We noticed not long ago a report in some American papers that_a Mr. Diet-k was sending hundreds of stoot ins and traction engines to North na to open up a transport route across desert, and thus put the time honoured camel out of business. The #reater part of this story was a brilliant chort of imyination; the actual facts will be found in a communication from a New York correspondent in another column.
Tur following telegram dated the 16th instant has been received by Mr. George McBain from the Sumatra Director and Manager of the Maatschappy tot Boschexploitatic in Langkat:—Daily aggregate output of crude petroleum: gallons 93,339; crude petroleum in tanks at date, gallons 24,760; kerosene made since the date of the preceding hi-monthly telegram, eases 30,727; kerosene shipped since the date of the preceding hi-monthly telegram cases 12,681; kerosene in stock ab refinery at date, cases 66,253.
Tae Echo de Chine says that the Franco-Chinese Syndicate, at the head of which are Messrs. L. Sculfort and M. Lemaire, are about to establish a monthly service by the steamer Naochau between Hongkong and Kuangehouwan, calling at Macao and Chinese ports on the w Tienpak.
Aut is reported quiet at Chefoo, and we are told that no. apprehensions of disturbance are entertained there.
Tue Chinese authorities have withdrawn their opposition to the service between Shanghai and Tinghai carried on by the C.N.S. Hoangho.
A_nevort was current in the Settlement on Thursday that there had been some trouble at Soochow in which some steam Manches were damaged, It is understood, however, that the rumours had reference to an incidental Yangchow on the grand Canal, in which three steam launches were or less damaged. These launches ply in the name of an American citizen who resides at Chinkiang.
Tur, " Ostasintische Lloyd" issued the following Extra on Saturday morning Tientsin, 15th June.
(Received June 16, Last night the Boxers burnt protestant chapels in the Tientsin City The provision train for the relief of the troops returned here last night.being able to get through. The means of communication-between here and Peking are still interrupted.
Tue" Ostasiatische Lloyd " issued as an Extra on Thursday afternoon the following telegram from the special correspondent it has dispatched to the north Chefoo, 1th June 12.55 p.m Here isa rumour that Chinese soldiers ye attacked a neighbouring town. The Consul has called' the cruiser (106 men) from Weihaiwei for the protection of British interests. The German cruiser "Kaiserin Augusta" is here. The danger may be exaggerated, it is however admitted that danger exists for Chefoo. The citizens are doing nightly patrol service.
We: translate the following extra which was issued by the "Ttungwén Hupao" at 3 o'clock on Sunday afternoon "We learn that the Chinese forts at Taku have been taken by the Powers from the garrison there.
Wealso learn thata certain high Metropolitan official (I.E, Shéng.—Translator), here has received a telegram from Lon. don in the following words: Te is rumoured here that the German Minister at Peking has been murdered by ruffians. Is this true "It is reported that certain natives Aressed in foreign clothes have been visiting various streets within the foreign settlements and marking down the number of houses therein, {The Shanghai Taotai, Yi Lien-Yuan, is intending to send troops to protect the Roman Catholic Churches at Sicawei and Tangkadoo."
telegram from our Tientsin correspondent which appears in another column stating that an Imperial decree of the 10th inst., had appointed Prince Tuan, the father of the Heir-Apparent, President of the Tsungli Yamen, clearly indicates the course which the Empress Dowager and her advisers intend ty pursue when the time for pourparlers arrives to settle matters in the North, Being a notorious foreign-hater, the acknowledged supreme head of the "Boxers" and a brave man whatever other qualities he may have, Prince Tuan has evidently been placed at the head of the 'Tsungli Yamen to give backbone to that Ellice, even to an appeal to arms should such' thing be necessary vis-A-vis foreign demands, ete.
ud being furthermore the father of the future Emperor of China it would now seem that the Empress Dowager has left it to Prince Tuan to mould the future destinies of the country as he wills, We hear, under date the 11th inst. from our Tientsin correspondent, that on Monday evening the troops had advanced by railes far as Langfang, 40 miles from Tientsin and 40 miles from Peking, without opposition, Seventeen hundred Russians, including 200 horse, were to cross Taku Bar at the morning tide on Tuesday, and were going to join the allies at once, 'Tar statements that have appeared in some of our contemporaries as to a Russian steamer taking troops to Hankow are en-ely misleading. 'The steamer in quostion, the Orel, of the Russian Volun ter' fleet, us' gone up to Hankow in the ordinary course to load tea for Odessa; and she is taking home, as these steamers generally do, some 20 time-expired soldiers, but there is not the slightest idea of her landing any soldiers at Hankow. At a time when it is most important that there should he close ce-operation between all the Powers, sensational reports of separate action by any Power are greatly to be deprecated.
We translate below a native official dispatch received here from Tientsin giving details of the recent fight (Sth inst.) between General Nich's Chili troops and the The Ch'uans at Lafa, note of which has already been made in these columns crat Nich and his troops anyed at Lafa by train on the morning of the Sth inst., and seeing a numerous body of armed men' holding the line blocking further progress, General Nich ordered the mob to disperse. When this was unheeded the troops detrained and goodnaturedly began pushing the mob away from the line and telling them that the Railway belonged to Goverment and hence it was foolhardy of them to destroy Government property. But the mob in the rear began to revile the soldiers, crying out that they had been bribed by foreigners to oppress the people and therefore should be dealt with 4s enemies also. Upon this the mob began some to throw stones and others to fire their guns and revolvers at the "foreigners " (soldiers) two of whom i mediately fell, filled. Even with this provocation the troops, restrained by their officers, refrained from using their bayonets upon the mob until one of their Captains, who had come up to exhort the mob to clear the line, fell mortally wounded by a bullet from the gun of an Ihe Ch'uan Chief. Then a bayonet charge wus made killing a dozen or so of the mob, who scattered and began firing on the troops from all sides. The order to load was then given, and as the machine guns were being drawn up to the front the troops received two more volleys from the mob killing six or seven soldiers. Then the troops volleyed again and again and the machine guns began to rattle, tumbling over the mob like chaff before the wind as they made towards their villages. Three more soldiers now fell, and the troops being now thoroughly roused burstted the mob into the villages killing and burning without merey. The result was that four villages were burnt and destroyed and 480 villagers
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.