It
July 27, 1907.]
has always been open to them to refuse to accept Chinese or Hongkong coins at other than the market value, but it is a vexatious, trouble- some and almost impossible business. Though there has been available for circulation in the Colony more than three times the amount of Hongkong sabsidiary coins necessary to meet all requirements, yet not one-fifth of the coins in actual circulation are Hongkong coins. For the Government to expect the tram condnotor
or the ricksha coolie to ask for "another one cent
when tendered a Chinese 10-cent piece in order that he may get the full market value of his legal fare, is ridiculous. So long as there is no embargo on the circulation of Chinese coins in the Colony the probability is that every British coin withdrawn from circulation will be replaced by a Chinese coin, and the losses on trade which the community has had to suffer will have to be endured long after the Government has rehabilitated its coinage and protected its own revenue.
Own
It seems to me that unless the Government is prepared to prohibit the circulation of Chinese coin in the Colony, it would be useless to accelerate the withdrawal of the Hongkong coinage, while the Government is without a definite assurance that the provincial mints will prolong the suspension of minting operations until discount rates have disappeared and there is absolute need of further issue.—Yours truly.
CHOPPED DOLLAR,
THE SEPTEMBER TYPHOON.
GREENWICH DEFENDS HONGKONG OBSERVATORY.
The following despatch from the Secretary of State with regard to the report of the Committee of Inquiry in connection with the typhoon of September 18th was yesterday laid on the table at the Legislative Council meeting: -
Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London, 8.E.,
June 12th, 1907. Sir, In reply to your letter of April 25th, 14007/1907 relative to the typhoon at Hongkong on the 18th September last, I have to inform you that a review of the evidence placed before the Committee of investigation points to the conclusion that the finding of the Committee was practically inevitable, having regard to the following considerations deduced from the evidence alone, as I have no other knowledge of local conditions.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
A NIGHT OUT.
[Daily Press, July|22nd.]
table looking citizens skalking through the Church-going folk who bhild two disrepu city yesterday for coa are not to be blamed They bore all the stigmata of dissipation, the if they entertained a bad opinion of the pair.
Prodig, and they manifestly knew it. dishevelmont and sh mefacedness of the they had been more sinned against than sinfal. A Yat man who had prated some days before about the dozens of four lb. bream" that were to be caught at a certain spot in Hongkong Har. bour was really to blame, not they.
They started on Saturday to catch thos› big bream. They might have taken a steam launch, and sived their reputations at the expense of their pocket money. They might have taken did was to take a sailing boat-aud they got a motor-boat, and been worse off. What they back, as I said before, at church time yesterday
forenoon.
**
said the li-, the gentleman, who indicated the The proper way to catch bream is this," place, "He takes the bait in the side of his month only, and goes away some distance to eat it, like a cat with a mouse. Don't strike then Wail until you feel him bagin eating, then haul him up.'
17
Two pairs of guileless ears drank this in. Two pairs of eyes glistened.
"As to bait, if you can't get hairy worms, gat prawns. He didn't say what to get if prawas were not procurable, and that explains why one of the men took small cuttlefish. There were no prawns in the market. The "boy" of the other man got some somewhere, but they were odd volumes-early editions. The lady of the house urged an early start. Th-y had taken their bit into the drawing room.
"It's his prawns that you notice," said the Sepia officinalis proprietor. "I thought they hummed a bit when he put them in the basket,'
"It isn't," retorted the possessor of Peneus set ferus, "It's those confounded jelly-fish No sensible man would expect them to keep in this weather, especially shut up in a cigar box."
|
This acrimonious beginning had its sequel in the boat. Nervousness as to typhoons Was allayed by the absence of cubes on the Obser- vatory signal staff, and it was completely dissipated by the absence of wind an hour after the start. Both were agreed that it was essential they should arrive just at the turn (1) The typhoon of which warning was given of the tide, when the big bream were most by the Director of Sioeawei Observatory on hungry; but they joined issue as to who should September 15, 1906 was apparently not the one do the necessary paddling. One developed a which struck Hongkong on the 18th, and even sick feeling in the epigastric region. had it been proved identical, the Siceawei fore-trumped the other's sore hand, and be called cast gave no indication that Hongkong was spades-that is, paddles. threatened, hence the contention, that the warning was given and ignored, falls to the ground.
(2) The above is, I take it, the main question before the Committee. The further point as to possible delay on the morning of the 18th in hoisting the "black drum" is not of the same importauce. The evidence as to typhoon signs at sunset on the 17th is very uncertain and it ap pears that those relied upon by one side wera admittedly invisible at the Observatory, and atten- tion is only directed to events on the 18th. Had the staff of the Hongkong bservatory thought that such a storm was not unlikely it is con- ceivable that the fall in the barometer might have been noticed earlier, but it does not appear that any such suspicion was justified beforehand and very few minutes elapsed after the barometer indication became unmistakeable before the question of hoisting the drum was raised. Ifit is true that criticism had been frequently made of unnecessary warnings the few minutes (10 to 15) further delay is only to be expected, and beyond that the delay in the actual hoisting appears at present unavoidable though it is likely that some device could be contrived to shorten the time nece-sary for this operation.
(3) I conclude that there remains no question of dereliction of duty at the Observatory, and that any possible error of judgment alleged is too uncertain to be regarded as carrying responsibility for damage done.
I am, &o.,
W. H. M. Christie, Astronomer Royal,
That
The tide had turned some time when the twain reached the place of big bream. So had the cuttlefish.
They were thrown overboard,
Neither had had a bite. There was furthe. An interval of two hours here elapses. argument as to whether the discarded cuttlefish had or had not poisoned all the big bream, thus accounting for their failure to nibble. The man who had thrown the tentacled refuse
privately had qualms. overboard pooh-poohed the suggestion, but
Another interval of two hours elapses. Still neither had had a bite. So they hauled in their lines and attacked the sandwiches. "Do
your
com-
sandwiches taste sort of fishy?" one enquired. He had most carefully washed his hands before eating. They ought to," granted the other. The other man, relieved, drank the last They're sardine sandwiches," bottle of beer, looking furtively at bis panion to see if he had noticed the emptiness of the basket. He hadn't, but he did later, with come bitterness, the bitterness of the Bitter- less. The other man was asleep then,had been asleep for hours, stretched at full length in the cockpit, his feet considerably incommod- ing the survivor. He, finding himself unable to sleep, decided to go on fishing. He caught a brown "rock-fish," length 24 inches, and a large crab, with five-inch piacers, which bit him when he was taking it off the hook, and he smoked about twenty pipes of tobacco. Then he went to get a bottle of beer. He felt more kindly disposed to his wesried friend.
" Poor old chap! Perhaps he really waA
■ bit
57
sick. I'll not wake him.” And he groped for the beer. He even managed to suppress a noisy outburst when he kaelt on a paro›t of spare books. The lamp had gone out, for lack of oil. Bat the stars were shining in a oleur sky, the ses was osim, and "the moon on the water was dimmed by a rippls, affɔeding a chequered delight." "Die Lichten auf dem added, in something more than a marmar Wasser, he marmured appreciatively, and then
damit,"
11
is the proper en
[This is not a swear-word, Mr. Editor. It ling of the Gsemia quɔtɔtion. and means only "therewith."] It was, perhaps, a fortuitous coincidence, for he just thea discovered that there was no more beer. Ha awoke his friend.
"What have you done with all the beɔr ?" he demanded.
"No thanks, old chip; had enough," the other drowsed out, an i straightway fell on sleep again.
of the dawa-butterfly wived above the horison. Several more honrs elapsed, and the antennm Presently the gorgeous wings outspread, and the diapered fritillary-well, I'm sorry, Mr. Editor, to breakdown with such a brand-new and promising bit of imagery; bat anyway, the sau rose. So did the sleeper. "Might as well have another cast or two," he remarked cheerily, as the other, now overcome by sleep, took his place.
•
They aren't four-lb. bream, old chap, but anyway, they were better thau nothing," said the sugler, when the other awoke. He exhibited about twenty beautiful little silvery fish, like sardines, but plumper. "Now let's hava a dip, and go home."
Both felt batter for the swim, and hoisted siil in complete amity half an hour later. During irritating cat's-paws of wind to waft them, the the long, slow drift home, with only brief and hot sua blazed on bɔth, osasing sunbaras and s great thirst. Unkind words that tɔ-day will doubtless be regretted were spɔken, and when later, dressed and shaved, they met in the Hotel, and heard that a man had been murdered, bith together eagerly enquired:
Was it
14
kage 4 g
No. It was Chinaman. Why do you ask such a queer question ?" their informant asked. It seems an alm at unbelievable oɔincidence, the name they both named, in that queer Mr. Editor, but I am able to assure you that question, was the name of the man who hai told them where to catch four-lb. brosm. I appointed them, but they looked as if it had. would not like to say that the answer dis
KULANGSU (AMOY) MUNICIPAL
COUNCIL.
Minutes of a mesting of Council held at the Board Room, on 2nd July 1957.
Present: Messrs. W. H. Wallace (Chair- man, C. A. V. Bowra, A. F. Gardiner, Huang Ta'an-chew, W. Kruse, S. Okayama, W. Wilson, the Health Officer, and the Secretary.
1. The Minutes of the last meeting are read, and confirmed.
2. A letter is from the General Officer Com. manding at Hongkong, concerning the issus to the Council of rifles on loan for the proposed Home Guard and it is unanimously decided to inform General Broadwood that the Council gladly accept the offer of the War Office.
3 The Superintendent of Police reports the Mixed Court since the last meeting : following cases have been dealt with at the
SUM MONSES. Breach of Municipal Begalations 1, Debt 2, Illegally removing land marks 1, Refusing to quit premises 1, Breach of contract 1.
SUMMARY ABRESTS,
Being a rogue and a vagabond 1, Committing a nuisance 1. Being abroad after 12 midnight without a light 3, Carrying a daggər 1, Burying a body without a permit 1, Removing ssad from a public road 1, Contempt of Court 1, Breach of prison regulation 1, Theft 3.
By order,
(Signed) W. H. WALLACE,
C. BERKELEY MITCHELL,
Secretary,
Chairman.
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