is im full swing having been ushered in this week by a couple of tremendous downpours.
One storm on Wednesday, the 10th, within an hour or two only, poured down such a volume of water that many houses are suid to have been washed down, while in one of the camps outside the East Subucb-Gate, the water has risen as high as the chests of the men, destroying their mud huts end completely flooding them out, During the next tivo days @ long procession of soldiers was to be seen passing our doors carrying their effects to a camp on higher ground in the South suburb.
'THE PROVINCIAL BANK, of which I wrote you briefly some time since, is said to be intending to issue bank notes, which will be expected t" circulate throughout the province and which will be receivable in payment of taxes. It is to be hoped they may be in Mexicans rather than taels, which differ in value in every city. An Lnperial dollar currency, eurtent thoughout the country, would" be an iiawave conveniones. Whee Incal efforts to establish w currency for a province or two only are of doubtful expediency. Still we shall rejoice if we can have a dollar currency for only our one province of Shantung, hoping that better things come later, THE IIPERIAL vast in this region is having new life infused into it by " trip of inspection which Mr.
J. Williams, whose headquarters are i Chinan, has been moking through this part of thy province, He hys established A branch line or two and has added to the number of arrivals and departures on the old-established routes—especially those running north and south, During the past three or four months we have really had little cause of complaint ayainst the postal service—indeed between Chefoo and here it has boon admirable, letters being promptly delivered here three times a week.
13th July.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.