November 30, 1903.]
HONGKONG.
The rumour has been received about the sale of South American warships to Japan. Chile is aid to be negotiating for the sale of two.
In the final tie for the lawn tennis champion. ship of the Wigwam Club, Mr. H. Hancock has beaten Mr. N. 8. P. Trimmingham by 3 sets to love (6-4, 6-1, 6-4).
The only cases of communicable disease reported in the Colony last week were the three of plague (all hinese and all fatal) which we have already recorded.
In view of severale quiries made, we note that the proper form of now addressing H.E. Mr. F. H. May is "HE. the Officer Adminis- tering the Government," and not the "Acting Governor."
The visitors to the City Hall Library and Museum for the week ending the 22nd November, were 194 non-Chinese and 69 Chinese to the former, and 58 non-Chinese and 1.357 Chinege to the latter institution.
Gunner C. E. Ellis, left half No. 2 Co. H.KV.A., has resigned the Volunteers. Mr. (now Gunner) E Raymond joined the Volunteers on the 17th inst He has been assigned to corps No. 748 and postel to No. 2 sub-division, right haff No. 1 Co. H.K.V.A.
H.E. the Officer Administering the Govern- ment, accompanied by Mrs. May and by Captain M. E. Hurly, 93rd Burma Infantry, A.D.C., moved into Government House on the 2ith inst. Mr. R. F. Johnston Private Secretary, had already been there for the past three days.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The estimated loss by the fire on the 22nd inst at No. 10, Sai On Lane, Hongkong in a private godown used for storage of general merchandise, is $50,000. The losers are Union Assurance Society, 818,00); South British Insurance Co., $11,000; Butterfield & swire Insurance Offoes, $5,000; Chun On Insurance Co., $6,500; Fook On Insurance Co., $4,000; L'Union Insurance Co., $6,000.
Poor sport was experienced at Taishan Island on the 22nd inst. The party consisted of four sportsmen. They went to Wo Soo, on Taishan Island, situated about six miles on the other side of Taishan Bay. Taishan Island is about | four hours' launch journey from Hongkong, When they arrived they found 'virgin' fresh green paddy fields. One man knocked down 15 brace (even cf quail, eight of snipe), the other three secured 15 brace between them. The leader of the party and others went to the same place on Sunday. They had first to sicure a permit to land from the Kowloon Customs. When they arrived they found the fresh green paddy all cut. The result was pour sport, only a couple of brace being bagged. A few pigeons, also, were shot.
The American schooner Lillebonne was on the 20th inst. sold by Mr. Geo. P. Lammert. A launch left Blake Pier at about 10.30 a.m. to convey intending purchasers to the vessel. She was lying at No. 6, Baoy off Kowloon Docks. All her tackle, apparel, appurtenances, etc., formed one lot. The terms were that the vessel be at the purchaser's risk on the fall of the hammer. One third of the purchase money was to be paid down, the balane on transfer. The sale commenced shortly after eleven o'clock. More or less keen competition between a few bidders ensued. Commencing at $3,000 jumps were made at $100 8 time Finally a representative of Messrs. Dodwell and Co., Ld., Af a meeting of Victoria Lodge, 1,026 E.C., secured her for $8,000. The firm was acting on the 20th inst. evening, Bro. C. W. Longuet on behalf of a non-resident. The Lillebonne (S.W.) was elected W.M. for the ensuing year is a vessel of some 150 tons. Considering that in succession to Wor. Bro. E. H. Ray. Bro. the is not a vessel of great use for trading in W. $. Allen was elected treasurer in succession these parts, 88.000 may be considered a good to Bro. E. Mirrow. Bro. J. Vanstone was re-figure. At the same time the Lillebonne is elected tyler. All three elected accepted the well worth that sum. offices.
Mr. R. Ponsonby, late private secretary to Sir J. West Ridgeway at Colombo, who is to be private secretary to H.E. Mr. F. H. May here, was to leave Colombo by the Simla yesterday. Until Mr. Ponsonby's arrival Mr. R. E. Johnston will be private secretary.
Before leaving Sir Henry Blake presented & silver cigarette case to Sergt. Brazil, police officer at Government House. Lady Blake presented him with an album containing photo- graphs of Sir Henry and herself. His Excel- lency also presented Inspector Gourlay, officer in charge of Government House, with a silver cigarette-case with inscription.
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MISCELLANEOUS.
The Portuguese transport Africa arrived at Macao on the 22nd instant. She brought 200 men to replenish the garrison of that city, also some officers and crew for the gunboat Diu.
The Shanghai Mercury, Ld., announces an
year. An interim dividend of four per cent. is announced by the Shanghai Electric and Asbestos Company, Ld.
Yesterday being Queen Margherita's birth-interim dividend of five per cent, for the last half. day, the warships in barbour dressed ship and a salute was fired at noon. Receptions were held on board the Italian cruiser Calabria and at the office of Consul-General Chev. Z. Volpicelli, No. 1, Duddell Street. The cruiser Calabria arrived from hanghai on Thursday evening and saluted the port yesterday morning.
and 120,000 tons.
On the 26th alt, several more steamers were chartered at Cardiff for the Far East, bringing up the total number of vessels chartered during the fortnight for Port Arthur, Shanghai, and the Japan ports to 24. The total quantity of The construction of the new Kowloon water-coal carried in these vessels was between 110,000 works, we hear, was likely to affect the water supply of the Hongkong Steam Water Boat Co., Ld (whose annual report appears in another column), but Mr. J. W. Kew, the general manager, has arranged with the Government or five streams to be conserved for the supply of the Company's tanks, situated beyond Laichi-
kok.
It was reported by the police on the 24th inst. that about 11 o'clock on the previous night a fire occurred at No. 182, Queen's Road East, premises used as a medicine-shop and shoe-shop. The Fire Brigade turned out under Mr. P. P. J. Wodehouse, Assistant-Superintendent of Police. A plentiful supply of water was got fr. m the street hydrants, and though the Are had obtained a good, hold on the building in which it originated and was also spreading to the adjoining houses on each side before the Brigade arrived, it was not long before the flames were subdued. Ten hoses played on the flames. No. 132 was gutted. The outbreak originated on the ground floor. No. 13, an eating-house on the west, was badly damaged. No. 131 on the east was also badly burned. The ground floor of No. 132, in which the conflagra tion started, was insured for $4,500 and the top floor of the two houses adjoining (which were used by the same occupier) for $4,750. Sergeant B. Macdonald was the engineer in charge of the Brigade.
ro08:
Two Calcutta telegrams with reference to Tibet appear in the Times of Ceylon. The first Calcatta, November. 4th.--The pro- bability is that a forward move into Tibet will be made immediately. The 23rd and 32nd Pioneers and a company of Sappers and Miners, already on the frontier, will escort the Mission. A gun or two, and another native infantry regiment, will also be sent. Colonel MacDonald will command the forces: Major Iggulden will be attached; and Major Bretherton will be Commissariat Officer. The telegraph line, ia spite of difficulties, has been laid to Khamba. jong. It is hoped that the demonstration will result in the Chinese and Tibetan officials realis- iog that the Indi.n Government is determined to have a settlement of the questions at stake." The second is as follows: "Caleatts, November 6th.-The latest development on the Sikkim. Tibet border is that the Tibetans have turned back 500 yaks, which were being sent from Nepal for transpert work with the British force. The yaks had been despatched without an escort and the Nepalese in charge had no option but to obey the orders of certain local Tibetan officials, who objected to their marching towards Sikkim, The British Commission will push on from Khambajong, the amount of transport collected indicating a forward move when all the necessary preparations are completed.”
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The revenue from tin alone in three of the four Federated Malay States only, during the first nine months of this year has been stated at something approaching seven and a quarter million dollars. Yet, says the Straits Times, though there is so much money to draw upon, many of the Government departments "are undermanned.
A correspondent who recently went to South Africa writes: --" Talking of purchase in Hong- koug, you will doubtless be as surprised as I was to learn that rattan furniture from Hong. kong brings about four times its value in South Africa. My deok-chair, which cost me $2.25, realised 25/- in Durbin, whilst a rattan sofa worth $5 or $6 fetched a couple of guiness, The boats which you see building in shops along the Praya, small boats, costing about 6. per. foot, sell in Capa ports at 25/- per foot. There's a tip for anyone who knows how to take advan- tage of it.'
DOCKS IN THE FAR EAST.
The Hongkong and Whampoa Dook Com- pany has a great deal of work now on hand. A close inspection of Saturday's returns however, fairly demonstrates that in the near future a large amount of tonnage must be transferred. Oat of nine vessels at Kowloon Docks on Saturday, five were Government ships, two British men-of-war, two U.S. vessels, and one German. When the Royal Naval Dock is completed a deal of tonnage must be lost to the
Messrs. company. Butterfield & Swire's new dook is also progressing. Outside Hongkong, Manila will Yokohama Dook Co., Ld., with its two large dry. shortly have a large floating dock. The docks, are keenly competing for coastwise and other vessels. Messrs. Farnham, Boyd and Co.. Ld. of Shanghai, are ever becoming more directly in competition with Hong- kong. The Tanjong Pagar Dock Co. Ld.,. of Singapore, is seadily growing in importance. There are, besides, smaller docks, such as Prai River Dock at Penang, in other parts of the Far East. Engineering, generally speaking. is part and parcel of the docking business, many docking companies- such as the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Co, Ld.-advertising themselves as ship- builders. Competition in shipbuilding and engineering, it may te mentioned, is greater than GV I.
Ia Hongkon r alone many firms
If this ar engaged in this line. increasing competition be detrimental to in- dividual interests, it is conducive to general prosperity. There is room for all, and, from a shipowner's point of view, the more the merrier."
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THE FOOCHOW ARSENAL.
A correspondent at Foochow writes to the N.-C. Daily News-Your French contempor- ary (L'Echo de Chine) accused you recently of publishing "inexact aud malicious apprecia- tions of affairs at the Arsenal, but it could not make any specific charge, because you have only published the actual facts. Here are some more, both very important, from a French as well as a Chinese point of view:
1.-It is well known that M. Doyère has been relieved of his functions at the Arsenal and replaced by M. Bertrand. The French Consul is just now very much occupied in carrying out the instructions that come to him from above. The idea seems to be to accede to all M. Doyère's demands, and excuse him from presenting his accounts, fanciful as they may be. Meanwhile the Arsenal is threatened with a demand for damages on the part of the French Compagnie Asiatique de Navigation. When this is settled the Chinese may provide themselves with a microscope to discover what they have gained by the Doyère mission.
2-A French officer on active service is accused officially of sundry breaches of confid- once, and of having failed to account for a vessel; not the whole of it, but a great part of it. The French Government does not deny the fact, which is undeniable, but suppresses it, a5 too small a matter to trouble an officer about. But is this likely to encourage the Chinese to do business with the French ?
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.