It is understood that the Amir of Afghanistan has issued " proclamation to all Governors of provinces and othe is State, notifying that the ion has now returned to ud informs his subjects that the interests of Afghanistan were safeguarded ducing the late negotiations at Kabul. It is expected that a blae book will shortly be published, making known the terms of the new treaty with the Amir of Afghanistan; it is so important to India and the Empire at large that our interests should be paramount in that turbulent kingdom.
The Servant Question in Calcutta.
The servant question is becoming more beset with difficulties every day of and it has more than once been ed that servants from China would find appreciation of their well-known good qualities in the great cities of Ind The Imperial Anglo-Indian Society proached the Government of India some time ago, suggesting the establishment of registration offices, to facilitate the introduction of servants from outside Bengal.
The Plague in Rangoon has been spreading fast and has quite demoralized the place. Bows of native shops fare shut, and the owners have decamped.
almost impossible to get servants, and many European families are without any. Most of the servants of mn game from India, chiefly from Madras Presidency tempted by the higher wages. There been a sudden uniformity in which have, at this crisis, overtaken the families of Indian domestics. Every man's grandmother was dead and he must instantly have leave to return 'o his native village; French leave was often all that was required. Few cases of Europeans being attacked have, as yet, been reported, but there is' one Extraordin"ry case of a European clerk named Peel who dropped down dead one blood revealed the presence of plague bacilli, which accounts for his sudden demise. This is the most obscure and sudden case of death from plague hick s, yet, cosmrad in Rangoon. on tropical dgeases ax Str Patrick Manson tis that so great an authority
should insist that plague will not thi below a certain degree vf latitude an that Madras is on the right side of the line of demarkation, but, alas! for this theory, places both north and south of Madras have been severely scourged, for instance Mysure and Mangalore couth of Madras and more places than we can count to the north, to say no hing of Hongkong which is several degrees north of Bombay even, and yet many ~"y that there the plague originated, it has and always will exist in certain teeming centres of population adjacent to the colony.
The Rebuilding of Dharmesals.
The question of the safety or otherwise _Jof rebuilding Dharmasala on the same site is being considered and will shortly be reported on, As yet the country is by no means safe; continued tremors are felt at Simla, while in Lahore " large school build-g crashed down the other day, fortunately while uoocoapied; the building in question, St. Joseph's Orphanage, Lihore, was badly cracked in the earth: quake of the 4th of April, and was under repairs at the time. Noone was 'Y|hurt except one coolie working on the roof, who fell with the debris and was picked up and carried to hospital.
The area seriously damaged by the earthquake comprises about 700 square miles containing a population of ubout 250,000, of which it is estimated 17,000 lost their lives. Every house building in this aren has collapsed entirely or been so badly damaged as to be unin: Inbitable, The people are patiently rebuilding their little shanties in many. cases, and are provided by Goverament with free materials and food. Of this there is fortunately no scarcity, as the wheat harvest is just ripening.
New Customs House and Dock in Bombay.
In former days the Customs accommodation provided in B albay was very limited, ud on the arrival of big ocean steamer, the delay and inconvenience experienced by passengers from Europe, who found themselves mixed with a jostling crowd Orientals to whom time was no object was very great, All thesis now changed in the new and splendid. building [just erected, which cost Re. 2} lakhs ud took 2$ years to com] there ample accommodation for all. The city may well be proud of this added ornament which stands a living proof that Bombay, like the phoenix, is arising from her ashes in urester splendour than before, a witness to her prosperity which continues in spite of the dismal prophecy of seven years ago, that ft would be cheaper for the Bresidonoy and better for the Empire if Bombay were razed to the ground and the place that knew it should know it no more.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.