The very latest and most exc ing event is the visit of H.M.S. Woodcock to Kiating. Rumours, thos mysterious forerunners of reliable news, had been in circulation among our Chinese friends for some time that a "soldier ship" was coming up river to "look sce." but it seemed teo good for consumption. such a piece of fortune. Fudge then of our surprise when, under the impulse of a good current (the boatmen 1 good breakfast) we were mal ing full down stream south from Ki tin one of the men shouted "There come's a white boat with a fire in it." Where "in one excited yell from crew and passengers alike. "Look, look, it has a red flag" and there sure enough about a mile down stream, just round an abrupt angle, was this "white soldier boat" vomiting smoke from what one of the men called""'a mighty long black smoke-tube Slowly the curious white thing—* white ay snow and biwwer than a house" as one old lady with descriptive faculties said—slowly she made her way un against the vicious current and finally anchored abreast the city to the wondering comments of half the city's population. A Tlue and white, mainly, crowded the slop-picturesque sight it was as the people in
ing bank. While here and there the red streamers of sundry gunboats and_the official barges of the Fu and Hsien Lent piquancy to the prevailing tone, the grey old city wall made an effective back ground, After receiving official calls in which the amenities of western civilisation were duly honoured, the officers of tlw Woodecek turned her nose down stream and found a safe and pleasant anchorage about a mile and a half below the city. Now might be heard the unwonted ery of the excursionist in the land. Several focal "Cook and Sons" were called into existence to meet the demand of the hour. "AMI aboard for Kiating," or " Any more ing down to Niuhuachi, get on at once" came the familiar ery' in the erstwhile deserted sandbank alongside which the Woodcock was lying. It is a pleasure to say that only the utmost" good will and courtesy wore shown by the people of Kiating during the entire visit. Curious of course, and quaint in their comment and explanation of things, but entirely respectful and willing to oblige. On the other hand the officers and men of the Woodcock have left. behind a high reputation that will need all the care and courtesy of future visitors to maintain. That it can be surpassed is not open to discussion, To be sure the Hsien was frightened nearly out of his official boots when, on touching a harmless looking button on the hither end of x tube, the Maxim commenced to spit bullets into the stream at a bewildering ate. With pursed-up lips and a sibilant sigh he retired to a safe distanc from the monster that for so little cause could make so great an effect. But the Fu, he had been to Shanghai—that goal of all inland Chinamon's ambition—and had there seen much bigger guns than these, and rather looked with disdain on the poor Hsien who had not. passed through the curriculum implied in a visit to the great mart by the sea—but even he made faces and stuffed his fingers in his ears when the rockets made stars, or perhaps one should say, comets, at noonday. Then after a stay of twenty days, the Woodcock once more turned her nose down stream, lea ring behind her a host of pleasant, memories and an impression for good that will be felt for many a day yet.
For her return " welcome ever smiles."
A Visit to Mount Omei.
Mr. Wilton, H. B. M. Consul, who came up in the Woodcock, accompanied by It. Com, Somerville, and Mr. J. W. Nicolson, went from Kiating by small boats as far as Kinngkou, thence overland to Chengtu, where Mr. Wilton is now staying. On It. Com.—Somerville's return to Kiating, It. Com. Watson, till lately in command of the Woodcock, Mr. Nicolson, and your correspondent made a hurried trip to the top of Mount Omei. the fanons Buddhist mountain in West China. The trip was hurried, but the weather was perfect—a brief interlude of sun in a long spell of rainy weather—so that inside of twenty-four hours we saw wuldha's glory, a Chinese edition of the Spectre of the Bracken: the far-famed show mountains of Eastern Tibet and the whole broken region to the South-west, the home of Lolo, Sifan, and the remnant. of many a strange family of both man and beast. "For Watson on his homeward trip "bon voyage" will be the wish of all who have met him in this far west.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.