Chefoo, 16th November, The Ratstoropny is to be disarmed, Late The crew of the Ratstoropny left the seven o'clock to-night and then blew her up. There were three explosions, whereupon the destroyer sank.
At 3 o'clock thiy morning three Japan ese torpedo-boa: s entered the harbour looked around and then left again, Only the mast and the funnels of the Ratstoropuy ae to be seen above water.
The officers of th" Ratstoropay state that Port Arthur ow hold out until March, as there are enough provisions and am: munition. The Japanese have ut attained anything of importinee yet. The cruiser Bayan is lying slightly damaged in the harbour of Port Arthur The other cruisers and torpedo boats yo out every epy to the roadstead, Ir wit be learnt with regret that Mr. J. C. E. Douglas, who is Acting Assistant Judge in the absence of Mr.
A. Bourne, fell from his horse early Yesterday morning while riding across country. The pony suddenly stumbled and Mr. Douglas fell heavily on to his shoulder, breaking his collar bone. He was taken to his house where he now ins, under medical treatment.
A tennists accident took place in the Whangpoo Road yesterday afternoon, It appears that " native workman was engaged in fixing up something at the top of the Dan'sh Consulate flagstaff. It is believed that the heavy wooden block at the top, when the workman put his weight on it, split, and he fell with terrible thud on to the road. His skull was simply pulverized and he must have hoon dead as soon as he fell. The body was left where it fell, guarded by a couple of Sikhs.
We have received Hongkong papers to the 12th inst—H. M.S. Rinaldo left Hongkong homeward-bonnd on the 11th. The band of the German cruiser Hansa played "Home, Sweet Home" as the Rinaldo passed, and the two ships heartily cheered each other—Under the Jead of a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the Baron von Tex Heart of Messrs. Grote & Ca., the King's Birthday was royally celebrated at Kongmoon.—The Dutch hai infantry to guard Tjilatjap against the Baltic fleet.
Seoul, 31st October.
This has been an autumn of Societies, the Society of Peace (Po-an), the Pro. gressive Society (Il-chin), the Forward. March Society (Chin-po), the East-Roligion Society (Tong-hak), the White. white Society (P'ak-peak),, the Educa. tional Society "(Ky All shades and colours, is activity for a month past the sound of the scissors has been heard in the land and top-knots are dropping.
One cannot but experience a shade of sadness over this fall of Ancient Corea, The Foreign Ottice has said good-bye to it and the Ceremonial Department as well, so what is there left for the topknot, but to move off into the shadows along with Yao and Shun, snd the Hans, and the Tangs, and the Mings Corea is no longer indifferent; she may best be described as bewildered. Men are going about in white foreign straw hats in the hope that in some way the gods will take note and help them, as they seem to have helped American and Erglishmen, who wear straw hats. Some have taken to black stockings as a first step in national reform. Many are donning full foreign gear, with gold rimless spectacles, in a desperate attempt to readjust the times that are so badly out of joint. Whxt to do Corea knows not. She does not desire to work, and to beg she is ashamed. What shall she do?
In watching the conditions during the past year, one is more and more impressed with the fact that the heart of the Corean nation is wrong, and that until the heart is in "measure rectified,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.