Club the Shanghai Cricket Club entertained the Hongkong Team at dinner, and it was certainly one of the best public dinners ever given at that institution redolent of festivity. Mr, Arthur Anderson, the President of the Cricket Club, was in the chair, fapperted onthe obe sia, by Captain Dunn, the Captain of the Team, and on the other by Major Hannay. About one hundred and forty people in all sat down to dinner, including the members of the Cricket' Club, the Hongkong Team, and some other guests, and they were disposed at eight tables arranged in the form -of two capital E's, face to face, thus E3. The large ing-room of the Club was decorated with the colours of the two Clubs, and with wreaths of evergreen, and the Clubs' monograms in evergreens, while on the tables, among other ornaments, were trophies made up of the paraphernalia of the two games, cricket and lawn tennis. The dinner was an uncommonly good one, and very well served, and the wines were first rate; and the general harmony was increased by the playing of the town band, under the direction of M. Vela, of a programme comprising eight well chosen numbers. As there was a concert to follow the dinner, the toast list was unusually short, and as the chimes announced that half-past ten was reached, the chairman called the meeting to order, and said—after a vain attempt had been made to get the band to play, God save the Queen Gentlemen:—Itiswith great pleasure that I rise to propose a toast which will, I am sure, be cordially received, and drunk with enthusiasm, by the members of the S.C.C. and our Shanghai guests who have given us the pleasure of their company this evening. I must express my extreme gratification at having this pleasant task entrusted to me, as President of the S.0.C., for the second time while holding this honourable office. About two years ago, many of us now present agembled under this roof to do honour to an eleven which had come from
lost to that colony, well nigh 22 years Hongkong to try and recover the colours before. On that occasion, owing to incessant rain, the battle had not been fought to-night we look back upon a struggle unique in the cricketing annals of Shanghai and which has been watched by hundreds of spectators for these three days past with unabated interest, as shown by hearty and impartial applause of each piece of cricket displayed.
When all ye done so well, it would be invidious to Jo out any individual player for special praise, but I am sure yon will agree with me that one exception must be made and that it would be ungracious on our part if we failed to express our admiration for the plucky way in which Dr. Lowson, crippled as he unfortunately was, stuck to his work throughout. (D=. Lorcson: I couldn't have done more if I had been sound.) I would further add that in every department of the game Capt. Dunn and his gallant team have shown such form as may well be imitated by our players here. I am quite sure that our gallant opponents, equally with ourselves, regret that themateh just concluded should have been " drawn one, but this result may have the good 5 effect of ing both Shanghailanders 'S|and the dwellers in Hongkong with the determination to have the question of supremacy with bat and ball settled at no very distant date. When speaking two years ago, I held out the hope of a team from Shanghai visiting Hongkong, but circumstances prevented this from being realised, and Ican only now say that I trust an opportunity may be found for meeting the hongkong Cricket Club on their own SrThe visit of our honoured guests has afforded us all much pleasure and, as we know what jolly fellows they are I ask you to drink their honours,—prosperity to the Hongl Cricket Club and the health of its Hon pre tary, Mr. press to howe exertions ti meeting is greatly owing. Witl this toast I beg to couple the name of our friend Capt. Dunn.
Mr. Anderson's speech was received with great applause throughout, and at its close voice at the lower end of the room ejaculated. Don't forget my blue dun which caused roars of laughter. After short interval Captain Dunn rose and said Mr. Chairman and gentlemen:—I have to thank you on behalf of my team and myself fur the great kindness you have shown us, and the enthusiastic way in which you have drank our health. First I should mention that I am requested by our Honorary Secretary to express our deep sympathy with the loss you have experienced in the death of Mr. Woodward, to whom ea much \of the credit is due for getting up this motel, and who was such a loss to cricket and to-your community generally. We Jonly hope before long to see in Hongkong a Shanghai team, We will do our best to treat them as well as we have been treated here; it will be very difficult, but we will do our best, 'The three days'
loket that we have just had have been delightful, and I have never seen keener cricket anywhere. The kindness of the Shanghai community to the Hongkon; team will never be forgotten by us, an especially we shrill remember the kindness of our individual hosts. I know I have been treated like a prince, and each one of us can say the same, call on the Hongkong team to drink Prosperity to the Shanghai Cricket Club with Highland honours, and I couple the toast with the name of the Shanghai captain, Mr. W. Bruce Robertson, (Cheers, The Hongkong team managed to mul, tiply itself many times to judge by the cheering with which the toast was accom-Roberteon rose and said nied; and after a short pause Mr.
Capt. Dunn, and members of the Hongkong team:—We have to thank you most heartily for your toast, and we are greatly indebted to you for coming up here to play \us. We thoroughly appreciate this, and Tope that bye and bye we shall. be able to come down to Hongkong. I shall never forget these three days, and I can {assure you that the vicissitudes of the day repented themselves in my dreams. I would like, too, to thank my team, who worked together splendidly: any wish I expressed was their wish, "Ca-operation invaluable in everything but in nothing more than in Cricket, and I felt thoroughly and still feel the value of their support.
have also to thank the community of Shanghai for their support and for attend-ling the game in such numbers: an empty cricket ground isos bad as an empty theatre, but their support was the greatest encourag cement to us all. (Chet The Chairman then rose and suid that they were getting on rather rapidly, but he had one toast to propose which would be received with extreme enthusiasm, the health of the Ladies, They attended the watch in untold numbers, and came early and stayed Into, and it would be most ungracious not to drink their health. He coupled the torist with the name of Mr. L. Barff, (Cheers.)
'A wild attempt wae made to sing ' Here's 1 health to all good lasses and then Mr. Barff rose, and in a manner that caused roars of laughter, and amid narly interrupt tions, delivered what was understood to be the following spec!
Mr. Chairman and gentlemen:—Shakes-peace seems to consider it rather a grand thing fur a man to "bear his blushing honours thick upon him," but I can assure you that if I truly represent those whose health you have just drunk enthusiastically, they would very much prefer to **blush unseen." We, the ladies, might ask why, if you are all so fond of us, you do not invite us to these dinners: of course we know that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but we are not quite sure but that when you are out of our sight, we are out of your mind; however we are sure that you do like us, though most of you don't want to play cricket with us,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.