The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-07-30

| executed bonus at the instance OF as
signor, and for his benefit, upon GER
tain contracts enteled into by as
signor on or about the month of July
1888, with the United States, repre-
scented by the Secretary of the Navy
for the construction of three stee
cruisers, known respectively as the
Boston, Atlanta and Chicago, anC
the dispatch-boat Dolphin, and the
lawful claims of the estate of Lev
Kerr against assignor by Kerr, now
deceased, on certain of the bonds and
contracts.
The assignment was the chief topic
of conversation at the clubs and
theaters tonight. Lightning out OF
clear sky could not have been more
unexpected than was the announce
ment that John Roach, who was con-
sidered one of the richest shipbuilders
in the world, had failed.
A New Opium Treaty.
The Marquis of Salisbury for Eng
land and the Marquis Tseng for
China signed a new opium treaty be-
tween China and Great Britain, by
the terms of which the interior of the
empire is opened up freely to the
opium trade.
Negotiations are pending with two
great German banking houses for a
loan of $1OO,OOO,O0O to China for the
construction of railways, telegraphs,
wharves and other trade improve
ments throughout the Celestial EN-
pire.
The Chinese Restriction bill passed
the Senate at Ottawa without amend
ment
Suffering In the SOudan.
Pitiful stories continue to reach the
Italian Government concerning the
condition of the italian troops at
Massowah. The recent suicide of
Colonel Putt, Commander of the
Italian garrison there, was due to
ennui and despair, and not to de-
lirium caused by fever, as has been
reported. He saw the sickness and
death among the troops daily in
creasing, in spite of extra sanitary
hopeless of the situation of the troops
being remedied, and took his own life
in the desperate hope that such an
act might open the eyes Of the home
officials and cause them to initiate
the action of the English Government
by "scuttling out of the Soudan." He
frequently advised the italian War
Minister to order the return of the
troops, but his warnings were un-
needed. It is now officially admitted
that 40 per cent of the soldiers at
Massowah are down with enteric
fever, but private letters from the
men, and even from one of the
surgeons. to friends at home, say that
the Surgeon-General minimizes the
list of sick and loss by death under
the facts. One writer says that not
more than % per cent of the men are
able to respond to roll-call, and one
half of these are suffering slightly
from fever; the other rs per cent are
in the hospitals. Another writer
says that nearly all the troops are
suffering more or less from fever, and
that the death-rate is fearful. The
heat is appalling, the mercury aver
aging 125 degrees in the shade until
night, and then swarms of flies and
and mosquitoes invade the place
sleep is impossible.
Sick Soldiers.
Similar stories reach London about
the British troops at Suakin. Thou
sands of corpses of men and animals
are lying exposed to the sun, being
only slightly covered with sand in
the vicinity of Suakin. The made
soil is vast breeder of typhoid fever,
and has caused many deaths, and
filled not only the regular hospitals
but also the portable hospitals with
sick soldiers. The latter hospitals are
usually used only during active SER
vice, but so rapid was the increase of
disease among the soldiers that they
had to be brought into reQuisitiOn to
afford accommodation for the suffer
ing men. The only water to be had
is distilled by the ships in the harbor,
and this is served to the troops warm.
No vegetables are attainable, and the
hardships even of those not on the
sick list are almost beyond endur-
ance.
The Afghan Affair.
LONDON, July 18th.-In Ministerial
circles no fear is entertained of an
immediate quarrel with Russia.
Notwithstanding this, measures for
the defense of India are being con-
stantly pushed forward. General
Stewart, COMMUNICATIVE in In
dia, will be appointed to one of the
vacant seats in the Indian Council,
in which case Lord Wolseley will be
given chief command in India. Earl
Dufferin, Viceroy of India, has is
sued an order prohibiting officers of
the Indian army who are on fur
Tough from going to Cashmere, os-