Cargo of Launch Moonshine Returned to Bureau nom Que OWN Contesronnenr Hongkong, May 26.
The mystery launch which carried opium and was raided by local revenue oticers on March 4 is cleared up. The 66,600 taels of opium claimed by and returned to the Opium Bureau in Canton, It was at first thought that the vessel was a Chinese gunboat; yet the local authorities seized her and took possession of the opium.
The launch ran ashore in a fog on the night of March 4 on a beach near Lama Island. She sent out tress signals and was sighted by police launch which subsequently the Yunnan raw opium. The police were under that it was a smug the master and crew claimed they were carrying raw material for the manufacture of anti-opium medicine. They also inted that the launch belonged to the Anti-opium bureau in Canton. now disclosed that the detained vessel was formerly reistered in Hongkong under name Moonshine, her pres owners being in this Colony. She was subsequently mortgaged to the Tung Wan Company which is one Jof the two concerns entrusted with opium transportation between Canton and other places. When the was seized, there was no pany and the Canton Opium Suppression Bureau insisted her way to Swatow.. 7 shine is just the regular size of 8 revenue cutter and was well armed.
Her crew stated they had been ten hours" steaming from Canton. and were proceeding towards Swatow. Other parcels found on board were duly labelled for that port.
Much to the surprise of the Hongkong Import and Export. Depart= ment, the Canton authorities made an application for the return of the raw opium to the Opium Suppression Bui The application is said to have been made through the British Consul in Canton, and after the Nanking. Government had been consulted, the stuff was return-Jed to the Canton owners.
The Moonshine was released this week, What creates curiosity that when she was beached near Lama Island, the police were unable to identify whether she was registered here or in Canton, She did not have the customary numbers on the funnel which were familiar to Canton customs officials, while the labels of the opium had no mention of the Canton Provincial Treasury.
Another item of interest to local mariners. is. the invention of a piracy alarm by Sub-Lieutenant Neil Richardson of the local Indo China. Steam Navigation Company. The invention is a wireless device and is erated in an iron-bound case fof one and half cubic feet. Thit Japparatus is connected by wire be-the engine rooms of the. vessel, soon as pirates make their appearance on board, a press of tone of the buttons would give out a signal of alarm with name and This signal is broadcast continuously and can be used through the ordinary wireless set. In case the ship carries no reles, a small transmitter can he attached to the apparatus box. over in to Anhui at the same time suffering heavy losses, May 28.
There has been much indignation in official as well as civilian circles over the repeated lootings of launches that ply on the Grand Canal between Chinkiang and Tsingkiangpu and it is reported that considerable pressure has been brought from provincial headquarters to put a stop to these outrages.
As a result the magistrates whose territories come between these two cities have held a meeting and agreed to assume responsibility for the passage of the launches through their districts. It is hoped that effective measures will be taken to put down this new menace to traffic on the Grand Can
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.