have recently been much in evidence—now as over-zealous bonzes, then as visitors or travellers in European costume. They have just now given rise to the report that they want to buy plot of ground at the seaport town Liangkiang (also called Anton) and erect & monastery thereon at a cost of $10,000, and that they require 500 Inbourera (adherents?) at once; farther-more, that if one member. of s fumily gets his whole pate shaved the whole family will have the benefit of the protection of the Japanese religion, ete, etc. However, this region has no need of more monasteries, and its temples are doubtless in better repair than those of any similar territory in the empire. The rumour you publish in your weekly issue of the 31st ultimo anent railroad {rom Amoy north, to be constructed by a Japanese fag commands far readier credence than the monastery story. And if the energetic little islanders have an eye on the mineral wealth of China, the coal and iron (to say nothing of the silver) of Fukien—so near Formosa—should afford early dividends. Some very serviceable coal can, figuratively speaking, be picked up by hand and thrown on board of medium-sized sea-going junks without mining ex-Very little freight is carried' by junks enses of any sort on this Lunghua coast.
owing to the prohibitive likin charges and the uncertainties of the ocean—thong! one might speak of the greatest hindrance the almost certain pirates in this connection—which would likely soon be relieved at least in a measure, so as not to let the "foreign iron road " pocket all.
Liangkiang, 9th August.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.