(2) The same officer reports that no less than eight districts in different parts of Kansu have suffered seriously from hail storms and floods, Orders have been given to the local authorities to make personal inquiries and to furnish relief where it may be required. 'The two localities which have been most severely visited are in Ching Chow and Ning' Chou. first named the crops were beaten down by hail on the 10th of July, twelve houses were washed away and seven head of cattle lost; in the second the corn was utterly destroyed by hail on the 2nd of the same month, and ten persons and several hundred cattle were drowned, a certain number of houses and loess caves being washed down or flooded at the time. The Memorialist has issued instructions that food is to be supplied without delay from the public granaries to the sufferers at the tio last mentioned plices. He is waiting till the enquiries instituted have been completed, after which he will represent to the throne whether it be advisable or not to postpone the collection of the land tax.—Rescript approves the proposals: and orders relief to be distributed wherever necessary, 80 that no one may be forced by want to leave his home.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.