August 27th.—(1) Li Hung-chang reports the completion of the earth wall and moat enclosing the suburbs of Tientsin. One! sweep of the wall extends from the western bank of the Peiho to the south of the Grand Canal; a second, starting from a point south' of the Grand Canal, is continued to the western bank of the river below Tientsin; whi circuit is completed by another di from the eastern bank of the Peiho below Tientsin to the eastern bank of the same river above Tientsin, The circumference of the entire wall is over 67,000 feet. The cost ut construction was. Tls. 79,400, of which Tls. 42,000 has been subscribed by the officials and native merchants residing at Tientsin, the balance being made up by a grant from the opium lekin receipts. The utility of the work, memorialist observes, is undeniable, and no pains have been spared to make ithas solid and durable as possible. The Salt Commissioner, and the Customs Taotai (Cheng Tsao-ju, now Minister to America) have each contributed Tls. 10,000 towards the expenses of the undertaking; the Taotai, Prefect, and Magistrate of Tientsin, respectively, Tls. 1,000, Tls. 600, and Tls. 4 Memorialist asks that these officers m: be suitably rowarded.—Granted by rescript, A memorial from Li P'ei-china, reply-to the objections made by the Board of Revenue to grant an extra subsidy to the Board of Reorganisation in Kiangsu; and an annotncemet of the escape of a prisoner, charged with adultery and murder, from a gaol in Chekiang, are the only other documents worthy of note in this day's issue.
August 28th.—(1) Memorial from Yau Ch'ang-chun, Treasurer of Kansu an provisionally in charge of the Governor. When in 1872 tacked the town ning, planting their scaling ladders vat the southern wall and ascending, like a swarm of ants for number, a thie belt of clouds collected from the four quarters of the heavens, in the midst of which appeared a host of ten thousand horaes and a thousand banners coming from the Nanch'an Temple at the south of the ity. At the same time a bright light hung over and moved round and round walls, Tnspirited by the right and feeling that heaven was fighting for them, the Imperial troops redoubled their efforts and the rebels were beaten off with heavy loss. This is only one of the many occasions on which the gods worshipped at the Nan-chan miao have miraculously interposed to save their votaries from famine, pestilence, or war; and memorialist prays that His Majesty will forward to the temple, three scrolls in the Imperial handwriting, one for each of the duties who have so long made the district in question their peculiar care.—Granted by decree earlier issued.
August 29th.—(1) A decree appointing Wang Shou-cheng Prefect of Fu in Kiangen.
(Note.—this_is the oficial who has attended the Empress Tz' Hsi during her recent illness, and to whose skill her recovery is attributed.
(2) Pan Chung-lin, Governor of Ché- chiang, reports a case in which a man was driven to commit suicide by a false accusation of theft. A woman named Sheng Chang shir, who being unable to brook the authority of her husband' was living apart from him, formed a connection with a band of thieves at Lé-ching Hsien and become the receiver of the property stolen by them. On one occasion the house of Sheng Ch'any-yi was pillaged and the effects as usual found their way to Sheng Chang shih's house. Sheng Ch'angyi, however, having reason to suspect the woman, caused a search to be instituted at her house, when not only his own property but the proceeds of several other roperies were brought ta light, Sheng Chang shih was taken to the quarters of a captain who happened to be on the spot, and there questioned. Wishing to be revenged upon hong Ch'ang-yi for having laid the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.