:
July 29, 1901,]
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Siamese Royal Decree on Quarantine, forwarded by the Acting British Consul-General at Bangkok, is published in the Gazette.
The Siamese Royal yacht Maha Chakrkri, with their Majesties on board, and accompanied by the gunboata Sugrib and Deti, left Singapore at daylight on the 17th inst. for Bangkok.
A post office has been opened by the German authorities at Kaumi, the present terminus of the Shantung railway. It is also rumoured that German post-offices are to be opened at Canton, Swatow and Amoy.
The Mercury in a leading article advocates the establishment in Shanghai of a Society for the Prevention of Brutality to the Chinese. A similar society seems also to be wanted in
Tientsin.
Owing to the South Gate at High Island Barrier, Blenheim Passage, having been carried away by a collision, mariners in the Canton district are notified that the green light is now shown from the masthead of a junk moored as near as possible in the same position as the former light.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The Philippines Commission has completed the drafting of the Charter for the city of translators. Manila, and it is now in the hands of the and a month before the new Charter will come It will be between a fortnight
in force.
It is stated from the North that the 6th Burma Regiment is to be stationed at Tong- shan from about the middle of next month, while on the vacation of the West Village by this regiment, the Hongkong Regiment will take up its abode there, the officers occupying the Taotai's House in Taku Road as their quarters and mess.
Tientsin arrived at Shanghai on the 18th inst. The Marshal of the U. S. Consulate at having in his charge three Americans who had imprisonment for having looted a pawnshop in been convicted and sentenced to four years'
the interior. The prisoners will undergo their sentence at the U. E. Consular gaol at Shanghai. Labour organisations in America are already signing petitions for the re enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Law, which expires on the 5th May next. Mr. Frank Morrison, secretary of the American Federation of Labour, says: We are not only in favour of extending the Mr. F. G. Figg, First Assistant, Hongkong Chinese Exclusion Law so as to make it un- Observatory, reports as follows:-The timeball limited in time, but also to make it effective at Kowloon Point is out of order and cannot be against all the Oriental races." The " dropped. A new ball, now under construction, door" is intended only to open one way, com- open will be ready in the course of a few days.ments the Kobe Chronicle. Chronometera may, in the meantime, be compared at the Observatory, if desired.
The Perry monument at Kurihamo, near Uraga, Japan, was unveiled on the 14th inst., in the presence of Baron Kaneko, President of the Boiyu Kiokai, under whose auspices the monument has been erected, Colonel Buck, U.S. Minister to Tokyo, General Kodama, Minister for War, Admiral Rogers, Mr. Sufu, Governor of Kanagawa Ken, Rear Admiral Beardsley, etc.
Refering to the recently resurrected discus- sion of a scheme for a sea-canal through the Isthmus of Kra, the Singapore Free Press remarks, it is enough to say that many years ago the whole question was examined on the spot by a commission of two officers from India and the late Capt. A. J. Loftus, Hydrographer to the King of Siam. The pamphlet written by Capt. Loftus, of which we possess a copy, makes it clear that both as to the penetration of the bills and still more as to the preparation of a deep-water access on both sides, the scheme is quite impracticable. Even the approach to that coast in the S. W. monsoon would be full of dangers to all deep-draught mail steamers.
L'Echo de Chine notes the arrival at Shanghai of M. Bons d'Anty, French Consul at Chung king, and praises the courage and tact he displayed in the troubled times last year, remaining at his post when his English colleague went down to Ichang. The N.-C. Daily News comments on this as follows:--- "Tact" is hardly the word which the English colleague, Mr. Michie Fraser, would apply to it. According to him, M. Bons d'Anty sent all his archives and other things on board the Pioneer and made Mr. Fraser believe that he was coming too, and only at the last moment changed his mind. The archives, etc., were taken down to Ichang and sent back in the Suihsiang, in which they went to the bottom of the river.
An Asahi telegram, dated Tokyo, 10th July, says:- About 2,000 Coreans, who live in the district where the Seoul station of the Seoul- Fusan Railway is to be, recently sent a protest to the Mayor of Seoul against the removal of their dwellings. The Mayor referred the matter to the Corean Railway Department; Lut the latter is unable to do anything in the matter as the place has already been granted to the Japanese company. The site of the Fusan station, which has been handed over to the com. pany, has also given rise to a dispute. The Corean War Department authorities raised an objection recently on the ground that the place was intended as a site for barracks. The Corean anthorities at Fusan who transferred the property are reported to be in an awkard fix, their own higher authorities pressing them on one side and the Japanese company on the other. It is, however, reported that the company will be able to start work as arranged if the Japanese Minister to Beoul and the directors of the com- pany take up a firm attitude in the matter.
M
At the end of this month, a party of telegraph men from the Singapore Depot will leave for Direction Island, which is one of the Cocos- Keeling Group, taking with them a number of Chinese carpenters, servants, etc. On the arrival of the party, quarters will be erected and preparations made for the reception of the new All-British Cable, running via the Cape, Mauritius, and Direction Island to Australia. Direction Island is one of the many islands iv the group, and is composed entirely of coral running to a uniform height of about twenty feet above the level of the ocean. nothing on the island but coconuts, which are forwarded to Batavia and there sold.
There is
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Anti-friar demonstrations are again taking place in the Philippines. Augustinian and Dominican mooks have certainly a lively time of it, according to the Manila Times, which says-News comes from the north that the people of Calisao in Pangasinan, practically mobbed two Dominican friars and the native curé ou June 29, so that they had to take refuge in the convent. The monks had come to Calisso on the occassion of the fiesta of San Pedro-San Pablo as the guests of the cure. The populace hailed their presence with hoots and a rain of bad fruit and eggs, jeering at the cure's threats of excommunication, and to climax their demon- stration played the "Star Spangled Banner" and flourished the American flag before the convent, In Cebu an Augustinian monk was hissed from the pulpit, when he tried to address a congregation, and later a delegation went to the convent and expressed a popular desire that the order might leave the islands.
97
The French general Bailloud is going to make a short trip to the Wut'sishan, a mountain fam- ous for its bracing atmosphere, in Shansi, He in a private capacity but with the full cognis- has just about started and will make the journey
ance of the Chinese officials who will receive him en route. A Buddhist from Chenglingfu will pioneer the party.
Mr. Ueno, Japanese Consul at Amoy, has stated in a report to the Foreign Department, that the plague is very bad there and the daily average of deaths from bubonic disease is 40 to 50 while in Kulangsu the number is from 4 to
5.
Dr. Goto, Head of the Civil Government of Formoss, speaking through the columns of the Nichi Nichi Shimbun, denounces as altogether false the statements recently made in our even- ing contemporary, the China Mail, to the discredit of the Formosan Administration. He declares that no discrimination of any kind has been made against foreigners in Formoss. They have been treated exactly as Japanese are treated, and if any have found the situation intolerable, the fault does not lie with the Japanese. The Japan Mail commenting on this statement says: -The fact seems to be that prior to the Ja- panese occupation of Formosa foreigners enjoyed a degree of liberty which some converted into licence. These persons naturally found that the restrictions which grew up under the rule of Japan were disagreeably irksome, and it is from such discontented individuals that adverse criticisms occasionally emanate. All complaints penned by foreigners find ready access to the columns of the local press in the Far East, and as the complainants generally have the field to themselves, they succeed in establishing plausible cass. It may be taken for granted that the Japanese have committed some admin- istrative blunders in Formosa, but as to their impartiality in the treatment of their own nationals and foreigners, no experienced parson oan entertain any doubt,
Until recently no Japanese have been naturalised Chinese for Formosa, died this year. infected by the plague, but three or four One Japanese subject succumbed to the disease that the plague will be stamped out scon. recently. There is nothing to warrant a belief
Taiynanfu to settle the Protestant claims, etc., he party of missionaries who have gone to has been well received there. parations were made for their reception by the Great pre- Governor, Tsên Caun-heuen, who is determined to adopt any measures towards a good under- standing that may be advisable. The mission- aries in question are Drs. Atwood, Edwards, and Tjader, with a Roman priest, and Major and Messrs. Duncan, Hoste, Orr-Ewing, Taylor
Pereira, of the Intelligence Branch of the British Army. They left Peking on the 22nd of June.
The first prize competition of the Amoy Rifle Club, at 200 and 300 yards was concluded on the 7th inst. The weather was all that could be desired, wind and light favourable, still very low scores were made, especially at 300 yards, and far from corresponding with the shooting done at the same ranges during the practice put in by the team. The following was the resust :-
200 yards.
300 yards.
Total.
C. A. Swanstrom W. E. Keny J. McArthur.
29
28
57
24
19
49
25
15
40
P. A. Barlow
26
11
37
19
12
31
161
Retired
12)
W. Kruse Dr. O'Niell
A. Cumming Echo of the 18th July:-The weather having The following items are from the Foochow
become very summerlike as regards hest, families have this weak moved up to Kuliang several ladies of the community" with their
and more will follow in a few days.-The rice harvest has commenced this week in the large plain at the foot of the Kushan range. In this focality the crop is reported to be indifferently good.--Last Monday night a fire broke out in the city close to the yamen of the Provincial Judge, and was not got under before 30 Houses had been consumed. To add to the disaster four men, unable to escape, lost their lives.--- The processions to drive away sickness among the natives this year are said to be unprecedently large, many thousands joining in them. Each night this week they have perambulated a different route. To-night, starting from Nantai, they go to the city. Great numbers of well- to-do natives join in them, and there is a serious earnestness about the whole function that is remarkable.
i
Owing to the disturbances in the North and also to want of funds, the N.-C. Daily News reports, the Provincial Boards in charge of river-conservancy in Shantung and Honan have been compelled to stop all work on the embank. ments of the Yellow Biver needed to guard against the summer and autumn fresheta from the mountains every year. During ordinary years the Central Government provides several million taels each to Honan and Shantung for river-conservancy work, and large staffs of oficials and about 20,00) coolies obtain their livelihood in the two provinces occupied with this work. The stoppage of all work on the river means the cutting off of a regular means of livelihood from a large body of the inhabitants of Honan and Shantung. Famine and death now stare these poor people in the face, and news has been received that the ranks of the discontented of Chihli have been considerably angmented by bands of refugees from Honsa and Shantung. This, our contemporary sor clades, will doubtlessly be seized upon sa further objection against the Court's returning to Peking at present.
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