Much distress is now rife in the country, amongst the poor classes of people, owing to almost total failure of the sweet potato emp, which is their chief food.
We regret to have to record that another destructive fire broke out on 24th Nov. at, about a.m, close by Ponasang Hospital when some three hundred shops were destroyed the losses being computed at a hight tune, iz: Tie, 209,000! Hind it not byon for the Missionaries it is almost certain that the Hospital itself would have been destroyed.
Some trouble, and it would seem of some importance, is at- present, hanging over the head of H.E. the Viceroy, so much so that two Imperial Commissioners are hourly expected from Peking to investigate the case. From what is currently reported the trouble originated in a quarrel between the Viceroy and the Tartar General—the latter having refused to grant certain sums of money for the maintenance of the Arsenal which is at present in the hands of the former, and high words passed between these' two high Oficials. Though other causes of the trouble are in circulation, we believe the above to be correct. The fungshun of the Viceroy must indeed be bad, Ever since
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.