خشی نال ہوے ہے۔
带
June 30, 1900.]
The matter has been considered by the Com- mittee, who have authorised communication with the Companies engaged in the navigation of the river, who have been supplied with copies of the correspondence and requested to bring it to the attention of the commanders of their steamers, who will no doubt, in future, observe the precaution.
I have the honour to be, sir,
Your most obedient servant, R. CHATTERTON WILCOX, Secretary. Hon. ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY.
✓
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce
Hongkong, 7th June, 1900. DEAR SIRS,
I beg leave to enclose herewith copy of a letter received from the Colonial Government, together with enclosures, on the subject of the navigation of a certain creek of the West River at a place called Lak-lao, recently the scene of a hostile demonstration against a foreign steamer, caused, it is alleged, by steamers passing too rapidly in a narrow and tortuous channel and thereby colliding with native craft. H.E. the Viceroy now requests, and Vice-Admiral Sir E. Seymour concurs in the request, that foreign steamers passing Lak-lao will in future slow down at that point in order to avoid the chance of a collision with the native vessels. Will you, therefore, kindly make known this request to the commanders of your steamers navigating the West River ?
I am, dear sirs,
Yours faithfully, R. CHATTERTON WILCOX, Secretary.
Messrs. JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.,
General Mangers,
Indo-China 8. N. Co., Ld. [Similar letters were addressed to the China Navigation Co., the H. C. and M. Steamboat Co., and Messra. Banker and Co.]
THE CRISIS IN CHINA.
LOCAL MOVEMENTS.
Hongkong is rapidly becoming a harbour of refuge for the neighbouring ports. On the 28th inst. there was a large number of arrivals from Shameen, most of the European residents having decided that their wives and families will be
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
the outlying districts are flying to places of safety before it is too late. Captain A. W. Dixon, of the China Navigation Company's boat Samshui, with ten missionaries, two children, and a num has arrived in Hongkong ber of native Christians from Wuchow and other West River ports. When Captain Dixon left Wuchow things were pretty much as usual, though when the natives saw the missionaries clearing out they commenced to jeer, saying that the foreigners were getting scared, and that they had better kill them right away. They were, however, not molested in any way, arriving in Hongkong without a mishap. Special pre- cautions were taken by Captain Dizon to guard against surprise. Two Afghans armed to the teeth kept an eye on the Chinese who were on watch, and the Europeans on board had their arms and ammunition in readiness. The Samshui returns to Wuchow shortly, when she may not have so quiet a trip.
There is every reason to believe that the river gunboat Sandpiper is at Nanning, about 320 miles beyond Wuchow, she having been com- missioned to take Mr. Little, the British Consul at Samshui, thither on a formal visit. The Sand- piper created a great sensation at the up-river ports, the Chinese being aghast at the "huge" size of the vessel and the "enormous of Europeans-about 20-which she carries! number The Robin-another river gunboat- has left Samshui with the intention of going to meet the Sandpiper.
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LIMITING THE RANGE OF THE WAR.
The U.S. Consul at Shanghai on the 21st inst, received the following telegram from Chefoo: The following has been agreed upon by the Senior Naval Officers at Taku :-The Admirals and Senior Naval Officers of the. Allied Powers in China desire to let it be known to the Viceroys and authorities of the Coast and River Provinces and cities in China that they intend to use armed force only against Boxers and those people who oppose their march to Peking to the rescue of their fellow-country-
men.
THE BOMBARDMENT OF THE TAKU FORTS. AN EYE-WITNESS'S STORY. The Chinese steamer Kwang Ping (Captain A. B. Clements) arrived in the harbour yesterday from Taku, and as she was present when the forts there were bombarded on the 17th inst. one of our representatives went on board, and got the following interesting story from one of the Europeans connected with the vessel :
哈看
safer in Hongkong. Shanghai also is sending us a number of visitors, and the island bids fair to be very crowded during the continuance
Our boat was lying at the Coal Wharf at of the crisis. Canton according to latest ad-
Taku on Sunday, the 17th inst., when we were vices is perfectly quiet, but no one will be awakened at one o'clock in the morning by the fir- surprised if H.M.8. Otter should proceed thithering of guns from the forts on to the allied fleets. to join the Redpole and the American Don
which were anchored higher up the river round Juan de Austria. H.M.S. Plover was to sail
a bend, a small peninsula dividing them from the yesterday from Singapore for this port. The
forts. The allied fleat comprised three Russian, Bonaventure still remains, and it does not seem
one French, one German, and one British gun- that she will now leave the harbour. More boat. The German and the British boats were probably she will act as a guard-ship in case furthest up the river, and immediately the forts of emergency. The U.S. flagship Brooklyn, opened fire they steamed down from the Railway with Rear-Admiral Remey on board, arrived Wharf, and at once got to work. The French here at about 2 p.m. on the 28th from Manila.
were the last to get into action. The British Should she go north, it may be in the company boat-the Algerine-was the first to reply. of the Zafiro.
HONGKONG VOLUNTEERS PREPARE.
“The first three shells fired from the forts went wide, two of them going over us and the With a view to being prepared for emergen. third bursting on the anchor chain of the Ger- cies forms were sent round last week to the mem-
man steamer Knivsburg, which was anchored bera of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps asking about 200 feet from us. A number of Europe- them to fill in their address by day; the number ofans, including some Customs House people and nearest telephone by day; address by night; the number of nearest telephone by night; and the number of nearest Police Station by night. It is unfortunate that at the present juncture the Machine Gun Companies have only four maxims at their disposal" instead of 12, six hav- ing been sent home to be brought up to date and two having been taken north by the Fusi- liers' contingent.
WEST RIVER MISSIONARIES ARRIVE IN HONGKONG.
The recent events up north have naturally had the effect of causing great excitement in those parts of Southern China which are not too remote to learn of what is going on in the outside world. Though the latest accounts say that everything is quiet in Canton, there are indications that there is an undercurrent throughout the city which may at any moment break out and lead to loss of life and destruction of property. Consequently the foreigners in
some railway people, who had come down from Tientsin, were on board the Knivsburg, but owing to the unpleasant proximity of the third shell they all went ashore and took refuge be- hind some huge coal heaps, within shouting distance of us. We visited one another occa- sionally to see how things were getting on. These coal-heaps proved an excellent shelter both for us and the people who took refuge behind them.
"At about half-past two a company of Japanese troops came to our assistance, and remained by us until the firing ceased.
"At daylight we could see that the forts were getting the worst of it. The ships were well in hand, and everyone of the shots from the allied fleet seemed to take effect.
"At quarter-past five the British flag was hoisted on the extreme northern end of the North Fort, and immediately afterwards the Japanese hoisted their flag at the southern end.
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Then the ships moved down the river in perfect order, firing at the South Fort, which they silenced by about 7.30 a.m., the Chinese flying in all directions.
"The Americans did not fire. The Monocacy shell right through one of her life-boats. She was lying at the Railway Wharf and got had a number of women and children on board, and so that she might be more out of the way she steamed further up the river.
"Considerable damage was done on board the German boat Iltis by one of the boilers exploding. The Captain was badly wounded and has since died. Several men were killed. On one of the Russian ships 20 men were badly burned through an explosion in the powder
room.
in the afternoon of the 17th, the Kniveburg "We arrived at Taku on the 13th and left
also resuming her voyage with her passengers.""
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
A captain of the German boat, the Knivsburg, who witnessed the attack on the Taku forts, described the affair to the master of the Else, which arrived yesterday from Chefoo. The bom bardment commenced immediately after mid night and lasted for six hours. The Iltis had her bridge shot away by the fire from the forts, reported sunk (it seems, however, that she only the Algerine was damaged and a Russian gunboat went aground)-these vessels lying quite close to the forts. The commander of the Iltis behaved very bravely and although wounded in the neck and shoulder, persisted in remaining in a steam- launch beside his vessel during the bombardment. The Japanese captured one fort and turned its guns on another. The British took another fort, and the Germans also one. The way the Japanese took their fort was much admired. There were a number of merchant ships present, which took refuge behind the Kaiping coal depot.
A LADY'S STORY OF THE BOMBARDMENT.
A very full and graphic description of the state of affairs in Tientsin was given to the N.-C. Daily News on the 20th inst. by Mrs. James Jones, who returned in the afternoon from a short visit to that place. Mrs. Jones was able, too, to tell more of the scenes connected with the taking of the Taku Forts than has hitherto been known, and the following has very great interest:-
Having just returned from a flying visit up north I send you a short account of the trip and experiences connected with it, as it may possibly interest you and some of your readers. I left Shanghai in the s.s. Hsinfung on Tuesday, 12th instant, for Tientsin, where, according to wires received things were very unplent owing to the Boxers. After passing through a fleet of about 31 war-ships outside the Taku Bar, which made a splendid show, We finally reached Tangku on Friday in time to catch the last train leaving at 5 p.m.
On arriving at our destination (7.30 p.m., one hour late) we were very much surprised to find the station simply crowded with sailors and marines, all fully armed and mostly Russians,“ some being well mounted on horses brought over from Port Arthur. On proceeding on our way the same sight met us, marines and sailors of all nationalities on guard everywhere, and quite prepared for a sudden attack. At the house where I was to stay I found that the place was apparently in their possession, about 50 Austrians being put up in the godowns adjoining the premises, whilst two of the officers occupied rooms in the house. After having dined, a party of us, escorted by a naval officer, took a short walk before retiring to rest, and then we saw what precautions had been taken for our safety. At every few yards we were challenged by a sentry. There was not a single Chinaman to be seen about and the whole place seemed still and deserted and very unlike Tientsin, especially the Taku Road, which is as & rule I believe one constant flow of trafic, Just as we were returning we heard seven shótą fired in rapid succession, but feeling quite safe with so many protectors near we retired to rest. Not, as it happened, for long. At about mid- night an officer came with the news that the whole of the Chinese city was in flames, that the Boxers were advancing and were then actually fighting at the Tientsin Railway station, which place they had also attempted to
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