NEWS FROM CHINA.

Kumara Times, Issue 597, 27 August 1878, Page 2

NEWS FROM CHINA.

[From the; .Press Agency Correspondent of the Christchurch Press.] = Hong Kong, June 4. A thunderstorm of most unusual violence, accompanied by heavy rain and wind, raged over the colony on the 22nd of May. The heavy wash of. water has worked'great havoc, along' ; streets and roads. Many sampans were broken from their moorings, capsized, and their crews drowned. Nine and a-half inches of rain fell:during the storm. Canton, July 12. A curious personage has just been brought in here prisoner, together with his wife, mother* servant, and suite numbering twenty-one persons.' Abont two months ago he took it into his head to make a claim for the Imperial throne, and pretended to have the power of healing the sick. He now: asserts that he is the’ rightful Emperor' of China,'and has several hundred adherents. Thb authorities took no notice of the fanatic for some time i until his assumption attracted attention, when they had him and his family a»*- f rested and brought to Canton. His

Crime will End no mercy, and in all probability he will shortly be sentenced to death by “lingering, process,” viz., exposed;in the streets in an iron cage and therein .starved to death.

A fire broke out the other day in a mat shed theatre, near Canton. The flalneS spread'.so rapidly; that before the andience^cortld escape) forty people were burn#'.to death, and as many seriously iiijiifed. The people of Canton are in a groat state of excitement in consequence of a predicted visitation of cholera next month. On the 28th ult. the image of For Sing Ham, Goddess of Mercy, was, paraded through the streets in the hope of’ thus averting the expected pestilence. Much sickness prevails both amongst Chinese and Europeans here at present. ■ Amoy, June 6. The Chinese are much exercised over a prophecy that;a pestilence is about to visit the port. The holy Kwan Ti is arid to have shown himself and prophesied that on 16th July, between 7 and 9 p.ra. the Destroying Angel will come, and again on the 25th to 27th July. Cholera is the pestilence anticipated.

Pekin, May 23. Rada has at last fallen in the famine districts. People are busy sowing cereals. The Emperor has received the news with' the greatest delight. The destitute are still to be supported until harvest is reaped, and grain is supplied where wanted. Refugees still flock to the capital, and fever has been raging amongst them ; in fact the epidemic extends all oyer North China; Ithas also been fatal amongst erej four deaths* occurred here, and many more elsewhere. , . ■

•: - Formosa;. Taiwatj, May 22. . :A most furiduß:and destructive whirlVriffd has jUst passed over the city. It only lasted a minute two, but the shock-was fearfitL . Rbafs fell in, houses not very firm .fell in. ruins, and the strcfagest hrick hotises shook on their foundations like a gigantic pillar. The whirlwind- travelled along, carrying with it debris of all sorts. Its breadth walkabout ; 200 yards. About twenty lives were lost, and hundreds injured. Hoofing tiles went to an enormous premium, and all the life of the city seems concentrated on roofs just now. : Yokohama, June !8. A journal 'announces that Christianity is spreading considerably in Various districts., A-Japanese couple were lately married according to Christian* ritual. ‘

The Japanese ironclad Fa So, via Suez Gaud, has arrived here. . Three iroitclada for the Japanese Government-, built in England*. have now been handed over, ■' •

The molberiy trees suffer much from inject blight this year. The crop of silk is expected to bo small in consequence, with, high prices. Disastrous fires, are-reported, 150 houses in'one town, 200 in another, with serious loss of. life. . The gross imports for the three months ending 31st May, at port of Yokohama, amount to 7,144,115d0L* exports, 2,137,652 dols.: . Business is very quiet in imports.