Munenari, Minister of Finance; his Imperial Japanese Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to H. I. M. the Emperor of China, and Suite arrived on the 23rd instant, at the British Settlement, here; and as soon as practicable landed and proceeded in sedans to a house which the Embassy have rented in the eastern suburbs of the city. On the following day his Excellency and secretaries of embassy and interpreters called"on hung-chang, the viceroy of this province On the 25th instant, Yanagiwara Guaimu Daijo, the first secretary of the Japanese Embassy, accompanied by two interpreters, visited the Consuls resident at this port, all of whom live within the British Settlement The Peking Govern-to arrange and draw up the Japanese treaty ment have appointed, as the high officials at Tientsin, the following officers:—Li-hung-chang, the viceroy (Tsung-too) of the province of Chihli; Yingpoo the provincial treasurer of Keangsoo (Fantai); and Chintsui, the Tientsin Customs? superintendent (Taoutai). I understand that the Japanese Ambassador will ask to obtain a similar treaty to that of Great Britain, witha clause to grant to Japan the advantages obtained by any future treaty made with China—a "favored nation" clause in fact.
The weather still continues muggy and hot, and the roads are everywhere in a dreadful condition. Everywhere you can see bricklayers on the roofs of the houses, repairing them; for nearly all have leaked within the last two weeks, during the late heavy rains. Numbers of the houses of the poorer classes have fallen down from the same cause, and of course much discomfort has been felt by the occupants. Throughout the whole of this region perfect tranquility exists, and if the late rainy weather has not spoilt the millet crops, we ought to have a year of prosperity in this Av. 1871.
29th July.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.