Ping-yang-tu, 14th Feb.
My Dean Mu, Mummeav,—I arrived here on the 10th.
The suffering is far less than last year. I did not sce any dead the whole' way down, and it is said very few die of actual starvation. The price of grain (excepting wheat, which is high) is only double the usual rate in average years, the price of silver one or two hundred cash per taol higher than this time last year, and the general appearance of everything much improved; still the San Fu, who is in charge of the prefecture during the Chifn's absence in Tai-yuen-fu, says that relief is given in each of the eleven districts (Chow-hsiens), and will be continued until the beginning of June, when the wheat and opium crops will be ripe, for there is much and lying waste for want of means to sow it, and silver is about 400 cash per tael below ordinary years' average, perhaps one of the best tests of the want of prosperity of a place.
We, Messrs. Hill, Scott and myself, consulted with the officials about the places of distribution. 'They mentioned 4 Cisowbiens, Lin Fen, Fen-hsi, (last year one of the most distressed in' Shansi), Ki-chow and Luang-ning. Butas the Fa has not returned, they suggested beginning at Lin Fan, and this we agreed todo. Now, we are four foreigners here and we expect Messrs, Taner and Baller again shortly. Messrs. Scott and Capel hope to be able to remain here until the middle of April.
Distribution this year is not so easy, requiring more discrimination than last owing to less general suffering, And is makes Mr. Hill think that the Shas hai Committee had better be asked what is to be done with the balance, if we cannot get through all by the beginning of June.
When the Chifu returns, we shall be able to write more definitely about all our Meanwhile we work in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.