We have been having a series of tragedies in the city of Hangchow. About two months ago there was quite © mad dog scare and it was reported that a number of persons had been bitten. The dog was at large for some time and afterwards we heard it had boon killed. Nothing more was thought of the maltter till last wack a six Yearrold child, an any son, was tan tothe M.S. Hospital with every symptom of hydrophobia and died soon after in agony. The mother insists that the child was bitten by a large foreign dog belonging to one of our community. But as this dog has always been gentle and has at no time shown any signs of rabies it is difficult to Roman Believe that i could have been the cause of the child's death.
A Gook Drowned.
day evening a cook in one of the missionary homes in the city went into a pond on the premises, bathing with two of his friends. None of them knew how to swim and the pond is quite deep. The two friends stood by the shore but the cook suddenly jumped in and went down, and was unable to get his head above water again, Why ho made this fatal leap will probably always be a mystery. Divers ore called i, and me needed in reverer ing the body, charging a good sum for their services.
Suicide.
About the some time a young woman who had only been married about a year committed suicide by taking arsonic. The usual causo,—domestic infelicity. Some assert that it was the husband who made away with himself.
Brutally Murdered, 'A quarrel between husband and wife, who lived near the Governor's yamen, had a still more tragic ending. The quarrel began about some insignificant money transaction, but one word led on to another until finally the infuriated husband seized a chopping knife and split open his wit and hacked her body in several places, killing her almost instantly. A son who tried to help his mother was aleo slightly wounded, but the bystanders succeeded in taking the knife away from the man, who was taken to prison and will doubtless in duo time receive full punishment.
Yuan Sual Hui.
The Dragon Boat Festival paged off very quietly in Hangchow this year. But it was more than made up for in the oelebration of the Yuan Sual Hui which came soon after. It lasted for three days, there being processions in different part of the city on different days. The processions are Jong and gay. All sorts of people take part. Some are dressed up in fantastic garments others carry torches, banners, lanterns, canopies, and all kinds of gaudy decorations. The idols are: decorated with flowers and silk and carried in sedan chairs. Days and weeks are spent in preparation; everybody is expected to contribute something. A Lrge amount of money is squandered. People come from all the surrowhding country and fill up the city. It is a wonder how arrow sizedia and stand for hours in many people can crowd together on these
jot sun while the procession passes. officials have often prohibited the holding of his Hui on account of the expense and the danger of trouble arising from the assembling of such a mixed multitude in the city in the hot weather. We understand the Governor was requested to prohibit it this year, but refused to do ea. This Hui sid t0 have been started " grat many
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.