HUANGPU, To the Editor of the "Noarw-Curxa Datuy News Six,—The numerous questions involved in your issue of to-day, anent "Norrn-Citxa Daty News, Stn,—I notice in your issue of to-day fan account of the stranding of the.s. Kiang Ching "in the harbour, off the circumstance in the adventures of this waterworks." This incident is only steamer within the past few days and will serve to illustrate the method of navigation practised @ oumber of ship-masters visiting the port, who uovlertake to handle their vessels without pilots to the common danger, and, ina number of cases, under an agreement with their charterera of receiving half pilot The adventures of the Kiang Ching began daring the typhoon in the middle of last month when she pnt back to Shang! dis-and defective ground tackle. Then on tress owing, L understand, to overloading her return voyage she was ran ayroun in a most dangerous position between the Kintoan and Tangshan lightships, but was fortunate in having fine weather to xet off again.
On the morning of the 29th when coming down the Huangpu she was put ashore on the Pontang side in No. 7 Section anil succeeded in getting off, beached off Witmore Road on the bat not for long, as she was again Shanghai side within a few minutes, with the result already stated in your issue of to-day. Uf the danger to navigation generally was confined to these steamers it would not matter 60 much, but unfortunately they are a source of constant anxiety and danger to anyone meeting them in narrow waters. It is well-known to both pilots and masters of coasting steamers who know the river well, that in meeting vessels of this description all thought of adhering to the rule of the road has perienced and careful pilate is not capable of thorough investigation and discussion within the space one can reasonably expect, even on such a subject, from a newspaper. I must, therefore, confine myself to @ sum: of the position generally, as it is well known to the mercantile marine of this port bat is little dreamed of by those whose business has no concern with the safe navigation of the Huangpu, acted as wharfinger for Messrs. Butterfield & Swire, for the past ten years, I consider myself competent fully to endorse what Capt. Carmichael says about a Japanese Master's capacity for getting his ship into trouble, running down, and into, ships, wharves or It is not sufficient for them that they are ignorant of their business as shipmasters, but when bringing their vessels alongside or taking them away, they pay no regard whatever to any orders they may receive, generally with disastrous results; if not, with a large amount of loss of time and unn work, But the worst feature in their method of procedure is the unfair way in which their trade is conducted.
Tt is "notorious and well known fact that many of these Japanese steamers come to the Bell Buoy and anchor until Scoaster or other steamer which has taken a pilot comes slong, when they Promptly get under weigh and follow the other steamer in. This does very well until they get to Woosunz, from which point they are obliged to navigate the Huangpa alone, thereby becoming a danger to themselves and all concerned, 48, generally speaking, they know little or nothing of the inner river, the rule of the road or anything else that goes towards the safe handling of ship-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.