The Kiangnan Arsenal was formally re-opened on the 26th ult., after the China New: Year vacation.
B.E., Admiral Ting has started from Hongkong for Shanghai and will be here ina few days. He will, on the opening of the Peiho, proceed to Tientsin.
The City Magistrate is uow hearing the bankruptcy cases of the native ba which failed at the end of the last Chinese year.
Liu K'un-yi has received telegram phic instructions to start for Peking, his ies aid that HE. will one to Shanghai just for an Audience being granted. It
and proceed thence northward by sea, A grandchild has been born to H.E. Shen Ping-chen, the late acting Viceroy of Nanking.
Tu the recent thunderstorm the wooden railings of a atune bridge inside the city were struck by lightning avd hurled to distance of several feet, while a stone dyke close by was broken' up by the same agency. The Chinaman who was found stuck in the wud on the same night, is a nw old, He keeps a small opium shop 2 of Canton and over seventy years was lately attacked with fits causing porary derangement, Though a crowd rounded him when he was in the ditch the morning after the storm, none offered to help him out of his awkward position, but all plied him with questions as to how he got into such a plight. The old man either being too exhausted to answer or because the questions were improperly and uncivilly put, m: a strict silence. It was then believed that the old sinner was denied the power of speech by the God of Thunder, leat he might describe the god' rance and the manner in which he kad caused the rapid transit of the victim from his house to the spot he was found. A priest belonging; ighbouting temple just then happened ig. He stopped and politely questioned the old man, who at once replied that some one came to his door the night before, called him out and led him to the mud hole. Who the man was and how he himself gut so deeply buried the old man could not say. The to credulous and superstitious crowd immediately concluded that the priest, being a chosen discipls of Hearen, had alone the power of restoring speech to the old man, and became more firmly convinced than ever that it was the will of Heaven to punish the old fellow by dragging him "from his warm bed and throwing him breast deep into a ditch. It was lucky that the police came to the rescue, otherwise the poor old man might have been left till this day where he was, for no superstitious Chinaman would dare to lift a hand to help one who was apparently condemned to die by Heaven, especially through the instrament tality of the Thunder Gud and the Light ning Goddess.
During the sine storm a boatman came very near being struck by lightning and being stigmatised as a wicked man. His boat was carrying " load of firewood and dry reeds from Pootung to Shanghai, and while the White Lily creek 'a flash ug broke the mast in two, No other was done.
Whatever one may say of the superstitious credulity of the natives, to. the ignorant, uneducated, brutal and lawless, thunderstorms act asa restraint and bring many wicked men into the path of virtue. After " heavy thunderstorm many old debts are paid up and many old enemies are reconciled, What the law could effect, the Thunder God accomplishes with few loud roars, Such a belief is certainly very useful, A woman named Yung, living opposite a certain Chinese theatre, has compelled her daughter-in-law, notwithstanding the entreaty ut neighbours, to commit suicide by taking opium, because Mrs. Yang lind some suspicion of her daughter-in-law's virtue. The police, however, should make investigation and bring the case to the Mixed Court as, even according to Chinese law, no one can be put to death on more rumour and suspicion and none but officials of the law may mete out the punishment of death, which must be sanctioned by the Board of Punishmenta and ratified by the Throne.
[The police appear to taken the Shénpao's hint, the old woman and her son having been brought before the Mixed Court on Saturday and sent, thence to the City Magistrate's yamév.—Ep. N.-0.D.N.] shortly. The City Magistrate is making WE. Lia Kiang in expected here preparations to receive him.
rumoured in official circles that in the Srd moon the Czarevitch will be in Shanghai and that it is proposed to receive His Highness at Woooung with a guard of honour composed of 100 cavalry and 200 infantry. Steam launches will be in readiness to take His Highness to Lunghua for a trip, a8 the time is the incense-offer-period at the Lunghua Temple. We have, as yet, no means of ascertaining the truth of such reports.
It is said in official circles that H.W. Nich Taotai has received instructions from the Tsungli Yamen to receive, welcome and entertain H.1H. the Czarevitch with the highest honours. The Taotai hears that the Czarevitch will be here on the 6th of the 8rd moon (14th April) and set aside Tls. 10,000 for the expense entertaining H.ILH. The coverings, painted scaffolding and silk embroidered hangings are to be brought from Canton, deputies having already been despatched to that city for the purpose.
On the 28th ult, the seals in all the yamens within and without the wall were formally opened.
In the Leucheng district of Kuangsi_ a severe conflagration took place at the height of a heavy northwest gale. The fire lasted all night and till the afternoon of the next day. Hundreds.of houses, herds of cattle, stores ut provisions and over ten lives were lost. The officials are giving temporary relief to the sufferers, while H.E. the Governor is preparing a memorial on the case for the Throne,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.