68
measured mile, attained a speed of no less than 12 knots. She is efficiently provided with fire hoser, life-boats, and rafts.
When the new river steamer San Cheung left her wharf on the 17th inst. and steamed out of the harbour, conjecture doubtless was rife as to where her destination was, for though the vessel's run was known to be between this
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The same jounal of the 17th inst, says: Further particulars were brought to Shanghai on the 21st inst, by passengers just arrived from Nanking, of the great disaster which swept away Mess's. Butterfield and Swire's godowDS and banding on Monday, and which precipitated an unknown number of Chinese into a walory grave. So far as can be ascertained no foreign lives were lost: the Customs official, who had goce out to meet the Poyany, being fortunately ou the pontoon at the tim The catastrophe happened quite suddenly and without warning, and instead of sliding down into the water from the shore, as first accounts led us to suppose, the whole semi-circle of land. wharves
оп the San and everything
it, seems to have
Mrs.
There is, as might be expected, great excitement among the Chinese population, who recoguis in the occurrence something much more tùan a great and deplorable disaster, to be nec uated for by natural causes.
port and the neighbouring one of Canton, it is also common knowledge that the latter is closed to river steamers on Sundays. Canton, however, was just the place the San Cheung was heading for, the queung On Steamship Company, her owners, having obtained per mission for the vessel to enter Canton on Sunday morning; and when Cheung, gay with banting, dropped anchor off sunk in one mass rapidly downward, the part the Shameen at six a.m. on Sunday she began furthest inland going first. Seeing that the her career by establishing what is claimed to be depth of water is 50 feet in the great bay which a precedent, so far as river steamers are con-occupies the spot where the wharf stood, and the cerned, for against these is the Sunday embargo land beyoud is 120 feet above high-water level, of the Canton Customs authorities directed. the land must have been undermined to a depth Attended at the outset by such a favour of quite 140 feet. The Custom-house which able circumstance, it was only fitting that stood adjacent has since been abandoned as the whole trial frip, from beginning to unsafe, and a long front of Chinese bunding on end, should prove most successful and enjoy the other side shows ominous signs of cracking. able. The performance of the San Cheung It is, in fact, impossible to say how much realised the wishes of her owners, and the further inroad the water may yet make. The attention lavished upon the guests on board Chinese have already discovered a picturesque ensured the comfort of everyone, The party explanation of the disaster: according to native on board when the ship cleared from Hong-accounts a great turtle struck the place suddenly. kong included Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael, Major and Mrs. Chapman, Mr. and Hinds, Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, Miss Fiebert and Messrs. Trevonx, Richards, Robinson, Buchanan, Davies, Sit Ning Cook, and Kwok Yik Ting (secretary of the Choang On Steam. ship Company). At Canton, where a dinner was given on board, this number was augmented cousiderably by the general respouse given to the invitations sent out by M. Trevoux ou behalf of the owners, and amongst those present were many French and Chinese notabilities, including M. Guillieu, Consul of Franco at Canton, Do speeches were made or toasts given, but wishes, none the less sincere for their not being clothed in the garb of formality, were expressed on all sides for the success of the Sun Cheung and her owners, At an earlier stage in the trip Mr. Carmichael, who supervised the erection of the steamer's machinery, proposed the health of Mr. Kwok Yik Ting, the Cheung On Company's secretary, who responded suitably; and on the run home Major Chapman toasted success to the San Cheung, conpling with it the name of Mr. Kwok Yik Ting, who again replied. The return journey was accomplished in a few mioules over seven hours, the San Cheung, a
description of which has already been published. leaving Canton at 5 p.m. ou the 17th inst and being breast of her wharf here at 12.3 a.m. on the 20th inst.
THE NANKING BUND COLLAPSE.
The N the fo
Walay
!
200
...
i
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į
Daily News of the 14th inst. gives of th whore dissster: *x tim * ius yang was alongside the hulk bei nging to Messrs, Butterfield and swire at Hsichuan, the port of Nanking, a terrible catastrophe occurred. The premises in question had a length of 280 feet, and the land was well buaded, with a large godown on it. Suddenly, aud without any warning, the whole frontage, with the godown ou it, seem to give a shake, and then slipped bodily into the Yaugtsze, carry- ing with it the jetty and bridges connecting with the hulk. The frontage was crowded at the time with coolies and hotel runners and others, th Poying having brought a large carg and many passengers, and the loss of life must have been very large; how extensive will probably never be known, but twenty-two corpses were counted floating about the chains shortly afterwards. The la..dslip, for such it,
was,
the river having evidently undermined the whole piece of gronad, was followed by a huge ware, swamping everything in the vicinity, and the river was full of overturned sampans. The godown was full of valuable cargo, and there was practically no salvage; there is now a bay where the band was, with fifteen to fifty feet of water in it. Other bandings and houses in the vicinity seem not unlikely to follow Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's property.
MACAO.
[FROM OUR COR....ESPOND, NT.}
Macao, 14th January.
WARSHIPS IN THE HARBOUR.
Macao has been much better patronised in the matter of warships during the last few mouths than was the case a year or two ago, and it is now the exception and not the rule to see a week pass without the arrival of one or more guuboats. The French gunboat Argus (Captain Crespin) arrived last week and left two or three days ago, while the Moorhea (Capt. Webster) arrived on Friday last and is still lying at her anchorage near the Diu. The Dia herse fis still with us, and, it is to be hoped, will remain at her post for many a mouth to come.
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SOCIAL LIFE IN MACAO.
The centre of attraction in this winter seasti!
In
is Government House, where the Wednesday afternoon and Thursday evening At Homes have attracted a large number of guests. spite of the inclemency of the weather the officers of the Diu still contiune their Saturday afternoon garden partios in the Floin, which are always much appreciated.
AMUSEMENTS,
on
The Grat Zamoni" visited Ma no Saturday and Sunday last and garo per- formance- in the C ub União and theatre belo e good houses; his efforts as a ventriloquist and magician extraordinary were warmly appreciat d and applauded by an enthusiastic audience.
The hand, which originaly played on Thurs day and Sunday evenings, is now playing in the Praya G rdens on Sunday afternoons, and the chance of hour, considering the wintry weather, is most desirable.
In spite, however, of the attractions of Zamou and the band, wo feel that there is something badly wanting in the dramatic aud musical line, and considering the great succes which attended Mrs. Morehouse's concert of a few weeks ago, we cannot help expressing the hope that we may have the privilege and pleasure of hearing a similar entertainment in the not very distant future.
VISITORS.
(January 26, 1903,
SWATOW.
{FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Swatow, 13th January,
THE LOCAL LEKIN QU28TION. General Wong, who undertook last year to collect lekin locally, has not succeeded in the scheme he had in view. Previously to his coming here, the native merchants, to avoid being burdened with any excessive lekin tax, the levy of which woult entail so much rad tape and "squ eze," decided to remit, through the representative guild, a sum of $50,000 as
au annual contribution to the lekin for the provincial Government at Canton Generr| Wong, however, thought that a greater amount than $50,000 could be collected here, and accordingly made proposals to the Canton authorities to double the contribution of the local nativo merchants. Finding all opposition useless, the latter body acquiesced in the heavy exaction demanded of them. Not yet satisfied, Wong intends now to raiss the lekin to $150,000 after the end of the current Chinese year. That part, if not a great deal, of the moneys collected flads its way into Wong's pockets is not to be gainsaid by anyone who knows his methods of bus ness.. His plans of suddenly increasing the lekin exorbitantly have met with strong opposition from the leading native merchants, who have appealed for assistance to the Taotai. The litter, having regard to the flourishing trade of this port and the injury that would be doult to it by excessive taxation, has sent a strongly, worded despatch to the Viceroy of the Province He advised the latter to have nothing to do with the General in the collection of leķin, but to leave it to the Chiness merchants themselves, who will honestly carry out their promise and forward the money, through their guild, to Canton. The Viceroy's answer is a-w anxious- ly awaited.
The continuous rains and arctic temperaturs have had a somewhat deterrent eff ot upon visitors, and recently the botels bave not suffered from overcrowding, In spite of its many natural attractions. Macao is no pleasanter in bad weather than any other seaside resort, and residents, visitors, and hotel-propriators alike long for a recurrence of the glorious weather and sunuy skies which marked the whole of last
winter.
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THE TAOTAI'S RETIREMENT. Owing to having to go into mourning for his mother, who died recently, the local Tuotai will ere long retire. The Taotai in his short tenure of office has made himself very popular with natives and foreign-rs alike.
He is a pro- gressive and enlightened official. The Chinese merchants are very sor y to loss him, and regrot his unavoidable departure.
PAKHOI.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.J
Pakhoi, 13th January, MORE TROOPS FOR WANGSI, The Chinese gunboat Fo': Pow arrived from Canton on the 5th instant with another batch of six hundred braves for Hamshow and Kwangsi to check further advances of the rebels, who are reported to be mustering in strong force, well trained and provided with modera armaments. DARING PIRATICAL ATTEMPT. Early on the morning of the 6th instant, between 2 and 3 o'clock, shooting was heard in the harbour just opposite the Customs House. About fifteen pirates, availing themselves of the stillness of the hoar, the night being very dark and cold, boarded one of the fishing jauks at anchor, compelling the small crew to keep quist. The manœuvre having been o'served by some one on shore, however, the anthorities were soon informel of it. A squa'd of twouly braves was despatched in bosts to rescue the junk. On approaching the junk the braves fired soveral volleys, which had the effect of intimidating the pira'ss, who concealed themselves in the junk's hold nntil they were taken prisoners. A few of them, however, mɩtagɔd "to eseip›, but eleven were captured and escorted to Limohow on the 7th to be dealt with,
EMIGRANTS TO MIKTOK STOPPED. An attempt has been made on the 3rd i stant to send away to Mintok two juaks overcrowded with emigrants.
The Commissioner of Cus oms, adcompanied by a Weiyuen, paid a visit on board the junks to see whether things were properly arraiged for a safe voyage. At the outset forty-four of the emigrants represented that they bad been com- plied to go. "These were at once set frea. As the juuks were too small to carry the number of men on board, permission to leave was refused,
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