The Ball given in honour of the patron saint of "Merrie England" on the 22nd inst. was a great, I may say unqualified, success, The decorations were exceedingly good and included some novel and pleasing features, not the least effective of these being the lighting of the two Ball rooms George's Cross in the centre of formed of electric globes of red and white. Decorations of the entrance hall and grand staircase were also very striking, the approaches appearing to be through' a forest of fern and pales. The supper arrangements were admirable, the floor and dress circle of the theatre being used for the purpose, and the ment contained almost every delicacy obtainable. The centre table was occupied their Excellencies the Governor Sir William Robinson, Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Buller and Lady Buller, Msjor General Wilsone Black, C.B., and Mra. Black, Rear Admiral Oxley, R.N., Chief Justice Sir John Carrington and Miss Carcington, Commodore and Mrs. Holland, forms of all kinds, naval and milita There was a brilliant array of uni-
and the ladies' costumes were exception: ly bright and pretty. The Band of the
dance music, and played in excellent time, Yorkshire Regiment supplied the but a little too fast to please the majority of dancers, and the Band of the Hong. Kqng Regiment, mounted on the stage and embowered in' palms, played appropriate selections with a good deal of spirit during supper. There were, I imagine, about 900 present. Dancing was kept' up with vigour into the small hours.
'The Cricket match, Club". Navy, played on Saturday last, did not prove as exch as was expected, the defence of the sons of Neptune being' weak. One of their best bats, Capt. Trotman, R.M.L.L, was bowled after making a single, and only two of the team got into double Ggures. The result therefore was an easy win for the Club on the first innings, in which they scored 264 against 124 compiled by the Navy.
Another Club match is being played today between the Navy and Garrison, the issue of which is very doubt").
The redoubtable Kowloon Football Club have suffered defeat at the hands of the Centurions. A team from the flagship played the men from the peninsula on Saturday last, and after a splendid game, far above the average, they won by two goals to nil.
On the afternoon of the Qlst inst the Hongkong Football Club met. the Centurion team, and in the presence of upwards of two thousand sp-otaters a most for the Shield) was played, resulting after ame (the second round in the competition
a tough struggle, gamely kept up by both sides, in a draw—one goal each, THE GOVERNOR AS A LECTURER, On Wednesday evening, the 20th inst., at the Mount Austin Hotel, H.E. Sir William Robinson delivered a most interesting lecture to the Odd Volumes Society " on Charles Dickens, his life, character, works, style, and the lessons to be learned from them. Chief Justice Sir John Carrington presided, and there were about a hundred and fifty ladies and gentlemen present. The lecture, which was very exhaustive, was listened' to with the keenest interest throughout. His Excellency has always been a warm supporter of this the only literary society in the colony, but notwith-this valuable assistance the society lionly an exotic and far from hardy. Hongkong is too fond of gayer pleasures to set much value on literary clubs or gatherings for social enlightenment, SOME OFFICIAL CHANGES, Consequent upon the departure of the Director of Public Works to Shanghai for well earned holiday—for though fow persons like Mr. Cooper, none will deny that he is a hard worker—several temporary appointments have been made. Mr. a member of the Executive and Legislative Bowler has been appointed provisionally Councils, Bir. H. P. Tooker has been made acting Director of Public Works, and the Hon. F. H. May has taken the sidency of the Sanitary Board.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.