August 7th.—The Governor of Shantung states that when the spring freshets had passed away, the Yellow River was in a very quiet state, of which advantage was taken to proceed with repairs to the banks as rapidly as possible. The Memorialist, who happened to be travelling in. the neighbourhood of the river, saw for himself that everything was in good order, though it was necessary to strengthen a few private per embankments against which the essed. On the 26th of June the river to swell, and during the next ten days the water rose seven or eight feet in the up-stream districts, where the bed is comparatively wide, and more than ten feet lower down the river in the narrowest part. In places the top of the embankments was only just above the surface of the water, in others they showed signs of sinking, or cracks appeared. The Memorialist himself took up his abode on the river bank, and every one worked with a will, the banks being raised or strengthened as might be required, and the operations being continued night and day. The river is now a little lower again; but unremitting exertions will be required to keep it under control.
BREACH IN YELLOW RIVER BANKS, (2) The same official reports that at the very moment when he was despatching the preceding Memorial, in the midst of the general joy felt at the success of the strenuous exertions which had been made, a despatch reached him from the Magis: trate and the military officer at Ch'i-ho Hsien, announcing the falling in of the river bank there for a width of two hundred feet. The breach was said to have occurred in the immediate vicinity of a very dangerous spot, which was constantly subject to inundations, and the rear of the embankment had previously been flooded by water which forced its way there after undermining a private rampart close by. The Memorialist proceeded to the spot in person. On questioning the people living there, he found their account of the measures that hed been taken agreed with what had been stated in the report made to him; but it appeared that three days before the breach occurred, the fascines had been washed away from the banks in three places, of which Ch'en Jung-hui, the military officer above mentioned, had made no report whatever, The water was once more flowing into the T'-hai River, and the lower portions of this so frequently flooded track were once more buried beneath the inundation, The Mer rialist remarks that along the river in his jurisdiction there are more than twelve hundred places strengthened with fascines, and during the recent freshets, though the banks sank in some places and. were overflowed in others, still the fascines every where held good. He therefore thinks that those recently carried away must have been put down without a proper quantity of soil being added. As Ch'en Jung-hui isa man of experience in river works, no other officer had been detached to ussist him, and the blame must rest on him and the magistrate alone. It is indeed possible that the flood and the nature of the ground were such that human efforts could avail nothing; but in any case there was distinct negligence in not reporting the washing away of the fascines. Though there is no law enjoining the repayment of funds expended under such circumstances, still the Memorialist thinks that i will be proper to make Chen Jung-hui return to the treasury the sum of Tls. 3,200 spent by him in the purchase of materials.
will also be withdrawn from his present post. It is further proposed that the magistrate, who has hitherto shown himself a zealous and energetic officer, should receive the light punishment of being deprived of his button, but not removed from his post. Officers have now been despatched to the spot with orders to strengthen the embankment at either end of the breach so as to prevent the gap from widening; and, as circumstances permit, measures' will' be devised for repairing the damage.—The Rescript approves the proposals of the Memorialist, and cautions him and his subordinates against showing any more remissness,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.