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he did not receive any unkindness from Chinese, high or low. There were, of course, robbers and thieves in places who would stop at nothing, but beyond that one might travel through the country without harm.
He went on one occasion to Shanghai anp saw some excellent sports. They had what he supposed would nowadays be called a Marathon race. The winner was the excellent secretary of the Society, Mr. Byron Brenan (Laughter and applause).
Passing to Korea he said he could not but feel regret at the turn affairs had taken there. There "was materiallthere for a fine independent country. Under proper independent governmentit should become a really happy and prosperous country, peopled by an intelligent and able nation. The Koreans had a remarkable faculty for foreign languages. They were to be found, far inland away from ports where foreigners are met, and yet with a knowledge of English and other languages besides excellent Chinese.
*
Really there had been more change in Korea in the twelve or thirteen years he was there than in China during the whole period of his residence there. Railways and telegraphs had been developed throughout the land, and newspapers had been established. It was quite a modern nation in these respects. The telegraphs diffused the news very quickly and an excellent sense of general knowlege was springing up. Some mistakes had been made that would have been avoided had the Western advisers been listened to with greater attention, but still the advance had been marvellous.
There had been perhaps too much of the spirit of his old friend Wensiang in Peking who, when developments were suggested, usually replied So you think, but I am not sure we are ready for that so quickly. We will wait a little.* Fifty years were, after all, a short time in Wensiang's idea.
To Seoul, twenty-five miles from the sea coast or fifty miles by water there were two ways of going at the time he went. One was by chair and the other by small steamers. There is a railway now from the south to the very frontier of Manchuria
Looking back at these changes he regretted again the loss of the independence of Korea. It was a unique country, in its way different from China on the one side and Japan on the other. However, the independence was now gone and he did not suppose it would ever be anything more than part of Japan.
He thought it was being kept too much in a position of a dependency. If it were really incorporated in Japan and given corresponding privileges it might be better. There was a time when the Koreans and the Japanese did not get on at all well but their relations, he was assured, had improved greatly. When the war was on the Japanese were welcomed as deliverers. The Japanese had a serious task before them then and gave themselves entirely to it. No doubt the Koreans suffered in consequence and their property was not always respected. Still most of that had been set right since. While he was in Korea he tried to impress upon the people not to waste their money and not to get into debt to other people, or those people would get a hold on them. The advancers of money would want guarantees. As he happened to have control of the Customs revenue he would not allow them any more than he could help to spend more than was necessary. In consequence when he left he handed over to his successor something like four million dollars surplus. He was afraid that had gone long since.
He pointed out other small States to them, like Switzerland, Holland, Belgium and Den. mark as prosperous States keeping a guard on their finances. But his words were not always heeded.
In climate Korea was really excellently situated. For ten months of the year no one could ask for a better climate. It was out of the typhoon area on the one hand and the earthquake area of Japan on the other. Alto- gether in that respect it was as safe as England. It had many advantages in production. Rice was the principal article and there was always a surplus for export to Japan. It was of better quality, looked better and was more nutritious than the product of other parts.
In regard to cattle there were excellent stocks, but disease struck them from time to time, and when those who knew the country saw
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[February 15, 1909.
that the export of hides had gone up they knew gave the Japanese commander the hint that it it was a bad sign.
would be better not to go there, in fact he There was excellent fibre for paper manufac-believed he told him he would not allow it. He ture and when it was manufactured on a better then informed the authorities at home who told plan and a wider scale it should become a valu-him he had exceeded his authority though he able article of export. For wheat and cotton was convinced that they were glad he had done there were also ample openings. He had himself it. But the old Taotai, expecting the seen a wide plateau covered with luxuriant Japanese, told his friends what he proposed weeds that only wanted clearing and draining to do-"When the Japanese come he to provide wonderful cotton fields. As the said, "I'll fire a gun or two at them Japanese were anxious to have cotton fields to save my face. Then I'll take the opium close at hand for their supply of raw material in the oityand get away. By this means my that plateau would doubtless be developed as it ancestors will not be dishonoured." But by his merited.
action with the Japanese commander, the old Taotai had no such experience, for the Japanese kept away.
Summarising his impressions Sir JOHN said he did not think that part of the globe was finally settled yet. He would be a bold man who would prophesy that stability had been definitely reached there. It must be remembered that on the border of Manchuria three powerful empires potentially if not actually met together. Could they all be said to be satisfied with affairs as they stood? He did not think so. There were hopes and ambitions that had been disappointed and hopes and ambitions that still looked for fulfilment. He could not say that peace would be maintained but he hoped all would turn out for the best.
Manchuria was a splendid territory. He did not know but some day England would herself draw some of her supplies from there. Its population must really be Chinese in the main, The future question was which nation was to undertake the onus of government. He hoped for the best and in any case was sure of the ultimate importance of the territories under modern development (Applause).
THE CHAIRMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS. The CHAIRMAN proceeded to give reminis cences also in proposing a vote of thanks to the lecturer. He first went to Hongkong in the Spring of 1853.
He recollected being struck with the fact that everybody seemed exactly alike there. An amusing book had been written by an American lady who spoke of her impressions when first reaching China. She wrote of the "the broad fan-like expanse they called a face" (Laughter). He was not of course silly enough to judge people from his own standpoint only and first impressions, and he readily admitted that the Chinese might retort on these Westerns with their enormous nose. He merely gave his impressions. Hongkong was in those days, as now. a very important place. There had been great improvements since then. In those days they had to go too often on expeditions that were not happy to the cemetery of the Happy Valley.
One heard most then of the house of Jardine, Matheson and Company, and there was great delight when a China tea clipper did the pas- sage in seventy-three days.
Pirates were constantly on the go. They even established a sort of blockade for a time on the place, and eggs and produce were hard to get. He went on several interesting expeditions against them. Once a Peruvian barque was taken and a Chinese merchant and a French lady on board were captured by the pirates. His ship went in pursuit and they were fortunate enough to find two junks on which they discovered the prisoners. Several pirate strongholds were cleared out, but the main one, containing more than fifty junks, was so well defended that his superior officer decided that his small force of boats out the day they tried it was too small. He (the speaker) was furious but was ordered below as an impertinent person. He wanted to have a hand in the fight however. Later the squadron took the stronghold.
The (HAIRMAN went on to tell how he went to Seoul while commander-in-chief, but arriving there after dark Sir Walter Hillier, the Consul, sent word that the gates were closed and it was a popular belief that the King slept with the keys under his pillow. To avoid delays they took a route over the walls, climbing in the crevices worn by the feet of the bad characters who went in and out of the city after the gates were closed for the night. Thus they entered Seoul. A lady who was with the party was helped over with a rope. He found Seoul a most interesting place. Another reminiscence concerned an old Taotai of Chefoo. It was expected that the Japanese would seize the place and the people were very much alarmed. "He as Admiral in that quarter
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MR. CLEMENT ALLEN.
Mr. CLEMENT ALLEN also spoke of his ex- periences in China and the wonderful changes that had occurred. People who went to China now found railways developing and a capital with macadamised roads, tramways and the electric light where some of the elders present remembered as a city, as Sir Edward Malet described it, “ paved in the filth of centuries."
While he was a consul in China the war between Japan and Chins was on. At the end of the Shantung peninsula there was a com- munity of missionaries belonging to до particular denomination. The Japanese were advancing, so he applied to the Chairman that night to send protection for the missionaries. He sent a cruiser but the Commander on in terviewing the missionaries was informed that they felt quite safe and did not wish to leave. A little while after he was surprised to receive a note from one of the missionaries complaining that the Japanese had taken his donkey, and asking him to recover it. He refrained from replying that he regretted the loss of the mis- sionary's brother and merely said that he could do nothing in the matter (Laughter).
He seconded the vote of thanks to the lecturer and it was carried with acclamation.
Sir JOHN in response added a few remarks, and mentioned among others called back to memory as having been met with in his early official experiences in China, Sir Thomas Wade, Mr. Alcock, and Sir Harry Parkes.
THE SUICIDE OF M. BONHEURE.
The Indo-China papers now' to hand con- tain particulars of the greatly lamented death of M. Bonheure, the Lieutenant Governor- General of Indo-China. M. Bonheure was found dead in the palace at Saigon on the morning of the 30th ult. with a revolver by his side and a bullet wound in his head. He left no letter making known the cause of his desperate act. The suicide must have occurred about midnight. He had dined that evening with M. Hermemer and Dr. Henaff, who left the Palace at 10.30. There was nothing in the Lieutenant Governor's demeanour that evening to presage the act he a little later committed Neither M Outrey, who lived in the Palace, nor the police guard heard the detonation. news created a profound sensation in Saigon and the public offices and the theatre closed
as a mark of sorrow.
The
The autopsy disclosed that death was due to suicide, but, in spite of his apparent vigour, the deceased gentleman presented signs of serious organic disease, likely to cause great depression and doubtless predisposed him to suicide.
Mr. Klobukowski, the Governor-General, was on tour when the news reached him and he telegraphed that he would abandon his tour and return to Saigon by the most rapid means, He had not reached saigon,however, by the date of the funeral which took place on the 8th inst. M. Outrey, representing the Governor- General conducted the sad ceremony. There was & large concourse of members of the civil and military authorities.
M. Outrey, in a discourse at the graveside, spoke of the deceased, as one of the most devoted most honoured and most brilliant servants of Republican, and Colonial France. From the lengthy biographical sketch of the deceased administrator's career, given by M. Outrey, we gather that he was born at Nimes in July 1864. He was trained for the Bar and at twenty years of age was the first secretary of the conference of advocates. Three years later he joined the Army for a with the rank of second lieutenant, and return
year leaving it
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