Mr. A. J. Hughes gave an entertaining lecture before the Quest Society in the Royal Asiatic Society's Hall, ast Monday afternoon, Mustrating his remarks with excellent lantern slides, Mr. R. de Jonge resided, in the absence of the President, Dr. Chatley, in Japan In introduction Bir. Hughes. said that the trip to Java was an. ideal holiday trip for Shangnai residents needing a change in the winter months but not able to take the time to go Home. The trip from Shanghai to Batavia, with good connexions, could be made in eight to 10 days. The prevalence of pirates about Swatow, he said, had made it necessary to adopt many precautions, such as shutting off the Captain and-Chief Mate, as well as the first class passengers after dark, with strong wit netting.—Mr. Hughes also referred to the eight of the burned area in Ganton, a loss of the million dollars in the heart of the city. The speaker said that it had been deliberately destroyed by the assistance of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's soldiers by his orders as a reprisal for the shooting of two of his men.
These men, said Mr. Hughes, were resisting representatives of the Merchants Volunteer Corps tak. ing delivery of the arms and ammunition they had bought and paid for, originally with Dr. Sun's sanetion, but which he feared to trust to those whose loyalty he hed estranged through his tyrannous misgovernment. The hired bandits of which his red army was largely composed were posted on buildings around the burning area and shot down the men,.women and children as they attempted to escape. Hund. reds were massacred in this manner.
Mr. Hughes stated that Malay was universally spoken in the Jands, s0 much so that the large Chinese population was adopting in. preference to—Chiaese. Bvéry-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.