To the Editor of the Nonra-Camxa Day News.
Srx,—Letters have just come from the flooded distriotsjn Honan, which! begtosend lying, you for publication, and in regard to which allow me to say afew words. The general bearing of these-letters shows that a much better state of things now prevails than at first, and our anxieties may well be relieved, It is most gratifying that the Chinese Government has risen to the emergency, and provided amply for the wants of the sutierers. Money has been sent on a large scale from Peking, and appears to have been fully and faithfully distributed. The people who were at the outset in abject misery and distress have been supplied in a most, satisfactory manner, and it is greatly to the credit of the Government that it has shown itself equal to the occasion, The accompanying letters testify to the amelioration of the previous wretchedness, and to such an extent that there is no present need for the foreign missionaries entering on the work of distribution at all events in the cities and towns now occupied by the Govern-iment officials, Arrangements have been made for exploring a large region of country in the direction of the outbreak and flow of the Yellow River, and consequent on this being done, steps will be taken to meet any necessity that may arise.
Stevenson of the China Inland Misa Tam happy to state that the Rev. Mr.
deputed nine of his colleagues in th terior to attend specially to this thing. Some of them are men of considerable experience, and who will report as to the actual state of the country without delay. The contributors may be assured that their generous liberality will do good service at least later on in the season, when the requirements of the people may be more urgent. It will be a matter of surprise to many as it was to the writer, that there should be so little apparent, reason for the work of distribution, and those engaged in it should be somewhat at a loss as to where, when and how it might be most profitably on in, But there can be no doubt as to the urgency of the matter at first, before the go the active sulticient done, and for the foreign missionaries to withhold for a time, and not interfere with what the They have alread, ly gone over great part of the field, and are now surveying it more fully, when we are satisfied the work will be done in the most effectual manner.
The writer has on hand about $2,000 which awaits the call of the distributors, and will be sent on either to Honan or to the northern parts of Nyon-bui, az may oon to be in the most needy condition, Youts truly, 10th January.
Cho-chia-kow, 23rd Dec., 1887, Deax Mx, Murnuead,-—I have had more leisure to look at your letters, also the popers for which T neglected to tank you time.
Thave drawn up a section of a map which may give you some idea of the flooded parts; the darker shade shows the present covering so far as I can make it out, When I set out, I could not get my cart near the west side, and on the-east couling homewards Teame pretty close all the way from Chiuliao Hsin. Chung-umu suffered the most damage of all. Wei-si, Fung-she, Fukeo and Sihwa are still surrounded by water, T mean now to reach them by water.
Ki and Tai-kang Kwans are being re-° Fras suffered and is ati very badly off with loughed and sown. Hsu-chow Kwan
the water. The river in the old course, east of break, looks very much lower-than last year, and the officials are all so glad of it. You may notice Wu-si Hsien is flooded river was ext marily high, and cartied all its bridges before it. The whole of the river valley to SI is very lowing, and will always cause Tischief and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.