Good Friday and Easter-Sunday were observed in the usual manner in the several of worship in these Settlements. ~The floral decorations of Holy Trinity Cathedral on the latter day were very attractive, the principal points of em-hellishment being the chancel and font. In front of the altar rails were arranged lilies, ferns, and other flowers and plants, the rails being dressed with evergreens, and bearing the Sacred Monograms. in lntge-sized gilt letters placed on shields. Within the rails there was a profusion of flowers, and the super-altar boree gilt cross, with flowers on each side, below being the inscription, "The Lord is risen," the whole producing ¢ singularly pleasing effect. Other inscriptions, in front of the choir seats, were "God is love," and God is light." The lectern-pedestal was also wreathed with flowers, harmoniously blended; while the font was almost hidden beneath the embellishment bestowed upon it, in which ferns and flowers were again predominant. Around the upper part of the font was the Divine command, Suffer little children to come unto me," the letters being formed with small leaves cleverly joined together. There were services both morning and evening, the very Rev. Dean Butcher ing on each occasion; in the morning from John 20, x.x. v., "Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord and in the evening from Acts 4, li., The} Seats the Restrrection from the di taught the people, and preached throu
The services were full choral (Tallis) both morning and evening. The Te Deum was by J. B. Dykes, and the anthem in the morning, "Christ is risen," by Dr. Eley, organist of the Queen's Chapel Royal, Windsor. In the evening, the anthem was, "Why seck ye the living among the dead," by. J. Hopkins, organist of the Temple Church, London. Mr. G.B, Fentum presided at the organ at both services.
At the Church of Our Hon Yeaterday afternoon one of th and alarming disasters that has this port overtook it. During the forenoon thunder and lightning, the latter of a most vivid description, were experienced, and about two o'clock it commenced to rain. Between three and four o'clock the sky became in. tensely black, and. bail began to fall, some of the stones being as large as walnuts, An exceedingly high wind came from South-west, and when opposite Shameen and over Honam itresched the force of a hurricane, which broke the windows and tore off the roofs of several houses in the Settlement, Shortly afterwards a large waterspout was seen coming from a Southorly direction, working its way up the river in a zig-zag' fashion, upturning sampans aod other craft, passing over Honam, where it destroyed matsheds and damaged houses, then turning off to Shameen, where it uprooted trees, damaged the canal bridge considerably, wrecked many and injured nearly all the houses in the Settlement. Finally the waterspout broke over the city, wherein great quantities of guns and crackcra were fired for the purpose of dispersing it, After the hurricane and waterspout, which lasted only about ten minutes altogoth the scene on Shameen was most deplorable, The little Settlement was strewn from end to end with détris of all sorts, most of the houses being unroofed, the trim gardens laid desolate, and the trees being torn down or robbed of their branches, Looking from the Settlement on the river, piles of wreckage were to be seen floating, with numerous dead bodies, and from the '@ lurid glare caused by " great fire was Half of the houses in Shameen have been rendered uninhabitable, and nearly all hav age. Meusra, Siemaven's and Messrs. Pustau's silk godowns have been completely demolished, and Messrs, Arnhold, Karbery's godown has abated a similar fate, The residences of Mesars. Jardine, Matheson & Ca., Win. Pustau & Ca., Thomas and Mercer, Gepp & Ca., Arnhold, Karberg &Co,, and Deacon & Ca., have suitored the most," it is believed, but' others been damaged to some extent.
In Canal-road great numbers of the how were blown down, and some of the inmates buried in the ruin. 'This morning on clearing away the mine of the house of 'Tung Cheong, the tailor, the bodion of that well Known' tradesman and one of hin ansintante OLD sHANGUALITES, 3982 ie Peas be Teel a a|2 16 feel g 3 ig 3 sla hss als 214) 2882/2] 2)5)6 gle|eee lal Fiala mand reception into the Chrintian ity of six adult Chinan, four women and two men. The Rev. Dr. Nelson officiated, assisted by a native clergyman, and a numerous congregation were present. One of the women and two other of the converts were the wife and children of a Chinese who had been confirmed some time previously; so that now, we believe, the whole family have become Christians, The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Joseph was decorated in the usual way, with various-coloured banners suspended between the arches of the nave. The altar was enriched with a profusion of flowers and candles. High Mass was celebrated in the presence of a large congregation, the greater portion of whom were Chinese. Phe celebrant was the Rev. Father Superior of the Jesuits, the music being by Aercadante. Some members of the St. Cecilia band accompanied the singing on stringed instruments, the music being arranged by the Rev. Father Basuiau. Before the Mass the Rev. Father Desjacques addressed a a few words in English to the congregation, concerning the famine in the North of China, saying that the Missionaries here had received letters from those labouring in the provinces of Shantung, Chihli, Honan, Shansi and Shensi, which gave the most fearful accounts of the famine and consequent suffering, He urged upon the eon-rogation to endeavour to do something for the help of the unfortunates, as an acceptable Easter offering. wore discovered, The Canal wan tilted with wrockags, atnongest which dead bution wore Lo be ews considerable worn, the city juburie aliuowt myal damage was the nat state of the wildest terror at add to the uproar, four different fires broke out in the Weatern suburb at about a quarter to four o'clock. How these originated is not known, but it is suspected, and not without good reason, that they were the work of incendiaries, with intent to pillage. At all eveuta, Uunds of robbers callied forth to take advantage of the confusion caused by the hurricane and the fires. Efforts were made to stop the course of the fires, but they raged almost unchecked and were not extinguished until this morning, and it is that several hundred houses were burned to the yrouud, and large areas are covered with nothing but blackened ruins, Numerous robberies were committed by the scoundrels who swarmed on the scene. Hundreds of fami have been rendered homeless by fire and storm, and great numbers reduced to destitution, The number of shops and houses damaged or wrecked in the city by the storm is not known, but it is asserted by Chinese that upwards of two thousand buildings have sustained more or less injury. The loss of life anously estimated at from two hundred to five thousand, but it is thought that the lower figure is nearest the mark. At present it is possible to give a good guess, but in apy case both the mortality and the destruction to property Lave been most serious, he suddenness of the disaster of course contributed to the fatal nature of ite effects. A good many persons were burned to death in the great fires the Western suburb.
Thear that the storm has also wrought liar havoc at Fatshan, but as yet no details have been received.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.