attended by rather mysterious circumstances occurred yesterday. At 5 a.m. a Buropean constable found the body of a white man just off the footpath in Stanley Street, two wounds on the forehead, and two streams of congealed blood close by. The body, which was identified as that of an American sailor named Macpherson, belonging to the gunboat Concord, was perfectly naked. The deceased wasa stalwart young fellow of twenty-five, it is not clear yet whether he was the victim of foul play or whether the wounds were accidentally inflicted by his falling against the knobs ofa sewer cover. In any case he must have come from some disreputable house in the vicinity, and he had probably been brought to a state of frenzy by dru; drink. As usual the Police are unable to discover anything, though if the detective force were even half-sharp they would surely be sble to get on the trait of his destroyers. The poor fellow's comrades should be able to give some clue, and there'are the clothes he wore, to say athing of other traces a practised detective should be able to follow.
DISASTROUS FIRE AT WEST POINT, A fire developed early yesterday morning in some large godowns at Keanedy Town, known as the Wo On New Godowns, and burned fiercely all day, causing a great destruction of valuable cargo, chiefly sugar, matting, and cotton. The Fire Brigade worked energetically' all day, and there was abundance of water, but the heat wi s0 great. that it produced little impression on the glowing mass inside for some time, and at night was still smouldering—probably is'so still. The loss from' destruction' of will be very heavy, and the buildings are considerably ed. The block was insured in the Hongkong Fire Insurance Ca., and the contents with other Offices, the South British Ca. having a line of $100,000 on them.
FIRE ON BOARD A STEAMER IN HARBOUR.
Just after dispatch of my last letter I learned that the Indo-China steamer Amara, which arrived here on the 7th inst. from Java witha cargo of sugar, was on fire at her anchorage at Wanchai, where she was discharging sagar. Tt seems that early on the morning of the 10th inst. accolle had gone to the store-room to get some Kerosene oil, taking a lighted lamp with him, and whilst engaged in pouring the oil from one vessel it took fire, and he was quickly enveloped in the flames, The unfortunate Chinese ran out of the room and the second engineer, receiving his plight, threw a mat round him and extinguished the flames, not, however, until the man hud been yerely burnt. The fire had by this time obtained a good hold iv the store-room,
and others sent from the Powerful and and although the ce were turned on, Indaunted had been brought into a the fire was not got under until about half-past two o'clock pin. The damage done to the vessel is not serious, but the cargo of sugar was much injured by the water used to quench the outbreak.
NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, This can be suramarised in a very few linea, The U.S. cruiser Botlon arrived here on the 11th inst, from Manila, and left again on the 14th for Nxgasaki, The Italian cruiser Etna left on the Lith in for Shanghai, and the British cruiser Powerful deponed on the same day for Weilaiwei, leaving a big void behind her. The American gunboat Concord arrived here on the 15th inst, from Manila for the purpose of being docked. Rear-Admiral Watson, who has arrived to take the place of Admiral Dewey 2s Commander of the U.S, Squadron in East Asia, hoisted his flag on the traiis-port Zafiro yesterday, and lurided officially to visit the Governor and General; the band, goat, and a guard of honour of the Royal Fusiliers were stationed at Murray Pier to receive him on landing.
Hongkong, 17th June,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.