The southern colony has been much surprised by the thermometer going down on Monday Jast to 27°, and the Dai Press thus describes this unprecedented Although Hongkong is situated within the tropics a degree or two of frost has occasivanlly been experienced on the upper levels and sometimes thin coatings of ice have been found on standing water at the Peak. Never, however, within the memory of the oldest inhabitant has such cold been experienced xs yesterday. On Sunday the temperature recorded at the Observatory was 98°, and Tai-to-shan and the range of ills to' the westward were covered with snow, or with a coating of icicles on the grass' which had the appearance of snow. During the night thethermometercontinued to fall steadily, the reading at the Observatory at 10 a.m. yesterday being 33°, while at the Peak readings as low as 27°xre reported. Rain fell at frequent intervals und froze asit fell, ice being observed at as low an altitude as 450 feet. The pine trees on the hillside from the top down to Bowen Road were covered with icicles, which in the intervals when the rain and mist cleared off and allowed them to be seen through a clear atmosphere had an extremely beautiful appesrai ding one of an ideal try scene from x Chri thank Mr Bi two small branches covered wit interlacing ench other in all directions and forming prisms several inches long The eas of there was auch that on and in places fully an inch in diameter.
would not help regrettn not be preserved in the state in which they renched us, The Chinese members of our staff, who seen anything like them before, were loud in their expressions astonishment and admiration.
The gratification of the aesthetic by the picturesque appeatauce of the hills was, however, Lut a small compensation for the excessive discomfort and inconvenience caused by the frost to Peak residents, and in the town the day was universally voted the most miserable from x climatic point of view that any one bad wer known in the colony. Even the chair eyoties. ora larg: number of them, found itt cold to remain on their stands and had to be exrefully looked for when wanted ins! ead of as usual rushing at every likely Iuoking fare in embarrassing numbers, In the Hill District the roads were coated with frozen slush and in steep places were almost 80 mit ich no, indeed, that dents on the south side of he Pesk did not venture to climb up the paths leading from their houses to the main roads and stayed at home all day, while those who came down had their unibrellas frozen stiff. The light telephone wires were borne down by the weight: of the ice resting upon them and in places even the thicker telegraph wires were broken. The day was one for the fireside, and those wi bad to move xbout looked our their thickest overcoats aut gloves.
Mr. Montague Heart, while e down the steps of his residence *Zilta," Mow Kellett, slipped and fell heavily on face, sustaining rather severe injuries.
The frost was still with us when the sun rose brightly yesterday is j clear sk; and the ies-clothed the Peal district presented a splendid appearance as the myriad crystals glittered inn the sunlight and the long icicles gleamed the branches of every tree and. shrub. During the day the rays of Old Sol to a great extent freed the trees of their coat-except in shaded places, but the blew with piercing bitterness. The hest derived from the sunshine lent a little geniality and warmth to outdoor existence, and was vastly appreciated by the natives, who axt busking, in large nus bers, in the feeble warmth 80 clienply to be enjoyed. The temperature overnight waa lower even than on Monday night, and water standing in tie verandahs of the houses on the Robinson Rund level was frozen over.
Up atthe Peak the frost dislocated one or two things. water nains were frozen, and for two days the ropes and pulleys at the flagstaff were so thickly coated in ice that they were inoperative. Yesterday morning, however, flags fluttering at the yard arm denoted that it was again in active use, though even sunset, niter all the warmth of the day, huge icicles were ty be seen hanging it." There have been rumours fi about of the practicability of ska and one gentleman was about town praising the quality of the ice from that point of view—from alleged practienl experience, tuo—but he did not get much credit extended to his story. As a matter of fact, however, had some of the asphalt tenuis courts been properly flooded there is no manner of doubt that " little of the sport might have been indulged in, Te is said that two coolies died of exposure on Douglas Wharf on Tuesduy.
The faust seems to_have been even-more severely felt dri the Kowloon than on the Hongkong side of the harbour, ice having formed on the trees behind the Kowloon Docks on Monday at as low an altitude as fifty feet, and yesterday morning films of ice were to be Seen on standing water the level.—Duily Press, Lh Jan,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.