Peking has been appointed a working committee to correspond with other bodies, having in view the relief of the distressed in Shansi, We hear from the region round Chichew, in South Chihli, that the distress is already great—very great throughout the entire region, in consequence of the failure of crops. One correspondent, who has lately returned from an encouraging mi sionary tour, writes as follows region is usually very fruitful, and villages are thick and thickly peopled over whole district. Already, within a month of what should have been harvest, the houses are half empty; well-to-do families having good houses and good clothes, have already nothing to eat, save weeds and leaves mixed with the scanty produce of their fields, stalks, leaves and head, all ground together to form a kind of meal capable of being made into cakes. The poorer class have nothing but leaves and weeds. Numbers of houses have been pulled down to sell the roof, walls and timbers. The animals are all sold; clothes and furniture in many cases pawned for the most trifling sums, and many famil herding in borrowed hovels, from which the cows have been sold; their own houses having been already unroofed and the proceeds eaten. Many houses have already some inmates dead of hunger. I personally entered 120 houses in six or seven villages. The scenes were heart-rending, yet borne with a patient cheerfulness that fairly astonished me. One thing is certain, viz., that during the forthcoming winter, despite the efforts that may be made, many thousands must die in South Chili. Indeed, I fear that six figures will not record the loss, even should next year prove more fruitful. Vast tracts are unsown." I observe in recent Gazette, the idea mooted of the distressed migrating to Shensi and Kansuh, where large tracts of country lie waste, the result of the late depopwlatin; wars. This, if carried into execution, an Government relief extended to the colonists to overpopulated Shansi. for the winter, would prove a great blessing;
The Committee of the Anti-Opium Association here has held another meeting and passed resolutions, chief among which are the renting of a large house to be used as an opium refuge, where smokers by paying their food and with the surety of some shop, will be taken in hand. At present the Society aims at admitting 10 or 20 per month, and it is expected many will apply for medicine to relieve the habit, to be taken at home. The medicine, itis purposed to give free. The various mission converts have agreed to subscribe about Tls. 5 monthly, over and above their other church collections, to defray the rent of such a building." The fitting up of the refuge will cost 10 or 12 taels a chien or an average cost overhead about a third of dollar per month for rent. A month's rent is paid in advance, according to the custom here. They hope to receive some assistance from a few foreigners at the capital, and once the institution is started and flourishing, they hope to get assistance from patriotic and wealthy Chinese, They propose to reply to the address of the London Society, and they purpose also to address the Envoy, besides issuing placards and handbills in Beking. At present a man is to be seen on the street selling sheets and preaching to the people, calling upon them to renounce the habit and detailing the ills that flow from it, and ascribing much of the evil to the neglect of parents to train up their children properly. Two recipes are added, consisting of native medicines to enable the people to overcome the habit. Ho sells several hundred of these sheets daily for }d., and is always surrounded by e crowds.
on days ago there was alight fall of snow and rain, which has cheered the hearts of the people,' They long for more. We have had a succession of dull days, threatening snow, but none hes fallen. It is to be hoped that this slight fall has extended to remoter and more necessitous regions, and that during the coming winter more snow than usual may fall. Much wheat remains yet. to be sown, partly from want of seed and partly owing to the fear of the little there is being lost by sowing.
25th Nov.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.