The report, for which there appears to be ne real foundation, of the cession of Lappa has brought forward the claim of Portugal to that village as part of the colony of Macao. This claim, it is stated by the Macsense organ, was preferred in 1887 when the treaty between Portugal and China was concluded, and China did not then dispute it, but I-ft it to be settled by the mixed commission to be appointed to settle the boundaries of the colony. The question has apparently not ye: been settled, and it is doubtful whether China would not ignore the Portuguese claim if it suited her to oblige a greater Power. But I do not suppose there is any good cause for alarm; Germany would gain little by such cession, certainly not enough to pay for the cost of administration.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.