The following correspondence has been handed to us for publication Custom House, Tientsin, 26th March, 1878.
Dear Sm,—I beg to acknowledge the receipt in due time of your four letters bearing the dates of 8th, 16th, and 20th instant.
Thus you will have learned that a meeting of the Committee invited by you. to constitute itself took place; that on the occasion it was resolved to buy, according toa proposal made by Mr. Forbes, bills on
change; but that subsequently "it was Shansi at" comparatively small lose on ex-found that the bills could not be procured and that, finally, the sycee was forwarded in its original form under an escort provided by H.E. Ting Show-ch'ang, the acting Customs Taotai at this port, to be, on arrival in Shansi, handed over to the Rev. Mr. Richard and the Rev. Gentlemen who went to join him in his work.
have made inquiries in various directions, the summarized results of which I now beg to lay before you.
As to the transmission of relief to Shansi, persons who ought to know consider best to send sycee or cash, and not grain as was suggested on the occasion of the meeting here. Tientsin is filled with grain, and since the breaking up of the ice and the re-opening of river navigation, the transport of grain to the West has taken enormous dimensions. It is estimated that since the 12th instant about 20,000 piculs left Tientsin dail Sycee in Shansi is reported to be very scarce, and most of the Banks are at the present juncture considered as unsafe. Drafts on first-class Banks at Tai-yuen-foo cannot be bought at less than 6°, discount, and even then Bankers cannot be sum—at sight. Probably a fortnight would expected to honour them, if for a larger
elapse before the money fora bill of Tls. 5,000 could be paid in full.
Tam therefore of opinion that the course waged by the Tientsin Committee would, if all other courses could be tried too, prove the best, least costly, and, at all events, the safest. Also, would recommend, if there be further relief coming forward, a similar course for the future. I feel confident that H.E, the Viceroy Li, whose return from Paoting-foo to Tientsin is daily expected, would, if applied to, at once furnish gratuitously the required escort and means for transport to convey treasure to Shansi for delivery to the Rev. Gentlemen engaged in the distribution work.
misery in the S.W. portions of this province is undoubtedly very great, and I would strongly advise that a sum of say is. 5,000 be placed at the disposal of the Protestant Missionaries here, who hitherto, with the limited means at their command, could do but little for the preservation of life in the suffering districts.
It affords me much satisfaction to state that in Chinese official quarters the benevolent disposition of foreigners venerally, and the exertions of the Shanghai Committee, seem to be fully appreciated; and that in' all probability the Committee's representatives in Shansi will find all the support and protection which the authorities can afford.
In conclusion, Ihave only to say that I shall be most happy to continue to promote in this quarter the ends which the Shanghai Committee have in view.
I remain, dear Sir, yours sincerely, G. Dernixc.
The Rev. W. Mumueap,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.