Tae news that Cl'ung How has been degraded, nominally for returning without leave from the post to which he was appointed, but really because the treaty made with Russia for the rendition of Ili has not met the approval of the Government at Peking, has been a surprise to most of the fureigu residents in China, We might say, indeed, that it has surprised most Chinese og well, as the general feeling on the arrival of the ex-minister in China, was that ho bad achieved " diplomatic success in a quarter where little was expected, and had succeeded for the first time in placing some limits to the aggressive tendencies of Russia, There are, however, modifying circumstances which take Ch'ung How's action out of the list of triumphs, and may afford some explanation of his disgrace, Russia has agreed to give up part of the valley of the Ili, but she has agreed to give up only part. It is uncertain whether Kuldja itself is to be given up, and the valley of the Tekes and the passes into the district of Kashgar are to be retained. It is true that there are other and easier routes into Eastern Turkestan, but they lead from Khokand, while the lower valley of the Tu contains the fortified posts of Vierny and Kopal in ready communication with Sergiopol and Semipalatiusk. Then again the Ambassador has agreed on behalf of his Government to pay for the rendition of portions of the territory some five millions of rubles, about seven hundred thousand pounds sterling, and it becomes a question whether the restoration may not be purchased at too dear a price. The valley of the Kunges, including the greater portion of the province, contains about 7,000 to 8,000 square miles of cultivable land and is inhabited by a mixed population of Dangans, Larauchis and Mongols of various tribes, with a small proportion of real Chinese. The numbers of these before the outbreak of the rebellion which lost it to China amounted to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.