Ist April, Tr might be thought that the refusal of LIB. Li Hung-chang to land in Hongkong is due to some feeling on his part against visiting an island which China was virtually forced to cede to Great Britain, oe possibly to a desire on the part of the authorities of the nation in whose mail steamer he is travelling that the first foreign soil he puts his foot on should be the French colony of Saigon. We know that M. Gerard and Count Cassini did everything in their power to prevent his taking an English medical adviser, Dr. Irwin, with him, and endeavoured to persuade him to take a French doctor but Li's confidence in Dr. Irwin was proof against all their advice, We believe, however, that it was understood before the Ernest Simons left here that ELE. would not land in Hongkong, It was represented to him that the Ernest Simons would not be quarantined at Singapore if no Chinese were admitted on board her at Hongkong, and it was
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.