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July 6, 1901.]
cotton-quilts, and taking them to a distance, from the village and saturating them with kerosene vil, set fire to the quilts to burn the robbers alive.
MAKING THE MONOPOLISTS PAY UP. Last year, several lekín monopolists having failed to pay up their arrears of monopoly money, the Viceroy has given strict orders enforcing payment within two months. The monopolists | are to pay 50 per cont., Wong Kum Fak, the Commander of the Regiment, 20 per cout., Lai Wing Hon and the late lekin weiguin, Lai Kwong Yew, 30 per cent., failing which they are to be degraded,
A TAX ON ANCESTORS
A tax is imposed upon all the ancestral temples in the province of Kwang Tung by the govern- ment for the payment of the indemnity, &c. It was first proposed by the Magistrate, Wong Sung, of the Sun Tak district, and was approved of by the Viceroy. An office is establisbed there wherein a chief weryuin and ton assistant wei. yuins are appointed to co-operate with the gentry to collect the taxes. One night, while the prin cipal door of the office was closed, some people smeared it all over with nightsoil, and next morning --- when it was opened the inner apartments were unbearable. A few days ago, ак the weiyuius and their clerks and police were passing from door .to door to take the census, some people on the roofs threw nightsoil upon them. Most of the ancestral temples inside and outside of the city of Son Tak have notices stuck up on the walls, announcing “ancestral temple for sale," thus showing that the people are not very satisfied with the mode of taxation, and that they mean to resist it.
MACAO.
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Macao, 1st July.
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CHINA. OVERLAND. TRADE REPORT.
NEW HARBOUR MASTER.
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Capt. Albano Alves Branco, having arrived in the colony, has assumed the dutios of harbour master, nice Captain Talone, deceased.
THE PHILIPPINES.
Notwithstanding that, as a rule, the harbour, judicial authorities calling upon the heirs masters of Macao have devoted much attention | creditors and others interested in the decessed to this branch of their work, it must be conceded to lay their claims for the property found on that these officers have neither the necessary the person of Kirk. It consists of certa permanence in their office nor yet time enough trinkets and other articles of jewellery of but to devote seriously to meteorological studies. little valuo. It is much to be desired that a meteorological observatory may be established in the hermit age of Penha, like those in Manila and Shanghai, equipped with like appliances and provided with an equally capable personnel. The observatories referred to are under the direction of members of the religious order of Society of Jesus, and have rendered great and important services in the cause of commerce and navigation. In Macao it will be easy to organise a similar observatory, relying upon members of the same religious order-the professors of the Seminario Diocesano-for its direction. In a short time, and with very little money, we shall be possessed of an observatory on all fours with those of Manila and Shanghai, with an efficient staff who will devote themselves exclusively to meteorological science and who will be in con- stant touch with the two celebrated observatories above-mentioned, thus supplying a want that is felt in South China, cuch an observatory will bring prestige and fame to the colony of Macao,
Is the Hongkong Obervatory, under the skilled control of Dr. Doberck and his hard- worked staff, of so little consequence as to be 8 little thought of by the Portuguess senators, or has it, by inadvertence, escaped mention in the senators' report: Surely no reflection could have been intended on the Kowloon Observatory when it was stated that when Macao is furnished with a proper observation station the want of such establishment in South China will have been supplied. The labours and researches, recorded in the voluminous publications issued from the office of the Government printers of Hongkong, of the English observatory in this part of the world have received too many encomiums from the scientific pross and societies of Europe to need to be further extolled in the columns of local journals.
AN INTERESTING SITE.
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[FROM OUR Correspondent.]
Santa Cruz, 24th June. THE BURrender oF GENERAL CAILLES. Yesterday and the day before Banta Crus was in a wild state of excitement owing to the pre. parations for the surrender of General Juan Cailles and all that is left of his army. For the last week he has enjoyed, by special agreement, the unmolested possession of the pretty town of Pagsanjan, three miles to the eastward, and there he has concentrated some four or five hundred men armed with rifles. Through some recent quarrel, Colonel Pedros Caballes left the town with one hundred men on Friday night. At twelve o'clock last night a native came into Santa Crus to say that Caballes and his com mand had patched up the row with Cailles and returved; ~ but shortly after daylight this morning an American civilian who spent the night at Pagsanjan, came to headquarters and reported that Caballes had again taken to the mountains with all his command except about a dozen men. This is most unfortunate, 88 it seriously interferes with the general pacification of the district.
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All yesterday launches wore coming up from Manila with officers, newspaper men, photogra- phers and numerous curious civilians. The littlo hotel is completely swamped, and people are seeking beds or even floor-room in all parts THE IMPROVEMENT OF MACAO.
of the town. As early as the sun was visible In remarking on the recent sanitary improve-
this morning the inhabitants began to .collect ments which have been made in the city of
at various points of vantage, such as the public Macao, in the notes published in the Daily
*quare, the roofs of high houses, and some even Press of the 19th ult., reference was made The site where the contemplated observatory found their way into the church tower, from particularly to the district of Vo-long and the is to be equipped-Penlia-derives its name which place they could see the road to Pagsanjan, vicinity of San Lazarro. It is pleasing to be from the Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Penha de Cameras were visible everywhere. At last able to follow so soon after with the news of Franca. This hermitage was erected on the about eight o'clock some one spied the struggling another forward step in the movement in regard western hill (the hill of "Lilan") by the Augus-column though the coconut groves and gave to the city improvement sobome. In the very line friars in 1622. Two years later the chapel the word, and in a few minutes the head of the heart of Chinatown, that is, near where the was enlarged by subscription raised amongst insurgent command came into view at the bazaar is situated, lie the ruins of the old the devotees. Inscribed on a cornor-stone, entrance of the town. It was led by a string market-place, burnt down not many years ago. which can be seen in the church to-day, is the band of some twenty pieces and a small police Whether through neglect, or through insuflegend that it was re-erected in 1837. Such was guard to clear the way. Then came a company ciency of public funds, or through both, the fact the devotion of seafarers to the Blessed Lady of troops under Colonel Guevarra This was remains that since the memorable fire nothing to whom the church was dedicated, that it was followed by a mixed-brass band, and Cailles and has been done to remove a standing danger to | the wout of Portagnese ships ontering port to staff on horseback camo immediately after. public health and a rebuke to civilisation—88 salute the hermitage with a few guns. Nor is His guard was composed of a roteran company the preamble of the expropriation proclamation this manifestation without its meaning; for in armed with rifles that had booh captured and rather forcibly puts it constituted by these the palmy days of Portuguese shipping, trading stolen from the Americans. Some of them word raifis and their insalubrious environment. in these waters the frail crafts employed by American shoes and equipment. The column Thanks to the regenerating influence of a them were, not infrequently, overtaken in their numbered 388 men armed with rifles and progressive administrator and to the well-loug and solitary way by the storms and a miscellaneous mob of unorganised bolomen. directed energies of the public works officials, seas that waged their " unmitigable war," and The end was formed by the civil officials and local the resumption of this district, popularly it was at such times of distress that these way. presidentes who had been serving in Cailles's denominated the old bazaar of San Domingo, farers on the ocean made their vows town governments. The crowd marched past has at last been decided upon. Steps are being Nossa Senhora da Penha to save them from General Sumner's headquarters, where the Gen- taken to carry it into effect. The proclamation death or disaster. In fulfilment, therefore, of oral and staff were lined up in front of the en- of the Governor in Council, under the authority their promises, when they had escaped, the
trance. The Amercans did not wear their side of which the expropriation is to be enfored, is devotees would repair to Penha and by prayer
arms. published in the Boletim Official of the 8th June. aud donations offer their thanksgivings. The feast of Nossa Senhora da Penha is still kept up every year. On the last occasion, on the 19th May, a brilliant illumination of the whole façade of the church with hundreds of Japanese anterns and the lighting up of the billy approach to the church by means of bonfires and the letting off of fireworks in the evening, marked the joyous festival of the patroness of the sea-faring people. The establishment of the observatory in Penha, associated as it is for many generations passed with the devotion of the shipping community, should angur well for a long career of usefulness.
A NEW OBSERVATORY.
Another item of news connected with public works is the approval of an expenditure of fifteen hundred dollars for the fitting up of the house adjoining the church in Penha for the purposes of a meteorological observatory. To what extent Government here act upon the suggestions of the Leal Senado in public matters will be more readily appreciated when it is ex- plained that the promising improvement in the meteorological service is the outcome of one of a series of recommendations embodied in the report drawn up by the Senate and presented to the Colonial National Congress in Lisbon. The report is dated the 15th February, 1901. The recommendations of the Senate in regard to this observatory are to the following effect :-
In Macao, where typhoons are frequent, a tustesregieal station is of much utility for the furnishing of weather forecasts to the seafar ing community. One already exists here under the direction of the Harbour Master
AN UNCLAIMED AMERICAN.
to
In the month of April last, the newspapers of Hongkong recorded the death of a supposed American citizen by the name of Ralph Kirk, who, it was surmised, met his end by drowning. The body of the deceased was found on the beach in Area Preta, on the 6th April last. The unfortunate man was an utter stranger in the colony. A notification has been issued by the
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THE ARMY attend mABS. After the usual salutes Cailles took his men to the church courtyard, where they were formed in two long lines with a large, hand- some silk insurgent flag at the head. In a few moments they marched into the church and assisted at the mass. Cailles's trumpeter-blow tapps and a few bars of church music, while every- one stood at attention. This pretty ceremony was in honour of all those who have lost their lives in the campaign. After mass they reformed and marched past a
group of American officers and dropped their arms in a pile. As each man laid down his gun he received a slip of paper entitling him to $30 Mexican, which is the price paid for a surren dered rifle.
CAILLES REFUSES THE MONEY. Cailles refused to receive the money, saying the guns had been given to his men by th Filipino people, and hence he could not well them to anyone he could only surrender- them. He was very much excited, and suddenly.
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