This same town has witn-sed the opening of 4 steamboat office announcing alternate steamer service from Hankow. It has not soon the steamer yet. The small steamer started from Hsiento'ocheu which is half-way between here and Hankow. She did ten miles, then found the water was too low for her to travel. When the river rises the firm say she will start. To be able to come by _steamewithin about forty miles. of Ngsne luts, will be a new and welcome experience. Financially, they are a success. Between twenty and thirty per cent is made during the six or seven months they rus, The steamers yielding, this interest on capital invested are hit from Shanghai and supplied with firemen and engineers, Chinese of course.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.