1286
<which will quickly nesse to discriminate between mational and amational, if any distinction even
now exists.
Here is specimen translated: "We have repeatedly referred in our columns to the enlistment of coolies for the Transvaal mines by the British Government, and the conditions of -the same. This step is due to the greediness of the English people for gain. Now we hear that, though the Englishmen are employing the coolies in the same way as horses and cows, yet they illtreat them by giving them only $1250 per man per mensen while they have to pay as much as $50 to each of the native negroes every month. This is really a great insult to the poor country people who are mostly enticed by sweet words to go abroad by Tow class Chinese contractors. But as the coolies are 80 poor and ignorant they are willing to go there and give up their lives to the British mine owners instead of listening to the good advice of their fellow countrymen. What a pity this is. Now the Governor of Shantung has received a letter from some Chinese merchants abroad giving details of the way the coolies are illtreated and insulted in South Africa at the hands of the merciless mine owners whose actions are beyond the power of the pen to describe On account of this H.E. Chou-fu has informed. the British Consul at Chefo, and had the coolie emigration in the province stopped at one. We congratulate the people of hantung on having such a good and clear-headed Governor to look after their interests."-Peking Times.
THE "
FATHOMER.”
TO BE LAUNCHED THIS MORNING.
The 8.8. Fathomer, a new vessel built by the Hongkong & Whampoa Dock Co., by order of the United States Government, for the Philippine Island Crast and Geodetic Survey service, wille launched at the Kowloon Docks this morning at half-past eight. Work on the vessel was commenced last January. She is a single screw steel steamer with two masts and one funnel. Her length over a'l is 152 feet between perpendiculars, 144 feet; breadth moulded, 25 feet; depth moulded, 12 feet 6 inches. She will be a ten knot vessel, the engines being compound surface condensing. Te diameter of the cylinders is 17 inches and 36 inches, respectively; length of stroke. 24 inches. The boiler is of the cylindrical return-tubular ¡attern. Its length is ten feet by a diameter of 13 feet 3 inches. The working pressure is 120lbs. to the square inch. The vessel has been built under Lloyd's special survey. She is а pretty model; and is to have all the latest appliances for deep- sea sounding and survey work. Regarding her accommodation, it is, taking into consideration that the vessel will only have to carry her own stores. very roomy indeed; and the officers' cabins and crew's quarters will be superior to what one usually finds in mail steamers and money-making freight ships. There is a main deck, lower deck and bridge deck. Included in the special fittings.and accesso- ries for quick working will be a steam pinnace. The draughting room, where the civil engineers do all their exquisitely fine work making charts, will be well equipped. The sounding machines, too, which will be workable by steam, are perhaps more
interesting than anything else with which the vessel is to be provided. When sounding, a very heavy shot is lowered to a great depth by a very fine thread of steel wire. As soon as it comes in contact with the bottom of the sea it automatically detaches itself, lear- ing nothing for the little steam windlass to heave in but the wire and two amall at-i -tachments. These attachments consist of a brass case containing a glass tube, and a fixture for bringing to the surface a speci- -men of the bottom of the sea, sand, shell, or mud as the case may be. The glass tube is relosed at one end, while the inside, like Lord Kalvin's patent, is lined with a discolourable red substance. The greater the depth the farther the water presses into the glass tube, so the actual sounding is discovered by measur- ing the discoloured lining when the wire is pulled in. When sounding around the Philippine Coast the Fathomer will at times of the heavy sounding shots at
tow cone
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The officers on board the ship will, with the exception of a couple of watch-keeping officers, the doctor and mechanical engineers, be civil engineers. Capt. Yates. commander of the vessel, is also a civil engineer, and not a nautical man in the sense of the term as generally used. He has, however, while work ing himself up to his present position, on board various U.S. coast surveying ships, gained an extensive knowledge of both navigation and the seamanship. Capt. Yates will launch vessel.
}
[October 17, 1904.
whatever depth it may be deemed advisable; so vessels. The British steamer El Dorado, foom - as soon as the vessel gets into shoal water the as important as that: carried on by the other. shot will strike bottom, and detach itself, anmanded by Captain Lewis H. Tamplin, was electric bell at the same time giving an alarm chartered to serve in connection with the Indian on deck. The steam pinnage will be fused for Transport Department during the war in
China. The service to which he was detailed . taking soundings in shallow baya, narrow waters, etc. When under commission the vessel consisted in taking troops and animals · from will probably work all day, and run into one of the large transports and running them to the the many coves which abound in the Insular landing base at Taku. This comprised several waters to put up for the night.
miles of intricate pilot work in a crowded and narrow river, and the work was carried on night and day in all weathers, without the slightest accident happening. It is noteworthy that vessels engaged by other maritime nations all employed pilots, many of whom have b en officially decorated. Captain Tamplin had the honour of special mention in General Gaselee's despatches from Paking, being the only civi- lian bracketed with officers of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Marin". He also received a letter of thanks from the head of the Indian Transport Department. The El Dorado not being a Chartered Troop Transport," accord- ing to the definition of this term contained in the Regulations, Captain Tamplin was not eligible for the Transport Medal The Mer- chant Service Guild have represented this fact to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. uring that the excellent services of Captain Tamplin merited due raconition. The Guild have now received a reply stating that the Admiralty have decided to award the China Medal to Captain Tamplin, and that it will be forwarded in due course to that gentleman.
THE TIBETAN TREATY.
The text of the Anglo-Tibetan Treaty has been reported to the Peking Government by Ya Tai. the Imperial Chinese Resident at Lhassa, and the Waiwnpu has wired Yu Tai to protest against the text of the Treaty. Ya Tai then wired and reported to the Wiwupu that though the Lhama had consented to sign the treaty it had not actually been signed, and it was desired by the Imperial Chinese Resident that the Waiwupu should take steps to negotiate with the British Minister at Peking.
The Waiwapa, after receiving the text of the Tibetan treaty, was greatly surprised. and Pre- sident Na Tung of the Waiwapn has interviewed President Sung Kwei of the Board of Works (who was Imperial Resident at Tibet from 1874 to 1884) and consulted about the matter. Pre- sident Sung Kwei, contrary to the expectation of President Na Tang told him that Tibet is a barren country and there is no vegetation, and when he was
1
Re-
at Tibet as Imperil sident he felt he had been banished at a military post road. Then Na Tung asked him if there were any mining products. and also if it had strategical importance, but Sung Kwei could not give any guiding answer. Thus Na Tung was greatly disappointed, and then went to see Tartar General hang Keng who was Imperial Resident at Lhassa in 1888 Tartar General Chang Keng, though he stayed at Lassa for only several months, yet he knew the place minutely. The Waiwupu intended to despatch the Tartar General to Lhassa, but he has deglined the offer, saying that he has no experience in the matter of diplomatic negotia tious, and thus Taotai Tong Tientsin has been appointed to proceed to Tibet to negotiate the matter.
The Ministers for the United States, Italy and Germany, after reading the text of the Tibetan treaty, have protested against the treaty, and have informed the Waiwupu that in case China enters into a treaty with any power there is a most favoured nation clause, but in the case of the Tibetan treaty there is no such clause, which means that Great Britain alone will enjoy the benefit of the treaty, and if China allows such a treaty all the powers will take steps to enforce their views against China, while if China does not consent to the treaty it means that Great Britain is the only power to say anything about it.-Universal Gazette.
ANOTHER CHINA MEDAL
BESTOWED.
++
CHANG-CHIH-TUNG'S ALVICE.
Under pressure from the British Minister the Wai-wu-pu has telegraphed to H.E. Viceroy Chang Chih-tung to inform him that a telegram has been received at Peking from the British Consul at Li-chang to the effect that owing to the recent murder of a Roman Catholic priest at Chih-nan Fu in Hu-pei by native baudits, the Catholic converts have circulated groundless rumours that the Christians caused the bandits to commit the murder, and adding that they will take revenge. Viceroy Chang has there- fore issued a proclamation commanding the local authorities in the various districts to do their best to protect the Protestant Christian and preserve peace among the converts of the two religions. He adds that the trouble was raised entirely by ignorant and evil persons at Chih-nan, and owes its origin to some small dis- putes between the two parties at that time, and had nothing to do with the Pro'e tantChristians. As the two religions sprang from the same God be confidently advises the followers of both beliefs to live in harmony with each other in- stead of making false accusations, because the objects of the two missions are to exhort people to follow in the path of virtue, and to treat one another like brothers, and it will be shameful if the converts of both missions cannot live in
peace between themselves. H. E. concludes by saying that constables and runners have been sent out to capture the ringleaders responsible for the late riots, and they will be severely punished when apprehended. But if any con- verts of either mission make groundless acousas. tions against each other, or do anything detrimental to the peace of the place, they will also be punished because they are still Chiese subjects and amenable to the laws of the country, although they have become converts of foreign missions which can do nothing to protect them.-Tientsin Official Gazette.
BOXERISM IN HANKOW.
Boxerism is not dying out and now that the busiest part of the harvest season is over, is be- ginning. to show itself in Honan by the usual- method of placards. The following is a transla- tion of one posted.
Since the issue of the official Regulations regarding the award of the Transport Medal, the Merchant Service Guild have, on several occasions, made official representations to the
“The unavoidable calamity is at hand. Blood authorities as to their stringent character.
and water will flow in floods. Foreigners come whereby the services of many captains and officers of merchant vessels engaged during in shoals and settle everywhere. The movement The medal is of soldiers will begin at Hsiao-yung (10th moon) war-time were quite ignored.
Char- and the night man will appear. When the five confined to those who have served in tered Troop Transports." consequently those tigers come on the scene the foreigners' life will serving in other vessels carrying troops, horses, be a thing of the past. The Middle Continent mules. Government stores and munitions of will with difficulty be kept intact. Her hills and war generally, have been debarred from obtain citadels are worth striving for. On both sides ing the Transport Medal, though the work in of the railway great disorder is evident. The which they were engaged was manifestly just' suffering of the people is full.
甫
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