THE EAST INDIES AND CHINA.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1267, 10 April 1878, Page 2

THE EAST INDIES AND CHINA.

[By Tkiegbaph.] A correspondent of the Press Agency, writing Horn Hong Kong on 22nd February, says : Freights are strll low, many vessels are in harbor, some for months awaiting charter. The French barque Fanny, Oapt. Dogouyon, 310 tons, is chartered for .8700 in full, for Melbourne and byd._ey. _ , j e; The-sentenca passed y n jme or tuo Yesso is considered’ a light oney-naniely,..chip engineer to four months imprisonment, third engineer to tliree months, without bard labour. The sad catastrophe of itself, without any punishment, it is hoped will serve as a caution to ships’ engineers engaged in the passenger trade. On (Ith January a fire broke out in Tientsin, among the mat sheds in one of the relief yards, where some 4000 refugees from the famine districts were collected. This yard was enclosed by a strong fence, and it was occupied by women and children exclusively. The gates were kept locked, except at certain times, in order that the inmates might be protected from interference. A strong wind prevailed at the time the ii.-e broke out, and the dames spread among the 'Uitlamijwbje erections -..with such rapidity that upwards of 1400 were burned tp death. Had the gates not been locked most of the inmates pt the yard would have escaped, but they were caught like rats in a trap. His Excellency, Governor Pope Hennessy, published a communication from the Kevs. W. Mairhead and E. It. Palmer, of Shanghai, and IKv. J. Gurghiguolt, of this place, praying for assistance for the starving people in Shan Si, Shen Si and Honan. The horrors endured by the suffer-rs iu these provinces are depicted ra truly appalling, children, subsisting on the corpses of their parents, ami parents devouring tljeip offspring. 7 The last stage of misery has be-n readied by these unfortunates, and all the efforts of the Chinese authorities arc powerless to materially alleviate the terrible distress pro. vailing, luce is now slightly cheaper, but the present unsettled weather is said to be causing great uneasiness in the minds of agriculturists, Tflio howiw ihow no disposition to part witlj

their land at even more than twice its market value. A Naval Court of Enquiry was held at Amoy at the British consulate on 15th January to investigate the circumstances under which the British barque Novelty of Sydney (late of Circular Saw Line), and owned by the firm of Henderson and McFarlane of Auckland, was lost near Keeking, Formosa, The finding of the Court was :—“ Considering that the master stayed by the ship as long as there was a chance of saving her and her cargo, his certificate is hereby returned to him.” His Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong and Admiral Hilliar paid a visit on the Bth January to the Tung Wah (Chinese Hospital.) The visit was in the nature of a new year’s call upon the community. Mo well, M.D. of H.M.S despatch boat Vigilant, was requested to attend to afford the Chinese an opportunity of presentino- him with a testimonial in recognition of the medical care he bestowed on the sufferers by the Tesso explosion.