One of the Canton "boys" in the employ of a foreign resident here, has been showing "how he can do it" when he sets himself about it. And the foreigner has had to pay for the experience. It was somewhat in this wise, Mr, S. had in hard cash some fifty-six dollars which he told the shroff he should send round to him by the "boy" to be placed to the credit of his personal account. The boy" overheard this and thought he saw a chance of getting conceived a bold scheme and as boldly sion of a food round sum of money. put it into execution. He first, forging his employer's name, wrote an order on the shroff for fifty-six dollars; the shroff remembering his former conversation, but not having clearly understood, evidently, whether he was to receive fifty-six dollars or pay it, handed the "boy" the required sum. The fifty-six dollars handed to the boy to be carried by him to the shroff together with this other fifty-six, gave hive one hundred and twelve dollars in hard cash. This youth now forged another foreigner's name on the same shroff for a trifle over twenty dollars which sum was also paid. Then he went to his employer and told a piteous tale—well-known to every resident in China—that he had suddenly lost his father and had no money to bury him, would he please advance three months' wages. The foreigner in the kindness of his heart granted his request. This put the "boy" in sion of some one hundred and fifty dollars; he evidently thought he had done well enough; he was satisfied with his success, and immediately isappented. So suddenly and hastily did he go that he left his bedding and clothing all behind him. Where he has ne to no one of course knows. He may ave gone overland to Canton, though this is not very probable. The' Paohna was in harbour at the time and just about to go, it is therefore most likely he jumped into a sampan and went off in her. If so, most likely, unless he is unusually sharp, ho will put in an appearance in Shanghai. It is to be hoped he will be caught, as this kind of conduct deserves very severe punishment.
trate Kin who controls the istrict. is to be removed to the Kuangsing Prefecture. No one will regret his removal. He is an old man who occu-the magistracy here ten years ago.
is bitterly anti-foreign and has put every possible obstacle in the way of foreign movements, especially hindering the purchase of land by missionaries. It was he who wanted punish anative Christian for giving a plot of land to the church for the purpose of erecting a chapel, In the place of the present Magistrate we arete haveamannamed Chang from the Chekiang province. This man is nev to official work having just. obtained his first official appointment. He is fresh from the literary ranks. How he will be disposed towards foreigners cannot yet be known. They say he has a daring disposition and fears "neither powers in the Heavens above nor on the Earth beneath."
Ata place about ten li from here the farmers and shopkeepers are having a bad time; cows, pigs and buffaloes are dying apparently from some disease which they Know not how to check; they are also experiencing other reverses. They are making themselves poorer by miserable mummery. min lanterns are carried about and dedicated to various shrines and priests have been employed to exorcise the evil spirit by their chants and prayers and other ceremonies.
Two new temples have been recently erected, one the temple of "Great Completeness" just inside the west. gate, and the other an Tmperial temple just inside the south gate. Here the officials in due time assemble and worship the Emperor who is represented by a tablet bearing characters which mean " To the Emperor of ten thousand years and ten thousand times fen thousand years." 'The presence of this temple opposite the Girls' Boarding School of the Methodist Episcopal Mission makes it very difficult to extend the school compound by purchase of a further plot of ground. The natives fear to sell lest they should injure the ting shui of the temple. How much longer will intelligent men be hindered and hampered in their business transactions by such useless nonsense Close to this is another temple called the Neng-ren Sz or The temple of the Buddha of Power and Benevolence." In connection with this s curious legend exists explana. tory of it origin. The story goes that a fay oe sree ce cee gs Oats shrine in the place, a priest had a dream and in his dream he saw a powerful Buddha floating down the Yangtze in a long stone boat. 'Two days afterwards he had a similar dream, this time he was directed to proceed on a certain day to the North Gate where the idol would come ashore. Strange to say, so the legend runs, all the officials in the place had dreams' exactly like the priest. "The news travelled like wildfire through the city. The officials all turned out decked in gaudy colours with followers bearing gay Yanners and musicians making the air abundantly full of joyous notes. The people tured out in thousands, old and young, male and female, all were thereto witness the grand event. Arrived at the North gate, they beheld at the water's edge even as the dream had said. With the wildest rejoicings the Buddha and his stone boat were brought to this present home and a temple erected. With such a marvellous history one would think the idol would be sufficiently powerful to protect itself and its temple. But no, southern iconoclasts came to Kiukiang, the temple fell beneath the fury of the rebels, the idol lost his head and arms and legs and was thrown out. Less than twenty years ago, zealous priests thought to restore the once glorious temple but where was the great Buddha of Power and Benevolence? A diligent search was made for him; their efforts were rewarded by finding as much as was left of him buried in a ditch, Further search brought his head to light.
This, with the aid of mud and plaster, was placed where it belonged on his shoul ders. Armsof suitable material were put in the place of the ones he had lost. But now their came a difficulty; our hero was in as bad plight fas Ben Battle for he had lost both his legs in the fight. The priests in their search for something suitable came upon the old piston rods of a wrecked steamer lying around in a junk shop; these were obtained and fitted to the Neng-ren Buddha. Paint and gilt soon covered the marks of his patching and the ido was once more ready to dispense good and evil. Now in the rearmost building of the temple he is installed in a glssscare anda course of forty priests daly for hours worship before him. In the open courtyard in front of the second building may be seen a long stone trough some fifteen or sixteen feet long, and eighteen inches wide; it looks remarkably like cattle watering or feeding trough. Should one perchance suggest this, an indignant nest would tell you that it was the very that brought the Neng-ren Buddha down the Yangtze, more than a thousand years ago.
8th March.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.