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June 15, 1903.J
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
427
A CHINESE CLAN-FIGHT.
paddy-fieds but they were intercepted by the Cheah men and at ipped of their cloth- Two young Hougkong men who at the ending and jewelry. Their cries attracted the of last week went on a trip up the Pearl River attention of the Chuns, who went to their rescue above Canton found themselves in the unique and beat off the enemy. Thereafter the Chuns but rather perilous position of being embroiled returned home but so great was their fear of in a Chinese clan-fight and were forced to make a night attack that all the women and children haste out of the countryside. They sailed from
went to seek protection in the neighbouring Canton in the evening took a paddlo-junk up the Hongkong on the Honam and arriving at friendly villages leaving only the fighting river to the village of Sapohing, Saichew and it was
men in the place. A council of war was called resolved that as the Cheahs prefecture, which was reached early on the had broken the peace contract the ten Chun following morning. On arrival at Sapohing they clans should be asked to assist in the punish- discovered that a state of war existed between ment of the aggressors. The clans responded readily to the invitation and late that night began to pour into the village armed with barbed wires, bamboo poles, spears, bows and arrows, and Mauser rifles. Barricades were
pounders were placed in position for defence erected round the towu; cannon-six and ten- aud provisions were laid in.
that village and the neighbouring village of Tancho.
routine pathological and bacteriological work, while Drs. Lee Yin Sza acd Chan Fai Kwong were appointed Bacterio- logical Assistants, and assisted me in the routine examination of rats sen the Public Mortuary. I take the opportunity at this point of bering testimony to the excellent services which have bean renderad | by these qualified Chinese actors. them well trained and anxions at all times to 1 found take a thorough grasp of the opportunities Vouchsafed to them of gaining a knowledge of Pathology. They grasped the somewhat delicate technique for bacteriological work with wonder ful rapidity, and I have repeatedly noted the care which they bestowed on the systematic examination of enormous numbers of rats.
These places are situat d about 50 miles During the year, 7,816|| human bodies were examined at the Pubic Mortuary.
above Canton. The origin of the trouble is Thess figures, I understand, represent a number of made a vist one evening to the neighbour thus explained. A young man from Sapohing post-mortems larger than in any previous year iog village of Tancho, where he indulged since the Institution was established. Further, in gambling at the fantan-tables and lost I am sure that these figur s are probably money. But instead of losing his cash with the anique. I know of no insion where. given good grace of a veteran gambler he became suitable accommodation, apparatus, and asis- uasty, accused the master of the place of cheat, tance, greater scope would be afforded for ing and snatched some money from the table pathological and bacteriological research. In Thereupon the master hit him on the face and addition to the routine post mor em work, there he retaliated in like fashion. There the matter have been 117,839 rats examined bacterio-appeared to have been ended. The young man logically, approximately 100 rats examined
went back to his own village that night, But daily during the year of (best 2,105 it seems that the affair rankled in his mind, for were found to be infroted with plague. Le informed the elders that he had suffered an During the months of May, June and July, insult and demanded that they, the Chan Professor Simpson and carried out a series of clan, should take action towards getting an very extensive researches in regard to the apology from the others, the Cheah clan, The possibility of producing plague in all lower elders after consultation among themselves animals more particularly in those animals went over to the Cheah village and insisted which are closely associated with man-calves, upon an apology being tendered. To this the sheep, goats, pigs, fowls, etc. The results, Chaih elders assented readily, and paid the notwithstanding the conditions under which complainant some $2 or $3 dollars by way the experiments were performed, wereofa highly of compensation and also supplied him with satisfactory nature, and should set at rest much some medicinal balls with which to treat the of the hitherto varied discussion on the subject. injuries he had got on the face. The details of these experiments and the This was not considered by him, however, to interpretation of the results will of course be sufficient reparation. Seeing that his own be fully dealt with by Professor Simpson in village elders would not support him in any his report. Had it not been, for the great assis- further action he went to another village of tance rendered by the Principal Civil Medical the Chuas, inflamed the people there with a Officer and the Government Analyst in recitation of his wronge, and incited them supplying certain apparatus, the research could to take summary revenge upon the Cheahs. not have been carried out. During the summer||Accordingly some 40 of the a series of pathological and bacteriological examinations were made at the Dairy Farm, Pokfulam, and the Kennedy Town slanghter- houses, on cattle suffering from what appeared me to be a form of Septicænia Hæmorrhagica.
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What has been felt during the past year is the want of a properly equipped and centrally situated Bactoriological Institute. As already mentioned, the Medical Department has allowed me part of the office ant the dispensary in Kennedy Town Hospital Any bacteriological research which one may propose to undertake has to be done there, and this Hospital can be shown to be a most inconvenient place for carrying out bacteriogical work. the first place, there is
In no accommoda- tion, and secondly it is very inaccessible owing to its distance from the other branches of the Department, namely, the Vaccine Insitute and the Public Mortuary. It has been a matter of regret that, owing to these circumstances, the preparation of plague vaccine and serum, &c., has been quite out of the question. At the present time, however, I am old to be in a position to state that a convenient site has been obtained for a Bacteriological Institute. Its completion is now only a matter of time.
The P. & O. Company sanil us the following report by Commander C. Bennett of the 8.8. Ceylon, which arrived on the 11th inst., concerning a submerged wreck seen on the voyage of the Ceylon from Singapore-I have to report that, at 8.7 pm. on the 9th inst., in Lat. 13.20 N Long. 112.45 E., we passed a submerged wreck, with one mas, and rigging attache, standing upright, about 10 feet above the water. This may probably be the same wreck that Capt. Owen the 8.8. Dragoman reported as having passed on the 30th March, 1902. It is directly in the track of ships using the main route between Singapore and Hongkong. Had we passed it in the daytime I would have stopped the ship, lowered a boat and discovered what sort of vessel it was.
each of the
So serions had the situation become that next day the Hongkong visitors left the village at the urgent request of the elders, who considered that their presence might precipi ate matters and infuriate still further the attacking party. Accordingly they came down the river to Canton on an armed boat belonging to the village.
next day set out for the Cheah village, villagers armed with Mauser rifles, They took up a position on a hillock behind the village and fired 300 or 400 shots into the ancestral hall. Then the Cheah villagers got infuriated from the invaders. The Chuns replied that over the outrage and demanded an apology they would fight the quarrel out.
That was the stage at which matters stood when the two Hongkong gentlemen got there. agreed that there should be peice, and an The elders of the villages then armistice was drawn up in accordance with with the understanding arrived at and was signed
the ancestral phop of contracting parties. This agreement the Chuns accepted in all good faith and they went back with a feast of cakes, sweetmeats and samsbu o their village and made merry over the event They put away their arms, knocked down the defences that had been hastily erec'ed to repel the invaders and were at the height of their merry making when without any warning 2 large force of men village fell upon them. The attacking party from the Cheah numbered some 600 meg-400 with Mansers and 20 e olies. Of course, the Chua village was entirely unprepared for the attack. The aggressors made an entrance into the village and carried all before them. They, sacked 17 houses. First of all they directed their attention to the looting of a rice-shop; from it they carried away between 400 and 500 piouls of rice,
three cows, half-a-dozen. pigs, and they killed seven or eight more pigs which they were unable to take with them. Also they shot dead an old woman 60 years of age. naturally caused the greatest possible larm in The doings of the invaders the village. All the inhabitants were called to ras, doors and gateways were barricaded, and for half-an-hour or so there was a sharp exchange of fire.
The Chan people have informed the authorities at Canton of the doings of the Cheahs and how they broke faith with them. It is not yet known how the trouble ended, but our informants say that the Chuns mean to fight the affair to a finish. They look lightly upon the original cause of the fracas but are determined to take ample revenge for the deadly disgrace offered to the two ladies who were stripped in the paddy- fields.
When the attack first began the women of the village sought safety in flight. The two daughters of the "squire" of the village tried to effect their escape by running into the adjacent
MURDER BY A FOREIGNER IN SHANGHAI.
were
People recently arrived from Shanghai inform us, says our contemporary O Porir, that the lamentable case of P. A. S uza, clerk of the Gas Co., Shanghai, was not exactly what Daily News, and that there it was represented to be by the North China extenuating circumstances on behalf of the acous
many
met with four Chinamen, who provoked him, ed. Sonza was coming home as usual when he
knocked off his hat, and assaulted him, and seeing that he was completely unarmed and could not defend himself against his assailants he ran into the house with the intention of followed by them. As soon as the house was securing a cane for his defence, baing closely reached they broke one window, on which Songs became more excited, and, finding a carving knife on the table, got hold of it out to meet his assailants, who, and came seeing him armed with a knife, tried to run away. As Souza is rather heavy and could not run fast, he could only follow one of them, at whom he threw the knife; as there was no posl- mortem examination, the exact cause of death could not judicially be determined. Amongst the witnesses who have been summoned were the secretary of the Gas Co. and a few others, all of whom testified to the excellent character of
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Souza and that he must have been greatly provoked by the Chinamen to induce him to act as he did. These Chinamen, people say, to be bad people. belonged to a gang of gamblers and are reputed
The Portuguese community in Shanghai promptly subscribed about $2,000 for Souza's defence, and the Gas Co., being thoroughly couvinced that the accused will be acquitted, granted him six months' leave with advanc.d salary, and to his brother, who is in the sime employ, three months' leave on full pay in order to accompany him to Maca.
Our Shanghai contemporary, O Porvir adds, recently said that the Chinese have lately behaved themsev s very insolently toward the foreigners residing in the Hankow district, pro- voking them without any motive and exciting them to break the peace. No wonder that Souza got into trouble.
Wusish telegraphed on the 1st inst. to the The N.-C. Daily News correspondent at effect that the new silk crop is a good one. The quality of the cocoons is good. Fresh cocoons are being bought at $55 per pioul, Buyers are quiet.
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