Marvellous is the only word suitable to express the wonderful change that is noticeable on the Upper Yangtze in the treatment of foreigners. Five years ago the distant guest was never unconscious that he was a foreigner and experienced oft the feeling that he was an intruder. If ascend-fog the river his ears were constantly offended by the rude epithets hurled across the waters from the down river junks. For tone season at least this has all been changed From Ichang to Chungking, from Chung-King westward to Ch'engtu scarcely an offensive word was heard either from the hordes of boatmen or the dwellers on the banks. On the other hand the people were tively friendly, ever willing to enter Tate conversation and instead of asking the price of your pantaloons would ask about steamers, the iron road (steam cars), etc. Rumours are afloat that both of these are soon to have a permanent home in this province, and the chief anxiety of those who conversed on the subject was How Soon? The Province seems ripe for advancement as far as the people are concerned. There is another question in regard the coming improvements, viz Who shall do them? It is evident that the Power who wishes the ascendency in this province of- commercial interests cannot afford to sleep at this juncture.
The Magnificent Resources of this great province make her well worth wooing, while her position in the East, for undoubtedly Szechuan is the key of Central Asia, surrounds her with an importance that cannot be overestimated.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.