July 2, 1904.]
a time this flctitious transference of the enter. prise to American hands satisfied England. and it goes du to say. England recently pre- vailed on the American Government to force the Chinese Government to forbid the Belgians to be employed, or to intervene personally in the construction of the Hankow-Canton Railway. The Peking Government signified to the Belgians the formal prohibition to take part in the construction or the surveillance of the Hankow-Canton line. The Americans having thus deceived the hopes of the Sovereign, he has held those whom he sent to negotiate with them. Col. Thys and M. Devolder. responsible for his disappointment. Whatever the truth of this tale, or whether it is because of their failure to negotiate a loan in America, the fact remains that the King of the Belgians ex pressed his displeasure with these two ancient associates of his so very forcibly that they felt nothing remained for them but to retire. not only from the directorship of the King's rail. way companies, but, as far as Col. Thys was concerned, from the offices he held in His Majesty's Household. M. Devolder does not hold an office of State at the moment from which he could he expected to retire, but I may mention as a sign of the high place he held until quite recently in the Royal favour that he was, not very long ago, created a Ministre d'Etat-a position rarely conferred in Belgium.
A Washington despatch, #3rd May, states: For nearly a month Chen-tung Liang-Cheng, the Chinese Minister, assisted by Mr. I. F Ferguson, Secretary to the Chinese Railway Administration, has been endeavouring to get the State Department to recognise the American China Development Company, which is con- structing a railway from Canton to Hankow, as a bona-fide American company, notwith, standing the majority of the shareholders are Belgians. Formal recognition has HOW been rendered the company by the United States Government. The step is considered to be one of great import- ance, As the United States maintains her sole right to deal with all diplomatic matters affecting the interests of the company. The Chinese Government feared Russia might acquire the line through the foreign stock holders and instituted negotiations with the United States, in order to prevent such action on the part of Russia.
From Brussels we get the following intelligense: -King Leopold has suddenly dissolved the partnership with the American Syndicate con- cerning the construction of the Hankow-Canton Railway, after having acquired the greater part of the shares from the original shareholders. He intends to entrust exclusively a Belgian Company with the construction of that im. portant line. But it may be presumed that the American Government will oppose the King's scheme. Meanwhile the Belgian and American directors of the Hankow-Canton Railway
|
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
THE HAIMUN."
The s.s. Haimun, as she lies off the Douglas Company's wharf, is an object of much interest to people on the waterfront. Her mission to the North as a Press boat for the Times has not been a success from that journal's point of view. The charter money
Was.
We
believe.
It is
something like £50 a day, but that did not represent the actual working expenses. satisfactory to know, however, that the wireless telegraphy apparatus worked without a hitch from first to last. The transmitting pole was erected on the main mast and was connected by wire with an instrument in one of the cabins where the operator sent off and received his messages, the other pole being at Weihaiwei. It appears that the distance over which the wireless messa res were guaranteed to travel was only 60 miles, but they were successfully transmitted to no less than 180 miles' distance,
were
in
the Huimun
war.
มะ
80
As has been announced already, both belligerents treated
though she a spy and objected to her presence the theatre of
that what news the correspondents on board were able to get was procured under difficulties. The Times representatives wer Commander Colquhoun and Captain James, and on the staff were also Captain Tonami (a Japanese). Mr. H. J. Brown, erector and operator, and Mr. H. Athern, operator at Weihaiwei. Captain W. C. ssmore was in command throughout the cruise. The chief officer was Mr. Mutton. the second Mr. R. Cram. and third Mr. C. H. Wood. The engineering staff were Mr. A. F. Ramsey, chief; Mr. A. McMillan, second : and Mr. H. A. Duncanson, third.
WATERFOWL BREEDING IN
CHINA.
Some of the duck and geese-boats on the Chinese rivers shelter as many as 2,00) birds, which have been purchased wholesale at the great duck and geese farms, and reared for the market. Beyond the first expense of buying the birds, says an authority in the Stock Keeper, the boatowner inours no expense in feeding them, as he simply turns them out twice a day to forage for themselves along the mad shores and the neighbouring fields, where they find abundance of land-orabs, frogs, and insects. They are allowed a couple of hours for feeding and are then called back. when they obey with an alaority which is surprising. The greater part of these duck-hatching establishments are found along the banks of all small creeks and streams near Canton, as well as the other large Chinese cities.
In these hatching-houses many thousands of eggs daily are being warmed gradually in great baskets filled up with heated chaff, and p'aced on shelves of very open basket work, which are arranged in tiers all around the walls, while on the ground are placed earthenware stoves full of burning charcoal. Here the which eggs
Company have tendered their resignations.
[It is impossible to gather from these con- flicting accounts precisely what the present position is, and the inspired account
are kept for a day and night, the comes from Brussels is of course wrong so far positions of the baskets. with reference as it represents that the trouble arose when to the stoves, being constantly changed by the first part of the Canton Hankow railway attendants. After this preliminary heating the was finished. The first part of the trunk line eggs are removed to other baskets in another has in fact scarcely been commenced. heated room, in which they are dexterously ED. D.P.]
carried in cloths, each containing about 50 eggs. Here the eggs remain for a fortnight, each egg being frequently moved from place to
11
I bought by the duck farmers are fed on b›iled ¡rice, and after a while are given bra..., maggots, and other delicacies, till the day comes when the owners of the duck-boats come to purchase the halfgrown birds, and commence to let them fatten themselves. This continues until they are ready for the market, and are either sold for immediate consumption or bought wholesale
the provision dealers who split, s It, and dry them in the sun; the heart, gizzard, and entrails are also dried and sold s‹parately, and the bills, tongues, and feet are pickled in bria ›.
A BRITISH MINING CONCESSION IN ANHUI.
Sir John Lister Kaye, after four years' work in the province of Anhui, has seoured for the London and Chias Syndicate the Im serial sanc tion to the Anhui Mining Concession; the final contract was signed in Peking on thi› 5th June, and the mining licence was issued on the Ilth June; all therefore complete, and it is the intention of the syndicite to commencɔ work without delay.
During the preliminary stages, the V.-C. Daily News says, considerable development work was carried out by the prospecting mining ea. gineers of the London and China Syndicate, aud finally the Syndicate made arrangements with Messrs. J. & P. Higson of Manchester, the eminent firm of miding engineers, that they should send out to China their Mr. Bn. Rhodes, in order that he should make an export examina- tion and report on the concession. Mr. Rhodes arrived in China in O tober last, and proceeded to Anhui to carefully examine the property.
On the 2nd Dəcsmibər last he seat à cable to Messrs. Higson of Manchester, in which Mr. Rhodes uses the following words :- "Tangling deposit iron ore; estimated amount of ore in sight 6,500,000, possibly not in sight 3,500,000."
This valuabl, cone is on comprises fifty square miles or 32,00) acres, and the main wineral deposit is siluted about three miles from the Yangtz› River, not many miles above Wahu, therefore about 290 miles up the Yangtze
River from Shanghai:
REFORMERS PARDONED.
The following translation of an Imperial decree appears in the N.-C. Daily News:-
The present year being the seventieth an- n'versary of my birth. I, the Empress Dowager of China, în consideration thereof have already bestowed upon my subjects many aots of Imperial grace as a mark of my bunty. My thoughts being directed towards those who have offended against the laws of the Empire I now desire to bestow upon such also a mark of the Imperial mercy on this auspicious occasion of my life, and therefor hereby command that, with the exception of the rebels Kang Yü-wei, Liang Chi-obao and Sun Wên (Dr. Sun Yat- sen), who have organised societies hostile to the dynasty, and whose crimes are of such magnitude that they do not deserve any pardon or clemency at my huds; it is my desire that all others who were implicated in 1998 (daring the Emperor Kaang Hsu's attempt at reform) shall be participants of the Imperial mercy and receive my pardon for their past dueds and be given the opportunity to reform their conduct.
All who have therefore been cashiered are to be
We learn from Wuchow-fu that Mr. Fox. place to equalise its share of the heat. After heroby restored to their original official rank
H.B.M.'s Cousul, left there some three weeks since in the gunboat Moorhen for Nanning, but the vessel was obliged to stop en route until the water rose, when she would be able to go up. The recent heavy rains have no doubt enabled the Moorhea to reach Nanning, as we hear there have been heavy freshets in the West River.
The remains of Mrs Alexander Wright, who died at Yokohama on the 10th inst., were brought back to Shanghai and interred at the Bubbling Well Road Cemetery. Only the members of her family and a few intimate friends were present, the servico being very impressively conducted by the Rev. A. J. Walker, chaplain of Trinity Cathedral.
this they are taken to a third room, whers they are spread over wide shelves and covered with At the end of another thick warm cotton. fortnight, hundreds of little ducklings simul taneously break their shells. and by evening; perhaps. 2,000 fluffy litt e beauties are launched into life, and are forthwith fed on rice water.
Duck-farmers are in attendance to buy so many hundreds of these ducklings, for they know when each great hatching is to take place. These the farmers take off to their respective farms, where there are already an immense number of ducks and geese of differen ages, all in separate lots. The geese, owing to the thickness of their eggshells, are not hatched artificially; still, flocks numbering 600 or 800 are reared, and are provided with shelves on which to rest. us damp ground is considered injurious to the young birds; The baby ducks'
are
ant titles, while those who are in hiding because surveillance in their native places, or of their proscription, or placed under official languishing in prison. are commanded to be forthwith released aut given their liberty, Suoh persons who have incurred the Imperial displeasure or offended the laws of the Empire previous to 1898 are also to be pardoned as a mark of extra Imperial clemency on this auspicious occasion. The Boards concerned and the Viceroys and Governors of provinces are to investigate these matters in obedience to my decree and report to me without delay.
The Annual Conference of the International Secretaries of the Y.M.C.A. located in China, Corea, and Hongkong, is now being held in Shanghai.
E
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.