs Oppenheimer Freres containing the servant's quarters was the scene of the outbreak, and this was completely destroy-
2,000 yen in all, which was covered by insurance the actual amount of damage being some
in the Union Fire Insurance Company
The Jimmin, a Japanese paper, arrives at the conclusion that England is the only PoweE in the world which oo Id accomplish what it is now doing in South Africa. It the Tageblatt's criticism that laughs at the day of England's decline has dawned; predicts with confidence that she will senex the two Republics, or, at any rate, that her pro- gramme of expansion in South Africa will anffer uno chrok, and points to her Navy which rewains the most powerful engine of war in the world, en bling ber to make stupendous efforts like tais South-Afr can campaign, aud to shake all nations by z display of her might, wait
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