The first electric tramway in Chin: opened on Saturday Inst, the 24th ultimo, between the Peking station at Machiapu and the south ate of the metropolis, Yungting-men. The Director-General of the Imperial Railways of North-China, Hsit Ching ch'éng, the other directors and six Ministers of the Tsungli Yamen were present, and were deeply interested in inspecting the plant and watching the proceedings. The whole system works excellently and was fully appreciated by the directors. The tramway was projected and constructed by Messrs. Siemens and Halske of Berlin. It is intended to extend the tramway inside the city, a great difficulty being to break a new gate for the line through the city walls, bat after all it will only be a question of time, it being an urgent necessity to have abetter communication between the Peking station and the city. The engineer of the line is Mr. Fischer, of Messrs. Siemens and Halske. ofa temple on the island. When, after a weary year of travel, he arrived in Oudh, he conceived the idea of acquiring for a Pootoo temple these idols, fabricated from the famous marble of the locality, under his direction. He it was who now received us very politely; at once ordering tea for our party in an outer room. While we were trying, as a matter of manners, to sip this leaf-choked decoction, and nibble some melon seeds and other dainties served therewith, our escort, the learned orientalist Dr. Edkins, conversed with our host, concerning his travelling experiences.
Daring our visit, trains from Shanghai were bringing large companies of worshippers to the scene, men and women; while from outlying hamlets came many country folk with their paper money, and other votive offerings for the distinguished stranger-idols. On the table in front of their shrines many red candles were burning, and sundry refreshments were spread, including three cups of spirit for the gentle: man, and three cups of tea for the indy.
'And now our return train was due. It was a morning of strange anomalies; Within twenty minutes' journey of busy, bustling, cosmopolitan, up-to-date Shanghai, and that by railway journey, to find Buddha and Kuanyin holding their court with all the devotional, superstitious features of centuries ago; and the old bear-leader with his sleepy yet wily face, shaven, head and squalid toga; his contemptuous though good-natured survey of us foreign women, and scornful amusement at our enquiry, through Dr. Edkins, had he heard or read anything of the religion of Christ. We sent him the next day, by our native preacher at Woosung, some scholarly Christian literature over which we trust "Foundation of Wisdom " will spend profitable some of his long, vacant hours in that melancholy, mummery-Glled matshed. Atlee Jaye Mumueap.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.