Sir,—Thinking the following might prove of interest to the general public I send herewith an account of an animal seen from the upper bridge of this steamer and which upon closer examination proves to be the far famed sea-serpent which has been described so often in the various newspapers of the world. I "sighted" this monster about 11 a.m. on the morning of the 15th inst. in Lat. 15 deg. 10 min. N. and Long. 112 deg. 40 min, E, and when first seen it was about half-a-mile on the starboard bow and travelling in a W.N.W. direction at the rate of about 4 or 5 knots an hour, the "ripple" where its body touched the water being distinctly seen.
Its head and body was reared toa height of fully 20 feet above the water and I should calculate its extreme length to he about 70 feet, whilst the girth of body was fully 6 feet; it was also possessed of an immense dorsal fin thickly covered with ong hair or seaweed of a light brownish colour. ed its huge body Trak ward and forward pas Tis progress through the water as it sway-peared to bea succession of graceful, undulating movements of about 10 strokes to the minute.
Thad always been sceptical of the existence of such animals but after what I and others have so recently witnessed T am fally convinced that such animals exist.
Altogether the creature was in sight about four minutes and disappeared when within 200 yards of the ship.
Faithfully yours, N. H. Bunce, '3rd Officer, Steamship Pak Ling.
Kowloon, 18th June, 1898.
P.S.—We were as you are doubtless aware bound from Singapore to this port at the time and the animal in question was evidently making for the Paracel Group.
We have received Japan papers with dates from Seoul to the 9th, Tokio the 16th, Yokohama the 20th, Kobe the 18th, and Nagasaki the 22nd instant.—Baron Shirane, ex-Minister of Communi and member of the House of Peers, died at the University Hospital on the 14th in his fiftieth. year.—Judgment was given by consent for the plaintifis in H.M.'s Court at Yokohama by Judge Wilkinson on the 13th in a case in which the Chartered Bank of India, ete., sued E. Leopold of Yokohama for the sum of $48,115.80.—Marquis Yamagata is endeavouring to form anew Sat-Cho combination.—William Evans, gunner's mate of H.M.S. Grafton, committed suicide at Nagasaki by shooting himself at noon on the 17th.—The general election in Japan is fixed for the Lath of August.—Tho Barfleur, on which Admiral Fitzgerald is shortly to hoist his flay, Grafton, Undated, Fame, and Handy, have left Nagasaki for Hakodate.—Mr. Longford, British Consul, had several watches and valuable jewellery stolen by a burglar from his house at Ipponmatsu on the 20th.—Colonel Rice, military attache xt Tokio, has been ed an Assistant Inspector-General 'S. army.—There were only two russian gunboat and a Japanese cruiser, in Nagasaki on Wednesday last.—The Mitsui Bank and the 119th National Bank have decided to apply to Messrs. Rothschild of London for a loan.—The Nichi Nichi Shimbun commemorate the issue of its 8,000th number by giving its readers paper of 60 pages.—The Japan Mail says that the Jiji Shimpo reports that on the 18th inst. a foreign firm in Yokohama received telegram from London saying that the relations between Great Britain and Franco a ry ina critical condition. Commercial firms are in a state of consternation, especially those which have large connections with France.
The following telegrams are fron Japan papers Tokio, 15th June.
It is reported that the Cabinet having decided on the formation of a Government party, an Address to the Throne bearing the signature of all the Ministers has been presented setting forth that the time has arrived when the formation of such a political party has become neces-ary. partes over their proposed incorporate Great activity prevails among the political
aunt Itagaki and Count Okuma are to address a joint meeting of the parties tomorrow.
Counts Matsugata and Kabayama are stated to have ex; approval of the alliance of Satsuma and Choshu men to form a Government party.
The platform of the Government party includes the relief of the present economical difficulties and a declaration that an increase of taxation is indispensable.
A notification has just been issued by the Finance Department, announcing that persons desirous of exchanging silver yen for legal currency must apply to the local branch of the National Treasury during the time allowed for the exchange of silver
tendered im payment of taxes and other payments due to the Government.
16th June, The rumour alleging that it is proposed to reconstruct the. Cabinet is unfounded. A member of the Cabinet, however, may resign to assume the direction of the new Government party.
The new Government party will hold its inauguration ceremony on the 18th inst, in the Imperial Hotel. All the Ministers of State, except Marquis Saigo and Viscount Katsura, will attend the ceremony and deliver addresses.
17th June, 11.10 a.m.
A telegram has been received by the authorities from Mr. Nagataki, Japanese. Consul at Shasi, stating that' the riots have been subdued and that the Chinese soldiers have. been withdrawn from Shasi. 'The Consulate, Post Office, and the Custom. House, however, have. not yet resumed birsiness. Mails are arriving. at.the port. Shan, through the, Japanese Post Office at 11.50 a.m, Mr. K. Hara, of the Osaka' Mainichi Shimbun, will be appointed Vice-Minister for Foreign. Affairs, in place of Mr. J. Komura, who has been appointed Japanese Ambassador to Peking. The above aplutments will be officially gazetted ins jow days.
12,30 pin.
Peking telegram states that the Chinese Government has rejected. Russin's suggestion that China should engage a' number of Rissian officers as military instructors.
8.24pm The heads of the Army met together this morning and held a conference with His Majesty the: Emperor, the nature of which has not yot transpired, Peking, 18th June.
The Chinese Government has concluded negotiations with the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation for a loan of £2,000,000 sterling.
The money is required for the construc. tion of a railway between Shanhaikuan and Newchwang, Seoul, 16th Juno In regard to.the'rojection by the Corean Cabinet of the.proposal of the British Minister concerning © mining lease ab Phyongyang, the Minister has made a Srong protest urging that the: British jovernment. will insist on receiving the same rights as those the Corean Government have allowed to the United States.
Te Kobe Chronicle says:—" We learn from the vernacular papers that the plan of the Kobe harbour works had been almost completed. The first stage of the work willie: to construct a. breakwater, inside of which there will be a wharf 600tt. wide, and on cither side of thig wharf will be one 1,000ft. long and 300ft. wide, allowing room for the erection of godowns. Rails will be laid on the wharves to facilitate the moving of cargo. The harbour will be dredged in the neighbourhood of the wharves, so as to wake the depth of water at low tide 30, and at high tide 35ft. deep, so that larger vessels than any now coming to Japan will be able to come alongside the wharves, When the work is completed the harbour will be able to accommodate seventy large Tesscls." The cost of the work will be very great, and a subsidy will be applied for li the next session of Parliament."
Tae Japan Mail writes:—" French. and Russian feeling on the Hispano. American War and the idea of an Anglo—American entente may be gauged by an article in the Soleil, written by a St. Petersburg correspondent. 'The article contains a severe attack on England. 'Tt is thought hero,' says the writer, that the war will be very long, as the two
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.