The highways were just as they were yeas ago, and even where there had been some attempt at improvement the repairs had been allowed to relapse into the old As we passed through Chihli, Wwowever; we found a g od deal of attention being paid to the draining of canals and opening of outlets which had been closed for years; and a fair attempt being made to open waver communication with the west and south, At one place we came on crowds of labourers, like so many ants, carry away their baskets of mud; others building bridges; and were told that 70,000 men ore employed in this work, Returning by canal from Peking we found that there were two steam dredgers on the rivers and canals towards the west of Tientsin small, yot efficient #0 far as they go, and we also heard that there was another steam Aredger working at Tsi-ning-chow in the south-west of Shantung deepening the Grand Canal in that quarter, but for this cannot vouch. These are good omens Tam also happy to report great progress at the coal mines near Kai-ping-nien, The engineers there have reach of good coal, but are going deeper to find fa yot richer seam. The two shafts are in excellent operation. Steam is employed in raising and lowering; a road has been built to the canal fit for rails, and nearly eight miles of rails already Lai Limestone, building-stone and fire-clay are all found in the neighbourhood, and the engineers are most sanguine as to the result, They have erected very commodious premises, and have built nine fine bridges of different materials and in various alles of architecture to show the C} @ what can be done. Phoir premises are also lit up with yas, made, as I understand, from the coal on the spot. All success and honour to them, and trust this is but the commencement of a new era, for the more I know the country the more I am persuaded of the boon of cheap fuel to all classes, and how greatly a railway would enrich the farmers, especially in those provinces and districts where there is no canal communication.
I should also mention that the arsenals at the capital of Shantung and at Tientsin go on as vigorously as ever, Iwas also told that H.E, Li Hung-chang's yamen is lit up with gas—another indication of the Jarge-mindedness of this leading statesman.
The materials for the telegraph had for the most part arrived at Tientsin, and also several foreign electricians, so that there is a good prospect of telegraphic communication being established very soon between that city and Shanghai. I know too well that the arrival of machinery does not always indicate action on the part of the Chinese; but in the, present instance there is really every reason to think they are in earnest. Ihave also the best authority for saying that the high authorities in the Tsung-li Yamen have actually commenced to talk about a railway to Tientsin, but as yet no overt action of any kind has been taken. What the outcome may be, who can tell? Yet a railway between these two cities cannot be far in the future.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.