+
November 11, 1907.7
and his dislike often carried him beyond the bounds of discretion; indeed a mistake as to the intention of his powers of control over British subjects occasioned a breach between him and the mercantile bɔdy, and led to severe reorimina- tions from Lord Palmerston, who was Dow convinced of the impossibility of any longer Fubmitting to the childish insults of the Canton mandarins.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
CHINESE CONFIDENCE TRICKS.
The confidence trick, adapted to the peculiari ties of the Chinese mind, and smartly adjusted to the circumstances of the occasion, is frequently practised with success in Shanghai. Last week an old woman was so impressed with the appearance of a brass ring, which two Like other weak administrators sent out at rascals dropped in the street before her, that she various times to represent British interests in parted with a pair of gold earrings valued at (hina, Capt. Elliott, despairing of being able $14, in order to overcome the pretended to move the obstinate Chinese, whom he ba no intention of the two men to report the matter force to compel, consoled himself by turning his to the police. Two natives dropped a purse supposed powers under the Orders in Council containing a few coins of little value on to the ainst his own nationals, To prevent a footpath in front of a Chinese, who was just recurrence of these misunderstandinge, I ord returning with the value in dollar notes of a Palmerston emphasized in his instructions the cheque for Tls. 150, which he had been sent to fact, that however suitable it might have been cash at the Chartered Bank by one of the for the officers of a trading corporation, such as
insurance companies. The two confederates had been in China the old Company to submit appeared as the shroff picked up the purse, and to being treated as inferiors, it was essentially burrying to him they claimed a division of the necessary to keep in mind that the superintend-proceeds. He attempted to pass on and in the enis, as representing the Sovereign, could only properly communicate, and on equal terms, with the direct officers of the Chinese Govern- ment. Unfortunately Lord Palmerston, know- ing how adverse the nation was from any soheme that might be construed into an act of acgression, and having little confidence in Elliott's discretion, avoided giving him the only practical means of dealing with A weak bombastic nation, as was China at that time.
[To be continued.]
THE MINISTERING CHILDREN'S
LEAGUE.
The President and members of the Minister- inghildren's League are especially obliged to Mrs. Carter (M.C.L. Secretary for the Peak), Mrs. Peter (Secretary for Victoria), Mrs. Long. ridge (Kowloon Secretary), the Misses Loureiro, Mrs. Tuxford and Mrs. Robson who kindly pro vided their own stalls; to Mrs. George Hasting2, Mrs. D'Esterre, and the other ladies who gave such efficient and ready help at the other stalls; and to the following firms and others who rendered generous and valuable a-sistance to the Bazaar. Mesere. Kelly & Walsh; A. S. Watson & Co., W. Powell & Co.; Weismarn & Co.; and Madame Flint gratitously supplied various articles. Messrs. Lane Crawford & Co. lent the piano; the Electric Light Company was an appreciated donor; the four news
made papers
special concessions; Major Chapman and the Officers, Hongkong Volunteers, lent the ground and hall; the Hongkong A.D.C. lent materials, Mr. Tutcher supplied plants and palms; and Mr. Tooker and Mr. Wolfe of the Public Works Department supervised the arranging of the ground.
Thanks are also due to Mrs. Somer- Bat Playne, who arranged the musical tableaux" which brought in a substantial sum; to Mr. H. W. Bird, who kindly arranged the scenery and to Miss Gill for having organis. ed such a successful children's entertainment. The nat results are $1,300 which will be divided amongst the following charities :- The Hildesheim Mission Blind school. $40.90 Victoria Home & Orphanage, Kowloos. 400.00 Miss Johnstone's Baxter Mission
Schools...
Diocesan Girl's School...
French Convent
Italian Convent
(Farther donation to Italian Convent
towards rebuilding their babies'quar- ters which have been condemned)
souffle which followed the parcel of notes changed hands. The shroff made au outery, and a parcel, which he thought was his own. was banded back to him: the two rascals then ran away. The shroff, pluming himself upon the retention of the parse and the recovery of the notes, returned to the insurance office where he found that a parcel containing some old paper, but outwardly identical with his own, had been substituted. The rogues got away.
PREDACEANS IN THE NEW
TERRITORY.
saw
Alone on the bills in the New Territory, and unarmed, it is not a pleasant experience to encounter the " cheetah," a species of leopard. Although the animal is not so ferocious as the tiger, still it is a beast of prey, and when two followed Mr. Ilelt, chief timekeeper on the Kowloon Canton Railway, last week, he began to feel very uncomfortable. Mr. Ilett was crossing from the works at Shatin to the south face of the tunnel on a China pony, and was ascending the hill which looks down on the works at Kowloontsai when he
two cheetahs" some distance above him, and to the left of his track. He also observed that the animals made their way to the rear, and what was more, that they were following him. Several times, while proceeding on his way, he stopped and turned round, each time to see the "cheetabs" stop too. All the way up the precipitous track they were his unwelcome attendants, and as he turned on descending the hill track which leads to the south face railway wor-s, the horseman saw the two animals crowning the hill. Here, however, they found they were near the haunts of man, gave up the pursuit, and Mr. Ilett reached his destination safely.
AN OVERDUE STEAMER.
27
No little anxiety was felt in shipping circles regarding the fate of the seamer
"aiwan which was overdue at Saigon from this port. She left Hongkong on the 25th October with 100.00 over 500 Chinese passengers on board and should 100,0 have reached the southern port some days ago. 1:0 00 Her owners, the Wing Fat applied to 100.00 Admiral Moore to send a warship to look for her and H.M.S. Astrea was despatched. A steamer arrived in port from Saigon reported having seen the Taiwan" in the typhoon when she was making heavy weather of it.
100.00
$1,300.00
During the Cricket week there will be another performance of the tableaux vivants.
Memorials of re-entry by the Government of Lancio Island, Demarcation District 311, Lot No. 481; Demarcation District 313, Lot No. 62; Demarcation District 317, Lot No. 38; Demar-. cation District 318, Lot Nos. 1 1, 1790 D marcation District 328, Lot No. 77, Demar. cation District 333, Lot No. 439; and Tang Chung, Demarcation District I, Lot Nos. 1560, 2851, 2856; Demarcation District V, Lot No. 326, have been registered according to law.
C
11
The owners of the steamer Taiwan, the Wing Fat, on Nov. 6th received information from Saigon that the vessel had arrived safely at that port. Stress of weather was the cause of the delay, and the captain was forced to seek a safe anchorage in which to ride out the typhoon.
H.M 8. Astræd left at noon on the 5th, ia search of the missing vessel, but when the owners received tidings of her safe arrival at Saigon they immediately informed the Naval Authorities, and the warship was recalled by wireless telegraphy. It got the message, and re-entered harbour last night.
WATER RETURN.
317
Level and storage of water in reservoirs on the 1st October:
Tytam
Byewash
LEVEL
1906.
1907. Above overflow. Above overflow. 1 ft. 8 in. 2 ft. 6 in.
2 ft. 24 in. Tytam Low Level Pokfulam........... 1 ft. 11 in.
2 ft. 3′′ in. 0 ft. 1 in. 1 ft. 9 in.
Wongna cheong. 0 ft. 11 in. ft. 0 in.
Tytam Byewash
STORAGE GALLONS:
1906. 399,320,000 25,842,000
1907. 407,000,000
25,908,000
196,389,000
69,860,000 33,260,000
732,417,000
Tytam Low Level Pokfulam
70,220,000 Wongnaicheong. 31,678,000
Total 527,060,000
CONSUMPTION OF WATER IN THE CITY OF VICTORIA AND HILL DISTRICT DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
1906.
1907. Consumption ...119,218,000 145,722,000 gallons Estimated popu.
205,560
lation
Consumption per
334,900
head per day 16.9
23.6 gallons
Rider Main in operation up to 19th and con- stant supply during the remainder of the month of September 1906. Constant supply during the whole of the month of September 1907. The return of Consumption is subject to error owing to the difficulty of accurate measurement whilst the extension works at Albany Filter Beds are in progress.
CONSUMPTION OF WATER IN KOWLOON
PENINSULA DURING THE Month
OF SEPTEMBER.
1906,
Kowloon New
Reservoir...
Consumption
Estimated popu
lation
Consumption per
1907.
112,000,000 14,844,000 23,611,000 gallons
81,100
6.1
79,700
9.0 gallona
head per day The return of Consumption is not very reli- able as various works were in progress in con- nection with the distribution system and the firing of fire Hydrants.
The Government Analyst reports that the water is of excellent quality.
W. CHATHAM,
Water Authority.
Returns of the average amount of bank notes in circulation and of specie in reserve in Hong. kong, during the month ended 31st October, 1907, as certified by the managers of the respective banks, are as under :-
BANKS.
Chartered Bank of India,
AVERAGE SPECIE AMOUNT. IN RESERVE.
$
Australia and China... 3,988,168 2,900,000 Hongkong and Shanghai
Banking Corporation, 13,874,732 10,000,000 National Bank of China,
Limited,
Total,
30,185 150,000
...$18,163,085 13,050.000
While travelling through the Iwa e Prefec- ture of Japan recently, an agricultural stadent learned from an intelligent farmer that in his section of the country, a man may be said to be well-to-do who owns land to the extent of nearly five acres and tills it himself. He can do this only when his family consists of ten healthy members. If less, he must hire out- siders to help him. Such a plot of land in a good year may yield £60 worth of produce. Out of this amount, he has to defray for expenses, £8 for manure, £10 for taxes of all kinds, national, prefectural, etc. This would leave £42 to be spent for sundry purposes throughout the year. Now the farmer and his family will probably conium, £33 worth of produce during the year for food, leaving only £9 for all other expenses. Yet this men is a well-to-do farmer. Not more than one in ten belongs to his class. It is easy, there- fore, to imagine the farmer's plight in a bal
year.
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