The Viceroy Li Hung-chang reports that a certain junk laden with about three thousand piculs of tribute rice set sail from Shanghai on the 14th of March last. 0 the h of the same month it arrived outside the Taku Bar, where it was wrecked ina gale.
The crew were picked up out of the water, but the vessel sank with all the rice on board, as well as the two-tenths of extra cargo which the junk-owner was allowed by regulation tocnrty. The Viceroy is satisfied that the accident happened from causes beyond human control and was not due to careless navigation. He therefore prays that the amount of rice may be written off aa lost, instead of any one being held responsible for it. Granted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.