The mining of tungsten ore has gone on apace during the past few seeks, there being reported to be a few thousand people here, and what was only a short time ago nothing but a bare hill is now turned into a busy hive of workers, One man with whom I talked recently told me that there were about 10,000 people here, and that there had sprung up a large village with shops of all kinds, selling the usual household necessaries. Another rather enlightened man with whom I had a talk some time ago and who has been engaged more in the buying and selling of it than in the actual mining, was inquiring about some machinery for the purpose, but I could not help him as he' had no very clear idea as to what was required. Taken all round there seems to be enough sale for the stuff to make it worth while for many to mine what they can. But just a few days ago there appeared an article in the local paper which s a communication from the Tuchun with regard to this tungston, camphor, and saltpetre, setting forth the fact that as these commodities were such as could be used by the military for the manufacture of ammunition it was the right and proper thing that they should be in the control of the Government. Therefore, there was ar office to be opened in the office men of that dignitary, and also Sub-offices to be opened in all districts where these articles were produced or mined, and thereafter all such have to pass through that body in order to be legal. Moreover all likin stations are informed that all such commodities passing their way, unless bearing the official stamp, are to be confiscated, One can only heave a sigh at such news, remembering what happened when the -same procedure was enacted with regard to the onetime prosperous—copper mine nearby, The result will be the almost immediate closing of this avenue of earning a living for many, and it sounds the death-knell to all such enterprise, as it will hereafter be insufficient to pay the Government expenses; Istaxp Nayicatio, We have bad this spring and summer a very handy service of steam launches from Nanchang and by all reports they are paying well. The future for this inland navigation looks bright, and it has recently been announced that certain member of the gentry in Kian has raised a company and sent men to see the depth and measure the current, after which they will order some steamers from Shanghai firms, and they are in hope that by next spring the new company will have at least two new boats on this route.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.