THE FRENCH AND CHINESE AT SHANGHAI.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1157, 6 October 1883, Page 1

THE FRENCH AND CHINESE AT SHANGHAI.

Hostile feeling between the French and Chinese at Shanghai was the cause of a disturbance there on the 14th July. The North China Daily News says :—‘ A number of sailors belonging to the Irraouaddy obtained leave of absence to spend the evening on shore. Many of them ordered dinner at the Cafe de France, on the Yang-king-pang, and about twenty of them sat down to their meal soon after seven o’clock. The presence,of the sailors attracted a crowd of Chinese, who viewed the cafe from both sides of the Yang-king-pang. The sailors went on with their dinner without paying any attention to the crowd outside, and were enjoying themselves heartily, when their mirth was suddenly brought to a close by some rowdies, who taking advantage of the crowded state of the road, threw stones through tiie windows of tne cafe opposite the table where the sailors were sitting. Half a brick struck a sailor in (he mouth, cutting his lip severely. Other stones were thrown, which smashed a lamp in front of the cafe, and did some damage inside the building.’ The same paper of the 16th July says: —‘A rumor was current last week that there was going to be a riot on the day of the celebration of the French Fete, and precautions were taken accordingly. The proceeding was a wise one, for soon after the illumination commenced about fifty soldiers came out of the city. They were armed with some ugly-Iboking weapons, and appeared to have organised a plan of attack on the houses on which they had threatened vengeance in the morning. We have been unable to ascertain who struck the first blow, but (he soldiers were soon in a hand-to-hand fight with the French police, who endeavoured to catch the marauders, ■ five of whom quickly found themselves locked up, but not till they had inflicted serious injuries on an informer and some slight injuries on a detective and some of (he constables. With three of the soldiers captured their weapons. One of these is a jawbone of a pony, with the teeth filed down, and bound round with cloth to make a convenient handle. Two other weapons are Chinese fighting irons. The soldiers are still locked up at the French station, notwithstanding that their officers have sent to ask for their release. They feared that some of the men had been killed, and wanted to know whether such was the case. M. Bines very wisely refused to give the soldiers up, having determined to send them to the Mixed Court to bo dealt wth. The informer who was injured received a severe blow on the head, fracturing his skull, and several bruises on his arm, which caused it to swell to twice its natural size.’