Parts of Kiangsu principally affected. It appears that the district most affected by the drought is that in which Chinkiang suffered but in a less degree.
The special localities are Eastwards towards Chien-pi (BREE), Ta-chiang (Fe j#).
Southwards towards Pao-yuen (3 LIH), Tso-shu-kang, Ting-chioh* (J if), Fu-ma-chuang (Aj LIG 3}4)- Westwards Kao-tzu (55 $f).
Northwards in the Kau-chuan District (Hf TRIES in which Yang chow is situated.
The distress at Ting-chieh is said to be frightful.
The gentry of Chinkian tae Fe the feasnres taken for relief of sufferers.—
ce-operation of the Chinese authorities, have given relief during the past ten days at all the places mentioned ubuve, except to the district on the North Bank of the river. A first distribution has been made of 400 cash to each adult, 200 ta each child, and 100 for each head of ploughing cattle, An additional 200 cash has been given sub rosd to the sick, lame, and bedridden. A! second distribution, for which cash tickets of similar amount to the first have already been issued, is to be made after New Year. This will exhaust a sum of over $90,000 nature, that is God's laws, aside, but it said to have been collected. The starving in the districts above-mentioned are eat mated roughly at 200,000 souls.
Method of distribution.—There isa distributing office at each of the places named and a Tung-shih 6:5: -9) to receive contri-Dutiens. It is said that there is much di content at the mode in which the relief is given, the houses of applicants being strictly searched by a guard of armed soldiers to ascertain that no rice is concealed. This, however, is only hearsay and is perhaps unavoidable, It is also rumoured that the money subscribed does not all reach those for whom it is intended.
Suggestions as to best mode of giving further relief.—The question as to the best mode of distributing further relief, is a difficult one, Funds to any considerable amount could not with safety be ut out
armed force, It would therefore appear into the country except guarded by an advisable to utilise as far as possible the existing machinery which on the whole seems to have worked well as far as it went. If a foreigner could be found to accompany any funds sent with a guard of soldiers to the distributing offices he might exercise supervision on the expenditure to see that the money was actually employed for the purposes for which it was intended, Rice is dear but not extraordinarily sv, being about $3. picul and the supply it Chi Kiang is large. In the writer's opinion a money distribution is probably the beat form of relief, for many reasons and the timely moment would be from say the latter end of February or the beginning of March. By that time the Chinese dole will be exhausted and everything realizable will have reached the pavtn shops. Until the wheat harvest at the end of May there will be nothing for the people to live on and how the months of March, April and May are to be got through isa terrible problem.
The Jesuit Mission have their members scattered over most of the worst districts and may safely be entrusted with a sum of money for use in the extreme cases which may come under their notice. The not however wish to undertake the distribution to a large extent as the moving considerable tunis about in the present state of distress is safe neither for the money nor for the persons in charge of it.
Thave written to the China Inland Mission who have their head quarters at Yangchow on the North Bank of the river, but have not had time for a reply to arrive.
believe the distress there to be less than in this district; but if it should prove to be groat Ihave no doubt the Inland Mission would cheerfully give their help towards superintending distribution, H.B.M.'s Acting Consul, Chinkiang, 25th Jan., 1889.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.