To the Editor of the Dean Sin,—Many of your readers will have perused with great interest the first Annual Report of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in China, which you published some days ago. 'The great achievement of the Society, hitherto, has the publication of the Peking Baga-me, and for this the best thanks of all foreign residents are due to the editors and contributors of this periodical, as it bids' fair to become a most important means of disseminating foreign ideas in China,—the best thanks are due them, and ral support. support gi Society must be my excuse for making the following remarks. I would suggest. that subscription lists be sent round in all the ports by the agents, and that it should in every way be made' as convenient as possible for foreign residents to contribute the five taels and become members. It also seems to me that it would be a great advantage if the sale of the magazine were entrusted to one of the well known bookselling stores, who would keep it before the public through their advertisements, making use also of the Hongkong and Shanghai Chinese newspapers, for the benefit of native readers. In order that these Intter may procure it without the aid of foreign friends, arrangements might be made to have it sold by some native bookseller. That it is very desirable translation of the table of contents should regularly appear in the daily p: pots is evident; the fret copy of the maga. zine was accompanied by such a translation ona loose shest—could that practise not be taken up again?
I shall only venture one remark with respect to the contents of the paper. In the list of the stock subjects" given in the report, I miss one class that seems to mo all important; it is that class which comprises such topics as education in foreign countries, different branches of studies, universities, examinations, books and newspapers, their number and mode of publication, system of bookselling The object in treating these topics would be to give the Chinese an insight into the literary work of foreign nations, this being the test of greatness fora Chinese mind, not railways and steamers, With the hope, expressed in the Report, that this Society will become "a fountain of light for this eastern empire," and the wish that every foreigner in China will "do his duty" to make it such, Yours obediently,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.