Muirhead "spoke of the Chinese—whore ES Jearn and how of their national ful results of yeven years of the speaker's China. These and other topics were all treated in a racy manner that commanded a close attention. After enffee n second and shorter meeting was held, the deep interest in which was Jargely owing to the rousing nature of Mr. Steven's andre ier in the During the evening held for the benefit of the German sailors.
The Hongkong Cricket Club has written to nak the Shanghai Cricket Club if th Intter ud dwn a Cricket XI earl February ext, to play a match with Bong. Kong, and with Japan if an eleven should rom there. Mr. B. A. Rem w wed not aay what a plovsure it. will b to us to see you here xs our guest and w should hope to be able to give you som good cricket. Ido not know how tha time ted will suit you but I mer ion it ides more or less with China New Yenr, always a slack time with us (from a business point of view), and aleo beowusa would give " chance to any of your men who wishd t" do ao of staying on for th t ut 3.15 p.m. on Friday in row of buildings in Hongkew in Taungming Read, between North Szechuen and North Kiangse Ronds and destroyed ight houses. Owing to the watchman in the bell tower not seeing the flames for nome time after the fire broke out "wing to their not having gone through the roof, there was some delay in ringing the bells, The firemen were also handicapped through the paucity of hydrants and although the Hroopkew Crasipany an frst on the grnana, the Deluge men were the first to got water. 'The Mib-ho-loong were delayed tu", xs their hose was all disconnected and lying in the Municipal yard drying. The' Vic-tonns played on the fire from the Creek side, The French Compxny did not work but lent their hose to the other company it hone expressed by many.
that in the event of prolonged fire their hoe would not stand the strain. The property belonged Messrs, E. D. Sagsoon & Ca. and was insured, as were the contents of seme of the houses.
The fire: in enid to have been caused by x ato an upper room of house No. 103, and at one time it was feared that three children ushed in the flames, When anew man is port in China, the residents naturally are anxious to know something about his antecidents, who he is, where he comes from, what he has done to get office, ete. ete. Recognising this natural curiosity, some one has sent us anonymously from Tacoma portrait with brief biography of Col. James Courtney Hixson, U.S. Consul and Judge of the Consular Court at Foochow, China, Of Scotch-Irish ancestry he was born at Georgia, on Christmas Day, 1863, spurs were won ae Commandant of the University'of Alubama, at Tuscaloosa, by profession, f editor and ce-proprietor of the gs Herald, nud hi in Alabama in His biography the following notice of his personal attrac-tio Travels in his own country and in Europe have added a polis in scholarly, attainments and stamped him thoroughly aman of the world, Col. Hixson has a striking personality, and in any crowd he would attract atten! i lenchd and massive physique—six fret tall, straight oan arrow, with a dark heavy: moustache and military imperial, and the easy, gracefal beating of a gentleman of education and travel, He isa bachelor, and thereby, it is said, hangs a romantic tale that comment ced in his school-boy days."
received from Mr. Merridew, an irish re-ident at Bouloguettle pamphlet. setting offered by a place of residence and for children. Time was when Boulogne enjoyed rather shady reputation as the abode of gentlemen who for the time being were under a cloud so far as their native land was concerned, but however true this might have been in the days of Thackeray and Dicker on the visitor than th now boast quite a considerable and pleasant British community, and he whose good fortune it is to be able te leave the Far East and seek "the xge of en cun rest assured that in making hi at Boulogne he is selecting " place where his wants can be antisfied m:
There are excellent sch and es of greater gaiety are nccasi ally wished for, either London or Paris can be reached in 8} hours, Instead of the usual large chrom graph, the Scottish Union and Nat Inaurance Ao., of which Sir Walter Scott was the first President and Messrs. Welch, Lewis & Ca. are the Shanghai agents, hav nt_us " tasteful scribbling diary' wi one month on a page, each page being headed with one or more pictures of connected with the great poet and novelist, At the foot of each pave is sone interesting fact bearing on the Company, while on the back page is a brief history of it, from which we learn that its capital ix £6,000,000, jit has issued Ife policies amounting to about £25,000,000, of which £11,000 000 are now outstanding, and its i amounted on the 3st of December £4,078,542.
From Messrs, Dodwell, Carlill the Shanghai agents, we have received a lion-hended calendar for 1894, issued by the Lion Fire Insurance Ca., Ld, Mesars, A. S. Watson & Ca, Iel., have sent us their most useful sachet calendar for 1894, distinguished by its containing plan of the English Settlement, the phases the moon in Shanghai civil time, wud other useful loci information, It is prettily got up, and nicely perfumed.
Chief and the Fire Department fi officers were unanimously re-elected.
The Tusurance Comp: niea taking ris on Chinese property in the Settleme: decided to raise the rates of premi insured at' 1 per cent. will be taken at 14 per cent., and wood-fronted shops, formerly {taken at 1 per cent, will be charged 2 per cent, The reason for this step is that the Companies found it simply continue the present mad They lave sustained heavy 1 fires, and as they are not benevolent inst tutions, Chinese traders can hardly expect them to carry on business without a fair return—at any rate they will not do so, Professor Edward Card, who held the chair of Moral Philosophy in Glasgow University, was expected to succeed the late Dr, Jowett as Master of Balliot College, Oxford.
The great fire near the Old Bailey, London, on the 15th ult., broke out on the premises of the Crown Perfumery Ca., and destroyed " large amount of warehouse Bock trade. A literal rain of fire fell for property occupied by firms engaged in the
over an hour over the south-west part of the City, reaching as far as the Temple Garden tot discre ly. '® gentleman police occasion. hired " jinricsha to take him through the French concession but as the ricsha coolie had no licence, he was pounced upon by French policeman, The foreigner went to the French Police Station to got him out but when he attempted to leave hi was seized by the collar and pu coll where he wan detained auh half, notwithstanding his req at that a h gentleman, to whom ho asked that his card should be sent, should be asked to come and bail him ow Most of the vessels in port on Christmes Dey were deourated with flags, while the men-of-war used evergreens fur similar purpose, H.M.S, Porpoise hxd a rope of overgo from jibboom to stern with crown and stare hanging between the masts. The Porpoise left here on Tuesday afternoon for Hongkong to pay off.
On arrival at ku on the 17 hi instant the Peiping found ica in the lower para of the river and the Bur impassable against the ebb tide, but when the flue! made she managed to cut through the ico though with great difficulty, The Peiping left Tongku ut 6 am, on the 18h xnd. Taku Bar ut 11,30 a.m, and experienced light varinblé airs and fine weather to Chefoo, Left Chefoo on the 20th nnd experienced light N.W. winds and fine weather to port, The Russian gunboat. Sivoutch and the U.8.S. gunboat Concord have arrived here the former from Nagasaki on Sunday, and the Intter from Hongkong on Saturday, The following of officers of the new U.S. fisgship Bulti Captain W.R. Bridgman, Commanding; Lieutenant Commander John P, Merrell; Lieutenants H. O. Rittenhouse, F. H. Holmes, A. Culver, G. H. Stafford, Edward Simpeon Eusigns G. N, Hayward, W. H. Buck, Everhart, R. R. Belknap, Jay Sypher, W. G. Macfarland; Naval Cadets Wa. Binsett, 0. J. Long, E. Campbell,. Fewell, G. L.
Flint 3 Peased Avcistant Surgeons Bryant, R. M. Kennedy; Payinanter Daniel A. Smith; Chief Engi Hartrath; Naval Cadet (Engi Di sion) H. B. Price; let Liewterant of Marines C. G. Long; Gunner C. B, Mogruder; Carpenter Isaac Cooper; Pay Clerk Janes Sohn 'A rather peculiar accident happened to a native ears boat on Sundxy. It appears that a steamer went over the Associ Wharves upper buoy, which coming 1 the other side, caught the cargo bunt lifted it clean out of the water where mained some time, Silk shipped per Oceaniz from Shanghai on the 18th alt, arrived at New Yerk on the rat this time of the year is being experienced in the Yangtze. At Hankow on Wednesday the register was
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.