Government order was issued to the military on the 13th inst., to fortify the entrances to the Harbour. The granite battery at Weill Barracks is to be demolished and a sand-bag battery built to replace it. Kellet's Island is to be turned into @ fort and mounted; an earth fort on the point at Kowloon, commanding the Ly-ce-moon Pass, is to be also mounted; and Green Island is to be also fortified. Tu all the four batteries there will be forty-five heavy guns mounted. Five heavier guns are being taken on board. HAMS. Tier Baar Tt is said 500 of the 74th Regiment, who have already been drilled in artillery practice, have been told off to do duty in the new batteries in the event of war being declared. The military have been all astir, and Wanchi has been the scone of great activity. The Arsenal, which was once full of ean-non, shot and carriages, is now nearly empty, they having been shipped for these now forts, while those for Wellington Barracks were carried through the stroet.—'Tho Mail also gives some interesting particulars of the recent hurricane at Canton, and adds Excellency. the Governor has conv to Viceroy of Canton, through H.M. Acting Consul (Dr. Hance), the condolences of the Hongkong Govern: ment and of the community on the awful calamity which has Intely visited the city. The foreign residents, at the same time, have not been forgotten, although for: tunately the condolence applicable to them: is far less deep than where the loss of "unman life is in question. H.M. Consul has been asked by the Government to inform the residents at Shameen that the utmost assistance which can be given from the Public Gardens, the garden at Government House, and elsewhere, towards the restoration of the British Settlement, will readily be given in the shape of shrubs and plants.—Early on the 12th, Hongkong itself was visited by a severe thunderstorm accompanied by heavy rain. During nearly the whole of the morning and afternoon the storm was hanging about, and at five o'clock p.m, another storm, with loud peals of thunder and vivid lightning, occurred. These storms appeared to be just outside the circle of the hurricane which devastated Canton.—When the steamship Albay left Hongkong on the 12th instant, and was about five or six miles north of the Ninepins, she encountered a very severe thunderstorm, which lasted for some hours. During this storm showers of hail stones, nearly as large as a pigeon's egg, came down with some force." ho lightning was very vivid.—The bathing season is to be formally opened on the Ist May by a few races at the bath. A good many members of the Recreation Club have, however, anticipated the formal opening of the season and have been indulging in bathing for a week or two past. Rowin, 0 ing—The Daily Press saya the British ship Sarah Nicholson, Captain Selkirk, from Neweastle, N.S.W., reports that on the 22nd March, in lat. 48, long. 164 E., she passed through at least sixty miles of pumice stone floating upon the water, Tu many places it was so thick that the water could not be seen at all for some distance. They picked up several pieces. Some were as large as to feet square, but. the greater portion was in a powdered state.
The Daily Prose says preliminary operations for the ervetion of the battery on the front of Wellington Barracks are in tive progress, and the military authories are only waiting the receipt of a reply to a telegram home ior further instructions, proceed immediately with the erection of the batteries at the other points decided upon. The Press also understands that the ctor Emanuel will be moored in front of Naval Yard, for the protection of that establishment. The steamship has brought forward from Foochow the first samples of the new season's tea from that port.—Subscriptions by the Fohkieneso residents at Manila towards the relief of the famine in the North of China amount to 812,410.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.