194
sympathy at terrible catastrople which visited Hongkong."
H.E. the Governor has asked Mr. Kumabe to convey to Viscount Hayashi his sense of thanks for his very kind message of sympathy which will be very much appreciated by the Colony of Hongkong,
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on September 18th at the Board Room. The Hon. Dr. F. Clark (president) presided, and there were also present Dr. Pearse, M.O.H., Mr. E. A. Irving, Lieut. Col. Joslin, Mr. F. Badeley, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (secretary).
UNOFFICIALS ABSENT.
The PRESIDENT-I understand a number of the unofficial members are unable to be present, so there is some formal business we might clear off.
ABERDEEN PAPER MILL NUISANCE.
Regarding the filling in of the hole in the nullah near the Aberdeen Paper Mill, the Government informed the Sanitary Board that they would fill it in.
Their reply was laid on the table. SCAVENGINg contracTOR AND DREDGING.
The further application from the City Scavenging contractor relative to the hiring of janks in connection with dredging was con sidered.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK minuted-If what the contractor says is correct, I think the boatmen should be called upon to refund the money.
The REGISTRAR GENERAL-It seems clear from the minute of the Assistant Director of Public Works that the authorisation was given to the Registrar-General with the consent of the Director of Public Works. Evidently there is a misunderstanding which, no doubt, Mr. Brewin on his return will be able to explain. Consideration of the matter was deferred. CHINESE CEMETERIES,
Correspondence was submitted relative to the area of grave spaces in Chinese cemeteries.
The PRESIDENT--With regard to the measurement of graves certain measurements have been in vogue for a number of years, but there is no legal authorisation for them.
Members agreed that a bye-law be submitted regarding measurements.
TO EXPEDITE MATTERS.
Correspondence was laid before members relative to the house draius for Nos. 248 to 248 Queen's Road West.
The PRESIDENT-It is laid down in one of the drainage bye-laws that under certain circumstances the Board may require surface channels instead of underground drains. The question has been raised as to whether this matter ought to come before the Board. Instead of keeping drainage works back for a fortnight it seemed simpler to empower a committee of the Board to deal with such matters. The President then moved that the President and Medical Officers of Health be
appointed a committee to consider a proposal with regard to drainage in which surface channels should be substituted for underground drains, with power to approve.
Mr. BADELEY seconded and the motion was carried.
BLACK SMОКЕ.
A letter was submitted relative to a nuisance caused by the discharge of black smoke from the ground floor No. 48 Lyndhurst Terrace. Mr. HOOPEE minuted-Has the Board power to deal with such complaint
The M.Ù,H. rerted that the chimney from the tea shop w
arried well above the roof and the Boar
The letter
MO
L
aid
on the table.
'LIA" ASHORE.
ram dated Shanghai,
İ
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE BOXER OUTBREAK IN !
NORTH SHANSI.
following account from the N.-C. Daily News, Our recent telegram is confirmed by the
which was a letter from a correspondent at Tsouinhsien :-
The Boxers have been drilling for a long time in the mountains around Tsouinbaien and Sobpingfu (North Shansi) and the Christians and all good people have feared exceedingly...
On August 18, in the afternoon, a considerable number of Boxers entered Tsouinhsien, and suddenly the missionaries had to fise to the yamen, where many Christians followed them. After a little while the Boxers also came to the yamen and asked the Mandarin for food, as also for authority to kill the foreigners, threatening to kill the Mandarin and destroy the yamen if their request were not granted. In the afternoon of the same day the merchants closed their shops, and all the people were in terror. After the Boxers had been supplied with food, they want to a large temple in the city and took up their quarters there, having decided to kill all the foreigners and native Christians and destroy the Mission promises the next day. evening of the same day, August 18, a German Lieutenant arrived on his way from Mongolia to Peking, aud he had also to be sut up in the yamen. In all there were six foreigners there, -two gentlemen and four ladies. The Chiness officials were very frightened, as were all the other people in the yamen, because of the Boxers. A few soldiers were in the city, but their officers had not come from Tatangfu.
Į
servant.
In the
The Germain officer offered to help the Hsien Mandarin against the Boxers, and this offer was readily accepted. On August 19, early in the morning, between four and five o'clock, the German Lieutenant mastered the little company of Chinese soldiers, and certainly be did inspire them with confidence. Only ten of them had rifles besides himself and his The others had swords aul spears. They proceeded to the temple where the Boxers were. Arriving there, their prosenc was reported quickly to the Boxers by their sentry who was on the lookout. The Boxer leader came out to meet them, and was followed by the whole of his associates. The German officer, who went in frout of the Chin se soldiers, through his inter- preter, asked the
Boxer leader to surren-
der with his fellow-leaders, telling their followers that they might go; but he answered.
We will kill you, foreign devil." Then the Lieutenant fired a shot over his head, and asked him to draw back; but he swung his sword and came very near to the officer saying, again, I will kill you, foreign devil." The German Lieutenant thereupon shot him down; but the other Boxers did not fear, and came pressing against the Lientenant and his soldiers, where- upon he commanded the latter to fire. Eleven Boxes were killed, many were wounded and forty-two were taken prisoners. Several of these men were the chief leaders in the massacre of 190 iu this district.
Од шу arrival on the same
morning
I found all the foreigners safely in the yamen and the Chinese Christians too. In the afternoon we all returned to our station and feund that the watchmen had done their duty.
I will now mention how the Buxers were dressed. Everyone had a yellow cap and waist band and yellow braid in his quene. In his waistband each had a little yellow flag, on which was written, "Fei Hu Tien Ping Flying not interfere in the matter. Tigers Heavenly Soldiers." They had also two large yellow standards. Their weapons were swords, spears, spades, hammers and other things. They called themselves "Huang Tien
• Imperial Heaven the Holy Sheng Ta' Doctrine (or Way) ".
The missionaries are all safe and well, and now peaceful. The general everything is from Tatangfu has arrived with troops.
The same journal comments:-Although minor movements - have occasionally been reported of late among the Boxers, it was generally supposed that any organized out- break such B.S the one contemplat at Tsouinhsien, in which it is asserted that some of the chief leaders in the massacres of 1900
il s eamer Mongolia, which 'sland to drop Mr. Ward, Commercial Cables Co. is
't
1
le were safely carried
single passenger is vected to proceed to ood of the vessel
[September 22, 1906.
excellent
were implicated, was for the time being out of the question. Six years ago the province of Shansi earned an unenviable notoriety as the field of operations of the blood thirsty Ya Hsien. Ten Swedish missionaries associated at Sohpingfu, while in the neighbouring with the China Inland Mission were killed
city of Tatangfa six missionaries an five children lost their lives. The mountainous district around Teoninhsien, as well as miny other parts in Shansi, affords shelter for Boxer ban ls, who apparently carry So long as these ceremonies or exercises merely ont with impunity their drill and mystic rites. represent the expression of their peculiar belief, no fault can be found with such indulgence on But the episode at Tsouinhsion shows clearly that there is either a the part of the Boxers.
all or at least the permanent possibility of their deliberate and dangerous purpose behind them bringing about a determined breich of the dressed in their own particular costume and carried two large yellow standards, while they were armed with swords and spears and various other weap) 18, indicates that they had organized themselves to some extent and were at no pains to disgaiss their warlike intentious. authorities of the province of Shansi entirely It is impossible, therefore, to hold the Chinese free from blame, in so far as they had allowed this dangerous organization to carry on their Practices, until they were bold enough to march into a town, threaten the Magistrate and an- nounce their intention openly of killing all foreigners on whom they could lay bands. Such official negligencé argues either incompet- the incident will not be allowed to pass witho ence or connivance, and it is to be hoped that
some investigation on the part of the higher authorities.
peace.
The fact that these Boxers were all
As far as the immediate outlook in the
district of Sobpingfu is concerned, it is sati factory to note that, very soon after the Box'rs had been disposed of, the General from Tatang fu arrived on the scene with so ue troops. From this we are, perhaps, justified in assuming that the local authorities had by that time realized the seriousness of the positi n. It would be well, however, if they took to heart the time-honoured adage that prevention is better than cure. Foreigners are not likely to derive much satisfaction from the knowledge that the authorities have ample machinery at their disposal to suppress risings after they have occurred. They must exercise their ingenuity to render any such rising impossible.
EXTRAORDINARY MURDER.
The Kangoon Guzelle says:-
case of murder in most remark sbie circumstanc38 was heard by the Arakan Sessions Judge and is reported by the Akyab newspaper. Lu Bwe, jealous of his wife, approached the man on whom his suspicions fastened and induced him and three of his relatives to accompany him to a creek, where be said they might together gather shellfish. In this spot Lu Bwe, in friendly conversation with them, represented that he had particular skill in releasing a man who was tightly bound with rope. He declared his wish to show his skill then and there, and the men, according to the evidenc, seem to Бате permitted him to bind them all at the same time, disposed in two groups separated by about a hundred feet. When the last one was bound and they were in his power, he attacked first his original intended victim decapitating him with his dab. He then decapitated the second man, bound beside the first, and proceeded to the second of the two groups. Here one of the men by his struggles broke loose before Lu Bwa reached him, and escaped to the village. The fourth was cut down as the first two. When the villagers arrived they found the headless bodies, and secured La Bwe, who made no attempt to escape, aud confessed his action. At the Sessions he was condemned to death. Accas tomed as we are in Burma to stories of the dah, this surpasses most of them. It is such an. incident as only R. L. 8. among English writers could have reproduced in fiction with its proper effect and any semblance of truth.
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