(1) We have received a memorial from Li Ping-hong, Governor of Shantung, reporting the sudden rising of the Yellow iver caused by the melting of the ice, whereby the districts of Lich'éng and others were inundated causing much loss to buildings which were undermined and destroyed, etc. The memorialist at the time of sending in his memorial had already devised methods for stopping the breach caused by the recent overflow, at the same ime asking to be handed to the Board of Civil Appointments to be penalized for his inability in preventing the catastrophe. Ho also reports that asa preliminary measure he has warned his subordinates in charge that he refrains from at once denouncing them to the Throne in hopes that they may energetic and diligent in their endeavours to repair the evil and thus save their loss of rank, etc. It appears that on the 23rd, of February last, the melting of the snows caused the embankments of the inhabitants of the districts of Lich'éng, Changch in, and Yuanfang to be destroyed and a breach was thus made measuring over 400 feet in width. The inundation a's" flowed into the neigl bouringdistrict of Ch'itungand thence foun: its way to the sea, etc, Asthe catastrophe seems to have been caused by nature, against which man's strength, naturally, is insufficient to defend itself, and as the said Governor states that he abstained from denouncing his subordinates in charge of the River Conservation Bureau, we hereby command that one month's grace be given to these officers, namely, Chiang Chao-kuei, expectant Taotai and Chief Commissioner, Wa Yao, prefect and Assistant Commissioner, and Liu Chen-hsing, First Captain, commanding the River works patrol, and they are hereby commanded to. stop up the said breach within one month's time from this decree. Failing this they re to be severely denounced for negligence in their dut 4s for Li Ping-hong, the memorialist, is hereby—as he has requeste—handed to the Board for determination of an adequate penalty.
(2) Li Hsing-jui, Taotai of Tientsin, is hereby promoted to the Provincial Judgeship of Fukien, vice Chang Tseng-yang retired.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.