The Chinese Times of the 23rd February says in reference to this—and what it says will tend to confirm the statements that it has been closed, and that it is not closed The Yellow River breach at Cheng Chou, according to letters just received from Kai feng Fu, causes anxiety. The leakage through the new bank is great and increases, although all possible endeavours are made by fascine work, sand bags, ete., also free use of concrete blocks, to thicken the wall and prevent filtration of water through, In a month the snows will begin to melt, and in May the river will be in flood, so that the utmost endeavours must be made quickly to prepare for the coming shock, which is awaited with general fear, Examination of the river bank made over defined districts shows that on both sides the river walls are in bad order, but worst on thenorthside, thuscontirming the reports of two foreign engineers whose opinions were to the same effect, Everywhere the river bed has risen up, the banks have been heightened continually, but the bases of the banks have not been widened or \gthened correspondingly; therefore the superstructures throughout are weak and precarious. The sea outlet grows worse each year, and if ever reclamation is made will be, perhaps, the chief element of expense, as the river mouth is choked by bars and sand banks so that the water cannot get out,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.