As many of our readers ate doubtless aware, the Chinese have partially accomplished a really important ongineoring work—nothing less than the deepening of the bed of the Soochow Creek from Wangdoo, at the head of the tidal water, to the Canton guild, about three-quarters of a mile above the limits of the Foreign Settlements, We say partially accomplished, because while the lower portion between the Settlements remains in its present coudition, the upper part can scarcely be looked upon as much more than a silt trap to catch the mud carried up with the flood tide; the Woosung Bar itself being a bauble as regards its interference with the main river, compared to the shallow and reeking deposit of mad and sewage which blocks the nce to the Creek. Apparently afraid of coming in contact with the peculiar ideas of foreigners in the matter of foreshore, the Chinese Authorities seem to have refrained from catrying the stork up to the Settlements, or from communicating with the Mavicipal Council; but, as in the similar case of the mountain and Mahomet, there existed no insuperable difficulty in the way of the latter going to the former, it mig possly happen that, although the Chinese did not open communica. tions with the Council, the latter might wisely do so with the former, in a matter where both interests are identical. We do not advise the extravagant and, to the public, hurtful way adopted by the Chinese of damming up the Creek, and thereby not only entailing great expense but serious interference with the traffic of the province; but we
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.