INTELLIGENCE FROM CHINA

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1635, 17 May 1879, Page 3

INTELLIGENCE FROM CHINA

[Press Special Wire.]

[COEBESPONDENT OP PBESS AOENCY.I lIONG KONG, March 19. Business is very dull. The freight market is fairly active. Her Majesty’s troop ship Himalaya arrived here on the 24th ult,, bringing the 27th Regiment as a relief for the 74th Highlanders ordered to Singapore. * Sir Thos. Wade, Her Majesty’s Minister to China, arrived here on the 10th inst.

The British ship Golden Spur has been lost on the bank a little below Dowson Point, outside Haiphong harbor. The Ilakna insurgents in Hainan are still fighling, and have inflicted another defeat on the Imperialists, They have also captured a Mandarin.

The amount of tea exported from China to Australia and New Zealand has been as follows : —From Ist June, 1876, to 14th March, 1877, the total was 16,618,8971b5; from Ist June, 1877, to 14th March, 1878, total 16,186,G381hs ; from Ist June, 1878, to 14th March, 1879, total 15,785,5111b5. It will bo seen from the foregoing that the exportation of tea has fallen off each year. The Australian Steam Navigation Company’s steamer Ocean took from this port for the Australian colonics, on the 9th instant, 98001bs,

The work of rebuilding is actively progressing in some parts of the district destroyed by the great fire at Christmas. By the steamer Pernambuco, which arrived hero on the 12th instant, a batch of deports, numbering over a hundred, arrived from Suizou. The whole lot have a very suspicious appearance. In appears that at Saizou they were placed on boa'-d the steamer by French police, but no notice was sent to the authorities here.

The tenth annual meeting of the shareholders in the China Fire Insurance Company Limited was held hero on the 25ih ult. The report showed a balance of 8,811,047d01a., and the earnings showed an increase of 15,810d015. over these of last year. A dividend of 12 dollars per share was declared. A most daring seizure, accompanied by murder, was made by pirates in the outer harbor. A fishing junk lying opposite Government Ilouse, and under the guns of the fort, was boarded by pirates from a sampan. They were armed with swords and revolvers. Resistance was offered by the crew of the junk, and the owner was killed and two of the crew severely wounded. On the pirates gaining possession they seized and bound the rest of the crew, put them below, cut the cable, and made off with the junk. No clue lias been gained to lead to the identification of the pirates. Another outrage on missionaries at Fohkuin is reported. It appears that one of the Litentic demanded black mail from a native preacher at Zeetshan, and not obtaining it, instigated a riot, during which a mob smashed the doors of the chapel, and took away the mission property, seriously injuring a native. The local authorities declined to interfere. SHANGHAI, March 14.

The British steamer Tauvain, formerly called Lcnore, engaged in the coasting trade, was lost on the 14th on the rocks at Bord Island, in the Formosa Channel. The crew and part of the cargo were saved. The vessel was fully insured. News has just reached Shanghai of a terrible accident at Taku. An old P, and O. steamer, the Aden, was there used by the Chinese merchants’ company as a hulk. Last Friday she received n considerable quantity of cargo, a portion of which was placed on one of her sides between decks. She gave a great roll, alarming numerous coolies engaged, who, in their fright, made a rush, causing the hulk to topple over. The water rushed in through the open ports, and speedily sank her. About 120 coolies were aboard, fifty of whom were drowned. There is no longer any doubt that China is about to manufacture goods which hitherto she has imported from England and other countries. Machinery for a wool manufactory in the North-west has just been despatched from Shanghai, while orders have been sent to England for the necessary machinery for tho Shanghai woollen mills. It is said the machinery cost about £25,000, and that the mills will employ a thousand hands. Li Hang Chang, Governor-General of Chilli, under whose auspices tho mills are about to bo started, has given groat offence to tho foreign merchants of Shanghai by saying in an official document, “ Don’t move without plans. Tho foreign Hongs in Shanghai excel in powers of cheating. One and all they swindle you first and go to law with you afterwards. You lose your money to begin with, and whoa there is a question of fine, you got no justice.” His Excellency, however, explains that this does not apply to all foreign merchants, hut only those who swindle him by selling him powder which would not explode, and guns which could not bo fired.

A shipmasters’ association lias just been formed here, and, considering the quantity of shipping which visits this port and many questions which arise affecting shipping interests, tho new association may bo expected to be very useful.

Tho Chir.cjo press is now strongly advocating tho formation of Chinese companies for trading in foreign countries. A number of Chinese merchants have settled in Japan, and it is urged that it is just as easy to travel to travel to England, America, Australia, or any other foreign countries. The Kaiping mines, to which T alluded in former letters, are about to bo worked. Tho services of four Europeans are to bo engaged, one understanding coal, one copper mines, one iron, and one machinery. The company’s prospectus says“ By developing China’s natural resources, the expense of purchasing iron and coal in foreign countries will be avoided, and China will bo rendered selfsupporting.”

An American mining engineer recently, on behalf of (he Chinese Government, visited several d stricts in the North of China to prospect tor gold and silver. Ho has returned without finding any indications of precious metals. Examinations in other directions are to be made.

The ice has now broken up in the North, and steamers have commenced running from Shanghai. Two or three sailing vessels have gone aground. Should war ensue between China and Russia it will he rrn popular with the Chinese. The people of Yarkand have volunteered to furnish Iren of expanse to Government a contingent of 10,000 men. The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation ore now negotiating for the Chinese Government a silver loan equal to £500,000. The bonds are of 500 taels each, redeemable at par within six years by half-yearly drawings, and bearing interest at 8 per cent. The principal and interest are specially secured by the hypothecation of the Customs revenue.