2nd September.
Berore be left Hankow, Mr. Pelham Warren, whose resumption of the post of Consul-General is heartily welcomed by all the British community in Shanghai, ably as the duties of the post have been carried on by Mr. Bourne since Mr. Brenan was carried off by Cupid the irresistible, was asked by some of the missionaries who have returned to their work in northern and western China, whether the time had arrived when their wives might safely join them. These missionaries it must be remembered have been niost warmly received at their stations by both officials and people—it would really be enough to say by the officials, for the attitude of the people depends on the temper of the officials. A correspondent who is stationed in Hunan tells us that Mr, Warren's reply to him was that while Hunan seemed quiet and friendly, it would not be advisable to take a lady back with him. To others Mr. Warren, we are toid, replied that under no circumstances would he give his consent for ladies to return to stations north of Hankow until the Court moved. "As Mr, Warren is a level-headed, fur-seeing man," says our correspondent, "I value his advice to me."
The accounts of the floods in the Yangtze Valley, our correspondent goes on to say, have not been exaggerated in the least; they rather fall short of what he has seen with his own eyes. No doubt this will cause the people to be restless and dissatisfied during the coming months. The poor people have little left, and they will make their wants known in more ways than one, Hunan, Hupeh, and Kiangsi have suffered severely. From reports of foreigners in Honan it is known that the rains have been abnormally heavy in the three river basins of that province, while "C. R. M." describes to us most graphically what he has seen in ut. No one knows more about the condition of the interior provinces than the missionaries, and they have gathered in considerable force at Kuling this summer, and we learn that they are permeated by feelings of uncertainty and distrust as to what the future holds in store. Many fear unrest among the people in central China on account of the floods, and they are not satisfied with the outlook for quietness in the north. Quite lately we have heard of serious breaks in the banks of the Yellow River both in Chihli and Shantung, and of the Yungting River in Chihli, and these are provinces whose cup of bitterness was nearly full already.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.