PAKHOI.
[FROM QUE CORRESPONDENT.]
Pakhoi, 5th June. BÁIN AT LAST.
The long-sought-for rain came at last. From the 16th alt, it fell plentifully and continued intermittently for a few days up to the 28th ult. Al ogether some 12 or 13 inches must have fallen during the month just passed and nobody can complain of scarcity of water for some time. The weather is extremely hot, with clear blue sky, the thermometer ranging between 89 deg, and 9F'dog. F.
PLAGUE.
The plague has carried away a few more victions amongst the natives lately, but for- tunately only a few, and it cannot bear com- parison with former years either numerically or in severity. Since the advent of rain the cases have been fewer and of milder type. Owing to a boy in the French School having fallen victim to plague, the School was closed for a few days as a preventive measure.
POSTAL AFFAIRS.
The new French Post Office, now in course of erection, will doubtless add to the beauty of the foreign residences in the Bluff when com. pleted. It is situated a short distance to the north-west of the French Consulate.
The Chinese Imperial Postal Administration has just decided to open a branch office on the ground-floor of the Native Customs buildings, in the western part of Chinatown,, for the convenience of the natives who reside in, or near that locality.
MOURN NG FOR THE WEST INDIan disaster, The news of the catastrophe in Martinique and other islands in the West Indies has cast a gloom even in our small community. Such an event cannot fail to affect every civilised being. The flags at the Consulates and at the Custom House were flying half-mast high for three days after the 31st ult, on account of the heart rending catastrophe. A subscription list was sent round to the foreign residents by the French Consul, M. Flayelle, to raise money to mitigate the distress of the few survivors of the disaster, who must have lost every earthly thing they possess except their lives.
TRADE DEPRESSION. Trade has never been so bad se at present. There is very little traffic between this port and the mainland; the routes are considered dangerous on account of the hordes of bandits and the lawlessness everywhere. I notice a considerable decrease in the import trade lately, as the goods are accumulating for want of outlet. The arrival of the native produce from the mainland and adjacent places has also fallen off: what little there is for export, the traders are doing at a great sacrifice, for on the top of all the steamers have raised by 25 per cent, the usual rate of freight, probably to make up for the loss they sustain through the stoppage of the native passenger-traffic to Hongkong.
i
THE SO-CALLED REBELLION,
Notwithstanding the continuons startling re- ports insome Hongkong and the Shanghai papers of the progress of the rebellion in Kwangtung and Kwangsi, we hear nothing further about the uprising in this part of the country,
PEKING.
Peking, 26th May,
AN ENERGETIC GOVERNOR.
Price Su, since his appointment-to the Go- vernorship of the city with charge of the policing, and road-making, has not wasted any time in taking up his duties. Already he has placarded Peking with proclamationsannouncing that the troubles in Jehol and the south-west of the province are settled, and warning the people to cease from retailing idle rumours or discussing Government affairs. He has also detailed a number of policemen, in plain clothes, frequent the teashops and other places of t, with instructions to arrest all those his warning. Two of these wor- with the idea of bringing their of their superiors, entered two respectable men government. matters, hauled them off to insident getting teachops and eating
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
houses have put notices up warning "their customers against being drawn into conver tion on political matters. This is đồng, not so much for the sake of their customers, as they are liable, on an arrest taking place on their premises, to be unmercifully fleeced by the rapacious yamên runners.
THE POLICE FÖRON.
I hear that the Prince has decided to reorganise the police force, but seems in some doubt how to proceed, being overwhelmed and” somewhat confused by the countless suggestions poured upon him by his friends. He appears to hold at stated intervals a sort of loves of would-be experts, who in their own estimation are quite capable of advising him on all and One budding youth, who spent every subject, a few months in America and professes to have throughly studied municipal affairs in that country, advises a police administration similar to that of New York. Doubtless this youth, while in America, proved an apt pupil of the Tammany Boss Croker, and fancies that the Tammany tactics, if transplanted to Peking, would find a congenial soil,
THE TROUBLE IN SOUTH-WEST CHIHILI.
The people in Peking are sceptical of Prince Su's proclamation announcing the settlement of the troubles in the south-west of the province. They say that Yuan Shiksï's troops have killed and looted a great many people, but very few of them were rebels. The real rebels are still at large, clearing off as soon as Yuan's troops put in an appearance, and turning up in some other unexpected quarter something after the manner of the Boers. They have set fire to a temporary bridge on the railway, to the south of Chêngtingfo, and scared the railway em- ployees there.
THE INFLUENCE OF YUAN SHIKAI. Yuan holde his position from the fact that his services are indispensable and any failure or mistake on his part -might be serious for him and give his many enemies a powerful lever to Some time oust him from his position. ago a memorial was sent in to the Throne denouncing him, in which amongst other his heart things occurred the phrase,
bė fathomed," which in- plain cannot
that he has deigið un language means
The memorial the Throne.
słown was by the Empress Dowager to Yung Lu, who "declared the whole thing nonsense and there for the time being the matter dropped; lately, however, several other similar memorials have been sent in, and there are indications that his influence with the Court and with Yung Lu who has been his standby all alon, is weaken. ing. Probably his pro-Japanese tendencies have something to do with this.
PROBABLE MISCHIEF.
It is reported that Prince Tush, Duke Lan, and Tung Fuhsing are in the neighbourhood of Kueihuach'ong brewing mischief. I cannot vouch for the truth of this report, but the present time would seem favourable for the Foreign Ministers, before handing over the Tientsin native city and withdrawing their troops, to demand information as to the exset whereabouts of these gentlemen. It is said that Yung Lu, although conversant with their movements and schemes, keeps silent and does nothing. No one has benefited more by the late troubles than Yung Lu, and probably this is his way of showing his gratitude to them. He is waxing fatter and fatter each day. No official dare visit the city without paying toll to him. His gatekeeper and underlings too are notorions for the amount of the bribes they demand from the provincial official who wishes to pay his respects to their master.
THE OPIUM TRADE,
An agent of Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg and Co. has been in Peking for some time doing his best to get a monopoly of the opiam trade in Chins. The firm offered to pay eighteen million taels per year for this privilege. Prince Ching favoured the idea, but the two Yangtze Viceroys and Yuan Shikai put a damper on the scheme. Why does not some firm make a bid to run the whole Government? Probably they would find Frince Ching quite willing to accept the bid for a consideration.—N C. Daily News.
fire broke out in the Japanese settlement, Fusan, on the 25th ult,, and 35 buildings, were destroyed. The total damage is estimated at 100,000 yen.
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[Juno 16, 1902
FOOCHOW
The following items are from the Fročkow Echo of the 31st May sa aj pri d
invitations to the foreign" celebrate the birthday of Ki Seventh with him yesterday ön ground, where festivities, includi were to have taken place. – T been looked forward to with enjoyable time and it dame ar pointment that the inclemency of prevented any assemblage at all.”
In a Notification dated: 28th *iñsthat* Commissioner of Customs informed the pit that he had been directed to collect ten dur the rate of 5 per cent. ad valorem from the instant, and requested shippers to state on their applications; The reduction i welcome, but it is feared that it has come late to bring about any iflorease in the volume of the trade.
Some further particülära· have reachi regarding the wreck of the Yuko Maru, took place on the 9th instant, having run on the Castle" Rook and, sunk in 30 fathoms of water, Geddes of the Imperial Maritime' Cu stationed at Tung Chun, saw, as he looked outs side the office at about 10 o'clock in the morning of that day, a steamer outward bound from Skotu. but took no special notice 'of it and returned to his office. A few minutes later he heard lond and continuous whistling, and running out with his glass he observed that the same steamer was drifting astern and was evidently calling for assistance. He immediately jumped into his sampan and pulled off with all possible speed to her. On his approach he saw that the vessel was einking by the head, and coming within speaking distance called to the purser who~ wsa standing aft to throw over the mails. This the purser did and then jumped him- self, just in time, as the vessel began to dis appear head foremost and before the whole hall was out of sight there was a terrific explosion and all the stern of the vessel was blown away. This explosion had the effect of driving Mr. Geddes's sampan back; away from her position, o assuredly it would have been drawn in and gone down with the wreck. With the dis appearance of the vessel the sea was at onos a mass of wreckage interspersed with human beings struggling for life. Mr. Geddes lost no time in setting about the work of resené.” By a curious coincidence the captain and the chief mate were the first to be taken out of the water, the former with a life-belt with the name of the steamer on it. In a short space of time seventeen were rescued and the sampan being full these were taken 'off to the larger boat of the lekin station. Then Mr. Geddes returned to the scene of the trouble and succeeded in saving ten more lives. There were still seven anacoqunted for, and 'it 'is supposed that these were either killed in the explosion or were carried down with the wreck and drowned. Everything was done by the Customs officers to alleviate the sufferings of the rescued; several of
A message were badly wounded. sent to the Rev. Dr. Mackennið at the neste missionary station, who started at 'önce with applicances to render assistance, but be met by a second messenger" after a five hours" w. lk in pouring rain who informed him that all the survivors of the wreck had been taken to Foochow by one of the smalle arrived. But for the sccident of this disaster Japanese steamers that had unexpectedly occurring where it did, within hail of station where a European hupponed' whole of these lives would have bee The promptness of Mr. Geddess set yond all praise, and without “đơn! be awarded the Albert Medal for saving life at sen.”-
The efforts made to appear to bave much the 20th ult, nine frest from plague were rej and one death at Kỗi Engiko, and sey at Le Thman. The total since Jangary
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