(From the Foochow Daily Echo of 14th Jan.)
We xre informed that the work at the new Arsenal Dock has been pushed on rapidly during the past few mouths and that it will now not be long before it will be ready for use.
There is an epidemic of small-pox and measles prevailing in the city and suburbs, art foreigners will do well to avoid the Cisnese streets as much as possible, obliging their servants to do the same for the present.
There are, we understand, altogether in the various tea districts as many as eighteen reputed millionaires, The least wealthy of these is said to be possessed of two millions of dollars and the richest eight millions, all made out of the tea trade in its flourishing days. In spite of the adverse turn taken in the trade they still continue in it.
News reaches us from Cheong-Lock of the people of place being ina state of great distress owing to the failure of the crops. The resources of the pawn shops are exhausted, and they have had to close their doors. "The distress is spoken of as being so great that trouble is anticipated unless some relief can be given, Almost all the carpenters in Foochow and the neighbourhood are natives of this place.
The long continued drought is telling severely on the farmers and market gardeners; and consumers of their produce are also feeling the consequent pinch; the poor especially, as they have to eat their rice without the customary green vegetable. Wisere the modicum of exbbage in time of plenty would cost the poor man 1} cash per meal, the same quantity would now cost 6 cash per meal of reform. Ho ie now inspecting the The Viceroy is still busy with his work
officers of the various regiments, weeding out the inefficient. The age 1, the incapable, and the dissipated, are obliged to retire. Tu one regiment alone as many as nine officers were considered undesirable, and had to go. When this work is done, we understand, the staffs of the various government offices will come under His Excellency's scrutiny.
One of the native banks, reported in our last issue as having suspended payment, has offered its creditors " composition of 60 per cent. of its debts, but this has been refused, owing to its being understood that one of the partners has rich parents. In cases of insolvency it is generally considered satisfactory with the natives if the debtor can arrange to pay 50 per cent of his linbilities and such a settlement is looked upon as honourable. This case seems to be an exceptional ove.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.