Unness something effectual is done, and that soon, there is every probability of the Soochow Creek ceasing to be a tidal waterway, or perhaps any kind of waterway in its present course, at a very early period, The bunding operations at its mouth are sufficiently serious and threatening to tie channel. But what has been done farther up the Creek, and la till going on, does undoubtedly endanger its actual-existence. Lot any one go at low water to the Szechuen Road bridge and he will see what wemenn, The banding-out of Mr, Ince's property las caused the formation of a new foreshore which at low water is uncovered to within a foot or two of the contre arch of the bridge. Phot is therefore the only arch through which the traffic can pass when the water in the Creek slow. For on the northern bank there are moored an immense collection of cargo boats, and these prevent any of the arches to the north of the centre one being used at any state of the tide, To all intents and purposes, therefore, the Szechuen Road bridge Lins only one arch through which boats of oven the smallest size may pass daring the greater part of the day or night. The new foreshore has rapidly jcroached on the Creek since the bund. ing-out opposite to Mr. Tuce's property was completed, and at ils present rate of increase it will extend half way across the Greek ina very short time. The large quantity of mud brought down by the water of the Creek, and carried into it each tide, are quite sufficient to produce obstructions, and it deposits on the banks what will speedily create extended foreshores. But at the part of the Soochow Creek to which we specially refer neglect of ordinary conservation and of everything which might safeguard the channel of the Crevk lave brought about a most dangerous state of affairs. We shall say nothing now about the out-banding of Mr, Ince's property, as the subject may be brought before the public in another way. We cull attention, however, to the collection of bricks and rubbish, in form of a landing place, which projects from the new bunding here into the Creek, This is eufficiont of itself to canso a great silting up on the bank, and should never have been permitted. Bat what has done most harm to the Creek, and is full of angor to its navigation is, that several timber yards have been. permitted on the southern bank. Logs of timber are brought to the shores, and moored there or allowed to find their own moorage in the soft mud. They obstruct the flow of water, especially A those times when the ebb tide is sluggish, and are probably the most rapid Sank. formers that could employed. When we saw this part of the Creek a fow days ago several large logs were lying partially embedded in the mud of the banks. Some were athwart the stream, others at a slight angle to it, but all catching and keeping the mud in the water. Already large tracks of mud, which have been mostly formed by the abstraction caused by these woodyards, are disclosed. They are rapidly in-crousing in extent, and we have been assured on the best engineering autho-that they most seriously menace the very existence of the Soochow Creek, In one word, it is said that un-the pre graceful neglect is soon remedied, and proper measures of conservation adopted to prevent the forther formation of new foreshores, the Creek must soon cease to become a tidal stream. Whiol.means, that it will not be the great waterway over which perhaps the largest part of the traffic of the interior of the province with Shanghai is carried.
Woe have referred only to one part of the Creek because it is about there that the chief damage, from which danger may be expected, has been dor Bat every here and there on its banks, farther than the authority of the Manicipal Council extends, things threaten. ing to stop, as they now impede, the navigation of the stream, have been permitted. Foreigners and Chin have "grabbed" the foreshores of their lots. Tu some enses bamboo fences have been erected on the foreshore, Chinese have been seen complacently measuring the new ground which they consider they have Ulus acquired. Logs of timber, sampans, and small cargo-boats in want are left on the banks, and are expensive but certain way of increasing the laud. For a long way ap the Creek the state of matters scarcely, if at all, better than down near its mouth, Stringent measures will have to be adopted to clear away the obstructions on the banks, that accumulate mud there, and no time should be lost in' setting about doing this. ho present disgraceful condition of affairs should never have been permitted by the Municipal Councils of Into years. They and the Surveyor seem to have been asleep in this matter, and that is a more charitable view of their conduct than to suppose that having seen what was going on they permitted some things to be done, and others to be left undone, the combined effect of which on the Creek every one can see, The large collection of cargo bouts below the Szechuen Road Bridge must also be prejudicial to the Creek. Why are they allowed to remain there? Some of them are not moved from their moorings, we are told, from one year's end to the other. They are in the Creek because they are of no use elsewhere, and it is cheaper and safer to have them docked in a way there. Bat they are so numerous as to occupy great part of the Creek above. the Garden Bridge and above the Bridge at Szechuen Road. They do in fact fill up the arches of the latter bridge to the: central arch. Now we believe that @ Manicipal Council of a few years ago gave some considera. tion to the matter of the assemblage of cargo boats in the Creek,-but for some reason or other no action wad taken, We are further informed that the number of cargo boats laid up in ordinary at the time we refer to, was much smaller than it is now or has been for some months, We can quite understand this, as the trade of cargo. carrying on the river has suffered as seriously as other euterprizes daring the last year. Fewer cargo boats have been employed here, and therefore more have had to be taken care of in a cheap place of safely, But that should not be allowed at the risk of rendering the Soochow Creek useless, nor should the cargo boat proprietors be permitted to assist in doing so, The-con of the Creek is very urgent, an are sure that the' Ratepayers will be glad to hear at their annual mooting that it, has, received prompt attention from the Council, We: have not ens tered on the question of the effect likely to be, produced by the uew bunding-out on tle Hongkew river side, as that is in. a manner sub judice,. But. there can be no harm in our suggesting that such of our readers as may pay a visit of inspection to the lower part of the Creek should seo for themselves from the Szechuen Road Bridge how the new works appear to close up the way of the Creek to the Tae brightly wvtan sketch of ¢ Scones in b buter signing himeelf ' Jauipér,' conlaiue many points that will be remembered and referred to with interest in time to come; when Corea is no longer a Hermit Kingdom, but as well known to foreign tonrista as Japan, In many respects the country beata a striking resemblance to China, and Seoul seems not wu like Peking, only very much dirtier and more squa. lid. There are the same wide streets, dusty and ill-kept, the same lanes and alleys branching off at right angles to the main thoroughfares, the same low. roofed houses, the same mean, sliabbylooking booths on either side of the path, Even the tawdry magnificence of the Chinese capital is reproduced in Seoul; indeed the contrast between gaudy trappings and filthy b even more vivid than in Peking. There appears ground for supposing that, at one time, the architecture of Corea was of @ superior description to that ich is practised ut the present day, paid by our Correspondent to one of the ruined palaces of the King showed him colossal monoliths of solid ite, delicately carved stone-work, ly beautiful chiselling in wood, and specimens of decorative painting unsurpassed in point of intricacy by anything in. China, The carving' the long-empty Throne is a mastorpiece of art, and nothing is to be found in this country which is at all comparable with it. So far everything suggests Chins, but China
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.