Our district magistrate is a man of enterprise. He has been persuaded to embark upon an undertaking, of which he knows nothing except that he fur-rushes the silver. For many years the empty granaries within the walled city have been utterly useless, but now they are to be turned into cotton factories, and machinery from Japan has already arrived for turning the raw cotton into cloth. This region is noted for the cotton grown over a wide extent of territory; and as unskilled labour is to be had almost as cheap as in any part of the empire, the hope is that when such Labour becomes skilled, it may not bbe too expensive to compete with that in foreign lands. Two difficulties present themselves: Ist., the cotton grown hero has a very short staple; 2nd., coal is extremely dear. This last will doubtless be bettered when the mines operated by the English syndicate in Northern Honan, pour out sufficient coal to ship to Tientsin. But in the meantime the motive power must be expensive.
A Chinese Vendetta, A-murder occurred here last week under peculiar circumstances. A young man of 23 saw another man, a distant connection, sitting in a restaurant drinking: samshn, The young man rushed upon the elder from behind and with a heavy iron washer used in oil mills, dealt blow after blow on his viction until his head was reduced toa pulp. Then he ceased to strike and gave himself up to the officers of the law, who arrested him, The reason for the murder was simply this, that the murdered man had, eighteen years before, killed the young man's father. At that time being a child he knew nothing' of the affair. But years after he was told by his mother' and others, and since then for more than a decade has lived only for this one day of vengeance. It was Confucius who said that a son could not live under the same heaven with the murderer of his tather. It is reported that the son has complete evidence the man he killed was. his father's murderer. It is, therefore, confidently expected he will be released. But as the man he killed has a son, whose duty it isto put this young man out of the way, and presumably the young man himselfjis a father, the question naturally arises when this series of murders is to have an end? Such is one of the fruits to Confucian ethics.
A rumour,—we hardly dare call it more—comes from Shuntefu to the effect that a Roman Catholic establishment in that prefecture was attacked on or about the 4th of last month, by highwaymen who killed a man, wounded a foreign priest, and carried off twenty magazine rifles. It is to be noted in the attacks by brigands, how many of these are directed against places where there is a store of foreign weapons. It being impossible to import these into the country, and the possession of such being regarded as a crime, it will be readily seen that the capture of such weapons becomes a matter of difficulty and of importance to highwaymen. What the musket once was as compared to bow and arrows, the foreign magazine rifle or revolver is to the native horse pistol or gas pipe shot gun. It arms its poss sor with invincibility. At least the man at whom it is pointed thinks so.
2nd A Missionaries in Flight. the expected that seldom happens. In the southernmost part of Chihli long tongue of land separating the provinces of Shantung and Shansi), the South Chibli Mission (American) has teen active for three years past in acquiring property and winning converts. They have opened stations in four or more cities and a large increase to their missionary force is expected this autumn, This entire mission numbering more than twenty men and women, have been forced to lewvo, and with an escort. passed through this city on the 2ist of this month.
A New Race of Boxers, The cause of this exodus isthe sudden rise of " new anti-foreign sect known as the Teal Yusn (Z¢fM]), the revival under another name of the Boxers. This sect was known to be in existence last spring, and recently inthe neighbourhood of Chang-éfu, Northern Honan, has been "rining 8 members and prepsting for operations.
So secret was their organisation that nthing was known of their plans at Ta. ming fu, Chibli, until the day set for the lighter of all foreigners in that city had yy. The Orchardists," as foreigners are likely to call this new Boxer firm, had planned to enter the-city at the time of holding the examinations, but the Literary Chancellor failed t" appear, and the date was postponed.
Missionaries Not Allowed to Telegraph.
As soon as definite information was had the district magistrate was informed—who did nothing. Attempt was thea made to telegraph to the U.S. Minister at Peking. The operator sent it back several times for correction, and the" finally declined to send it at all,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.