In accordance with Imperial sanction previously obtained the Governor of Honan submits an application for rewards to a number of officers engaged in closing a breach that occurred last year in the banks of the Ch'in r in the Lionel district. This riv memorialist states, has an exceedingly impetuous current, the effects of which during the heavy summer and autumn freshets are just as difficult to cope with, and necessitate exactly the same kind of river works and the same methods as are adopted in the case of the Yellow River. On the occasion of the breach now referred to, asudden rise in the river, consequent on an_ excessive fall of rain, imperilled the safety of both banks in several places, and a breach finally occurred in the northern bank at a spot where there are no river works. Thence the waters found their way intotheTan river, inundating all the villages along its lower course. Orders were at once given to repair the damage, and Tsao Ping-che, Intendant of the Changweihuai circuit, was placed in charge of the works. In October the river had somewhat fallen, but as the roads were still flooded there was great difficulty in conveying materials to the spot by cart. By the beginning of November the roads had been placed in state of repair and a sufficient quantity of millet stalks collected; work was then harried on as much as possible on account of the approach of winter, and on the 96th November the breach was finally closed. Though this was effected in little more than a fortnight, yet from the first purchase of materials to the final completion of the work more than three months elapsed, during which all those engaged were exposed to great danger and hardships. Memorialist has carefully scrutinized the list of names submitted to him, and now bogs to recommend for some mark of His Majesty's approbation the names of 25 olticials, civil and nuilitary, who have more particularly distinguished themselves by their services during the progress of the work.—Referred to the Board.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.