The Eternal Complaint. now is that ever-recurring one, the weather 'The topic uppermost in men's minds just ince the five days' and' five nights!
nous rain of afew months ago, no fallen, and the buckwheat has all d away, so that no crop will be gathered this season, Now the farmers are earnestly desiring rain to prepare for planting the wheat for next year, so mandarin processions io the temple and various other things, together with decorating the streets with strings of paper flags of vari colours with prayers for rain written upon them, stretched across from door tp door, are the order of the day and give us rather a festive appearance.
Another Popular Source of Grievance.
Another matter of almost equal wodesass at least to some in the district, been the visit of the tax collector; in former years this visit has not caused any special commotion except from those immediately concerned, but this year the amount required is in'some cases almost ten times more than formerly. The special tax referred to is a license for all the in the prefecture which sell cloth, medicine, cotton wool, ete., ete. These all have to produce their licenses periodically and renew them; failing to do this they are prohibited from doing business. Teh Jen of Shouchou, on behalf of the Fant'ai at Nganking, has visited us to receive all such contributions, and has gone away with well-filled saddle bags and very few blessings from those who had to pay this large additional amount. One would like to know how far foreigners are responsible for this additional weight to the taxpayer: and whether, as such, love or hate will be given in return. Our butcher too has had to pay more for his license (but this apparently belongs to the local official), with the result that he moved into the country, and so for afew days in the city we were minus our beef, but some arrangement will no doubt soon be come to, the butcher giving a little more and the official no doubt agreeing to take less.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.