From Our Own Connesroxpest, Mienchow, Sze., Apr. 4.
I hear that she British Minister i ig has presented a protest the planting of opium in wan, It is not without reason, T have myself in the Inst few days seen excellent (1) crops of opium growing in the Mienchuhsien district; occupying the best land and unblushingly open, There is a tax on all telegrams that ave sent from Mienchow ¢up-[posed to be to help the poor peopl it is assessed at 10 conta for provineial telegrams, 20 cents for those to Shanghai, and'30 cents on all fore eign ones The great drought which still prevails in Mienchow seems to be largely Local, At Lokiang, Mie chu and other places there has been considerable amount, "end crops Mienchow the scarcity of rain is only felt in the nigh places, There are flourishing fields Jwheat, mustards, peas, beans, ete, where' the river water can be sent.
The party of the Into Dr, Sun Yat-sen are preparing to pay him Posthumous honours at Chungking by sacrifice, I have not heard a date fixed, but it will most probably take place before this appears.
Here is a story from a Chinese newspaper which illustrates the Prevent condition of affairs: soldiers went to Chiangehin (to. the south of Chungking on the Upper Yangtze) to buy rice. 'They bought large quantity and endeavoured to ship it. The people, who are feeling the shortage of food, cam round to the number of several hundred to prevent this. 'They boarded the boats, and some were shot dead by the' soldiers, In. the melee some were drowned. 'They succeeded, however, in preventing the removal of the' rice, The date of this paper which reached hero to-day is April 1,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.