The Governor of Kiangsu reworks that the Woosung River is the through which all the ter communication of Kiangsu and Che long finds its way to the sea, "It has not been cleared out for i number of years past and the silting up of During the floods of last autumn the lower bed has gone on gradually increasing. portion of the river became obstructed and the current being turned back the waters spread over the surrounding country like an open seo, After carefully examining the maps of the district and' ascertaining the public sentiment on the subject, memorialist finds that the fact of the bed of the Woosung river not having been cleared out is universally considered to have been the cause of the mischief. When reporting some time ago on the clearing out of the Yin-tsao river, memorialist stated that both this river and all the other tributaries of the Woosung should be made free from all obstruction before commencing work on the main branch, The present is a favourable moment for undertaking the task, the rater is low in the river, she paddy harvest has been gathered in, and work is slack in the fields. After "consulting with the Viceroy at Nanking, the Gove j missioned a number of high ci military officials, including the Brigadier-Generals of Woosung and Langshan, to collect workmen and employ them in clearing out the river in sections. Its length is over 70 li and the number of workmen and soldiers engaged in the task will not fall short of 10,000 meu. As it is anticipated that there will be some ditticulty in preserving order amongst such a multitude of people the Governor proposes to visit. the scene of the operations from time to time himself and sve that the workmen are kept under proper control.
16th December.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.