The time to watch the meteoric shower which is expected next week will be from midnight on Tuesday until sunrise on Wednesday. The point from which the meteors radiate is about ten degrees ta the north of Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo from which the shower takes its name of Leonids.
This point will not rise above the horizon until nearly half-past eleven and at this time the moon should be very bright, being about eleven days old, and it will prevent any but the brighter meteors from being seen. The moon sill however set_at 3 on the morning of the 15th, therefore between this hour and dawn be the most favourable time for seeing the meteors and the radiant point will be high in the heavens towards the east.
The shower should also be visible on the morning of Tuesday but not in such abundance; the moon will set about one hour earlier on that day.
(1) Kuangtung being a province excelling both in size and natural wealth other provinees in this Empire, T, the Empress Dowaxer, specially deputed the Assistant Grand Secretary, Kang Yi, to proceed to that province to' devise further ways and means of increasing the revenue of the Government. I have now received a special report from the said Kang Yi, giving details of what he has done in. Kuanstur with reference to reorganisation work in the Likin, Ordinary Customs and Salt Pax departments, together with a general clearing out of superfluous officials and sinecure posts, which have acted liked an incubus clu years in that part of the Empii yh these means and with nee of the high provineinl authorities, Kang Yi reports that he has succeeded in increasing the annual revenue to the Imperial Exchequer by over Tls. 1,600,000, which has been all the more commendable in that the burdens of the masses ha t been increased one jot tittle, As T intend all extra revenites to be devoted to a special purpose I hereby command that, beginning with the present 1th month (November), all such monies arriving at Peking shall be carefully deposi ed in the treasury of the Board of Revenue to avait further instructions from me. cannot refrain in this connection from holding up Kung Yi's work asian example to the Viceroys and Governors of the empire and exhorting them to exercise ec momy and vigilance in the disbursements of the public monies, so that the balances sent to the Tmperial Exchequer may increase every year for the defence of the country.
6th November.
During the festivities in celebration of my birthday anniversary, from the Lth to the 13th instant, I, the Empress Dowager, hereby graciously' bestow upon General Tung Fu-hsiang (Commander of the Kansu Corps) the privilege of attending all the theatricals to be performed in the Police uring those days.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.