navigation of the river has. b much obstructed Intely by the shoaling of the upper reaches, caused by silt. which is proceeding at a rate which would surer some of your bench-combers at Shanghai. Freshets scour the stut away again; but ju the meantime the steamers stick all over the river within sight of Tientsin. The Wuchang has been flying the flag of the American Minister for two days along si the bund, She at last got away this mor ing, and' as the Kowshing has got out no doubt the Wuchang will manage it also.
Tt is perhaps superfluous to tell you, who know the peculiar ways of this port, that when steamers stick for days within walking distance of the settlement th mails remain on board. We are quite accustomed to this when steamers are detained at the bar for four or five days, but rather expected to Gud some concession made to the convenience of the community when the steamer had got within thr miles of the post office. The residen here seem quite helpless in the matter. The captains seem all more or less sulky with recent restrictions on their perquisites and getieral meanness of owners; the ey praders don't care a snap; the engineers fay it is not their pidgin, and the cook says "my no sabye go fa." There are usually hands enough on board to eat everything up, and if the agents in Shang. hai would but give the word in a clear and unmistakeable form perhaps some one might be found on board equal to the task of sending up mail of Corea's brother has been on a visit to the Dai In Kun at Pao-ting Fa, and left last night for Corea in the Poochi, Captain Favlie, There has been " pretty persistent rue mour here for some daya that the Ruglish squadron was at Port Hamilton and was landing coal. You will know what value to attach to this story.
24th April
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.