Our Postal Inspector, Mr W. W, Ritchie, is now off for a two months' leave of absence, during which he expects to make an extensive trip down to Hongkong, then back to Shanghai and up the Yangtze as far as Hankow, from which place he will work back to Chinanfu by rail and cart to Kaiféngfu and boat down the Yellow River to his starting-point. Before leaving ho inaugurated a rapid postal service between here and Tientsin, by which mail matter goes through within three days and nights, 72 hours, the couriers running pg and night. Mr. Ritchie's place is being taken temporarily by Mr. Hinrichs, of Tsingtao.
25th August.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.