The fooling of the Yangtze this year, though extraordinary, being according to the oldest amongst the Chinese the worst for 75 years, brings before our minds many problems, the chief amongst these being how the immediate results may in a measure be neutralised and the suffering alleviated. Second, how may such vast devastations and their conseences be guarded against in the future. Vhird, are the Chinese Government far wrong in attributing ssu h things generally looked upon as the hand of destiny, to the fault of local officials. Fourth, with such a flood possible, in such a vast region, and to so great a depth, is it possible that railways will pay, Where they carmot being washed away unless run over high hills? And lastly, but not is it not a fitting time to look." bit ahead and prepare for probable consequences when the effects of famine are being fel? Wus there any factor so grent in bringing ubout the Boxer troubles in the North as the four years' famine throughout Kansu, Shensi, Shansi, Westera Shantung and South and Western Chibli? But in those provinces although thers was famine yet certain crops did yield " meagre supply to keep the pot boiling, and further, there were stores from other years to fall back on, though these scun ran out, How different is the case in the Yangtze provinces, or rather those portions of them adjacent to the great water-way. That vast onrush of water sweeping everything, crops, trees, aye, the houses and in some places the land on which these stood, to say nothing of the number (in thousands) of lives which have paid tribute to the swollen waters. Hupeh above Hankow in those places where the mounting are not, ix now one vast fresh water mirror, and' over places formerly
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.