Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather quite a large number of guests assembled to witness the commencement exercises of St. John's College on Friday afternoon last. Punctually st 2.30 p.m., at the call of the bugle, the students fell into lice and marched ea to the lawn for dress parade. Under the command of Mr. G. B. Palmer they executed the different movements with a promptness and an exactitude which were highly commendable. At the close of the rade the students reformed for an exhibition of dumb-bell drill, and went through it in the rain in a very creditable manner. The drum and fife corps, which has been under the instruction of Mr. F.C. Coope showed a great improvement in the way in which they rendered popular martial airs. At 3.30 p.m. the literary exercises were held in the general assembly room. These were opened by the singing of a hyma in English, and by the offering of prayer by the Rev. J. "A. Ingle, Bishop-elect of Hankow.
Among the guests on the platform were Mr. H.'S. Wilkinson, H.B.M's Chief Justice, H. E. Yuan Shu-hsin, Shanghai Taotai, the Rev. Dr. Edkins, and the Rev.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.