*878
AFFORESTATION AND SPOLIA-
TION IN HONGKONG.
(Daily Press, 26th May.) When the first settlement was made. here in 1841, Hongkong was as destitute of trees as was St. Helena when discovered by JUAN DA NOVA, a Galician adventurer in the service of Portugal, on the 21st May. 1502, as he slowly fought his way back from the
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
island more or less every day in the year. | cribed areas, and
They are quite alive to the fact that they cated, if their o
[June 2, 1900.
be at once config- are found trespassing,
to
must not be seen in possession of green fuel, or are guilty of doing wanton damage so they habitually snap off not merely the trees or flowering shrubs. The indiscrimin- tops of young trees, but the lesser branches ate digging of soil from Crown land, of bigger ones, and leave them hanging to for general garden purposes, is admirably the parent stem till dry, when they twist yet very simply regulated by the Director then off, break them up into smaller pieces, of Public Works. This far more serious tie them into convenient bundles, and matter of tree maiming and plant destruction dangling them from the end of a bamboo, ought also, in like manner, to be under effi- innocently sally back to town at the end of cient and thorough control. What we have
East Indies. At this distance of time, it the day. If accosted by an unusally wary said becomes of enhanced importance, care
(Doily Press, 30th May.) Our special telegram from Shanghai, describing an outbreak of the Boxer agitation between Peking and Tien- tsin. puts a far more serious aspect
is difficult to form an adequate idea of the Sikh constable or lukong. they pertly and heavier weight, when applied to the much almost absolute treelessness of our island pertinently point to the fact that the more extensive areas included in the New home as it was in the early forties. A fuel is dry, and are allowed to pass. A | Territory. glance at the mainland opposite, say from haphazard tramp accross the hills, at any Sha-tin pass, eastwards towards the Lyee- time, will give ample evidence of the truth THE BOXERS' ADVANCE ON THE mun, conveys, in all probability, as good an of what we have above deliberately stated.
CAPITAL. impression as can now be got-coarse grass Coolies burdened with coals or building on the slopes, and, in the boulder-littered materials, after a trip to the Peak districts, nullahs, a few hardy shrubs of invariably generally manage to return with sufficient stunted growth. With the exception of one fuel for that night at least, plundered from or two of the more remote valleys, the place the road-side. The manner in which the was utterly bare of trees. Contrasting this trees, in most cases specially planted for monotonous picture with that presented by grateful shade on the fringes of the Peak 011 the situation in Chihli. The rioters the numerous thriving plantations springing roads, have been scaudalously mutilated. are reported to be advancing on Peking up on all sides-thanks to the indefatigable eloquently testifies to this unchartered and fo have taken the precaution of activity of Mr. CHARLES FORD, the ener robbery. Private gardeners are also res-destroying the railway line behind them. ~ getic Superintendent of the Botanical ponsible for almost incalculable damage, thereby giving themselves a good start and Afforestation Department-we realise Such individuals are despatched by their from any help which could be brought up how radically all this has been altered. employers in search of hill-side flowers. for from the coast. Much depends on the num- The hills in the near neighbourhood of the more effective decoration of the dinner-bers which they have mustered. Peking is Victoria, to the height of from 800 to 1,000 table. They come back with an unobtrusive protected by foreign-drilled troops who feet, have been clothed with a garniture of basket, perhaps with two, full of moss and should, if their loyalty can be depended on, trees, mainly pine-Pinus Sinensis, P. small branches of flowering plants. Had be capable of coping with the rebels, though, Massoniana, and P. Thunbergii; while those the latter been legitimately plucked, no farther away are being similarly covered. serious objection could or would he made. It is within the last twenty-five years, But the man, naturally, wants to get through roundly speaking, that this highly important his duties with as little trouble to himself and wholly necessary work of afforestation
as is possible. He comes to a tree in has been carried out; and the beneficial blossom. Unluckily, the finest sprays are results accruing thereto are but now slowly well out of his reach. He does not attempt becoming apparent. Hygienic and artistic to get at them by climbing but, after a reasons apart, there are many advantages moment's consideration, unhesitatingly and in an abundance of arboreal vegetation. wickedly tears down great limbs, in Owing to the increased shelter afforded, order that he may obtain the two or three bird and animal life have noticeably clusters that have attracted his eve: these increased. Wild deer are seen much more placed in his basket, the other parts are left frequently than of old: indeed, at certain to wither into future fuel-for, owing to West seasons of the year, their "belling," softened River piracy, this is such an expensive com- by distance, can beclearly heard, almost every modity in the market nowadays. Coolies night, in any of the more secluded valleys.
at work in gangs, on the roads in the hill The wá-mí, or white-eyed thrush, by far the districts, are notorious depredators, ranking sweetest-throated songster in our midst, is among the most hardened sinners in this fully as plentiful as is the common thrush, respect. They will, with all the air of ab- Turdus musicus, in England; and certainly solute proprietorship, calmly cut down a much less shy. It is this absence of fear straight-grown young tree, lop away the in the ornithological life of the place that twigs and smaller branches in the most is such a pleasantly recurring feature to a business-like manner, and trim it as a carry- new-comer. The magpie, one of the most ing-pole. Their supposed overseers are at rigorously banned of field outlaws in hand, but pay no heed to spoliation of this the Homeland, and consequently so grossly heinous nature, unless a European difficult of approach, is here well nigh sergeant unexpectedly swings into sight; domestic in its tameness, and may regularly when the language used is at once voluble, be seen and discordantly heard about the vociferous and expressive. Rhododendrons roof-tops in the very heart of the city. The of various kinds, with their wonderful pat- bronze pigeon is another bird, that seems ches of brilliant blooms blazing and flaunt to have lost its wildness; and this is the ing, the waxen petals of the celebrated more remarkable when we recall the pro- Chinese New-Year flower, Tiu-clung Fá or nounced aloofness of the various doves Hanging Bell flower, and many other beau and wild-pigeons still to be encountered in tiful blossoming shrubs and trees are cer- the British Isles. The above remarks occurtainly much rarer than they were wont to to us as we cursorily glance through Mr. be. Their gradual disappearance can only FORD's official report for last year. It is, be ascribed to the causes above detailed; however, to one point, above others, in this while their total extinction locally, unless always interesting document, that we would these practices are immediately checked, is draw closer attention. Under the head of but a matter of limited time. The only Protective Service,' illicit tree-cutting is remedy, as far we can see, would be the briefly alluded to; and, although the issuing, either by the Police or by the Gar practice, statistically at least, seems to be den Authorities, of licences to grass-cutters on the decrease, much might be done still fur- of grazing-permits to goat-herds-both, of ther to lessen this abominable evil. Grass-course, at a nominal fee, and, say, quarterly cutters, goat-herds, herb-gatherers and grass or half-yearly and the severer punishment hopper-catchers are the principal delinquents of all offenders convicted of gathering fuel under this head. Their callings, essentially oppertaining to the open air, take them aut on the less frequented parts of the
of any description, green or dry, without the necessary sanction. The licences or permits should be issued for definitely pres
as is well known, the latter have been drilling constantly in the neighbourhood of the capital for months past. At the end of March an indecisive battle was reported, through Reuter's agent in Shanghai, be- tween 1,500 Chinese troops and as many Boxers, but, apart from this, reliable infor- mation has been scarce. A telegram was received in Japan last week reporting anti- Christian riots near Peking and stating that many rioters had entered the city, presu- mably, however, not an armed force. But it may be held certain that the Boxers felt sure of co-operation in the capital before taking the final step of advancing on it. The men landed from the foreign warships at Taku are unfortunately too far behind the Boxers to prevent a rush on Peking. In the state of uncertainty which is felt as to the con- duct of the Imperial troops, anxiety must necessarily be great until we get further news from the north. Fortunately, how- ever, the Boxers have struck out westward and not at Tientsin, against which they were known to have a great hatred owing to the number of its foreign inhabitants. The Europeans landed from the warships, therefore, will be able to reach Tientsin rapidly from the coast and secure the safety of town, which will also serve as a base if the trouble in the Peking district proves as bad as it appears from the infor mation received.
A Soochow despatch states that Chu,, the acting Provincial Judge of Kiangsu, has been denounced to the Throne on account of various Investigating Imperial Commissioner of the misdemeanours, and that Li Ping-hêng, the Yangtze Valley, was expected to arrive soon at Soochow to persona y investigate the charges.
Yu Hsien, the notoriously anti-foreign Gover- nor of Shantung, who has been transferred to Shansi by the Empress-Dowager with the half avowed object of stirring up difficulties there for the British Syndicate engaged in exploiting the Shansi mines, is already getting his hand into business. The Peking Syndicate some tirae ago applied for formal permission to open a covered by their concession, but the new Gover- certain mine in that province within the area
nor has successfully frustrated the Syndicate on the ground that the site selected is too mountainous and very inconvenient,” \^^
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