of what is required the present inconvenieces are due. Why cannot the Customs run their own couriers as far as Wanhien and then put on one or two steam launches to complete the journey westwards? Better still, why do not the authorities take up the Dpper River in an honest and earnest style? wwestion of steam for all purposes on the One groans in spirit at the dilatoriness of Here is a-port which. has been opened to ple in this wider question. all the: world for years and not even yet has a steamer's smokestack been seen in the neighbourhood! The. West River, well, there things would appear to have been managed with some approach to a due appreciation. of the opportunities and necessities of the case. Here in Chungking, however, we have been promised: steamers for years, and still they donot come. I do not blame our merchants for this state of affairs, for have a faint memory that a. gallant effort was made in "the long-gone by" by a British Company to tap these wealthy regions in a civilised manner, and that the creditable effort received its quietus from, not the native merchants'or terrible junk-men, but from English and Chinese officials. - Has the; time not come for the case.to be reopened? Will no one now be persuaded to believe that it' would ultimately "pay handsomely. to run a line of steamboats from Ichang to Chungking? Perhaps if our officials would now show some tangible sign' that. a fresh attempt to open up the ire would be received with sri got disposes to yan Tu any case the heartily supported, merchants might steam launches for Imperial mail transport would seem to be @ crying necessity. Let at any rate have these and we shall have emptied their guns in firing the -partin salute, when We three broths opened hee some reason to be thankful. on them and "killed five" and retook all
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.