October 8, 1904. ]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The number of drills a recruit is required to but in, in each of his first two years, is only 30, while a trained Volunteer, is only bound to do 15, though of course it is expect ed he will attend more to become thoroughly efficient. The Volunteer season commences in October and ends with March, i.e. | DEATH OF LAFCADIQ HEARN. six months, so there can be no possible hardship as far as time is concerned in putting these
be allowed to resume their trade. How long this order will last is hard to say. It seems quite certain, however, that their owners will be allowed to complain for a times.
drills in. Nor can the excuse that garrison artillery work is not popular be urged. Volun- teers are now only expected to have a sound knowledge of the 15 Pr. B. L. gun and the Maxim gun, and to have sufficient acquaintance with infantry drill to enable them to march past at review and at the annual inspection,
&c.
We often hear it said that drill is "glow.” That might apply when a mere handful of men attend, but if sufficient numbers were present no suchtrivial excuse could be offered, as com- petitions between half companies or even guns could be instituted. and the spirit of ri alry thus introduced Moreover, if a man were energetic or keen enough to drill three or four times a week, he would find that he could go in for gun-laying one evening, 15-Pr. drill another, Maxim drill the next, and infantry drill the fourth, with perhaps the chance of a march out or gun practice on Saturday. To us there seems quite sufficient variety about this Ample opportunities are afforded for rifle shooting, and valuable prizes are presented by members of the corps. Very shortly, we under- stand, the new shortened rifle now being issued to the British Army will also be supplied to the H.K.V.C. in place of the Lee-Enfield carbine Several times during the season practice with both the 15-Prs. and Maxims takes place, and we should imagine nothing in the way of shoot- ing could be more interesting than to take part in the firing of the former and to watch the burst of a well-aimed shrapnel shell over the target 2,000 to 3,000 yards distant. To most men also, we should think, there would be a sense of satisfaction in sitting behind a Maxim gun and directing a stream of bullets at a barely visible target and noting the spurts of water they cause in striking all round it.
Last, but not least, there is the annual camp of instruction at Stonecutter's Island, with its discipline, drills, lectures, &c., and its many enjoyments as well. Camp is whatever the men make of it, but on the whole they recognize that it is not a picnic, but established for the purpose of teaching them their work.
All that the Hongkong Volunteer Corps needs is numbers, and if only the young men in offices" would stop a moment to think how much they owe to the Empire of which they are so justly prond. and how little they can contri- bute towards it, perhaps they would recognize that the least they could do would be to fit themselves for its defence in time of need.
The death of Lafcadio Hearn, the famous and prolific word-painter who had made his home in Japan, and idealised that country and its people for very many English readers, was announced on the 29th September, and the interment was to take place on the 30th. He was 54 years old, busily engaged upon another book. and had been recently living in retirement while
arose,
made
He was born in the Ionian Isles, his parentage being half Irish, half Greek, which accounts for the mixture of poetry and exaggeration in his work. He had an unpleasant affection of the eyes (one being quite useless) which made him almost blind, and his very large output is all the more amazing in view of that. He had lived a experiences in Texas, whither he wandered as a very adventurous life, and loved to speak of his youth of nineteen or twenty. He was printer, journalist, and anything connected with paper and ink. He was sent out to the East by Harper's, on a commission connected with the Philippines, and when some misunderstanding with that famons publishing firm he went to Japan and settled there, the country and its inhabitants appealing strong- ly to his romantic temperament. In the course of time. during which he numerous friends at Kobe and Yokohama, he reached Tokyo, and subsequently succeeded Professor Chamberlain as Professor of English Literature there. He naturalised, and married, under the name Koizumi Yakumo; and there is a jest current in Japan (where foreigners did not always sympathise with their nationals who expatriated themselves), to the effect that the Japanese rewarded him by putting his 250 yen to 50 yen a month. He occupied the salary on the native scale, reducing it from professorial chair from 1896. One of his chief foreign friends was Paymaster Mitchell McDonald of the American Navy, a gentleman. of literary taste and culture who lives at Yokohama. To him one of Mr. Hearn's books was dedicated. Many foreign visitors to Japan used to inquire almost immediately for the poet who had exposed for their benefit the real heart of Japan. In time, they always discovered things that caused them to adjust most of the impressions formed from reading" Kokoro" and similar books. Such of them as still desired to render homage to the famous writer met with poor encouragement, Mr. Hearn having (perhaps because of too much incense) grown shy and unapproachable. If his enthusiasm for things Japanese led him to paint the rose very often, the final verdict on his work must include
269
in evidence was that of the humble policeman, who was placed under arrest. The Chinese police were quite officious in offering to help the Japanese. Our informant says the Russo- Chinese Bank building, which belongs to au Englishman, was shut up, but that some Americans had managed to convert a lot of its furniture into loot. The Russian Governor and the few officials who remained with him were allowed to leave peaceably for Tientsin. The Japanese immediately set about repairing the extensive damage done by Japanese. A Jap ese officer told him he expected to winter at Harbin! Our informant also volunteered the opinion that for commercial purposes he would rather be in a place occupied by Russiaus than by Japanese.
VOLUNTEER CONCERT.
fi
We have heard the Patti treat the
It is quite possible that the al fresco concert given on the 5th inst. on the Volunteer Parade Ground was one of the best Hongkong has had for some time. We are sorry that, owing to the exigencies of printing, we were unable to remain for the second part. With the first part. we have to express the most sincere gratification. It began a quarter of an hour late. His Ex- cellency the Governor not arriving until 9.15; but the excellently played overture, Les Cloches, by the Band of the 114th Mahrattas (for whose assistance the andi. ence was indebted to the kind indulgence of Major W. Mosse) soon removed any impatience that might be felt. The vocal programme was opened by Lieut. G. P. Lammert, with that pretty piece of Edward German's, Dun Cupid. hath a garden. Lieut. Lammert gave an almost faultless rendering of this somewhat trying song. There was no suggestion of the liaison to which we referred last time, and he attacked with the most tuneful precision. The difficult minor note towards the end of the second verse was beautifully attained. Encored he sang Gather roses while ye may. Those who may have noticed the aspirating trick in Ti-hime" in this song must remember what an awkward place it is. prolongation of the word in just the same way. The rich quality of Lieut. Lammert's voice was pleasingly apparent in his encore effort. Florence Aylward's music is usually satisfying. and in the gentleman who came forward next, to sing Love's Coronation, the audience had the pleasure of hearing a highly trained singer who had evidently mastered all the secrets of successful voice production. He slurred beautifully, and gave adequate expression to the tender theme. Being deservedly encored, Mr. Frank Austin essayed a song of a totally different and more difficult kind, without any diminution of ability. His first song, by the way, had a 'cello obligato by Mr. Koenig. Item No. 4 was the duet by Carl Gotze, Still as night. This composition never did appeal to us. The accompaniment had no apparent relation to the At the request of the Hon. Capt. L. Barnes-
theme. We remarked, however, the fine tone Lawrence, R.N., Harbour Master, H.E. the
of Mrs. Craddock's voice, full, round, and Governor has cancelled the licences of the AN ARRIVAL FROM NEWCHWANG
appropriate. Her partner, Mr. W. M. Stewart, launches Kong Soo (trading between Hongkong
as well as she, evidently knew the piece perfect. and the West River) and Lee Chung (trading
A gentleman just arrived in Hongkong from ly: but we regarded as a blemish on his other- between Hongkong and the New Territory), as
Newchwang, who does not care to have his wise satisfactory rendering an affectation to- a punishment for repeatedly carrying excess
name published. has tallied to one of our
ward the artificial tremolo, which is not always of passengers. The two launches were fined
-reporters about what he
Mr. H. so expressive as amateurs imagine. several times for the offence. Fines, however, chwang when the Japanese occupied that A. Tozer's humorous songs do not enter had no effect on them, so the present cancella- tion of licences, which had to be done by the place. Necessarily, much that he had to tell the province of musical criticism. The fact is no longer fresh, but some of it is interesting. that they delighted the audience very much has Governor, has been resorted to. It is hoped by He described how first of all five Japanese to be recorded as usual. Mrs. Gordon next this means to stamp out the practice, which, it scouts galloped into the Governor's Palace sang Kathleen Mavourneen, in
a matured. may be remarked, is carried on to a great extent yard, and saw the Russian commercial flag fly-
contralto of remarkable timbre. Contralto, by Chinese-owned vessels. The Harbour Mastering. They had rifles slaag and revolvers in while correctly classificatory, hardly describes indeed has had several complaints from Messis. hand. Some Russian official (it may have been this voice, since it suggests certain limitations Butterfield and Swire, and other firms, as
Governor Grossi) waved a white handkerchief | by which Mrs. Gordon was certainly not embar- this carrying of an excess of passengers from a window, and the scouts went away. He rassed. To call it a 'cello voice would be more interferes with legitimate trade. Thi. we states that the Chinese had already done a good apt, as it had almost the compass of that noble understand, is the first time that launches have been punished in such A manner at this Colony, yet the Chinese are, aud have been for years, most persistent offenders in this respect. Launches go up river, dodging the police boats, carrying such loads as render them a danger to life. It is a wonder, indeed, that no lives have been lost. So long as the owners make good money they do not seem to care a cent how far they endanger other people's lives. The two launches in question will not
THE LAW VINDICATES ITSELF. the admission that he was a master of English,
HONGKONG LAUNCH LICENCES CANCELLED.
most of whose books will live if only for the sheer beauty of their literary form.
at saw
New-
deal of dismantling property when the main body of the Russians left, even to taking away official furniture and uprooting plants from the gardens. When the afore said scouts returned, they saw the French flag flying over the palace. A Russian eagle was noticed on the building, however, and they allowed three hours for that to be removed. Next about sixty Japanese arrived, and a crowd of foreigners, British, German. and
others. gathered to watch proceedings. The only
Russian uniform
instrument, and many of its charming effects were observable. The slur of an octave and a
half in the song was perfect. Mrs. Gordon was encored, and sang a piece full of feeling which again proved her an artist steeped in music, and withal highly trained. In one or two notes some harshness was perceptible, but her genuine vibrato and general culture more than atoned. We regret that we had to miss the singing of Mr. W. E. Schmidt, who was down for a song in the second part.
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