There has been considerable sickness among the Chinese, especially children such as mumps, scarlet fever, and small-pox. Wind and dust have prevailed the last few days; adust storm is raging outside as I write, with hot sun in the middle of the day, and very chilly nights and mornings for the season of the year. The city moat is being cleared of its winter accumulations, and much other impure soil is being turned up, and transferred from place to place in and about the city, which may account for the prevalence of these diseases. Perhaps the wonder is that so many live rather than that so many die when all the conditions are fully considered. Foreigners have been comparatively free from serious illness, but not a few have complained more or less of colds and malaria, chargeable no doubt to the odours afloat, or the changeable and somewhat unseasonable weather. It is to be hoped that when the dust storm is finished we shall have a change for the better.
22nd April.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.