Every now and then, something proves to us that there is movement in China.
We may watch a lake for a long time and turn away with the impression that it is stagnant, but discover a few hours Inter that a stick floating on it has really moved an inch; and so we may discern every now and then, by a comparison of landmarks after a certain number of years, that movement really docs happen in China, It is not quite Tennyson's idea of a world spinning down the ringing groove of change, still it is movement. The latest proof is the opening of a telegraph station at Woosung. Just eight years ago, Mr. E. A. Reynolds tried to establish a line of telegraph to the Kintoan beacon, but was checked and utterly routed by Feng-shui, His strategy may have been a little rash, bat it is doubtful whether a Fabius would have done better. We do often stand in our own light by wanting Taotais to put every new conception in black and white; and Mr. Reynolds, acting on this conviction, determined to lay his telegraph without consulting anybody. He got everything in readiness, went to.work, and' succeeded in laying the whole line of 227 posts, from Pootung Poi to Kintoan, without hindrance. Tk was carrying the principle rather to an extreme; and the sense of having been so thoroughly overlooked probably did not incline the officials to view favourably a request for aid, when difficulty arose. Still the Great Northern Telegraph Company did much the same, in laying their short line of posts below Hongkew, without question. In the former case, however, a storm im. mediately succeeded the calm. A man ldied; the Fengshui was found to be interfered with in every direction the posts were pulled down; and when Mr. Reynolds claimed compensation, the Tnotai said he had received a petition from the country people stating that these were prejudicial to the Fengshui, that already one person had fallen sick and died without any apparent cause, "and imploring him to communicate with the Foreign Consuls [and find out the person who had put [up the posts, that he might be called on to give compensation for the life lost." H. E. went on to remark that here was no doubt the man who died mirist have died because the Fengshui jas injured, but as there was no intention on Mr. Reynolds' part to kill, the jao for compensation need not be entertained. His failure to apply for permission was a slur on the authority of the Consul, but-with this the Taotai had nothing to do; as regarded the people pulling down the posts without first presenting a petition and stating that they interfered with Fengshui, this should of course be punished. It was not punished however, nor was any compensation given.—At the instance we believe of Mr. Dick, the Chamber of Commerce subsequently tried, in 1869, to persuade another Taotai to allow an official line of telegraph to be laid to the Beacon, but with equal ill-success. It was vain to urge the value of rapid means of communication in case of shipwreck; all the platitudes uttered on the occasion of Mr, Reynolds' experiment were raked up, and fired back in answer. Foreigners daring to erect wooden posts in the interior was injurious to the Fengshui and to the agricultural interests of the people; alrendy it had resulted in loss of life; "and the whole body of the people—rushing on like a flood—had appealed for the arrest of such proceedings." The Treaty Consuls rebutted the arguments, but the project fell through.
Twvo years later, the Great Northern Telegraph Company quietly erected a line of posts toa given point below Hongkew, without asking any one; landed their cable, and connected Hong. kong with Shanghai; and now, after two years and.a-half of more or less frequent interruption has shown the Oficials that the trouble of punishing people who cut out slices of cable for sale is the chief trouble in the case, they have erected a land line to Woosung over the Tramway Company's ground, and opened a station; so that ships grounding on the bar can save some hours by expending $1 ona request for help from Shanghai. Neither do we hear of an epidemic caused by the innovation. There has been a drought, it is trac; but that seems attributable to the propensity of foreigners for eating beef; perhaps even the tall chimneys of the Arsenal, or that more lately erected over the Powder Factory at Loonghwa, may have been influential; but. at least we do not hear the Woosung telegraph posts accused. In fact, rain fell on the very day on which the new Station was opened, so its influence would seem to have been beneficial! Like the partridges in England, the Fengshni_ must have learned to avoid the posts, and have ceased hostility.
There still remains the extension of the line to the Kintoan beacon, which would be as valuable cases of wreck or stranding in the Yangtsze, as the Woosung office will be in ense of difficulty at the bar. "The proposed telegraph," to quote the 'Treaty Consuls' letter to Tu Taotai in 1869, "would strike the river at a point distant more than forty miles from Shanghai, and where the navigation is peculiarly difficult. There already exists a lofty lighthouse from which a wide view of the river can be had. By
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.