December 19, 1903.].
We understand that it is in contemplationr by the Masonic Quadrille Club, to hold a Bubscription Ball in the City Hall, about the middle of February next.
Praya East is almost impassable for cyclists at present owing to the operations of the P.W.D. in raising the level of he road. The thoroughfare is covered with mud and littered with bricks and road-metal.
A very fine specimen of a hawk was shot the other day while it was in pursuit of some pigeons on the roof of a house on the west side of the island. The bird was only "winged," and was captured alive.
The Supreme Court will go into vacation on 24th inst. and resume on the 2nd January, 1904 Instead of being held on Fridays, 25th inst. and 1st prox., the Summary Court sittings will take place on Thursdays, the 24th and 31st inst.
Warships have been arriving in such numbers that it was quite a question to know where to put them all. British warships in port last Saturday morning were:-Amphitrite, Bramble, Britomart, Fame, Glory, Humber, Leviathan, Phanie, Rinaldo, Rosario, Sandpiper, Sparrow- hawk, Talbot, Th trs, Vestal, Virago, Whiting, Wivern, a number of torpedo-boat destroyers, and the French cruiser Montcalm. Arrivals since then are:-Chinese gunboat Kwanglee from Shanchung, O. 8. S. Monterey from Canton, Austrian Don Juan de Austria from Macao, H.M.S. Surprise from Shanghai, French Kersaint from Haiphong, German Iltis from Macao, and H.M.S. Albion from Kobe and Mirs Bay.
MISCELLANEOUS,
All the U.S. warships in the Far East, it is reported, are to be fitted with the German system of wireless telegraphy.
A new planet in the constellation Leo, first discovered by Professor Hirayama of the Tokyo Observatory, has been named Tokyo,
The German community at Tientsin has decided to build a new club-house from plans prepared by Mr. Becker of Shanghai.
Mr. Herbert Irving-Bell has been appointed Messrs Jardine, Matheson & Co.'s agent in Japan, and to take charge of the firm's Yokohama branch.
The rice-crop in Japan was so bad in 1902, says the Mainichi, that the public were not in a position to buy muh sake, and the brewing of that liquor so decreased that it caused a shortage in the State revenue of 10,000,000 yen.
We see that Supernumerary Captain J. B. Arbuthnot, M.V.O., son-in-law as well as recently A.D.C. bare to H.E. Sir Henry Blake, has been promoted to the rank of Captain in the Scots Guards.
Mr. H. H. Brown, of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's, Tongku, has been awarded by the Throne a gold medal of the first class for saving the lives of 40 Chinese from a capsized junk on the 27th March
In default of finding security in $500 for his future good behaviour, the Chief Justice at Shanghai has sentenced a man named Joseph Benna to be deported to Hongkong. Benna has just served twelve months' imprisonment with
hard labour for theft,
Sir Charles Jessel presided at the North Borneo dinner in London. A distinguished company was present. Mr. Cowie welcomed Chinese immigration to Borneo, and defended the policy of railway extension, which had already simulated industry to a remarkable extent. He ridiculed the assertion that the North Borneo Company was anxious to tempt Great Britain to buy the Colony, and hoped shortly to announce that arrangement had been made to work coal, iron, and manganese on a large scale.
A China Mutual steamer which arrived a: Shanghai from Tientsin on the 8th inst., experienced great difficulty in coming down the Peibo River and passing the Tákn Forts owing to the ice, Between Tangku and the Forts the vessel was jammed in the ice, unable to go ahead for twenty-four hours. Again, while abreast of the Forts she was driven back with the flow of soft pack ice three times while going full speed ahead. The port of Tientsi", the N.-C. Daily News says, is practically closed and no steamers are now being dispatched there.
*
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Manila has been visited by a deluge of rain such as, it is said, the oldest resident does not remember in December before.
The revenue from Customs duties in the Philippines is said to have nearly trebled in the last four years.
The well-known Russian General Wogack is returning to 8. Petersburg via Port Arthur and Siberia.
COMMERCIAL.
SILK.
463
CANTON, 8rd December, 1903.-Re-reels.—The only transactions to report are in Tee Wo Hing's White Ticket, 10 Bales No. 1 @ $765 and 20 Bales No. 2 @ $745. Filatures.-The market has again ruled quiet with a continuation of the downward tendency in values. During the last few days Mr. Bennet Burleigh, the celebrated war
one or two buyers have shown some interest in correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph, the present level of prices. The business result- arrived in Nagasaki on the 7th inst. to watching has not, however, affected the disposition of affairs in the Far East.
The French have invented a new word to describe the movement toward a general union of the yellow races. It is "pan-jaunisme"! It has the merit of brevity,
Mr. W. C. Townley, British Secretary of Legation at Peking, and Lady Susan Townley left Peking for Chinwangtao, homeward-bound
via Sibería, on the 1st inst.
opened at Manila on the 1st inst. The hospital A new hospital for contagious diseases was consists of one main and five isolated buildings, and cost nearly $30,000. gold.
On the 25th ult. the Emperor of Japan egav a luncheon at the Shiba Palace, Tokyo, in honour of Admiral Sir Cypriau Bridge, at which ten other British naval officers were also guests.
A Calcutta telegram of the 1st December says:-Large quantities of ammunition and warlike stores are now being despatched from Fort William arsenal to Siliguri, which after all is to form the base of the operations in Tibet.
Nagasaki, says the Press, may suffer from depression in trade, but the yearly increase in population goes steadily on, the average yearly population is 14,163, of all nationalities. increase amounting to 6000. Her present
The Imperial Government is stated to have instructions for the issue of official Gazettes in the various provinces. It is enjoined that special attention be paid to the contents of the U. zetter, which are intended to " enlighten and uplift the people. It was 1r. Johnson who declared that a people without newspapers must be
barbarous.
The Mainichi says that the Russians at Liaoyang and various other places are being sent to Tsunfahshien in batches of thirty or forty every day. It is believed that these men are to be employed in the upper reaches of the Monkiang. The Russians announce that they intend to build a railway between the Yalu and Pingyang. Captain Wasieleff, adviser to the Russian Forestry Company, recently told some Chinese merchants at Antung that work on the railway would soon be commenced.
According to the Kokumin, an agreement relative to a Corean naval programme has been entered into between the Government of Corea and the Russian Minister to Seoul, and bas just been signed. Corea, the agreement stipulates, will buy a cruiser from Russia for 400,000 yen, appoint five Russian naval officers as instructors, and establish a Naval College with the object of training native officers in the course of three years. Some Court officials at Seoul state that the Russian Minister wishes to give effect to the agreement without delay.
Not only
The London "correspondent of the Birming | ham Post wrote last month :-Much comment is to be heard in both official and other quarters | upon the fact that considerable arms shipments to China are taking place just now. arms, but the machinery for making them, are being sent out, and the assumption is that China is quietly making preparations for what is considered the inevitable conflict between Russia and Japan it being regarded as more or less certain that the event of such a conflict China could not be a silent or inactive spectator.
The Manila Sunday Sun alleges that U.S. Consuls along the China coast are having disagreeable questions asked by the Washington government, and goes so far as to name four of them. We note that this is not in our con- temporary's "pipe-dream column. The Sun also remarks that the Hon. John Goodnow of Shanghai has been called home for an investiga tion; that the Hon. John belongs to the Minneapolis school of politicians, and that the crowd was never known to do things by halves. Are we to take it that the Sun infers that somebody is in a hole ?
holders. The accumulated stock amounts to about 9,000 bales including all crops excepting perhaps the 1st and 2nd, and must soon begin to weigh upon the market, notwithstanding the temporary relief obtained from monetary ad- vances. Prices paid include: Kwai King Lan 9/11 at $225, Yee Wo Loong, Cheong Kee, Hang Wo Cheong 9/11 at $900, Miu Shun Hing, U Hau Cheong 10/12 at $885, King Tack On 10/12 at
at $765, Poo King Wo 26/30 at $790. “Native" $850, Kum Lun Tai 11/13, 11/15 at $925, Sai King Lun 13/15 at $840, Wai King Wo 18/22 filatures have latterly come into improved demand with sales of Soey Wo Cheong 11/18, 13/15, 14/18 at 8755 and Yee Wo Hing 18/22 at $690. The first-named size is extremely scarce. Short-reels have remained on about the same level as previously quoted, but have no animation. Some sales have been effected on the basis of $900 for Hang King Lon, Kwong Wo Hing, etc., 850/84 for Kwong Ho, Kwong Lun Bing. Sundry old lots of 3rd crop Medium grades have been cleared at $910/820. Waste Šilk.-Buyers have shown a desire to operate which has only been restricted by the firmness of holders, and lots coming on offer have in general found ready market.
SUGAR.
HONGKONG, 18th December. The prices are the same as when last reported.
Shekloong, No. 1, White......$8.60 to $8.65 pols
Do. Do. Do. Swatow,
29
2, White.... 7.55 to 7.60 No. 1, Brown...... 5.95 to 6.00
2, Brown...... 5.85 to No. 1, White...... 8.45 to
Do.
2. White
22
Do.
#1
21
22
5.90
29
8.50
7.45 to 7.50
"
1, Brown...... 5.90 to 5.95 Do.
2, Brown...... 5.65 to 5.70 Foochow Sugar Candy .........12.85 to 12.90 Shekloong
.........10.75 to 10.80
RICE.
踺
HONGKONG 18th December.—There is no change in the position of the market. Saigon, Ordinary
.$9.10 to $8.15
"
18
Garden,
Round, Good quality ......... Long Siam, Field mill cleaned, No. 2 No. 1
4.75 to 4.80
5.00 to 5.05
3.75 to 8.80
4.40 to 4.45
J
White,
4.90 to 4.95
"
31
Fine Cargo
5.95 to 5.40
OPIUM.
17th December.—
$960 $1,000
to $980 per picul,
to $1,020 do.
.$1,040
to $1,080 do.
$1,080
to $1,100 do.
to
do.
to
do.
to
per chest.
to
do.
$1,185
to
do.
to
do.
Quotations are:-Allowance net. to 1 catty. Malwa New.
Malwa Old
Malwa Older.
Malwa V. Old
Persian fine quality.... $810 Persian extra fine.......$820 Patna New ............$1,185 Patna Old. Benares New Benares Old
COTTON.
HONGKONG, 18th December:-Fair business at an advance of $3 to $5 per picul. Stock about 700 bales.
27.00 to 80.00 picul
29.00 to 38.50
Bombay.. Bengal (New), Rangoon
and Dacca.... Shanghai and Japanese, 30.01 to 33.00 Tungchow and Ningpo, 30.00 to 83.00
**
"
YARN. Enquiry from the country still holds off, and considering the season of the year, the market is passing through a period of unusual inactivity. closely on the completion of harvesting, but this In previous years, a good demand has followed
offtake at even dates during the past three years, year it is entirely absent, and on comparing the it would appear that the number of bales now going into consumption is about one-third of the quantity previously taken. This is probably
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Private notes are available after approval.