A good illustration of the slowgoing disposition of the fining people is just at hand. It concerns work for the public welfare and there is nothing in which they are more slow-going. Almost three months ago the irrigation stream which supplies water for the gardens in the city and in the villages adjacent to the south was cut off by a flood in the usually tiny stream which, flows by Sining's west gate. The country people. said, "We are busy about our grain and other matters, some time later will do to repair." The city people said, We will wait until a more convenient season." Meanwhile gardens baked in the summer sun and country and city people trembled Lest all vegetables should destroyed. Then at last all were ready. when necessity drove them on shovels and picks were brought out, wagons commandeered to haul stones and earth, Mohammedans and Chinese worked together with a will and in a few days water could flow again.
Then the oracles were consulted and alas! it was not a lucky day. So they must wait a few more days before they could allow the—first muddy stream to flow in through the parched and baked ditch beds. In this part of China it is not unusual when an irrigation ditch breaks, to see the road for a long distance for some months afterwards used by the prodigal stream and travellers on the road are compelled to use the dry bed where the stream should be flowing.
The splendid bridge for all traffic, except carts, outside Sining west gate was also destroyed by the flood mentioned above. There is no attempt to rebuild it, so for Many years to come, it will doubtless remain an unsightly ruin, a monument to the best that the Sining Chinese bridge contractor can produce.
On the tenth of this month the schools of the city tried to have a little commemoration of the! beginnings of the Chinese Republic. Outside the schools there was very little interest. Probably the head of the Merchants' Guild failed to notify the shops to display their patriotism in the shape of flags and other signs. The majority of people here know as much-about what happened at Wuchang seme years ago as the natives of Borneo knew about the famous shots at Lexington which ushered in the American Republic.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.