Company have now completed their building, and their expectations of ten years and the unfaltering assistance of Kung Taotai will be now soon rewarded, We hear their machinery has arrived; itis of 500 horse power, and will be in position before autumn, for it will take at least three months, with foreign assistance, to set it up.—Shén Pao.
In view of the increased navigation of the upper Yangtze by foreign vessels, it is said in official circles that the Taotai of Kingchow, Ichang, and Shi-nan is having a Yamen built for his residence in chang, intending to pass half the year there and half at Kingchow.
'A Chinese merchant from Foochow, named Lin, who had been in business in Japan for over 20 years and was one of the most respected Chinese residents in that country, was agent for the late Chinese Minister, Sit Taotai, in buying the copper for defalcations in connection with which the ex-Envoy is now arraigned before the High Authorities of Nanking. The Viceroy Tseng therefore sent for Mr. Lin from Japan, and he returned with Ch'én, Secretary of Legation, whose evidence was also required, and took up his residence with him at the Lao Lien-shing inn at the East was judicially examined, appearing then to ibe in very bad health; and on 23rd his death was reported to the Provincial Treasurer Hu Fanta', the President of the Court of Enquiry. It is said Lin is a partner in a foreign hong" at Shanghai, where he hasason living. The ex-Minister j avows that the whole responsibility for his ions in buying the copper for the Chinese Government in Japan rests on his own shoulders, and that his subordinates had nothing to do with the affair. New developments have appeared in this interesting cause célébre, which we shall communicate to our readers when we receive accurate information.—Hu Pao.
Late on 22nd April a British three-masted man-of-war arrived at Wuhu, and on 23rd and 24th the Wuhu natives were treated to a sight that was perfectly new to them, in the shape of a drill of man-of-war's-men and marines on shore. Sometimes kneeling, sometimes running, the men caused much interest by their skilfully conducted evolutions, being treated, on their conclusion, to wine and refreshments, and rewarded with silver medals (?)—Hu Pao, Anhui has been visited with an excessive rainfall, and unseasonably cold weather, injurious to agricultural prospects; and Chen, the Governor of the province, has issued a paternal proclamation on the subject. He begins by blaming himself for the bad weather, which is no doubt meant: as an intimation that heaven is displeased at his incompetency for his post (from which, however, he does not propose to retire.) He expresses his own desire to reform, which he trusts is shared by the officials avd gentry: and as for the poor stupid country people," he reminds them of two texts in the Sacred Edict; Pay the land-tax in good time," anc id law-suits and live at peace together also of a passage in the Analects of Confucius "The mean man thinks of gain, the superior man of right-oonsness." If these excellent maxims were acted up. to, says the Governor, we might hope for better weather. [Hopeless]
At Sie-fu a village about 30 li from Nanch'ang, the capital of Kiangsi, a white dragon was seen on 12th April. Dragons like water, and it had rained since about the middle of March straight on, ending, on that day in a most tremendous hailstorm, which smashed in the roofs of a good many of the country people's huts about their ears, borer a powsetal fishy smell became perceptible, and people coming in from the fields reported the presence of a huge creature, extending about two mow, (about a third of an acre) disporting itself by wriggling and squirming poof of water, The next day a few people ventured out to see it; it was quite white, with scales two feet in size, with horned head, claws, and a long tail, just as represented in pictures. On 18th March fine weather returned, and the dragon was gone. Foreigners do not talk about dragons, but we Chinese do. Few, indeed, have seen them, but this instance seems too well-authenticated to allow us to doubt of the power of this supernatural being to make himself occasionally visible to man.
In order to relieve the distress in Shantung, an Imperial Edict was issued, on 2nd May of which the following is an abridged translation:—''Shantung has for several successive years been in a distressed condition owing to insufficient harvests, and the sufferings of the people were and are very great. Last year Chang Yao (the Governor) memorialised the Throne suggesting that Tls. 50,000 of the Imperial revenue forwarded from Shantung should be retained for use in relieving the distress there, and this year he has suggested that Tls. 50,000 should be issued from the Provincial Treasury for the same purpose, and that the Board at Peking should remit, in addition,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.