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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
bye-laws the Board had power to order the slaugh- | same direction as the wind-dead ahead-were tering of all the animals in the herd, if they thought it necessary to do so to check the disease, and in the event of their so doing compensation could be awarded to the owners of the herd, but the compensation awarded must not exceed $100.
De Gibson-The loss would be considerably more than $1001 The average price of these cows is £22, or I should say $250. The shed is quite close to the stables, and men are passing the place frequently.
Col. Webb-Can the disease be communicated to horses?
Dr Gibson-I rather think not.
Dr. Atkinson-It is possible that it might be. Dr. Gibson-I am not in a position to say positively yes or no, but the infection could be carried by them,
no
Col. Webb-And by their attendants ? Dr. Gibson-By anyone about them, Dr. Atkinson-I suppose there are means of ascertaining how the disease was introduced,
Dr. Gibson-I had an idea that the food supply might be the cause, but all the food, with the exception of bran, is imported. Bran comes from Shanghai, and that is cooked.
Col. Webb-In a day or two the Chinese pony griffins will be coming down, and then all the stables will be filled up.
The President moved that, as the Board had power to order the slaughtering of the cattle forthwith, the remaining cattle in the herd should be killed immediately, and their bodies taken out to sea in junks and dumped. Mr. Ramjahn seconded, and the motion was carried. In connection with the disposal of the bodies a discussion arose, in which cremation was suggested, but when it was pointed out that only four animals could be cremated in a day the maiter was left to the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon to deal with.
This was all the business.
NEW
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF IN
HONGKONG.
safely ridden. A passenger, was yesterday overheard to remark "the Simla is a beautiful sea-boat; although she pitched heavily, riding up one sea after another, she did not roll a bit. The screw, of course, raced like fury." No ship could make a record against such weather; the Simla, indeed, was reduced to nearly half her usual speed. One day the 24 hours' run was only 125 miles; other runs were 150, 149, 155, 185. Heavy seas washed over the forecastle-head and well decks; some, also, came on to he hurricane deck. Derrick gibs and other spars were smashed in the forward part of the vessel; one of the side ladders leading from | the forward well to the hurricane deck was broken. Needless to say, many passengerssuffered on account of the weather; so, also, did the officers, endeavouring to keep a look-out on the bridge, while showers of spray were dashed into their eyes. In the engine-room, perhaps, more anxiety than anywhere else was experienced. The screw, suddenly lifted from the water, flew around at a terrific speed. During the voyage, it was necessary to use fiddles, to prevent crockery, etc., falling from saloon tables, almost all the time. The cooks, looking after big pots of boiling water, had an excep- tionally bad time. One steward met with an accident, getting a fractured rib. The Simla proceeded to Shanghai on Monday evening; to save her fine she has fo reach port by Friday.
were
more
CARGO SHIFTS ON THE "GLENGARRY." Captain H. M. Willy, R.N.R.. brought his steamer, the Glengarry, alongside at the Kow- loon wharf on Monday morning. He reports on his passage from having experienced, Singapore to Hongkong, strong N.E. mon. soon with high head seas washing over the ship. The vessel laboured heavily, at times rolling her bulwarks under. Violent squalls with blinding rain made things generally 'pleasant." The sky being completely over- cast, it was impossible to take observations. Excepting during the rain-showers, it wAS clear ahead. Owing to the motion of the
ali ship, the
passengers or less unwell. Adding to the general discom fort, a portion of the cargo (iron) shifted-a Included in the Simla's passengers was Major-very dangerous thing indeed-and required General Villiers Hatton, C. B., the new General constant attention till the vessel arrived at Commanding the Forces in South China and Hongkong. Dashing from side to side at every made a fearful noise; in Hongkong, Mrs Villiers Hatton, and Lieut. roll the iron
attempting to secure it the ship had to Ward, A.D.C.
The Major-General requested that there babe put several points off her course. no official welcome; he landed in mufti. Colonel of the crew, while endeavouring to be of L. F. Brown, R.E., Acting Commander in. assistance to the carpenter in securing some of Chief, Major Chichester, Ď.8.0., D.A.A.G., the movables, was knocked down by a sen, get Major W. Baker Brown, R.E., Acting A.D.C., ting his head cut open. Dr. Johnson, the ship's Captain C. L. Fitz Williams, A.8.C.. Mrs surgeon, had to put several stitches in the wound, Two other sailors met with similar Baker-Brown, and Mrs Chichester went on board the steamer to meet him. Both Major accidents. Adding to all these misfortunes, the General and Mrs Hatton looked the picture chief officer, Mr. D. R. Clarke, having a bad of health. The Major-General commanded foot, was unable to assist. The engines had to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards in the be eased at times on account of fearful racing, Khartoum expedition of 1898. His father, the Captain Willy had little sleep during the trip. late Colonel Villiers La Touche Hatton, was a Lieut.-Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. He is also a nephew of Sir Henry de Bathe.
The party landed by the launch Alexandra at Blake Pier; upon landing Major-General and Mrs. Hatton were taken in chairs to Head- quarter House. A salute was fired from the Tamar when the Major-General stepped ashore. His Excellency relieved Colonel Brown on
Monday.
ROUGH WEATHER OUTSIDE.
A SHIPPING SCANDAL.
SHOCKING CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.
One
The hardships put upon sheep and goats taken on board at Shanghai by some of the vessels on the Shanghai-Canton run, via scandal. Perhaps some of the steamship owners, Hongkong, are a shocking, almost incredible
or their agents, as the case may be, have never given the matter a thought; perhaps, indeed, they have never boarded the vessel after the animals have been shipped. Perhaps marine VOYAGE OF THE P. & 0. “SIMLA.”
superintendents, fearing it might damage their The English mail arrived at ten o'clock position, never drew attention to a matter on Monday morning. Great anxiety was ex which would mean a severe loss in freight. perienced in the Colony regarding her; in Perhaps the captain and officers of the fact there was some talk of sending a cruiser ships dared not protest; seldom, but sometimes,
After all, though, these out.
of the Merchant Service" sacrifice foolish: when the Simla arrived this morning their position for uttering rightous opinions she was not overdue. By the mail schedule it detrimental to their employers' interests. would appear that she was due on the 6th Perhaps the compradores in charge of the (Sunday), merchants expected her on Saturday, cargoes think little about cruelty to aminals, but by contract she is allowed two days yet a great deal about their commission. Such, extra between Singapore and Shanghai during certainly, must be the case: In these circum- this monsoon weather. She left Singapore on stances, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Sunday the 29th ult., running into the thick of to Animals, as well as all right-thinking men in nasty weather, the strong N.E. monsoon with this Colony who have so strongly protested heavy sea, as soon as she cleared harbour. The against the Canton atrocities-unnecessary ship behaved splendidly in the rough sea: one torture of the condemned-have a right to after another of the big waves coming from the protest.
fears were . men
|
[December 14, 1903.
A visit to one of the steamers lying along- side a wharf at Praya West was enough to raise the indignation of anyone. Huddled up in roughly constructed pens, bounded on one side by two long bamboos eighteen inches or so apart, lashed athwart the stanchions supporting the bulwarks-this made a feeding-trough-, and bounded ou the other sides by planks, the animals were a picture of misery. So close were they packed that, in the sea of filth beamarel wool-there was no bedding, and the pans had never been cleaned-it was simply impossible to count the beasts. Some of them had their heads protruding between the plauks of the enclosure; so tightly were they pressed that they were unable to extrip to themselves. Many had their heads jammed under the bellies Hundred of animals were so tightly of others. packed that it would have been impossible for all of them to lie down. There is a whisper that recent arrivals from Shanghai have lost large quantities of sheep on the voyage; one, indeed, had a mortality of about 30 per cent. When one of the vessels was moored alongside at Hongkong, not a vestige of food was to be seen near the pous; as for water, it seemed incon- ceivable how the animals were supplied. A goat was gnawing the side of a pen; a sheep greedily devoured a little rice accidentally dropped within head-reach. Cattle sometimes undergo a short fast previous to slaughter; this, however, si an unnecessary hardship for sheep and goats. From a sanitary point of view, moreover, it is questionable whether this fearful strain pat upan these sheep is conducive to improving the meat.
We are glad to fad that the Hongkong S. P. C. A. is not remaining idle in the matter of the shameful treatment of sheep and goats brought down to Cauton via Hongkong in certain steamers from Shanghai.
THE MEAT SUPPLY OF HONGKONG.
THE KENNEDY TOWN SLAUGHTER-HOUSE. Like Chicago's, Hongkong's chief daily slaughter is of pigs. If, indeed, we do not kill off the vast quantities that Chicago does, and if we do not kill them quite so fast, we certainly do it in a very scientific manner. Probably, also, our smaller stock is more closely examined from a sanitary point of view. There are two slaughter-houses attached to the Colony: one at Hunghom, Kowloon Peninsula, and the other at Kennedy Town. As that at Hunghom is comparatively insignificant, we will deal with the one at Kennedy Town. Kennedy Town, by the way, is one terminus of our electric tramways The slaughter-house is approached from the east by a square patch of ground where a number of cattle, for exportation, spend their time chewing rice-straw; Messrs. Shewan, Tomes & Co.'s rope works, only separated from it by a private roadway-Forbes Street-where cattle forexportation are kept when there is no room for them in the sheds, forms the northern boundary; "country" and hillside encircle the rest. Ap- proaching the premises by the main roadway, cattle-sheds are on the left; slaughter-houses, sheep and pig-hous ́s on the right; and a crematorium
quite a little house in itself-faces you. The inspectors: Inspectors A. Watson, and J. T. Cot slaughter-house is supervised by two Europeau ton; one of them is provided with free quarters not a great distance from the slaughter-house; both have been connected with the work about seven or eight years. In 1902, 20,831 cattle were slaughtered, 17,718 were re-exported; 16,109 sheep were slaughtered, 12,427 were re-exported; 168,940 pigs were slaughtered, 15,984 were re-exported.
THE CATTLE.
The cattle mostly come from fertile banks of the Canton and Weat rivers, lying in the pro- vinces of Kwangtung and Kwangsi. A few, also, come from British Kowloon, otherwise known as the New Territory. The latter, how- ever, are not very numeroas; they are, more- over, poor specimens as compared with the further inland breed. Cattle intended for local meat supply are housed free of charge; Cattlo they have to be fed by their owners,
to Manila- transhipped at Hongkong, on
or other steamers, have to pass bound through the depot where they undergo
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