23rd July. For many years past Shanghai has boasted of most excellent roadways, and with good reason, but the footpaths have always been a trouble. In some few instances granite flags have been laid down, and probably Hothing but the high cost prevented the exclusive use of such pavement. The late Municipal Surveyor tried different styles of pave-including tar and concrete, which ignorantly mistaken for asphalt, t cannot be said that great attended the experiments he tried, so it fell to the lot of Mr. Mayne, the new Surveyor, who is well acquainted with the latest improvements adopted in the London streets and elsewhere in England, to innovate a new style of paving for the footpaths which bids fair to reflect the greatest credit on him and increased comfort to Shanghai pedestrians.
It would beas well to explain of what this asphalt consists. Properly speaking it is a natural compound of lime and bitumen, found principally in volcanic areas, which scientific men assert was the "pitch" used to render the Ark watertight; but it was not until AD. 1700 that it came into common use. The origin of asphalt beds has given rise to much scientific speculation, and a Swiss geologist endeavoured, in a strip king manner, to account for their origin on the grounds that, after care-nul observation, he had come to the conclusion that all organic matter
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.