August 16th,—(1) A Memorial from the acting Governor of Kuangsi reporting occurrence of floods in that province which have caused much suffering and loss of life and done very serious damage to land and houses.
The Memorialist, who is residing at Lung Chow for defence purposes, had eat-Tier learnt from various officers' who had ovine there on business that there had been 1 excess of rain in Kuei-lin Fu. Fearing that mischief might have been done to Add the crops, he was in the act of making further enquiry when ho received a joint report from the Financial Commissioner Salt In informed river was of June rai through the tain tort capital ever since ummer, and the tantly rising. On'the 13th ints and continued in the river of over twenty feet, the water coming down in xn overmhelining Avod sh is described by some of the iulabitants of the two storeyed houses outrirte the have pre janceofa blue vapour which turned to white as it approached, and mas immediately followed by w Hack surging flood what carried away the greater part of the houses in the v oftheriver. Matters were still worse at Lung Chow on the opinhabitants wore drowned. The water bank, where a large proportion of
poured into the provincial capital through the city gates and flooded the atr feet, can ce of a number of dwvelli veral temples as well. The Com-cand Intendant added that they had not yet ascertained the extent of the loss of life by drowning.
similar report was received from the Prefect of Kuvi-lin and the District Magi trate, who added that the water began to subside on the 16th of June; but as the flooded out people ad no tug themselves for the time bei food, the Prefect and magistrate in concert with the gentry had taken measures to relieve their wants, a combination was 0 formed with the gentry of Lung Chow, lished for the mmischiet had being
down the ded tu other places stream, officers had bee Yang-#0 Helen to nssiat the veal author the extent of the damage done and reporti the result with all) promptitude, that action might be taken accordingly.
In commenting upon the above reports the Memori of that the measures alread aulliciont to moot the wide-spread distress caused, he had written to the Financial Commissioner to distribute " sum of from ten to twenty thousand taels amonget the sufferers as a ary measure, and in advance of funds to by raised later o 0 to be drawn upon for te the various Departments and Districts which had suffered from undation to xsest the local authorities in ascertaining the extent of the damage done and the number of lives lust.
(2) Memorial from the Governor of reporting the details of a riot at g-sha Fu provoked by a number of fast young men, the members of quasi-
1 custom at Chfang-sha and Shan-lus Hsien to go out at the end of the 5th moon to meet the Tutelar God as id of late years this custom has extended itself to the for tion of societies or gathering in which such games as the "lotus picker's boat," the merry-go-round, and atilt-walking are a prominent feature, women dressing themsel p; singing jones indulging in extremely low behaviour. Even girls of fifteen and sixteen mingle in the throng and solicit men with ogling looks, to the great detriment of public morals.
Both last year and the year before last the Financial Commissioner put a stop to all these gatherings, and this year the acting Financial Commissioner renewed the prohibition by proclamation, which was the more necessary as troops were being disbanded. Some of th igor and dissipated members of these societies, who take delight in dissolute pleasure none the less determined to celebrate the festival on th usual day, and the Memo-it right to support the mer, directed the Mnyisirates of the two Districts in question duly to pro-vent these gatherings Ly the issue of pro-bibitory proclamati "Phe prohibit ed by the heads of all the societies in Shan-luo Haien, but the acting Magistrate of Chfaug-sha Helen failed to enforce his warnings with suticlout emphasis, and the result. was that a number of the members of these societies assembled on the evening of the 12th of July, went to the Yamen of the Financial Commissioner, pulled down the rai and forced their way into the main which was filled with a noisy and demonsirative crowd who declared that their gatherings had no right to be pro hibited. The Prefect and Magistrate called on them to go away, but they refused to retire, and the crowd of specta: rinlist when he heard the news rent 8 detachment of troops to put down the mob, and when they oppe eared upon te seens the members of the society went ay. While, however, the de"
ous tration was going on, the Commi sioner hind taken his family to the back of the main hull, and tore being no ous in the principal apartment, which was not occupied by his family, it somehow fire, and the ceiling and window were destroyed before the flames could be put out by the troops, The Memorialist considers that the aot" ing Magistrate is greatly to blame for thet occurrences, which give evidence of an une doubted waft of capacity on his part, and. His Majesty is accordingly requested 10 direct that this o committed to the Board for the determination of a penalty, Ho will be called upon to produce the leaders of this demonstration, who will be ied with the utmost severity.
1Gth.—The whole of this day's jed with two Memorials, the rat from the superintendent of the Peking Gendarmerie reporting the capture of. number of persons who have been guilty. of rifling graves ov repeated occasions, and giving a history of these acts of devecras tion; the second from the Governor: General of Szechuen reporting (he result of an enquiry into the appropriation and misapplication of aMuyistracy in that provines.
August 17th.—(1) A Decree acknowledg, ing with regret the receipt of an artnounce from the Governor-General Li Hun; of the death of Chou Sheng-fu, Acting Commander-in chief of Hunan, who was granted a hundred days leave to attend to the obsequies of his mother under conditions detailed in the Gazelle of July the 12th, The most liberal posthumous honours are to be bestowed upon him, his jography is to be compiled by the State Historiographers office, and Memorial temples are to be erected in his honour in the provinces in which his fame was achieved.
(2) Chou Sheng-po, brother of the above mentioned oticer, la appointed acting Commander-in-chief of Hunan, 3) The remainder of this day's issue, like that of the 16th is occupied with reports of criminal cases of no special i terest.
August 18th.—(1) A decree acknowledg-the receipt of an application from the governor-General Tsing Kuo-ch'iian fur the bestowal of rewards upon the officers of the war-vessels K'ai Chi, Nan Oh'én and Nan Jui who, shen anchored within the port of Chinhai in February. last, assisted the Chekiang army in maintaining the defence of the place: while according these officers a modiqun of praise
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.