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could afford to laugh at a too benevolent Government. The Chinese in the New Terri- tory have been too prone to treat the Govern ment and its officials with contempt and to be insolent in their speech and manners-especially those of the better class. In the larger villages, Europeans on making their appearance are assailed with ories from hordes of children of Foreign devil," etc., etc., which plainly shows that the children are brought up by their parents in the prevalent contemptuous spirit, a spirit which should be checked-by the Police, if
necessary.
CHINESE TERRITORY,
On the Chinese side of the Frontier things are pretty quiet. Robberies are not infrequent, but not epidemic. As the Chinese New Year approaches they will increase in number.
Trade is brisk in Samchun, Shataukok and Pokakhü, and there is very little distress among the common people.
CANTON NOTES.
-0:-
[FROM THE “CHUNG NGOI SAN FO
FATAL FLOODS.
Rain fell in torrents, accompanied by thunder and lightning, on the 10th instant in Shin-Hing district. It continued to fall heavily from early dawn till dark. The river rose from seven feet to fourteen feet above the ll. People had to go about in boats and many took shelter on the roofs. A good number of huts and small houses were destroyed. The dykes, the rice fields and the fish ponds were more or less damaged. Part of the Wong-Man-Kong mountain was washed away to the extent of about three thousand feet. Seven persons were drowned. The local gentry have sent a petition to the high authorities asking permission to exempt the payment of the land tax this year.
ROBBERS.
Notwithstanding the smartness and strict- ness of Viceroy Shum, who spared no pains to dismiss all the officers who were reported to be incapable and negligent of duty, the number of cases of robbery is in no way diminished in the surrounding districts. In fact the robbers are getting more rapacious than ever. Several days ago a gang of over two hundred robbers made an attack on the place named Sam-Shan of Ping Chan in Namhoi district in broad day- light without opposition. Every house and shop was completely ransacked, and booty amounting to a large sum was carried away. Another case of daring robbery occurred in broad daylight on the 14th instant in the city of Wai-Chow. There were over two hundred robbers implicated. Three banks and two shops were ransacked. One constable was fatally shot and eight were wounded.
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THE BOAT TAX.
After the boat-strike the boat people, fearing that some other means will be employed to collect revenue from them are now trying to form themselves into a company as a safeguard. They are now drafting the regula- tions of the company and inviting members, who have to pay a certain sum nonthly for the expenses of the union. In case of trouble they will help each other. They will admit no mem. bers who have been employed in the official guard-boats.
A CLAN FIGHT.
A big clan fight broke out between the villages of Ku Fo and Cheung Chuen in Pun-u district. All the villagers were well armed and some big guns were used. About fifty persons of the Cheung-Chuen village, and about thirty of the Kü-Fo village, were killed. The Magistrate of Pun-u has proceeded to these villages and ordered the local gentry to sur. render the chief offenders of each village.
The number of Chinese in Hawaii is given officially as 25,762. The Japanese in the island number 61,116. The late Governor of the
territory recommended that a limited number of Chinese labourers should be admitted to the territory conditionally on their engaging only in agricultural, mill, and domestic work during their stay, and subject to deportation at their own expense upon their ceasing to do so. The introduction of such labourers would,
if authorised, says the British Cortsul, be a great
boon to the planters.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
TYPHOON AT HONGKONG.
26th August.
The failure of the electric power supply yes- terday forenoon must have been keenly felt all over the city. We can speak for one business establishment. where the inconvenience was great. The heavy rain made all dark for several hours, and the electric light chose the darkest hour for refusing to shine. We then discovered that candles and punkahs do not work in har- mony. If the punkahs swung, the candles melted away; if they didn't swing, we melted. The machine man slept through it all, secure in the knowledge that the wheels would not go round, and that it was not his fault. To add to the editorial worries, with a row of houses blown down, one vessel swamped and other typhonic damage to ascertain, one of the reporting staff must needs allow himself to be imprisoned on the wrong side of the harbour. The ferries had stopped running. on account of the typhoon and numerous Kowloon folk will have to seek provender and lodgement in Victoria until the service resumes. If this sort of thing happens often, and it seems it has been frequently the case in the past, we shall begin to agitate for an underground railway to Kowloon, or au æérial railway.
Several times within the past two months the typhoon signals have been hoisted in the har; bour, but no typhoon this season has approached Hongkong so nearly as this one, which has practically put a stop to business during the last two days. Signals have been hoisted since Tuesday, and the shipping business has been practically stopped ever since. Sampans, lighters, and junks were speedily towed to the usual shel-
ters.
The red signals were replaced at 3.53 p.m. on Tuesday by black signals indicating that the typhoon was within 300 miles south-east of the Colony. By 9.45 a.m. it had moved to the south. and at night it was nearly due south, and moving in a westerly direction. Rain fell in- cessantly during the whole of Wednesday. continuing throughout the night and the whole of yesterday. Though we have not yet been able to ascertain the amount ef rain which fell during the forty-eight hours. it is safe to regard it as the record rainfall of the present season.
The following typhoon warning was printed and distributed yesterday:
Hongkong Observatory,
25th August, 11.30 a.m. The typhoon has recurved to the Northward, and is now South-West of Hongkong, distant about 140 miles. A very strong gale from the South-East is expected in Hongkong.
The
W. DOBERCK,'
Director. At mid-day yesterday the barometer was still falling, and the typhoon increased in severity. Steamers which had weathered the storm in the harbour at their usual moorings deemed it neces. sary to seek more sheltered positions. ferry service to Kowloon ceased at one o'clock, and those who had gone across to tiffin were unable to get back, while the many who were unable to cross over to their homes communicat- ed their excuses to their friends оп the peninsula by the courtesy of the police, who are in telephonic communication with the mainland.
Rumours as to the damage done were, as usual, prolific, and for the most part untrust- worthy.
The large Tacoma liner Shawmul, 9,606 tons, which had sought shelter in Kowloon Bay, dragged her moorings and went ashore. One of our reporters, sent to investigate the case of the Shawmut, was storm bound the other side of the harbour. himself on All that is known on this side is that the
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[August 27, 1904.
turbulent waters to be viewed. Along the Praya, shops and offices were tightly olosed, for the squalls threatened to wreck exposed interiors.
When the Ferries had to stop running about one o'clock, many Peninsula passengers were disappointed, and said so. Some induced a Chinese launch to take them over. This is the vessel referred to in the introductory remarks at the top of this column, as having swamped. No confirmation of the rumour has reached us, however, and we presume that a safe, if exciting, crossing was effected.
The 8.8. Kinahan had a narrow escape from being dashed to pieces at the Canton wharf. One of her mooring ropes gave way.
Some of the refuse hoppers sank. Their masts were occasionally visible where they lay.
Opposite the office of Messrs." Butterfield and Swire a cargo boat broke up, and several derelict junks and much wreckage were reported not far away.
Another narrow escape was that of the Manila-run boat Zafiro, which broke adrift from her fastenings during the afternoon. After colliding with the Douglas Co.'s buoy, and just missing their wharf, she managed to make Stonecutters' Island shelter.
The French mail, which was to have left on the homeward voyage at mid-day on Tuesday remained at her moorings till 8.30 p.m., when she ventured out through the Lyemoon Pass.
The Empress of India left the harbour, but probably only to ride out the storm in the Lyemoon Pass. The same remark probably ap plies to the French mail steamer which left for the North at noon yesterday.
The shipping business is, of course, practically at a standstill. The Heungshan was unable to return to Macao ús usual.
Que advantage of well-k-pt nullabs was very apparent yesterday.
Several cases were down for hearing in Bank- ruptcy but owing to the absence of the Chief Justice, Sir William Goodman, they had to be postponed, as his Lordship could not get away
from his Peak residence on account of the severe weather. He did not arrive at the Court till the afternoon.
Business at the Magistracy was also delayed by the weather conditions, BS the Chief Magistrate, Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz, was unable to reach the Court until eleven o'clock,
The breakdown in the Electric Light Co.'s service yesterday seriously interfered with busi- ness in those offices and factories solely dopen- dant on the Company's service for either light or motive power..
The breakdown was for- tunately repaired by 6.30 p.m.
At no time during yesterday afternoon could a clear view be obtained, from the hill, of Kowloon or its shores, but it is believed there is a good deal of wreckage there too.
In Ming Yan Lane, a loss of life is reported, an old Chinese dame being killed by the collapse of a tenement. The front of the, house came away into the street, and the roof fell in. The torrential rain was probably more responsible here than the wind. The body was recovered by members of the police and fire brigade. who also released an imprisoned frightened, but uninjured Chinaman. One or two tenements collapsed in Bridge Street.
On the slopes, the gale has been setting a bad example to the Afforestation Department leaving many monarols of the woods bare of their choicest growths. The paths and roads are littered with leaves and branches.
At least one serious landslip has occurred, one being noted in Park Lane. There must be others. Many of our humbler citizens of the original race are sheltering to-night under strange roofs, because of the fall, actual or imminent, of their own.
soar
In the two or three hours before dinner the velocity of the gale increased, and the mad rushes of humid masses of air raised pandemonium in the streets. Verandah blinds strained
at their fastenings, flapping like rent sails, and anon tore loose, in unfamiliar places. Shutters, after a course of fretful swinging on rapidly weakening hinges, would finally go "bang due yesterday morning, had not arrived when against the neighbouring wall, and then, in
some cases, drop with a crash. we went to press.
Shawmut dragged away from her anchorage, and that the tug Robert Cooke was unable to tow her off after she struck.
The P. & O. steamer Ghusan which was
Down at the water front, the sea presented a scene of awesome grandeur, when the flying clouds of spray over the sea-wall permitted its
All round in the gathering gloom, thuds and crashes could be heard at intevals, and the unfortunate person whom business forced
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