We may now with safety congratulate ourselves upon having got quit of the dreaded Shanghai summer. There is always a feeling of alarm, when the hot season begins. We feel that we cannot foresee what it will'bring forth. It is arisk, whether during the months of June, July, and August we may not experience some new and sudden visitation of sickness, or lose valued friends whose places cannot easily be filled up at short notice. This is our feeling when the heat begins, and when it has passed away without any numerous casualties attributable to its pernicious influence, we are proportionably delighted and thankful.
The summer which is now numbered with the things of the past has been lenient. We have passed through the dreaded ordeal without many losses, and in a certain sense realize the feel. ing of one who has come out of a hard campaign with an army only slightly diminished by shot and shell. During the weeks now over, we have undergone very few hardships, The nights have been pleasantly cool, and with the ameliorating influences of punkahs and iced drinks, we have contrived to bear the fervour of the noon. It is worth considering, however, whether the suf-forings we have undergone might not have been considerably lessened, if we had taken some of the hints lately offered in the Pall Mall Gazette, in an article called "Suicide by Sunshine.' But this opens rather a wide question, and is not connected with the present subject, which is naturally of an anticipatory and not a retrospective character.
Before us opens the prospect of a Shanghai winter. This season, say what we may, is as delightful as any climate in the world, and the unhanging of the punkah is a good omen for the enjoyment of the community. While our friends and kinsfolk at home are deploring high priced meat, high Priced coals, execrable weather and all sorts of ills and inconveniences, the model community in the Far East enters upon its career of enjoyment. Hitherto, the negative side of existence has been turned towards us, now we have the positive side presented to our view. The excursionist prepares to go up country, and ponders over the map in order to find variations of the well known and often travelled route.
Soon we shall receive many a brace of the mysterious Bird which, hitherto, has been known as the "Shantung chicken," but which now, like the patriarchs in Sidney Smith's story, will be "made game of." There are few more delightful trips than those up country excursions, which so many will soon be starting for; and if bright skies, sound health, vigorous animal spirits, and good bags are only given, we conceive a shooting party of this kind can scarcely be matched in any other country.
Besides, to those who remain in Shanghai, the awakening from the languid sleep of the hot months, is pleasant. We shall have opportunities for social gatherings, and we shall have many amusements that will make us almost forget our remoteness from home. A sinister rumour was afloat that there would be no English Theat-ticals, but we trast that this report is without foundation, and that the hospitable Concordia will once more open its doors to the burnt out Anglo-American Company. Whether or no there will be any Philarmonic Concerts, we are not prepared to say, but at least there will be the charming soirees known as the "Butterflies," and many other agreeable entertainments. When will the old Debating Society be revived In other and more favoured climes men rejoice when but in this perverse realm, where everything is turned upside down, and contradiction is the rale prevalent everywhere, we have to rejoice at the departure of summer, and to hail autumn and winter with delight. have no important news to send you from this quarter by the present out-going steamer. The weather still continues hot, apparently very unhealthy, as there great deal of sickness amongst the Chinese in town, which makes every one here long for the cool weather to set in. There is no change visible in the waters on the plains, of in the river, Peking to-morrow; and I understand that, Admiral Shadwell is expected back from on the 30th inst., he will leave here in the Salamis, for Newchwang, accompanied by the Curlew.
(On the 23rd instant the community were informed by circular that Mr. John A. T. Meadows would on that day cease to represent the United States Consulate at this port. Later in the day a Notification appeared stating that Mr. Eli. Sheppard, of Ohio, had assumed office as United States Consul at Tientsin, A public meeting was held at the Club yesterday afternoon, to take under coneration the advisability or non-advisability of having races this autumn; when the public voice decided in favor of our having them, the date to be determined later, as the new course should be got ready. Mr. Hannen, Commissioner of Customs, being on the eve of departing from Tientsin for Europe, on leave of absence, and having sent in his resignation as a steward of our Races, it became necessary to elect another gentleman in his stead; and at the meeting in question Mr. James Mongan, M.'s Consul, was unanimously elected. Mr. Ainslie,' Honorary Secretary of the Race Committee, made the announcement, at the meeting, that Mr. Hannen had had the kindness to present the Race Committee with a farewell cup, to be run for at next Meeting.
26th September.
Yesterday evening we had violent thunderstorm, with rain, aad at midnight the wind was blowing 'a gale from the north, with the thermometer falling. This morning at daylight the gale continued, with the thermometer down to 55° Fehrenheit. On the 24th inst, we flock of wild geese going south, weeks before we saw daily large flocks of wild ducks flying in the same direction, In the Peking Gazette of 22nd Sept. we read an Edict stating that Li Hung-chang, governor-general of Chihti, had addressed the Throne pravin, the inhabitants of the inundated districts should be supplied with the rice stored in the Tientsin granaries, amounting to some 25,800 shih (peculs of 160 catties each). This His Majesty has been pleased to assent to.
28th Sept., 1872.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.