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to schedule, no one knowing much of it until their arrival. He is bringing into the colony from as far north as Foochow. The way he did it was to make a contract with a Chinese to deliver 2,000 men with their families, in two years. Half the deliveries will have been made by the end of this year. Foo- ohow men often leave home to work in near-by provinces, returning when they can save enough strings of cash for a rest. This is ⚫ the first time there has been a colonisation of such magnitude. The immigrants will come at least 1,500 miles. Those who can stand the olimate will ra'se their families in Sarawak and lecome part of the permanent population. North Borneo seems to be relying on the pub. licity of an advertisement rather than upon the persuasion of au emissary as a means of draw. | ing colonists. There may be no exception to the excellent rule that advertising pays, but it would look as if China furnished such an excep. lion from the experience of the two colonies What reliance on the railroad may do is quite conjectural. Sarawak prospers without a rail. road, all its trade going by water. The Malay Peninsula is enjoying unprecedented prosperity. but there might be a different story to tell of its few lines of unconnected roads, were it not for the increasing wealth of its tin-mines. The Northern Borneo road aims at enlarging the marketably productive area in one of that territory and thus improving its re- venues through a class of colonists who will be worth to it uncertain returns from duties on their exports, but an assured £2 per head for their follies.
corner
Doubtless Borneo can never be settled al- together by Europeans. Whether in the process of making it serve white enterprise it. may become so inviting to Chinese that they will seek it as they have sought other lands, forecast must be idle. A beginning stretched over twenty years has not yet furnished satisfy ing results in that lige. However well laid may be the foundations for moderately pro- gressive government, some of the golden fauc es of the governing company's promoters, ha ve lready been dissipated. Possibly it will be the office of time to cless Chinese colonisation among them.
£
PEKING.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
well-trained army. How he will act will be an interesting study.
THE RETURN OF PRINCE CHUN.
The young Prince Chun arrived this after- доом. He was received with great honour. A guard of Chinese soldiers and a good repre- sentativo company of officials awaited him. From the station they proceeded through Leg. ation Street, and thence to his palace in the extreme north of the city. We fancy he will be inclined to continue his acquaintance with foreign dignitaries.
RINCE 80.
PRINCE KUNG
now and then sees a foreigner, but is not very enthusiastic in the matter. Outside of these, Manchu nobility is as narrow as ever.
[December 16, 1901.
Empire. Even the most ardent supporters of the rights of the Emperor have remained marvellously quiet, so much so that the Emperor once again seems bereft of any true friend. The mandarins who set at nought the Imperial command, known to have emanated from the Empress Dowager rather than the Emperor, bave argued for the innocency and dignity of the Dowager, and have supplied her with troops for her defence, and silver, silks, and every gift for her pleasure.
FOREIGN COMPLACENCY.
The Foreign Powers have been equally sur- Of the other princes, Prince Su is the only prising, complacent, and respectful Not a one keen on foreign intercourse and improve-word has appeared in print from any Minister ments. Besides learning English, ha has a addressed to the Plenipotentiaries which could a rebuke to the Dowager German to give military drill to his son and be construed as
Empress. Her satellites have been denounced; the sons of his attendants.
the Chineso Government has been blamed; and the Emperor has been required by the Protocol to make apology: but the one deserving de- nunciation, meriting blame, and standing fort h as the conspicuous one who ought to apologise, was at first unnoticed, and now is compre- the Court," or hendel in the expression, "the two Palaces." It is taken for granted that she is the real Sovereign, the undisputed Regent. Some of the Legations are even speaking of guards of honour to escort her from the station to her palace.
ADMIRAL ALEXIEFF
has left for Port Arthur. His command is then in Liaotung. Shanhaikwan, and Chihli.
Both of thesa; General Wogack was also here. gentlemen were extremely agreeable to tho representatives of other countries.
A CONCERT.
We have also had a Russian concert, given by a company from Europe, and held in the new Peking Club. The rooms were hardly was intense. The finished, and the cold audience was not large. Part of the company took part in the services last Sunday at the Russian Church.
THE MANCHURIAN CONVENTION.
+
There is one difference between the Chineso and foreign attitude to the Dowager Empress. The Chinese acknowledge that she is supreme, address her and speak of her as such; but the representatives of the Powers, while knowing that she is the reigning Regent, yet speak only of the Emperor, and hold relatious or have The Russian Convention concerning Man-audiences with him alone. If her Regency is o Prince to be allowed, the audiences and banquets should churia is awaiting the return
It is now understood that he, rnd be with her, rather than the powerless Emperor. Ching. not Wang Wenshao, is ordered to sign it. There is no large amount of interest taken in the matter. The Chinese suppose other Powers will opposa it, but in this they are mistaken. The merchants of other countries will only nod to consult with Russia rather than China as to trade privileges in Manchuria. There is not much to fear in this, seeing that even the British have more
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A PITIFUL TALE.
It is to be feared that the gentleness of the allied conquerors in their treatment of the Dowager will not be appreciated. Every writer from Peking, Dr. Martin, Dr. Morrison, Dr. Coltman, Dr. Reid, and Dr. Arthur Smith- with the exception of Sir Robert Hart and Mgr. Favier-has laid the time for last year's calamity and outrage at her door. She knew what was being planned; she commanded. The Emperor wept in deepest regret, and disap- We hear that the present quarters of the proved with all his heart. But the solace of American Legation, which are owned by Col. time has come; those who suffered nothing Denby, are to be sold to the Coraan Govern-have filled the places of the besieged; political
their Legation. The American Legation will therefore be compelled to hurry up the building of quarters for its men.
trade in Russia than in China.
A COREAN LEGATION.
ment for Peking, 22nd November.
THE GREAT SNOW-STORM.
The snow which began at noon on Tuesday, the 12th inst, proved to be the biggest snow- storm that has been known here among foreigners. Very seldom has a snow-storm come as soon. The snow fell some six inches, and on Wednesday the city was robed in white -more clean than Peking has ever been,
THE EVACUATION.
THE WHIRLIGIG OF TIME.
A Corean Legation will be a new thing for Peking. The former t:ibute-bearers will now come as Envoys Extraordinary to be received by the Chinese Emperor with the same honours
as the Ministers of Great Britain or Russia.
THE DOWAGER'S RETURN.
For the Empress Dowager to be actually on her way to Peking, and for preperations to be made for an honourable and eren exultant reception, is in many respects a most striking
I mentioned in my last that the American guard was the last to leave Chinese quarters. I failed to recall that the Japanese guard have not yet moved into their barracks. They still occupy the palace of the late Prince Chuang.event. She fled in the midst of danger; she This palace ought to be confiscated.
THE JAPANESE
have had many princely palaces under their oversight, besides holding three of the Gates of the Forbidden City. They early destroyed the palace of Prince Tuan. They occupied the palace of Prince Lien and Duke Lan, brothers of Prince Tuan. They protected the palaces of Prince Kung, Prince Ching, Prince Chun, and Prince Jin.
THE RETURN OF THE COURT.
It is pretty well established that the Court including both the Dowager and the Emperor, will start back a few days after the Dowager's birthday, which is the 20th. It is also learned that Viceroy Yuan Shikai will start about the same time and meet the Court on the way.
H.E. YUAN SHIKAI.
The trustworthiness of the new Viceroy is not proved. His attitude during the Emperor's régime in 1898 makes us view him dub ously, As Jung Lu secured for him the position of commander of the new foreign-trained troops, he naturally feels it his duty to be loyal to Jung Lu. His new position, coming from the Empress Dowager, will make him loyal to her. How loyal will he be to the Emperor or to reform, when he comes so near the capital? Many Manchus are suspicious of him, because of his
returns in perfect safety, both situations being due to the forces of the Allies.
WHAT HOULD HAVE BEEN AND WHAT 18,
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motives prevail, and so she returns in safety, in honour, with banners flying, streets covered with yellow dust, the Imperial gates repainted, the palace rooms cleaned and refurnished, and the son of Prince Tuan, the Heir Appparent, passing under the walls of the Legation bar. racks and before the Legation spectators, into the palace.
The revenue, moreover, needed to meet an international indemnity. is turned into the Dowager's coffers or used for her glorification. Were the Emperor alone entering Teking, there would be no such expenditure; he would forbid it, and his word would be known to be sincere. Now he may head the procession, but the Power will be still with her who for forty years has bad the dominating will in the Manchu Court at Peking. She has "pulled the wires" so well that now China and the world bend to her in the hour of peace, though they fought her, plundered her, in the hour of conflict.-N.-C. Daily News.
There is a certain unreality, as of a dream, in all the strange panorama. The Empress Dowager may count herself a lucky woman. She has not in any respect met her deserts. The wheel of Fortune is ever bringing her to the top. Others pass away, some in a good old age, and others by shameful and unmerited death, but she remains. the possessor of power, The possibility of litigation between Mr. the unmatched plotter. She herself could! John Gunn, of the London Gaiety Company, hardly have thought a year or more ago that all and Mr. Henry Dallas in regard to the perfor things would turn out for her so well. She mance by Mr. Dallas of plays of which Mr. Gunn, or Mr. George Edwardes, of the Gaiety must be a surprise even to herself.
Theatre, london, claims the rights of represen- When the allied armies came marching into tation in India, is now reported to have come Mr. Dallas has, it is understood, Peking in nnchallenged possession of the to an end. nation's capital and all the highway to the sea, given an undertaking not to perform any of the the natural supposition in the minds of many plays for which Mr. Gunn has a license during was that the Chinese, who had seen the folly of the season, and has, through Mr. Gnon, ex- the Imperial antagonism to the whole world, pressed regret to Mr. George Edwardes for would disown such a sovereignty, and of them having performed The Toreador in Burma selves join in harmony the family of enlightened already without a license. Some doubt ap- nations. But not so. The Chinese, whether pears to exist as to whether the rights of ex- of the people or the mandarinate, evinced clusive dramatic representation have been ex- a high degree of non-revolutionism, as well as tended to India, and Mr. Dallas, in playing their usual fatalistic resignation, until now the The Toreador without first seenring a licence, eighteen provinces, as much as "beyond the was only doing what many of his predecessors wall," do obeisance to the Woman Ruler of the have done without objection being taken.
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