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May I offer a suggestion to the P.W.D.? In Wyndham Street, just by the Police Station, there is a long point of winding road that might vary nicely be cut off by a flight of steps in the saine manner as the stairs leading from Queen's Road to the upper end of Battery Path. This would be a great improvement.
I see that a correspondent in your water front contemporary" has challenged "English: man's statements about the maltreatment of English sailors by the Police. Whatever be the merits of this particular case, there can be little doubt that the Police are long-suffering in dealing with European breakers of the peace. Should occasion arise they can, it is true, be very strenuous in their ways; but I have never
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case yet in Hongkong of needless force or cruelty having been used in the arrest of offenders. If rusistance is offered at home to
the Police, the Magistrate generally takes the worst view of the case and passes sentence accord. ingly.
It is always comforting in Hongkong to reflect on the statement that "the worst smells
are those that one can't smell"-worst for the health, that is to say. For certainly in Hong kong the smells that one can smell are fearful. In the past week, before the advent of the rain, they have been particularly virulent. To walk along any of our main roads, not to mention any bye-streets, has been a terrible trial to anyone in the slightest degree sensitive. It would really be difficult to say that a Chinese town could be more unpleasant to the nose. I remember once walking through the streets of Canton and suddenly striking a comparatively pleasant scent after what I had been passing through. It turned out to he rising from a basket of onions being carried by a coolie in front of me! I often wish now that I had an onion with me in Queen's Road. But happily the rains will being relief.
When the Police take over the old Bay View Hotel as a station again they will find there as a relict one of the turtles which were for several years in a small pond beside the house. There used to be two; one remains, and it seems to feel very much the loss of its companion. for it swims around the narrow sphere of its existence with untiring fins. It would almost he charity to make a dish of turtle soup out of the creature.
After turtles, let us talk about glowworms. I have heard it said that one never sees a glow. worm in Hongkong, and that the little phos. phorescent lights one may occasionally see in the verdant hillslopes at night are the lights of fireflies. I am not a naturalist, and so cannot
dispute a statement so confidently made. If I
consult a text-book it tells me merely that a glow-worm is a lampyrid beetle, as Lampuris noctiluca or L. spendidula of Europe, the female of which is wingless, somewhat wormlike, and displays from the abdomen a green light that attracts the less phosphorescent males. It is
stated too that the larvae are also luminous. In
the United States the luminous larva of a firefly is called a glowworm. Perhaps some local naturalist will kindly say whether it is the American or European glowworm we have in Hongkong. The other night I saw one of the prettiest sights of the kind I have seen any- where. In a mossgrown bank rising from one of the yet untrained nullahs on the hill I saw quite fifty of these little lights studding a space of about a yard square.
At low tides, when Causeway Bay and the neighbourhood of the Bowrington Canal are high-and-dry, cockle hunters have a fine time. Not satisfied with the large area laid bare they wade out knee-deep, digging and poking away with their iron hooks, or feeling for shells with claw-like hands. Great merriment is caused over a stranded jelly-fish. These poor fishing folk, if not addicted to cramp, have a healthy means of gaining a livelihood. It must be fairly profitable too, or so many Chinese would not be engaged at it.
BANYAN.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE WAR.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] RUSSIANS SUCCOUR PORT ARTHUR.
LONDON, 31st May.
[June 4, 1904.
ters' tools, telegraphic apparatus, and sundry
other articles.
The Japanese casualties have been officially returned at five officers and 218 rank-and-fle killed, and 33 officers and 783 men wonaded, making the total casualties 1,039. They buried 1,363 Russians killed, while 18 officers sud 595 men were taken prisoners.
COREA CANCELS RUSSIAN PRIVILEGES.
The Russians are reported south of Wa- fangtien making an endeavour to succour Port Arthur while General Kondratovitch
An Extra to the Corean Official Gazette was issued at Seoul on the 18th instant an- checks the Japanese advance at Fenghuan-nouncing that all the Treaties and Agreements cheng.
RUSSIANS SHORT OF SUPPLIES.
LONDON, 1st June. It is reported that extreme scarcity of provisions prevails at Liaoyang,
At present there are no indications of any intention on the part of the Russian forces to move southward:
[RECTER'S SERVICE.] JAPANESE PRISONERS AŤ
now existing between Corea and Russia have been annulled and have ceased to exist on the part of Corea. The Extra further announces that of the charters granted to Russian subjects, individuals or companies, which are still in force, those considered by the Corean Govern- binding as litherto. ment to be unobjectionable will be considered The chartera for the cutting of timber and forest making in the
ад
Tumen and Yalu districts and on Ulleung Island were originally granted to individuals, but in practice the Russian Government au- TOMSK.thorities are conducting the business, and they LONDON, 31st May.
not only ignore the terms of the charters, but take
For these Two hundred and sixty-eight Japanese
aggressive attitude. prisoners have arrived at Tomsk, largely annulled and invalid.
reasons, the charters in question are declared composed of Naval men captured from the LONDON PRESS ON THE KINCHOW VICTORY. Port Arthur blocking steamers. The officers The Japanese victory at Kincbow is hailed receive an allowance of from 50 to 75 by the London Press as establishing an even roubles per inonth and the men 16 kopeks stronger claim than the Yala victory to per day. Russian visitors to the camp are surprised at the men's cleanliness and
neatuess.
JAPANESE OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.
THE BATTLE OF NANSHAN.
Tokyo, 29th May. "General Oku_reports that in the attack on Naushan, the Fourth Division formed the right wing, the Third Division the left wing, and the First Division the middle. The enemy consisted of one division of field army, two batteriee of field artillery, besides fortres artillery and marines. The Fourth Division, taking an advantage on the enemy's left wing, which was weakened by bombardment of our fleet from Kinchow Bay, finally succeeded in carrying the enemy's position. The other division in mediately followed whereupon the enemy retreated in confusion, burning magazines at Tafangshin. The trophies were 68 guns, and 10 machine-guns, aniong many others. Our casualties were about 3,700. The enemy left over 500 corpses on the field.”
THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF DALNY.
Tokyo, May 31.
General Oku reports that a detatchment accupied Dalny ou May 30. Over 100 warehouses and barracks, besides the tele- graph offices and the railway station were found uninjured. Over 200 railway ears are available for use; but all small railway bridges in the neighbourhood have been destroyed. The docks and piers are uninjured, except the great pier, which was sunk. The steam lunches were also sunk at the month of the dock.
CASUALTIES AND CAPTURES AT
CHULIENCHENG.
superiority on land as well as on sea, since the Russians at Kinehow had ample time to prepare the defences. The Daily Telegraph says the victory is one of the most perfect examples possible of how fighting ought to be e nducted. and of qualities which go to make an almost ideal Army. The Japaness soldier is the com- pear of the proudest European soldiery. The Standard says the valour of the Japanese soldiers ha agaiu refused to recognise any obstacle as insurmountable.
FIRING ON A TRAIN.
of whom 80 were in the last train that travelled From Chefoo comes a statement by Chinese, from Port Arthur northwards. They allege that the train had on board some 220 (probably 200) civil officials from Port Arthur. At about 9 a.m. it reached Pulantien, and was there fired upon by Japanese, one of the drivers being hit in the leg. After a brief pause the train resumed its journey. This, the Chiness add. If so, it was also the train concerning which was the last train that travelled over the line. the Russians are now attempting to prefer a Red Cross complaint. The train had on board. over two hundred civil officials. It may also bave had some wounded or sick. Very likely. But its use of the Red-Cross flag under such circumstances was an outrage. Besides, it was not flying when the Japanese fired on it. Whit seems pretty plain is that the train was pro- whatever of attack. It was an ordinary train ceeding on its way without any suspicion with a miscellaneous mob of passengers, among them being some invalids, When fired on recourse was bad to the red fag as a means of escape. That would be bad enough, but the attempt to turn the tables and convict the Japanese of an outrage is quite contemptible. They are The Japanese are not firing on Red Cross flags. not murdering and mutil ting Russian prisoners. They are behaving with marked humanity.-Japan Mail.
The Douglas 8.8. Haiching, with the 8.8. Thales (belonging to the same company) in tow, In addition to the 28 guns taken at the Yalu returned to Hongkong yesterday morning at battle, the Japanese made very great captures six o'clock. The Thales left Foochow on the of stores, ammunition, etc. The following is 29th ult., and Swatow on the 31st. That night, a summary of the spoils enumerated in General the 31st, when some six miles west-south of Kuroki's report: Twenty-one 3-inch quick Breaker Point, at seven o'clock, the quadrant firing field gnos; nineteen ammunition wag of the high pressure val e gear broke, disabling gons; and 1,417 shells. Eight ‹ther machine-guns the vessel. She rocked helplessly on the more-. and eight ammunition waggons for the same; or-less still waters for about twelve and 37,300 shells. One hundred and twenty- hours before the Adiching. steaming in poe rifles and fifty ammuuition waggons; the opposite direction. hove in sight. 353,005 bullets Sirty-three horses; ten Capt. Robson of the Thats promptly commissariat waggons And 53 harnessing signalled the state of affairs to Capt. applianos; 694 cloth overcoats; 550 far Hodgins of the Hunching, and a tow live 800 overcoats; 511 tents; 0 sundries. At Feng-connected the two steamers, hwangcheng: 357 shells for 63 metre weather kept fine, a favourable wind blowing mountain guns; 183,000 rifle bullets; 150 from the north-east. The Haiching has 1,000 harness appliances; 1,720 overcoats; 40,708 tons of cargo on board for coast ports, and the loaves of black bread 1,736 koku of Indian Thates brought 500 tons of cargo down for this corn; 5,000 Manchurian bean-cakes; carpen- port.
Luckily the
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