\July 19, 1902.]
through with mysterious incantations; the sub- ject suddenly falls in what appears like a swoon. Presently he jumps up, of his own accord, or he may have to be assisted up, a huge knife or sword is handed to him, and he goes through all manner of twists and contortions, better named antics, but called by the Boxers "drill," and this is his instruction in the proper method for "destroying the church' and
exterminating the foreigner."
*
OFFICALS PROFESS ZEAL
in putting the Boxers down, and so far we have no reason to doubt their good faith, except that the cult seems to be making steady progress in spite of the two battles above mentioned, several beheadings, and two executions by slow torture. Rain is greatly needed, and will, when it comes in good measure, be one of the best discouragers of the Boxers, for the famer who has to rush all day long transplanting rice has little time or energy left for Boxer drill all night.
INTELLIGENT CHINESE .
are already making gloomy prophesies as to the possible and even probable outcome of the present state of affairs, unless more radical and thorough
measures are taken than have so far materialised. —N.-C. Daily News.
NEWCHWANG,
Messrs. Bush Bros., of Newchwang, in their trade circular, dated June 7th, say
The present slackness in the demand for tonnage is due to the detention of the bean- craft up river, the dry weather rendering the river shallows nonavigable. Produce is lying stored up in large quantities at Tung Changtaze, 600 li (or 200 miles) up river, small lots coming forward occasionally by train from Tichling. another of the principal depots, which is within ten miles of the railroad. This means of transportation is, however, only used as a last resource by the natives owing to the exposure of the cargo, and uncertainty as to the date of arrival at its destination. To-day's quotations
are :-****
...
Beancake... Beans
Tls: 6.50 per 500 cts. Bean Oil...
Tls. 5.60 per 100 cts. The steamship Hunan arrived yesterday from Tientsin with railway coolies as passen- gers; almost immediately upon the landing of these coolies several corpses were discovered in the streets, and on the men being rounded up several were found to be sickening. In all 85 deaths from cholera occurred yesterday among these railway men, and the authorities have cou. sequently decided to impose medical examination upon all steamers arriving from China ports, the question as to the quarantining of steamers from Tientsin, in addition to medical inspection, being left open for the present.
...Tls. 8.30 per 10 pcs.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
ORIENTE HOTEL LITIGATION.
IN THE CAINA SEAS.
The following interesting article by Admiral the Hon. Sir E. R. Fremantle, G.C.B., C.M.G., appears in the Navy League Guide to the Coronation Review:-
It was early in 1853 that I first made acquain- tance with China and the Chinese as middy, in the Sparton, a smart 26-gun frigate com-' manded by. Sir William Hoste, Bart, the son of the hero of Lissa.
We dropped anchor in Hongkong early in Marchi after a too short stay in Burmah while the Burmese war was in progress, and a 37 days' beat up the China sea from Singapore against the north-east monsoon.
A suit was brought in the Manila Court last. week by W. A. Fitton against Ah Gong, to restrain the latter from interfering with the plaintiff in participating in the management of the Orients Hotel. Mr. Fitton does not claim to be a partner of Ah Gong, but simply to have an interest in, the lease. The defence put on a number of American business men 10 testify that the plaintiff had no interest in the hotel. Har y R. Hanford testified that Ab Gong had refused to sign the lease when he learned that Fitton's name appeared in it, until Fitton gave him a letter, witnessed by Hanford, and signed in his presence, stating that he had no interest in the lease. Mr. Brown, president'
What a contrast the Spartan presented to our of the International Bank, and former manager
modern mea-of-war. the was only 918 tons of the Oriente Hotel Co., testified that the com-
according to the measurement tonnage of the pany was perfectly willing to rent the hotel today, 135 feet long and 40 feet beam, her length Ah Gong, although the plaintiff had told Ab
being thus only 3 times her breadth-the Goug that he would be unable to get the lease proportion of length to breadth being 7 to 1 in our modern cruisers. Then the mainmast was unless he, Fitton, signed it. Mr. Wright, the present manager of the hotel company, testified. former manger of the hotel, said that to practically the same thing. Charles Jenkins, the plaintiff had admitted to him both before and after April 29, the date of the lease, that he had no interest in the lease, but that he acted simply out of friendship for Ah Gong. Mr. Hanford bad also testified to the same thing. Ab Sam, Ah Gong's partner. was absent in China when the lease was signed but returned shortly after and testified that Fitton had told him that he had no interest in the hotel, but simply acted in a friendly capacity. The result of the case is not yet announced.
SHANGHAI NEWSPAPER SUIT.
In the British Supreme Court, Shanghai, on 7th inst. before Chief Justice Bourne, an action by Mr. A. M. A. Evans against Mr. Chesney lessees of The New Press, came on for hearing. Duncan and Mr. Thomas Cowen, formerly joint
Plaintiff claimed $2,489 for money collected on behalf of the defendants, $3,900 for rent of the newspaper, plant, etc., and $2,444 in respect of material supplied. In his answers the defend ant Cowen did not admit that he is or at any time was liable as joint lessee of the Daily Press business, because the lease contract was based on misrepresentations. The business of the Daily Press was in fact considerably less than it was represented to be, according to the information supplied by the said A. M. A. Evans and Chesney Duncan to the defendant Thomas Coren, and the books of the concern when shown to the defendant Cowen contained many entries of supposed subscribers and advertisers whose subscriptions and advertise- ments had expired or had been ordered to be Many disturbing rumours have been circu- discontinued, such discontinuance having been lated recently in regard to the growing unrest improperly concealed or not duly put into in the interior, and it is reported that " Boxers "
effect. Thus the earnings of the business have appeared openly in the vicinity of Kai
were materially misrepresented. In con- Yuan. So far these reports are directly attri- sequence the defendant Cowen in July, 1901, butable to Russian sources. An outbreak of urgently protested to the plaintiff and appealed any kind inland would doubtless militate against to be released from the contract, and showed the evacuation of the port by the Russian Mili-him that the concern was not able to go on tary and Provisional Civil Administration without running deeply into debt, but the plaintiff refused to release him and threatened him with legal consequences if he did not con- tinue. In October, 1901 the defendant Duncan agreed to carry on the business alone and the plaintiff accepted him as sole lessee and agreed to release Cowen from all liability in connection with the concern. Judgment was give, against the two defendants jointly for $8,807 both having admitted the correctness of the figures.
authorities.
THE INDO-CHINESE GOVERNOR. GENERALSHIP. f. L'Avenir du Tonkin says of the announcement of M. Beau's appointment to Indo-China :-
"At last we have a new Governor-General. The Ministers have chosen M. Beau, French Minister to China.
In China, M. Beau has succeeded in winning the sympathies of all The Manila Times is informed that Aguin- who knew him. He devoted himself partialdo was set at liberty on Saturday, 5th inst., cularly to fostering commercial and industrial and, immediately after packing up his effects, enterprises, rightly holding this to be the best left for parts unknown. way of establishing French influence."
L'Indo-Chine Républicaine and Le Courrier Saigonnais heartily welcome M. Beau. The latter journal looks forward to seeing him following out the peaceful but fruitful line of policy lately traced by M. Douinergue, after the
'fachodisme" of M. Doumer.
M. Beau, we may add, was born in 1857 and was first attached to the staff of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1883.
145 feet truck to water line, and it will be easily the current nautical phrase of the day.. I served understod that she was "all legs and wings," in much of my apprenticeship to a sea life in the Spartan, being five years and five months in the ship as midshipman, mate and acting lieutenant, and though we were out of it unluckily during the Russian war, achievements up the Gulf of Tartary, off Castries Bay, and the mouth of the Amoor River being best sbrouded in oblivion, we saw much ordinary service or what passed for ordinary service in those days.
On the 9th inst. the steamer George Pyman caught fire at Tungkado, the forepeak being the part affected. The fire was overcome by the crew, but one of the men, a Chinaman," was suffocated and another had to be removed to hospital. Steam was got up on the fire-float and she went up to the Pyman before she could be recalled. Her services were not required. The origin of the fire is unknown.
our
But sea work in a small frigate was full of interests, and in a sister ship to the unfortunaté Atalanta, that 'glorious" mirror where the Almighty's form glasses itself in tempesta," had to be studied with attention, and the monotony of harbour was often varied by expeditions after pirates or landing for protec- tion of our merchants' lives or property.
It is curious how little had changed in the at Plymouth since Marryat's days. Spartan naval service in 1852 when I joined the Spartan
was a trifle more roomy than an old 28 or "jackass frigate," and her guns were of rather large calibre, but they were smooth bore, and the mode of propulsion of the Spartan was similar to that of the frigates which Peter Simple served in. Curiously enough I had an almost exact repetition of Peter Simple's experience when leaving England. Peter Simple, if I remember right, for I have no Mauryat to refer to, was sent as a midship. Mutton Cove at Devonport, this being the last man to embark mess gear and officers from
communication with the shore befor sail ing, and Marryat gives au amusing description of his misfortunes; the boat's crew being half-drunk, the boat full of live-stock, and a "popple of a sea running across the Devil's. Bridge with wind against tide. He was of course the victim of circum- stances, but Lieutenant Falcon, the First Lieutenant, naturally did not see it in the same light, and rated him soundly. In my own case the same thing happened. I could not of course refuse the urgent request (P) who herself pleaded tenderly for him, aud of my bowman to say good-bye to "his sister." when he disappeared behind the women on the wharf, there were many volunteers to fetch the deserter back, and the shelter of the adjacent grog shop was convenient, so I too found my boat difficult to handle while crossing the Devil's Bridge, and I naturally got into trouble with our First Lieutenant, Charley Fellowes. one of the best sailors I ever met, who died in command of the Channel Fleet at Gibraltar in 1885, I think.
But I must not ramble on about old times, and I will give an account of one of our numerous piratical expeditions from Hongkong. It was 1854. On war being declared with Russia we had just sailed from Hongkong for the north, in company with our Admiral, Sir James Stirling, in search of a Russian squadron; when having sprung our main-yard, working up against the north-east monsoon, the Spartan was, much to our disgust, ordered back to Hong- kong as senior officer. We did not miss much, certainly, as the Admiral spent his time in Shanghai, where the Russian ships did not find it convenient to call, so that our ships saw no
Russians that year, though Petropavlovsk
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