In the next county, Ch'ichou, the county: town is flooded. In the mission compound the water is about six fect deep in the garden, though only a few inches deep in the chapel, which is raised. In Hsinkuo county, across the river, the bursting of an embankment has caused great damage. Passing on to Faye county it is now possible to journey for over twenty li by boat where under ordinary circumstances the paddy fields come nearly to the river bank. This water uns gone over seventeen miles inland and the county town is flooded. From the Wuchanghsien comes an exactly similar story. It is well within the mark to say that of these FIVE COUNTIES, over half the area usually under cultivation is now under water.
The price of rice has already risen about fifty per cent and there is every prospect of scarcity before long.
3rd August.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.