(Translated from Der Ostasiatische Lloyd.)
Tsingtao at the moment is a scene of great activity. All the carpenters from the men-of-war have been commanded to put the yamen and the forts in habitable condition. Beginning every morning at eight o'clock, carpenters, planers, and workmen of every kind go on until dark, and even late into the night. Paper-hangers and men working at the floors are usy. The broken-down walls are being covered with clear new paper. Among our sailors; who are busy at the unaccustomed work, are shoals of Chinese workmen. As soon as the flooring of the room is made good the stoves are set up and then the furniture is' brought in, a the whole is like a big ant-heap; and yet there is order and system, and it is wonderful to see the dirty sheds of the Chinese converted into respectable dwellings for Europeans. The largest building ix what was previously the yamen of the Chinese General, an extensive mass of buildings in which the German "administration is taking up its official abode. Through the door painted with fearful mythical animals leads into the hall, on the side of which are the guard-houses; after this a courtyard in which the Commandatenr is being installed with extensive rooms for the Commander and comfortable side-buildings for the staff. The further court has been taken posses: sion of by the Admiral in thesame way. The yamen also furnishes room for the telegraph Staff, and a big hall has been opened as the Chinese office, with endless rooms for servants, washermen, and private dwelling, for the general officers. Beyond, the has tal is being arranged, and, beyond this again, more courtyards and gardens adorn-with trees and fancy Chinese gardens. Although the buildings are arranged ona magnificent scale, yet decay is everywhere visible. The mass of dirt is indescribable, and all this has to be carried out of the yamens before Europeans dare to make uso of them. How very different is the idea of Chinese cleanliness from what Europeans expect to seo under oriental magnificence As to comfort it does not exist at all. Chinese officials live in houses which German family would not even place their servetts in. ins for the attendants are holes such as we would not stall our cows in. In the many villages in the neighbourhood which I visited we were generally shown into the Hall of Ancestors, the whole furniture of which consists of a shaky table, a bench, and three or four coffins piled one above the other. As to the private dwellings they are still worse off. Coffins were used as backs for the hard seats whenever we had occasion to sit down. As soon as the dwellings have been carpentered and planked and furnished with stoves the greatest discomfort will, have been removed, and the warm and comfortable rooms be pleasant to look upon. Everything that could be done has been done with the small means at command. The scenes that have taken place in the transformation of these buildings will be among the happiest remembrances of our camping in a foreign land, -Notwithstanding the unfavourable conditions the service
est.
its usual course; everybody does his remember going into the Eastern Camp, in which the medical staff have their dwellings. The building was divided into three parts by two mud walls. On the right lived the physicians; on the left the official in charge who has the Chinese business under his care. In the middle there was a small staff which occupied the greater part of the space. There was -scarcely room for the physician to spread out his instruments, AsI arrived the sick were crowding into the middle chamber. One was having his foot bound, another was having a wound in the-hand attended
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.