(2) The Governor of Hupei reports that there has been almost incessant rain in the province since the beginning of summer and that the districts on the banks of the Yangtze are all under water. Lo-tien and Shih-shou are the two districts that have suffered most. In the former three villages have been completely swamped by torrents from the hills and for a distance of over 30 lithe country is covered with a deposit of sandand rubble, Six persons were drowned and more than 40 houses levelled to the ground. In the Shih-shou District, which ies very low and is entirely dependent upon embankments for its protection, the river rose several chang and deluged the surround ding country. Fortunately, the inhabitants. had' time to make good their escape, and though " number of houses were swept away, no lives were lost. The Memorialist has allowed a sun of 4,000 strings of cash for the relief of the worst cases of suffering in the two districts in question, A general inspection of the damage done throughout the whole province will be made in the autumn, and remission of the land tax or postponement of its collection will be recommended wherever circumstances nay warrant.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.