January 26, 1003.]
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Nichols himself the only photograph ever | secured of His Royal Highness. There are Mr. Nichol's book concerning his meteoric flight into and out of Shensi will no doubt find hundreds of readers who in contemplation of also appended a most useful map and au index. its many excellencies will be oblivious to its faults. It may be had from Messrs. Kelly & Walsh.
Cantonese Apothegms. By the Rev. H. J. S EVENS, London Missionary Society. Can- ton, E. Shing.
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Personally I am far more interested in the old pony races than in the griffia races, and I think that the times in those races will be better Some and the racing more interesting. people say horses won't do here and the climate does not suit them. All I can sảy to such pessimists is: Go and have a look at some of the animals that have been here for one, two, and three years, those that have had fair play and have been taken care of. Look at some of Mr. Master's horses; they don't appear to have a tremendous lot the matter with them. Mr. Master has bis PUBLISHED at the small price of $1.50, Mr. own stable and his own groom: why doesn't own stable and his Stevens's collection of Cantorese apothegms, someone else get his
Own groom? I think Mr. classified, translated and commented upon by
Master has himself, with assistance from two Chinese geu-proved conclusively that horses will "do
here a d, what is more, do well. Mr. Rennie also has his own stable, and though he has had bad luck by his Derby candidate going wrong he has a couple of ponies in his stable in very good condition indeed. More- over, there are a number of hors is at Kennedy's stables that under the present régime are in excellent condition. Glory is an animal that has improved out of all knowledge in the last 12 months and might surprise us all. What we want to see is good even rising here in Hongkong, and as one who has watched it for several years in succession I am inclined to think the gods that be have been setting to work in more workmanlike style to attain that object than has ever been done before. May they continue and succeed in their efforts!
RAILS.
qu
ta-
occupied only twenty-nine days-October 16 to November 11-and after a short stay in Sian e travelled back overland till he struck the Han, and so down that river and the Yangtze to Shanghai, which was reached on 22nd December. It will thus be seen that Mr. Nichols was something like eight weeks on the road and two weeks in Hsian. He certainly was granted unequalled facilities for getting rapidly over the country. When he notified the anthorities in Peking of his desire to go to the capital of the famine-stricken Province, he got a Royal passport from Prince Ching. This ensured an escort of soldiers from one mandarin's jurisdiction to the next. The whole idea of the mandarinate appears to have been to hurry Mr. Nichol, armed as he was with his formidable passport, as fastlemen, should, as the author hopes, prove as possible through their territory, each interesting to the general reader and helpful to ono dropping him like a hot potato into the the student of Cantonese. Perhaps with reluctant fingers lof his next neighbour. tions, for which unfortunatelyjwe have no space Travelling hard all day amidst an escort of it would be difficult to give a be ter idea of the soldiers, and necessarily sleeping all night, it scopa of the book than by mentioning some of would be impossible, we say again, for such a the various headings under which the sayings traveller to claim for the book he might and proverbs are grouped. Among these are:- write its inclusion in any category exc pt Castoms; Feasts; Foods; Foreigners; Gam that of an itinerary. Yet, knowing rothing bling; Law nits; Medicine; Weather; Worship. previously of the people or of their language, Mr. Stevens's method is to give the apothegm Mr. Nichola does not hesitate to make ex- first in its Chinese characters, next in & tremely dogmatic deliverances on all or most Romanisation after Dr. Eitel's system, thirdly of the great problems which confront Western in a li'eral translation, and lastly in a free scholars of things Chinese, of whom the most translation. Then he appends an explanation of enlightened would be diffident in going farther the obscure points. The reader, therefore, can. than to aver that be has travelled not much not complain that he is not given considerable beyond the fringe of the subject. Mr. Nichols insight into the constraction and meaning of starts out with preconceived prejudices every saying quoted in the book, Speaking on against the Chinese and ends, forsooth, in behalf of the general reader, we must o nfess to using ironical quotation marks when be finding the little collection most agreeably enter- speaks of Western civilisation." Inversely taining and we can commend it to all interested he employs the same distinguishing marks re- in things Chinese. The printing very credit garding heathen China. The last case is aably done and the book is serviceably bound. wonderful concession for a man with pro- nouncedly missionary leanings; the first is pre- posterous. Then he has nothing too bard to say against Great Britain and her “opiam wars.' Why, the poppy loomed in broad Szechuen before the Chinese came under Manchu sub-
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SPORTING NOTES.
The more the
The way
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(Daily Press, 17th January.) The races will be over one month hence, and jection. Opium was cultivated before the pigtail. those who have followed the horses in their The pictures which Mr. Nichols draws of the work should have been able to decide by now depopulated opium villages' and of the which is their particnlar fancy. Th3 i erby listless, balf-dead fictims are sad enough and is the race most discussed, and I see from the lamentable enough in all conscience, but why entries that 16 horses have inspired sufficient blame England for another's failiugs? China confidence in their owners to warrant them in may be said to grow the bulk of her own opium accepting their nominations. to-day. But to return to the author's com- merrier is certainly an axiom that should parison of the Eastern and the Western, there apply to horse-racing, and I hope that all of is one remark we should like to make. He the acceptors may start. In the event of their talks with iteration of the absence of vice in doing so, however, I should expect to find a Shensi, or rather in Hian, which is even considerable distance separating the hind a more · curious, There are Do 'dives' in the foremost before half of the journey has Hsian, no hannt's of crime and human been traveised. On the other hand, the race degradation, neither are there any rendezvOUS can by no means be called a one-borzo race, and of gilded rice and dissipation. Places of this there are several candidates well in it. Col. character exist in China, only in foreign con- Hughes's Brilliant is still favourite, and I am cssions, in treaty ports, where they are beyoud inclined to think he will rewain 87. the reach of Chinese law." No rice in China that he covered a mile and a quarter in 2 minutes except in the treaty ports! Without appear- and 36 seconds on not particularly good going ing to condone vige, we think that Mr. Nichols some two weeks back was enough to warrant his is making an extremely rash statement which position in the market, and he seems to be an easy is incapable of proof and of which the horse to ride, which must be an advantage to disproof is easy were it not unsavoury. In any jokey in a long distance race, Mr. Morgan justice to the ungodly treaty ports Phillips's mare Legacy has not gone back in must be allowed to say so much. And then as public opinion, and I think that her methods of I should like to Eastern civilisation. Nobody bat the most guing have slightly improved.
who her extended. 'I hose to
hare ignorant would assert that China had not a civilisation before Europe.
to insist Bat to raunt a to do with her, however, seem
whim shall not be Falified; my civilisation because it was old two thousand years that
Captain Langlands's ago and to give it precedence in the present day they may be right. though it has stagnated as one might say ever brown mare Lady Lena is a sharp-looking since, is rank sophistry. Can a country be animal and seems to think nothing of cantering called civilised in the modern sense where slavery her mile in 2 minutes-without any seconds "my" is rampant, where infanticide is winked at, | added on. I may be wrong but she is "
Then there are the two Bank where cruelty to humans aud animals is a system, | fancy. where bribery and corruption prevail, where ponies, one belonging to Mr. Smith and the (as a recent writer put it) a man in Ligh place other to Mr. Hunter, and two nice looking bas to be dishonest if he wants to save bis la ad.ponies they are ton; but they are ponies" and But enough of Mr. Nichols's degmatism, la despite of it one can accompany the author with real pleasure on his journey. His observations on the country through which he passed and the people whom he had to meet are necessarily superficial. But they are Lone the less inte- resting on that account, however their value may be affected thereby. Hs book is finely printed and the illustrations are as excellent they are numerous, which is saying a lot As a frontispiece we have a photo gr.ph of Prince Ching, taken by Mr.
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(Paily Press, 24th January.) Cricket during the week has been brisk, though no first-class match has been played. Tie H.K.C.C."A" team simply pulverised the Crai gengower C.C., for whom the bowling of Bird in the first innings and Dalrymple in the second was altogether too much. The losers were wit out Harteam's bowling, but they were clearly overmatched. To-day the game on the Cricket Ground is between sides representing Public should be well worth watching. To-day, too, the Sherwood Foresters meet the À 0.0. The Sherwood Foresters on Thursday won a rather remarkable match over H.M.S. Eclipse by 2 runs only, thanks to their wretched field- ing, which is quite down to Hongkong level. What it is that makes Hongkong fieldsmen so absolutely bad it is hard to explain. We should see some very exiguous scores on the Cricket Ground if so very many catches were not dropped.
Schools and Universiti s and The Rest, which
not "horses," and there's the rub-I wonder if, the respective owners have thought about the weight-for-inches question. However, if their owners are well advise, they will both have a try and should be quite close at the finish. Mr. mare has improved lately, Shewan's roan
General and is quite a showy animal. Gascoigne's black mare is one that has improved a great deal lat-ly. She was very thin for some time and looked as if she might snap in two, but all this has altered in the past fow. weeks and she still looks like coming on.
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A football match of some interest is down for decision to-day. In the Association Shield competition the Victoria Recreation Club, the civilians' last hope, play off their tie with the 78th Co, R.G.A. The V.R.C.'s flasco last G Co., Sherwood Fores- Saturday against ters, does not encourage one's belief in the There may have been prospects of the Club. some reason for the V.R.C. turbing up four short in their last match before the Shield tie, but it certainly looked very ill. To-day's game is on the H.K.F.C. ground.
The polo match last Saturday was a distinct success, and though Kowloon woe baten, they had distinctly hard luck as the final so re of i goal to 3 subsidiaries shows; one of the "subs.” actually bit the goal-post, bat selected to piss through the subsidiary side of it. The return match will be played at an early date, when the spectators ought to be treated to as ke n, if not skeener, struggle for supremacy.
Local hockey circles have been quiet of late. On Thursday the Club bat the 78th Co., R.A., in a friend y gim by 4 gals (Chater 2. Barnes 1, Boggan 1) to 0, though playing with ten men only. Next w ek at least four Shield games should b3 desided, the Club's first XI meeting the 14th Bombays on Monday and the R A. on Thursday, while the Club “ A” 'team meets the R.A. on Tuesday and the 14th Bombays on Wednesday. I understand a mixed hockey match-H ngkong v. Kowloon--takes place ou Monday at East. Point, and though Kowloon will soon be able to tackle Hongkong with success at some games. I fear she will be brought to task on this occasion.
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