The province of Kuangsi has yet occupied by the Protestant Missionary So-cities labouring in China. Considered to be anti-foreign, hidden by its partner in the Two-Kuang Administration, which fully taxes all the energies of its many missionary workers, unapproached conveniently until lately from the west, and cut off on the north by mountainous Kueichou, Kuangsi has attracted but little attention, The China Inland Mission have, we believe, once and again set apart men for this province but the greater needs of existing work frustrated earnest wishes.
Bishop Burdon has long desired to visit Kuangsi, but his energies have been fully taxed' in Kuangtung and Fukien, and further, the C.MLS. seem hardly likely to encourage the idea of a new mission here, The B. and F. Bible Society's agents have travelled a little on the West Kiver into the province, but their labours have been fitful and the annual reports nuke but scant mention even of the work.
The American Buard were consulted wish a view to work being entered on at Luugchow in 1889, but this place was thought tov far from their Canton mission and a new departure did not commend itself to the Home Committee.
With forward movements common to our Societies and the desire, so general among Churistians, that no possible sphere of work shall remain without a witness to the Gospel, the time has come for work to be taken up in Kuangsi, If in China residence under indisputable treaty right is deemed desirable Ruangsi can afford the required site.
Lungchow (Lat. 22° 21 N., Long. 106° 35° E.) in west Kuang-i was opened by Franco-Chinese treaty to trade and residence in 1887; a French Consular staff and several members of the Imperial Customs Service entered on residence in 1889, but no addition to this little community has yet been made. This town is in direct water communication with Canton the time for the up-river journey averages 40 days, in a comfortable native boat, and that for the down journey two to four weeks according to the state of the West River. Lungchow can also be reached from Pakhoi by an overland journey of seven or eight days: the Customs' couriers take this route and make safe and regular journey: The road is reported good with the exception of a bad hill pass two to three days from Lungchow, but the country traversed is poor and accommodation bad.
'A third route through Tongking is likely to become much used, thanks to a railway now nearly completed from Phulangthuong in the Red River Delta to Langson, thus affording steam communication from Hongkong to the latter place; by water vid Haiphong to Phulangthuong and by rail thence to Langson. Letters can be conveyed through to Lungchow in eight days' time.
From Langson to Lungchow, a distance of 37 miles, baggage would come by the Sungki river; the traveller can choose a pony, chair or boat; the road is hilly in places. Personally the writer would prefer to send all baggage and stores by the West River, but when once the railway is in working order and the border thoroughly pacified this route need not perhaps be used. Kuangsi has plenty of water communication. The West River is a magnificent stream; it may be said to he formed by the union of the Tso and Vu Kiang of Chinese maps—the Left and Right Rivers—which is effected just above Nanningfu, the commercial centre of the West River, fed chiefly from Pakhoi. The Right River has entered the province from Yunnan, passed south by Pose, and now flows east towards Kuangtang,, The Left River has come east from Lungchow, immediately above which city it has been formed by the union of two smaller streams both rising in China, but passing through Tongking in their tortuous eomrse, The southern Sangki Kiang flows west from south Kuang {si round by Langson into China by the Pingerh pose; the northern or Ruoping flows by Caobang into Kuangsi at the pass Ho, nsingon the Yinmnan-Tongking hordes, of Shuik'ou. At Hsiinchow the West River is joined by the Pei Ho, which bears on its broad flood vast. rafts of fine hardwood timber cut from the forests around Liuchow, and further north still near the Kueichou frontier. Again at Wuchow, this river is joined by the Fu Kiang coming frow the capital, Kueilin, Of this city we may say in passing that for picturesqueness it is considered by Chinese as second ton one in China and an old provincial celebrity made it his boast The scenery of Kueilin surpasses all else in the Empire 5 That of my garden outrivals Kueilin, The province saw deeds of valour performed by General Ma Yuan (styled the Fu Po Chiang Chun and who has given his above Kueibsien) of the Han Dynasty, name to the great rapid of the West River
and later still by the celebrated Ti Ching, General of the Sung, both of whom partly subdued its aborigines and subjugated them to China.
Thisprovince contains twenty-three native Aistricts (21 chow and 2 hsien) which are governed by hereditary chiefs, many being descendants of his soldiers whom Ti Ching rewarded by the above positions; the "pulation in these is largely aboriginal.
he number of these districts is gradually becoming less—the male line becomes extinct, or, for misbehaviour, the privileges are withdrawn, and the district reverts to Chinese rule—the people are then said to CMRF Lungchow reverted for this latter cause in A.D. 1728 and, as the local chronicle says, the Chinese costume was adopted and the benefits of civilisation conferred on this border district.
The situation of the city is pleasing, on the north bank of the Tso Kiang with hills tothe rear, north and east, and a broken ain bounded by hills, four to seven miles distant, to the south and west. These hills are mostly of limestone formation, are prettily broken into peaks and covered with shrubs and grasses. The plain is well cultivated chiefly: for sugar-cane and rice Indian corn, sweet potato, ground nut, and other crops are also grown, and Lungchow sugar commands a good price in the markets of neighbouring towns. It must be understood that the province is not a rich one; some six-tenths are estimated to be mountain land and all the land west, of Nanning and he Vu Kiang is hilly,. bare, and poorly cultivated.—Lungchow itself is the largest town betweeaYunnan, Pose, Nanning and Pakhoi; it is, it must be confessed, poorly built, has. no-houses of any size or comfort and no-wealthy inhabitants. Banking, as needed,, is done by the better Canton shops; many. is not. plentiful, the wants of the citiland military: staff having to be supplied by silver. brought. from the capital or a, by: monthly guard boats: dollars, stamped but not badly
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.