NEWS FROM CHINA.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1769, 21 October 1879, Page 2

NEWS FROM CHINA.

[Br TklegbaphJ [Pub Pbbss .Agency. | HONG KONG, August 2. The Canton tea market has been very quiet, and settlements have been on a limited scale* The silk market at the same place has only been moderately active. The following sailing vessels are loading at this port for Australia and New Zealand : John Potts and Orange Groove ; at Foo Choo, the Maid of Judah and Celia. The Jessie McDonald, which arrived here from Newcastle, encountered severe weather, and had all hands at the pumps for thirty-six hours at one time. The s.s. Bon Ledi left on the 10th for Sydney and Melbourne, with 1,183,271 lbs. of tea. The Rev. R. Hayward Kidd, M.A., Colonial Chaplain of Hong Kong, died at the chaplaincy on the 31st. There has been so much dry weather in the North of China of late that fears are entertained about the crops. There is a prospect of the dredging and improving of the harbor of Takow, Formoßa, being commenced this year. On the 31st ult. a severe typhoon occurred off the coast of China, between Shanghai and Cheefoo. Several steamers which encountered it describes its fury as almost unequalled. The Imperial Commissioner for the Southern provinces haß decided upon putting the coast line of Fokein and Fuimoaa~in a better state of defence. The heavy artillery for the forts at Auping, in Formosa, and Menngang, near Foo Chow, have been ordered from Europe. His Royal Highness the Duke of Genoa, in command of the Italian corvette Nettor Pisani, arrived at Hongkong on the 23rd of July, and left for Nagasaki on the 25th inst. The Prince is making a cruise through the far East. In the memorial to the Throne regarding the fate of the children of Takoob Beg, the late Ameer of Kashgar, the Governor-General states that they will be delivered into the hands of the Imperial household to be made eunuchs of, and then sent to Turkestan to be given as slaves to the soldiery in the Amaor region. The latest news received concerning the rebellion in the Kwangsi, headed by Li Tung Choo, states that the Imperialists attacked the insurgents, and drove them back into their mountain fastnesses, whither they dared not follow them. Li Yung Choo employs hi* troops when not on guard in raising grain and vegetables for their subsistence. The Queen of the West left here on the 25th of July for Melbourne, with 434,631 lbs. of tea. The barque Alexa left the day after with 290,288 lbs. tea for Wellington; and on the 4th, the schooner San Francisco with 258,684 lbs. of tea for Dunedin. A report is circulating among the Chinese at Amoy that some great catastrophe has taken place within the walls of the Imperial palace at Pekin. Some say that the Emperor, others that one of the Empresses, is dead. TIENSIN, August 6. Some months ago it was announced that an American mining expert had been engaged to investigate the resources of the province regarding precious metals, but the result showed that silver had no real scientific existence. It was expected that attention would be turned to the region of Je-Ho, outside the great wall, where there have been gold and silver mines for ages, but the amount of inertia displayed by the officials is scarcely describable.

CHEEFOO, August 14. A terrific storm raged here on let August, and did considerable damage to the settlement. The vessels in the harbor dragged their anchors, and one of her Majesty's war ships narrowly escaped being driven ashore. The Norwegian barque Henrick having been dismasted and sustained other damage, had to put in here for repairs. She picked up a Chinaman who had been on a log for two or three days, he being the only survivor from three Shanghai junks. The German barque Von Werder was totally wrecked off the promontory in a dense fog, and the German schooner Christine was towed in in a totally disabled condition.

During the last fortnight two or three foreigners have died every day through the extreme heat. A fire broke out on the 15th near the French Consulate here, and it spread with terrible rapidity from left to right. It was soon beyond all control, and 901 houses were burnt down before it was subdued. The lossis estimated at between four and fire million dollars.