Untitled

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 482, 21 June 1890, Page 5

The Auckland - owned Antelope was among the starters for the Winter Stakes at Sydney Tattersall’s Meeting on the 7th June, but failed to gain a place. The winner turned up in Papua. Hilda was scratched for her engagements. Recruit and Melrose started in the Steeplechase, won by Harrie Auhl, but both horses fell. The riders escaped unhurt. Mail news from China at Sydney says that Fang Yao, the Chinese naval comman-der-in-chief, is stationed at the Bogue. Fang Yao entered upon his new duties towards the end of last year, and up to the date of writing he and his staff’ had succeeded in capturing no less than 75 pirates, 46 ol whom being old offenders suffered summary decapitation. But (the report goes on to say) the power and organisation of the marauders were broken by the operations of the British navy, and the acquisition of steam cruisers by the Chinese Government afterwards pre vented the authorities being set at such open defiance as before. The piracy of the present day is of a very different order from that which existed in the early daye, when the boat population were, like ants, living on each other. The piratical spirit is still, however, sufficiently active to give a good deal of trouble in the inland waters when there is any relaxation of vigilance on the part of the authorities, as shown by the memorials of the late and present viceroys. But the means to bring it into complete subjection are ready to hand. Let the rivers be thrown open to steam navigation and the old-fashioned guard boats be replaced by steam launches, and very little would be heard afterwards of piracy. Steam does not lend itself readily to piratical uses when those whose duty it is to suppress piracy are similarly provided. The advantage is then altogether on the side of laM 7 and order. . ■