Hangchow River, north to south, isa distance of some 301i. Several plans for building a alway over this line Lave been broached since the port was opened. Some years ago a Taotai named Lin drew up plans and persuaded a French engineer to open a surveying office near the West Lake. Cer tain conservatives having interfered, it was given up. Others have endeavoured to carry out the plans, but have found the superstition of fog-shui an insuperable obstacle. Last spring a rich merchant named Wang petitioned the Governor to per ult che floating of a stock company with reign and Chinese shareholders; but the Governor objecting to foreigners entering the concern, squashed the petition. More recently a Mr. Kung has been projecting strictly Chinese company; desiring to run the railway from Kongzenjao by way of Sungmaoch'ang, Ts'ehsanp u, and Lungtsin (famous as the hills where the best Hangchow tea is grown) to Kiangkan, on the Hangchow River. A branch line is also to nun to the Chientang gate of the city by way of the West Lake for the convenience of passengers from the city. The earnings of such a road, both from passenger and freight traffic. should be very large. At present Hangchow is one of the most inconvenient cities to enter in this part of China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.