The Portuguese colony of Shanghai, in sympathy with the national programme of public rejoicings in Lisbon (in accordance with the Royal decree of 2nd April) in commemoration of the discovery 400 years ago by Vasco da Gama wf the sea route to India, initiated their share in the celebrations'on Tuesday. The auspicious event was marked by the singing of a solemn Te Deum in St. Joseph's Church, French Concession, together with the benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, the proceedings being marked by many tokens of loyalty and national enthusiasm. The Portuguese flag was hoisted at daybreak at the Consulate in North Szechuen Road, an amateur band subsequently parading the principal streets in Hongkew to the Club de Recreio Naying the National Anthem and the ymn of the centenary, whilst the Portuguese banner floated from the masts of most of the ships in the harbour and from the business peonies and houses of many leading merchants and residents. The scene in the church was one to be remembered. The sacred edifice, at all times ornate, had been most charmingly decorated and the main altar with its lavish dispel: of plate glittering in the light of some scores of candles presented a most gorgeous appearance. Some time before the actual service commenced the building was crowded, the bright uniforms of the diplomatic corps and the equally striking dresses of the ladies combining to make a most bril-Tiant spectacle. Almost every member of the diplomatic and consular bodies including Sir Nicholas Hanven, Mr.
Mansfield, Mr. John Goodnow, Count Bezaure, Baron Schmucker, Dr. Stuebel, Chevalier Ghisi, Mr. M. Odagiri, Sefior Valdez, Mr. Carl Bock, and Mr. P. A. Dmitrevsky were present, whilst there were also in attendance Tsai Taotai and Mr. Cheng (Mixed Court Magistrate) together with the officers of various men-of-war, the local volunteers, and the fire brigade, The service, which was of a most impressive character, the choral part being really excellent, was conducted by Monseigjunction-with a full staff of priests. The nour Garnier, of Titopolis, in con-service over, Sefior Valdez, the Portuguese Consul-General, held a reception at the Club de Recreio and a large number of residents transmitted through him their congratulations to the King of Portugal.
The following is a translation of the address made by Mr. Adeline Diniz tothe Portuguese Consul-General, Mr. Valdez, at the reception at the Club de Recreio on Tuesday last Sm,—The Executive Committee for the celebration of the 4th centenary of Vasco da Gama's discovery of the maritime route to India in Shanghai, have the high honour to congratulate you, as our representative here, and to make known to you the feelings that' suimate them, and must necessarily also animate the whole of the Portuguese colony in this place, on this auspicious day of great national rejoicings.
portugal commemorates to-day the fourth centenary of a deed which brought her the riches of India and "-f the other Oriental countries, and, above all, covered her with an immortal glory; and we, the Portuguese people, earle born on Portuguese soil, join with the fullest strength of our hearts in this manifestation, which means that Portugal will never relinquish the place that is hers in the community of enlightened nations, ut those nations which have rendered the greatest services to the cause of religion and, consequently, to that of civilisation and of humanity.
We are, as we have always been, a ration of only a handful of men; but, as ever, we have not deviated, in prosperity adversity, from the sublime mission with which Providence has entrusted us. In the affirmation, symbolized in the present national jubilee, that we thoroughly understand the nature of our glorious heritage, lies the guarantee that, under the shadow of the heroes who preceded us, from Affonso Henriques, D. Diniz, to D. Joao I, D. Henrique the navigator, Bartholomeo Diss, Vasco da Gama, Affonso do Albuquerque, Cabral, Magalies, and other illustrious names, not forgetting Luiz de Camsées, the divine, who, in an immortal poem, sang the glories of the fatherland; and from the sublime author of the Luziadas, to D. Joio IV and other Portuguese heroes of more recent times, we shall fearlessly march onward in quest of fresh laurels, as a missionary, civilised, and humanitarian nation.
Sim,—Wehave just now rendered homage to God for having granted to a nation 50 small and of such few resources a mission so high as that which is recorded in golden letters in universal history, and is testified by innumerable monuments left by our forefathers in the lands where they have set their foot, comprising Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and, on the other side' of the Atlantic, the southern part of the New World.
Let us now place near the exalted throne of his Majesty King D.. Carlos—and near the Portuguese nation in the very soil of its birth—the congratulations which we are sending them from this remotest point of the Orient. You will, Sir, be pleased to transmit this message of felicitation and allegiance which, at this historical moment, the Local Executive Committee think of communicating to the Central Executive Committee in Lisbon, in their and in the name of the Portuguese colony in Shanghai.
Here is the telegram "Ferreira Amaral Committee Vasco da Gama Lisbon Shanghai Committee congra-tulares the king and the nation on the grand maritime achievement which has given so much brilliancy to Portugal,"
Let this telegram be another link in the chain which binds us to our fatherland la the glorification of our daring mariners, and especially, of the illustrious navigator who this day four hundred years ago saw the distant shores of Calicut—Vasco da Gama.
Portuguese! Let us hail this gigantic figure of our national history tenour and glory to Vasco de Gama!
an Viva Portugal
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.