HONGKONG.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3109, 4 February 1879, Page 2

HONGKONG.

(Pbe Pbess Agbncy.) . ,

7 r -; .• : ,- ■..■'•:; ; ' ; rHA«(c(^6jTa,- December 7i ' The Chinese Government•' has ordered Russian subjects to leave Easbgar....,, The ex« Ameer of -Kashgar hjis ioined the p|ußßia|i lnitiy.}] The 74fcfr Highlanders are ordered from Hongkong: to Singapore. The 27th Regiment is ordered ttfrelieve the 28th, now at Singapore, and will probably come on to Hongkong. " ■ Further subscriptions hare,-been, rer.j ceived for the China Famine Belief Fund, including £3,115 6s 2d from Melbourne, with some smaller Bums, bringing the total amount to £19,113,547 (P), of which a balance of £399,023 remains in hand. Kwokshuan, Gorernor of Prorince, and uncle to Marquis Tseng, writes to Yroepaoji, Shaoghai agent for the ; Shansi Famine Fund, staling that there has been inceetanfcrain for sereral>weeks at.ChusisfyaDg, accompanied by a fall of snow heavier than any for many years past. The crops are all destroyed, and the. people reduced to the^ same state of misery there were last -year, which they have to face weighted with the burden of constitutions weakened by previous sillferings. . < ' The despatch of General Li Guingshoi to the Tartar General* Kwang Tung, in which he claims to be the hereditary ruler of Annam, has been translated. It is reported that the rebel leader has' withdrawn his forces from the frontier of Tonquin for fear of becoming involved with the French. Fred Huffaur, late Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court, has been convicted of conyert'ng to his own use £46,849 received by him as official assignee in the bankrupt estate of Gyallstall and Co., and thirty other bankrupt estates, Was sentenced to seven years' penal servitude. ~

•/Afrightful steamship disaster has oc« curred in Japanese waters on the 28th ult. The Japanese steamer Tokushimamaru left Oska for Awa, with £0 passengers, and when off Tsuda an explosion took place, by which the vessel 'was instantly destroyed; and all the passengers and crew, but about three, were drowned. It is believed that the bursting of the boiler was the cause of the calamity. ■• At Shan Sung the Canal has burst its banks, and a large tract of country! is inundated. This seems to have been the effect of a sudden rise of some 15 feet! in its waters. -— . ;

'« Canton, November 19i At about three o'clock this morning ~n[ fire broke out - in Wing Qiieng street, 1 at the rear of Messrs Sussell and,Qo.'s compound. The conflagration soon spread! to the neighbouring streets, and waYtioi *!•■ tinguished till 11.30 a.m., but: broke out again in-the evening and lasted till* midnight. Over three hundred houses and shops were destroyed. ! On the night of the 28th ult., a passenger boat on the way from Cheung-Chow to Canton was boarded by. pirates,. Who took everything of value, including e^en the clothes of passengers. Some notorious robbers and kidnap*

pers have been lately captured by the soldiers.

A great disturbance took place in • theatre in the Western suburbs a few days ago. A theatrical performance was held to celebrate the birthday of a certain deity, and came to what the spectators considered, a premature conclusion, and, as expressive of their opinion on the subject, they threw stones on to the stage. The actors became incensed; recriminations and then blows followed. One of the gpectators received a bad wpund, and the row was only ended on the mediation of the committee, by whose aid the dispute was settled; the actors agreeing to repeat the performance on the following morning, Two of three score of boys and girls have been recovered from a notorious kidnapper, who had stolen and taken them to his house. ' ,'' s fc •■■*s On the night of the 24th instant, a band of about attacked a clothing shdp'Hit^ HolanP"J'Oa '(\m iA*im being -given the neighbors turned out to the assistance of th^ shop people, and the .^Vbeijs. *e^re ;; beajben;«off, jbufe 1061 before they hadTiillediwo ot the neighbors.