Pakhoi, Dec. 20.
A number of shipping disasters have taken place during the last four weeks between here and Hongkong. A Japanese boat was the: first to come to grief, followed shortly afterwards by a small steamer flying the Chinese flag. Within the last week two more ships have suffered. The Nam Kam, with kerosene from Hongkong, caught fire, and was burnt! to the water's edge. No lives were lost, and it is not yet known if all the mail was recovered. The "Herald" for December 6 was delivered in a very pulpy condition, but still readable! The Shek Chang went on a sandbank near Hainan Heads, and the loss of life is reported as large.
Banpi1's Busrxess as Usvat.
It seems scarcely fair to chronicle the' doings of bandits as " news." "Business as Usual' would be a sufficic ipti The recent-arrived General, Luk Lan-tsing, is showing considerable activity in his efforts against these elusive gentlemen. The trouble is that in hilly country the bandits can easily avoid an encounter if they wish. If the odds seem in their favour they fight, and replenish their stock of arms and ammunition. The following conversation is reported between a band of soldiers, and the robbers they were sent to attack. It is not guaranteed as authentic! The robber band waited for the soldiers to come near, and then asked questions such as these—"How long since you had your pay?" "Why not join us, and be sure of food and clothes?" "Why do you come out to shoot at your brothers?"
The soldiers are said to have been much moved by these remarks, and after firing a salvo into the ait, departed to report their duty as done!
Lerprs oN THe WanparH.
There are a great number of lepers in this district, and they seem to be fairly successful as beggars. The second son of a wealthy farmer in the neighbour. hood, who could not secure from his father sufficient money to meet his expenses, borrowed over $300 from two of the leper villages. As the principal was overdue, a number of the lepers went to the village to demand their money. The villagers tried to frighten them by! the discharge of blank cartridge. The lepers went away, and returned a few days later in force, prepared to make trouble. A fracas ensued in which the grandson of the farmer was killed. Ten lepers were secured and bound. Finally their release was compounded for by the loss of the original Joan, and a fine of $40.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.