October 28th.—The Governor of Honan reports that since his return to the provincial capital on the 2nd of October he has heard from the Taotai Li Cheng-jung that the breach in the Yellow River has' been. increasing daily and has now attained width of 300 chang. The main body of the water had been entirely diverted and the lower bed of the river was perfectly. dry. The Director-General was still stationed at the scene of the disaster, and two expectant Taotais, Hsueh Fu-nien and Tung K'o-shao, wie were experts at such work, had been despatched with a picked Dody'of troops to press on the repairs with all speed. The necessary funds were to be supplied by the Treasurer. It appears that the water fas fowad in thiea volumes in a South Easterly direction and has swept the River Huai with is to the soa. Nearly all the people have been drowned in the diss tricts reached by the water, the survivors being those who escaped to high ground or took refuge in trees where they remained till they were rescued. The Treasurer and Judge are both engaged in the work of administering relist and two other officers of the rank of Tuotai have been detached assist them. Owing to the interruption of communication no reports have yet been received from 'T*ng-hsii, Yen-ling, Huichuan, Fu-kou, Kuni-ning, T'ai-k'ang, Hsi-hua, Shen-ch'iu, Hsiang-ch'éng, and other districts below Cheng Chou, but in a few days applications for relief are sure to pour in. Boats have been hired, and rafts constricted for ca: rying food and clothing in all directions and soup kitchens have been opened in the larger centres of distress, The price of food stuffs has risen within the last few days at K'ai-fong Fu, and measures are being taken for selling grain at reduced rates. The present calumity is, however, of very unusual dimen sions and no ordinary system of relief can expect to cope with it. The present balance in the Treasury barely amounts to Tls. 200,000 and is inadequate to meet the ordinary provincial disburse. ments. Memorialist asks that a sum of Tls. 300,000, which represents arrears due from Honan to Peking and elsewhere, may be appropriated to relief purposes. The land-tax collection this year will show a great reduction and an enormous outlay will be required to repair the breach in
the latter head will be made as soon as att the River. An application for funds on estimate has been drawn up, and in the meantime it is asked that the Board should be required to bear a portion of the military expenditure of the province from the beginning of the 9th moon. Roseript.—Let it be as requested and lot the Board concerned be informed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.