December 2, 1905.1
to send the Board a detailed report giving the value of the coins in circulation in each province, and the yearly demand for same. The Board of Revenue limits the future output of these copper coins to one mill on per day in Kwangtung, Kwangsi, and Hupeh provinces ; to 600,000 in Chihli; and to 30 1,000 in the other provinces.
QUEER TARGET PRACTICE. The annual Target Shooting Practice for the Banner Troops begins to-day. The rauge is about a mile in length. The shooting is done from the plain towards the slope of a mountain, at the foot of which targets are placed. Various gúns are used. The arms range from the modern Kropp mountain gun to the ancient muzzle- loaders that adorn the city walls Gingalls supported by two men are also used; the long barrel of the latter enables the men to shoot much more accurately than might be supposed. Great crowds of Chinese gather about in the neighbourhood and it is amusing to witness the promptitude with which the cannon balls are picked up on the mountain side after each volley is fired, the men hiding themselves behind huge boulders during the shooting intervals. The bouquet of the show, however, is the firing of the old cannon with the old stone balls. These latter may be seen rolling back, down the mountain slope, and the extraordinary event of a cannon ball knocking the target down from the rear may be witnessed! As long as Chinese continue to amuse themselves in this fashion, and keep up their bow and arrow manoeuvres, the Yellow Peril need not be the white man's nightmare.
28th November,
THE FANTAN MONOPOLY.
Viceroy Shum has recently issued an order prohibiting the opening of any new fantan shops. There are already five monopolists, who together pay $1,330,000 a year; and recoup themselves from the rents of three hundred fantan shops. The game is not a very ancient one. The Jesuit mathematicians of Peking and Kang-Hi's reign are credited with having invented the game for the amusement of the inmates of the Imperial Palace. Rents and license fees are reckoned at daily rates and are paid daily for obvious reasous. It is not an easy matter for the licensee to open a new shop. Palm oil must be liberally administered to the influential members of the locality and a meet- ing called to settle matters with the Kai-Fong (the people of the street enclosed within two gates.) Any attempt to evade this squeeze is soon punished. The city fathers have fire hose drill opposite the offending shop, thus prevent- ing the approach of clients; or they take up the pavement at the door to clean the drains. The stuff excavated is piled on each side of the entrance, and the stink is sufficient to scare away even Я Chinaman. A third method is to send three or four men to take up all the room at each table, to make insignificant bets, and thus "freeze out" more profitable clients. They will even post a man
at the door to warn approaching visitors that it is a house of bad luck, in which it is impossible to win. Failing these dodges, they close the Kai-fong gates, stopping all traffic through the street. Thus the Chinese bave discovered a very effective "local option" for themselves.
MORE EXECUTIONS.
Six robbers who were recently extradited from Hongkong were executed on the 27th by order of Viceroy Shum. The men beheaded at the usual place, the Potters' Field of Canton,
were
VICEROY'S PRIVATE RESIDENCE. Vicery Shum intends to make use of the ex- Governor's Yamen as a private residence, Geomancers have been consulted with regard to the Fung-Shui of the premises,
PLAGUE IN CANTON.
It is reported that three servant-girls of the Hu family in Chung Sui Ho, in the new walled City of Canton, have suddenly died of bubonic plague within a few days. It is said that the disease gained so rapid a hold on the victims that they died before medical assistance could be sent for. The people anticipate a strong epidemic after the Chinese New Year owing to the warm weather prevailing this winter.
The new walled city has always been a hot- bed for plague. Numerous oases have occurred in the neighbourhood of the Ching-Hoi-Mun
CHINÁ OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
and one family alone is known to have lost as many as fourteen people in one month during the epidemic of 1903.
Nov. 29th.
CHINESE VICE-ADMIRAL BANISHED, Chan Sheung Sun, ex Vice-Admiral, who was put in prison some time ago under very serious charges, has now been sentenced to banishment. The Admiral is to be escorted by braves to the frontiers of China, and his term of banishment will date from the day of his arrival there.
THE BOYCOTT.
Two members of the boycott committee who recently went to Hongkong to consult with Dr. Ho-Kai and Mr. Tso, solicitors, with regard to the drafting of a suitable reply to the letter received from the American representatives, have returned to Canton. The other members of the committee have been requested to go down to Hongkong to attend a meeting at which the leading American merchants will be present.
It is said that Dr. Ho-Kai's and Mr. Tso's services have been retained to watch proceedings on behalf of the Chinese members. The mem-" bers of the committee held the opinion that the people would not be satisfied with any amend- ments to the existing American exclusion treaty act. To satisfy the people America must répeal the act entirely. It was decided to send a tele- gram to that effect to Hongkong and to request Ho Wah-tong to communicate this reply to the American merchants. Shanghai and San Francisco will likewise be advised of the deci- sion by cable.
[We have made enquiries, and hear that there is not to be any such meeting in Hongkong:
- Ed.]
NIGHT PAWNSHOPS,
The officials have discovered that the pawn shops both in the old and in the new walled city have been in the habit of accepting articles at night, by retaining 10 per cent. on the sum agreed upon. This custom enables thieves who commit late robberies to dispose of stolen goods. The late hour business has been going on for years. The officials intend to prohibit such Lusiness in the fature, and the pawnshops will be ordered to close up at sunset. The pawnshop-keepers of the two walled cities have requested their confreres in the suburbs to send a joint petition to the Sin-Hau-Kuk to obtain permission to carry on business at night as hitherto. The suburban pawnshops close their businesses at 8 p.m.; they consequently decline to join in the petition.
ANOTHER SEIZURE
On the 24th inst. the Nam-Hoi Magistrate: received instructions to seize a house situated in Ying-Hing Lane, near the Tai Ping-Gate, which is occupied by a man surnamed Shum The property is said to belong to Chow-Tit-Sai and is worth about Tls. 3,000.
NEWS FROM LINCHOW.
The latest news from Linchow is to the
effect that 23 men have been arrested, and that the colonel commanding the soldiers there is likely to lose his head on account of negligence, as it is said that he had only 23 untrained
men under his orders at the time of the trouble.
MACAO.
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
27th November.
AUCTION SALE OF VALUABLE LEASEHOLD
PROPERTY.
On Thursday last, by order of the Court, the property of the late Sr. Juan Lecaroz, known as San-Fu-Yuen, was put up for sale. The pro- perty was valued at $59,000. There were many Chinese bidders for the property, but the sale was postponed, as it is supposed that the pro- perty is wanted by the Government for the new Gaol. The sale was stopped pending the receipt of a telegraphic reply from the Lisbon Govern- ment whether the property should or should not be retained by the Government. Nothing further is known up to the time of writing.
RESTAURANTS AND BAKERIES, The restaurants and bakeries here seem to need sanitary inspection. I understand that our worthy Colonial Surgeon, Dr. Espectação is going to make a general report as to the sanitary requirements that are needed in these
$91
restaurants, bakeries and other shops where eatables are retailed for the public consumption. Dr. Espectação will confer à boon on the people of Macao by compelling these places to be kept clean. I would also suggest his going a little further by giving his attention to the wines, liquors and other spirits that are gener- ally sold in these restaurants and bars, where the soldiers go to for their drinks; and to the "fresh
milk that is sold by the Chinese dairy
men.
A MISSIONARY NUISANCE. Of late some missionaries, whose nationality is unknown to me, have been going round the city playing concertinas in public squares and streets to attract attention, and for the past few nights they have been preaching against the Catholic schools, etc. This abuse on the part of these men should be stopped at once and, although all religions are equally protected, these men should not be allowed to continue in abusive proceedings in a city where the Roman Catholic faith is so largely professed.
EARTHQUAKES. The shooks continue to come about five or six times a day since my last.
CONDE LE SENNA FERNANDES.
I regret to have to report that this gentleman, who is well-known in Hongkong and Shanghai, where he has many friends, is very ill.
SHANGHAI STATISTICS.
acute enough to appreciate Mr. Thiers' definition Statistics are seldom funny, even if we are of them as stating mathematically what the compiler does not know. But an exception will perhaps, be made in the case of the summary issued by the Shanghai Municipal Council, after profession and occupation of the male popula- the foreign census just taken, of the "rank, tion." A Shanghai lecturer, addressing the younger males of the northern port, quoted Richard de Gallienne's saying that "somewhere in heaven stands a great stencil, aud at every born, as like each other as collars in a box." sweep of the cosmic brush a million dandies are The implication is not supported by the statistics already mentioned, which, while including almost every other rank, profession or occupa tion, make no note of dandies. There are, for instance, 118 Hospital Patients, which, under the 101 Bankers' Staff, 581 Clerks and 629 Mercantile classification, suggests malingering. There are
Assistants. There is only one Specialist, and neither the Overseer nor the Acting Secretary, who seem to have modestly left themselves out of the list, gratify our natural curiosity as to his speciality. There is only one Soldier, one Straw Braid Inspector, one Tattooer (there Hongkong beats Shanghai, and might spare some on demand) one Millwright, one Horse Trainer, one Geologist (do we spell it with a K, m'Lud?) one Farrier, one Dairy Keeper,
one
"Actors and Showmen," one Analyst and one Assayer. These may be taken as indicating openings for competition. Out of the Shang- hai's 5,728 working foreign males, 200 are Engineers
There
or Boilermakers, 153 Mariue Officers, 533 Merchants, 112 Police (exclusive of 172 Indian Police) 187 Public Officers (including Customs) 144 Sailors, 99 Servants (who presumably "only stand and wait") 286 Storekeepers and Assistants, 70 Students, 206 Watchmen, and 144 "undefined.” “Much sym- pathy will be felt," as obituary writers say, when it is mentioned that our neighbours are afflicted with 14 Tax Collectors, two Undertakers, 49 Unemployed, 8 Priests, 4 Plumbers, 66 Musicians (to say nothing of 3 Professors of Music and 4 Piano Tuners) 74 Missionaries, 12 Dentists, 4 Masseurs and 46 Medical Practitioners. are 32 Insurance Agents, 70 Hairdressers and Three Barbers, and six Fortune Tellers. gentlemen described themselves as Financiers. There are 54 Consular Officials, cheek by jowl with 88 Commission Agents. There is one Clergyman or Minister to every Butcher, and one to spare. The place bristles with Brokers, to the number of three score and ten. The chit system cannot give much trouble, since there are only three Bill Collectors; but it my be that 24 Barristers and Solicitors intimidate defaulters. There are seventeen Artists, and 42 Journalists, but this risk is covered by 51 Jailers and Warders. It is rather curious that in euch a busy cosmopolitan place there should
}
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.