CHINA NEWS.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3290, 8 July 1879, Page 2

CHINA NEWS.

[PBESS AGENCY COEEBSPONDBNT.]

HONGKONG. „--., Since my last letter the colony has been gay with receiving General"Grant,:who ■'■ armed hero on the 30th ulfc. and landed J at the Government pier, where he was re* • ceived by the Governors, the. heads of, . the naval, military, and civil services ■ and. a large number 'of resideuta. ft. ', guard of honour of the 27th Kegimept,, „ with a band was present, and the road to - ' Government House was lined, by, .the police. General Grant was accompanied ; by Mrs. Grant, JLieut.-Colonel Grant , \ (hiii son), Hon. A. G. Boul, ex-Secre-tary of the 17. S. Nary ;Dr Keating, who is writing for a Philadelphia paper ;

and Mr John Eussell Young, the General's private secretary and correspondent of the New "Sork Herald. The General and party were guests at Government House with the Governor, who, on the 3rd insfe., gave a State dinner, at which some 40 guests sat clown. Genernl Grant left here on the sth for Canton and Mucoa. At the former place his reception by the Chinese wassnperb. He returned to Hongkong on the 10th, and left again on the 12fch for the North in the TT.S.'s Ascolat. It is stated that His Excellency j Li Hung Chang intends tc receive the • gallant ex-President with unusual marks | of distinction. j A fire broke out in a blacksmith's shop j in southern Butsurb Foochow on the ; 30th uliimo, which was not extinguished j until more than 500 houses had been destroyed. The German schooner China was lost on the 30th March at Chingihi,,north of Shanghauten Banks, in the Gulf of Pechili. The captain and crew were saved by a passing junk. News i- has been received in Hong Kong: of the loss of the British ship Sir Charles Napier on the Island of Ascension, while on a voyage from Hong Kong to London. > She left the former port on the 6th last, with a general fcqnreo. Three of the crew of the British barque 'Kate Waters, bound to Sydney, have been sentenced to death for the murder of the captain and two officers, and three Chines^;!;<:::."'< „-.:■■■': .Several 40 pounder guns have just been turned out at the arsenal by Chinese. They* stood the'severest test in the most satisfactory manner; The manufactory is under foreign superintendence. ' Anothe* eastr 6f piracy occurred about 90 miles from Hongkong. A Chinese junk with about ninety persons on board, when About ■fiire tnilea from Macao, her destination, 1 was hailed by some men in a boatpwfrd'Said they belonged to the Customs, and wished to examine the cargo. Afc;;first; 1' itlfci'! jtink hove to, but, having tKeff stispcious arqused,,they refused to allow ihe'pirates; aboard ; whereupon the men in the boat commenced to fire, which was returned by the junk people. seven more boats came up* and a vigorous engagement' ensued, the junk ultimately repelling the attack. The pirates lost fifteen, and the master of the junk and one seaman were tilled. Each piratical boat carried thirty men. t # j Another outrage upon native Christians is reported from Fudkein province* At the town of Tiekkax the Christians were asked to surrender their chapel and give up the exercise of their religion. On their refosal, four leading members were set upon, and so barbarously beaten that it is said to be doubtful whether two of the sufferers will recover.