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interfered with, and may put a stop entirely to, junk traffle there, thus possibly diverting the course of trade to some of the more distant markets to the eastward via Swatow. But few of the smaller juuks will enter Chinese waters via our Famun Station now, and the trade, for fear of attack by these robbers inhabiting the coast in Bias Bay and beyond, is consequently largely onfined to the tigger and more heavily armed vessels. An instance showing that these desperados are in no way awed by the advent of steam has, at the moment of writing, come to hand. A launch of considerable siz that regularly pass a our eastern Station en route to Shanmi called in at a town in Bias Bay and was boarded by the usual number of passengers, amongst whom
were several carrying large baskets. These baskets, it afterwards trans pired, contained ar.ns, and their own-rs after holding up the crew, robbed the passengers of valuables and money to a considerable amonnt and then (having removed part of the re-sel's machinery) escaped in a small boat that put off from the shore, evidently by pre-arra: gement, and have so far eluded the grasp of the authorities,
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Early in the year, on the passing of legisla. tive mea ures sanctioning the introduction of Chinese coulie labour into South Africa the emigration agen's for the Raud mines estab- listed s gregation depôt for intending (migrants at Laichikok, in the New Territory. Matsbeds were erected and every comfort provided for the housing of the coolies whilst waiting shipment, and a large fleet of steam- ships was chartered for the conveyance of these labourers to South Africa. At first, the wages and prospeole offered being liberal, no great difficulty was experienced in getting a consider- able number of Natives, willing to proceed abroad to come forward; later on, however, candidates for en ployment were less numerous, acd during the past few months it has been found necessary to despatch the ships from Hongkong, with only a few hundred coolies on board, vid Chefoo and Chinwang' ao, there to ship further drafts of emigrants from the northern provinces,
W. R. M'D. PARR, Acting Commissioner of Cust ms. Kowloon, 2nd Feb. uary, 1905.
THE HONGKONG TRUTHTELLER,
The following amusing skit is from the J.pan Chronicle's "Stray Notes" :-
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Once upon a time there was a man in Hong- kong who spoke the truth. I regret to add that he is dead, like his brother in Shanghai, and from informa ion received I am able to state that his place is yet unfilled. I ga ber this information from a report in the local
Press of the Peak District of a lawsuit between two Indians. Counsel for somebody called the attention of the Bench to the presence of witnesses in Court. They were ordered oat, and about two hundred - no, I won't exaggerate --half the Indian population of Hougk ng walked out. Then the case opened, and one by one the multitu inons witnesses tumbled into the witness-box, contradicted one another, and wabled out again.
This game went merrily on for a time, anfil at last Judge got weary. Addressing the Bar, he said "There used to be a mau here some time ago, who was a sort of high priest for these people, and he used cocasionally to tell the truth. Where is he now? The Court inter- preter, in broken accents and with tears in his eyes, faltered “He is dead.” An awful hush spread over the Court at this dire news. Coo- tinning, the interpreter said: "Bis successor has sold his business and gone away." Thus, dear reader, we see that truth is at a discount in Hongkong. There was once a man who told the truth, but it evidently was too great a strain; he died. His successor could not carry on the business for want of custom, and picked up. Perhaps he has booked his passage to Kobe. Truth is appreciated in Kobe, and no one has yet been able to point the flager of scorn in the sands of time and write jacet 10
F. A. G."
Hic
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
CANTON.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT]
15th December.
C
[December 29, 1905.
of the people. The difficult task was at the point of being accomplished when suddenly our sims were defeated. Your respectable union sont representatives to Hongkong to consult with the Hongkong Committee and submit a reply to the proposals of the American merchants.” I observe that this has been published in all the LINCHOW AFFAIE: A CONTEMPTIBLE WITNESS. newspapers, the names of all the representatives Woo Tsung-yao has caused a man named being given. Twelve conditions have been Lam-Hi to be arrested and brought down to submitt d which bring ruin and defeat to Canton for trial. It appears that prisoner is a ourselves. The reading of them causes one's Chinese lawyer who meddles in all sorts of shadybair to stan 1 erect on our head*, and our eyes Lusinesses and is a notorions bad character. come out of their sockets. I now ask you all When the Commission arrived he sent a petition what were the riginal intentions of the Boycott to the American Consul-tien ral in which he Commitee. Your reply would be that it was stated that the ma sore originsted through to prevent the Americans from illtreating and the Boycott and denounced several good people
excluding Chinese labourers from their country. against whom he Lad a grudge, as having. In nearly all of the conditions you leave out participated in the affair. He advised the the labour qu stion; this is not in accord with Consul-General not to sign the report of the the intentions of the Boycott Union.. Shame ! investigation. Wên Taotai flad ng that the Shame! What you have done is to shut out accusations were false, t 1 wraphed the matter all Chin se labourers as if you had nothing to to Viceroy chum who issued orders for Lam do with that question. Yon even seem to hare Hi's arrest on the 7th inst.
helped the Americans to erolude and provide illtreatment for the labourers, You have call ofed tens of thousands of dollars subscribed by the Chinese people who resouted their fellow countrymen being illtreated by Americans, and the Union was got up to support their case. You have abindoned the battle-field and have turned you spars against your countrymen'; you have acted like traitors. This is very improper conduct and I have no sympathy for you. Who is the President? where is the Committee and what are you doing? Every arrow is now pointed towards you. If you value your lives take the hint. (Signed) — One of the numerous Chinese subjecta residing in Hongkong,"
CAN ON-MACAO RAILWAY. When the concession for this line Was grant d. it was agreed between the Portuguese and Chinese Governments that each side would contribute $4,000,000 towards the capital required for the constraction of the line. The Chinese director, Lam Tak-Yuen, has already in hand $2,000,000 but the Portuguese have so far raised nothing. Lam petitioned Sten Stum Wy some months ago requesting him to urge the Portaguse Minister in Peking to move in the matter. Nothing having been done since, Sheng has now memorialized the cancelled. The Portuguese Director is said to Wai-Wn-Pu advising the concession to be
have left for Portugal to try and raise the capital.
OUR FUNNY NEIGHBOURS.
from the torpedo-boats were going through a On the 12th just, while the young cadets
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course of drill exercises on the para 'e ground a collision occurred between them and a Mancha soldier who s'ood on the parade ground and refused to move on. In the soul that ensued the Manchu was hit on the nose which started to bleed. The warrior cried "save life" and in a few seconds all the Manchus and Binnermen in the neighbourhood came to his assistance and drove the cadets and their instructors away from the ground after a free fight. The matter has be-n settled by compensating the "wonnded" and a guad has now been placed at the gates to prevent any spectators from trespassing on the dril! grounds.
16 h December.
CHAU TUNG SANG's AFFAIRS, Chau Kai Tsang, who was recently deputed the different properties seized, has now sent in by the Sin-Hu-Kak, to report on the value of the valuation list. Clan-lung-Sang's private Tit-Son's new and old residences respectively home has been valued at 100,000 (aels, ani Chau-
at 25,000 and 20,000 taels. The report inclu les the valuation of over a hundred houses which were owned by Chan Tung Sang, Tit Sai or Fu-Ka-Tai. The deputy is now preparing a report for the prop rties seized in the Pan-Yu district.
THE BOYCOTT: EXTRAORDINARY LETTER, The Boycott Union here has informed the public that the nine representatives who were sent 10 Hongkong to aid the Hongkong Committee to draft a suitable reply to the American Merebants, had exceeded their powers and that the twelve clauses of their reply were not in accord with the resolutions pa sed at a previous meeting here. The Boycott Union here has received telegrams ad -tters from the unions in the differ. at ports informing th m that they did not approve of the reply and that they took no notice of what had be done without their approval. An extraordinary meeting has been called for the 17th ins', to discuss the situation.
The following letter was received by the Union a few days ago:--
To the gentlemen members of the principal Boycott union, for their informati n. I'(humble slave) though without influence or power, have subso.ibed towards the funds of the Boycott a sum of over $4,000 collected by myself in aid of the union. I have acquired nothing nor deserve any merit. What I have done was for the good
Numerous letters similar to the above have been sent h re from various por's.
The Boyco't comm'ties here received the representatives sent to Hongkong to join the following telegram from San Francisco. The
local committee in drafting the twelve conditions are not good nor perfect. We know you people did not go to Hongkong and that you had no haud in the drawing up of the reply. We hope you will strictly maintain the Boyantt. Ve will hold a me ting regarding the establishment of a large arts and manufacture shop as soon as We are in possession of the conditions and regulations,'
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NEW POSTS.
18th December.
Following Taotai Kung's recommendations- the following twḥ Government Bureaur have now been established : (f.) Head-office f›r grant- ing Liceno s for prepared opium. (II.) Depart- ment of Agriculture and Cattle Breeding.
DISUNION AMONG THE BOYCOTTERS,
to the Canton Union and 'o Liang-Sing. The Wuohow boycott uuion has sent te'egrams
behalf of the people of Wuchow against the Chinese Mini ter in Washing'o, protesting on
twelve conditions submitted to the American merchants in Hongkong.
pre-
An extra rdinary meeting of the Canton Boysoft union was held yester lay in the Kwong-chai Hospital in the pre-end of hun- dreds of people including repre entatives from the different colleges, the press, and the 72 merchant guilds in Canton. Th sid-a*.
Cheng To-ohai, Taotai. stated that the nina representatives sent to Hongkong had exceeded their powers 88 they were not anthorized to wire abroad that they were negotiating on behalf of all the represen- tatives of the unions in Chion. He said that the object of the me-ting to-day was to find some means to undo thị hirm don by the Hongkong meeting. Cha Ka-yuen one of the nine who went to Hongkong, then spoke, He admitted that they had made a mistake by wiring abro d to the effect that they were representing all the unions As to the twelve con 'iti ns. h raid that they had been drafted by a lawer who sent them direct to the Ameri- cans. They were not binding and final and could be altered. Af of some discussion, it was decided to wire to the American Minister to consider these twelve conditions and the tele- gram sent to him on the subject as null and void as the union did not agree to them, and would not endorse them. The exclusion act must be repesled before a truce would be called."
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