The crops, this year, have been splendid, the rice is harvested and seems to be in good condition, About two months ago a good deal of alarm was felt by the presence a worm which seemed to be ruining the growing grain, Priests and idols were called out and after taking a fee at each duer passed along the fields with flags and many drums and tom-toms beating. At any rate the crops have not suffered, The corn and cotton fields are lwwking well and the crops are nearly ripe; if the weather is good the cotton crop will be particularly heavy. The people ought to be well so fied this year, In the country they are preparing for the usual dragon festival. This festival as a rule is held in most places at New Year, but the country people at that time are short of funds, and therefore hold their festival in the eighth mouth, when the crops are mostly harvested and the people have some marketable commodities and can afford to go in for a little of th of dissipation. The fun has already b and will goon with increasing fervour till the 15th of the moon, after which the festival is over, The fifteenth is the high day, for on this day vast multitudes will offer moon-cakes to his lunar majesty and then eat them themselves, 'THE WEATHER, The weather this year has been more dearable, the summer having been cooler than the general run of Kiukiang summers, In August there was a cloudburst in the Lushan, The water in ove hour poured down every gully and gorge. To those who were able to get out. it preted a splendid sight, huge boulders suned by the flued wich terrific force. In some places mon were swept away and never again seo, and over the mountains small village was partially washed away. The last few days have been marked, also, heavy rains; the streams have been swollen and some bridges have been washed away and houses knocked down, Now the sun is again struggling to come out and we ought to havea finvautamn and early winter. The best time of the whole y upon us, and the next fow months, as far as the climate is concerned, are generally hard to beat, 13th September.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.