To the Editor of the "Norra-Cama Datty News."
Sir,—In_ the obituary notice of the late Captain S, C. Plant, ap pearing in the '"North-China Herald" of March 5, the hope was expressed "that the powers that be will erect at Ichang, at the entrance to the Gorges' a memorial to him in the same way as Lessens memory has been perpetuated at the entrance to the Suez Canal."
The best monument to Captain Plant is the work he has left behind, which will ever remain the foundation of what is hereafter done for the improvement of the navigation of the Upper River. Whilst I am in cordial agreement With the idea. that recognition of his work should be shown in some public way, I would, as one who had known Captain and Mrs. Plant for a number of years, who had had opportunities of studying them and judging what would be most ju accord with their desires, venture to make a modification in the above suggestion.
Captain and Mrs. Plant were simple, homely, kindly, genuine people of sterling worth to whom any publicity was abhorrent. They would desire nothing ornamental unless it were also useful. Captain Plant was always materially assisted in his work in many ways by his wife and any tribute to him would have something lacking did it not include her as well. In her kindly way Mrs. Plant always showed an interest in native girls whose parents desired to sell them and had herself purchased several to preserve them from the sorry fate which would otherwise have been theirs. These she trained up suitably to their condition in life in her own household and married them off in their own station when they were old enough, making some small provision to enable them to establish themselves comfortably. At the time of her death Mrs. Plant had two such girls whom she was taking home to England with the intention of bringing them back to China after a year when she intended settling them suitably in life by marrying them off, if they wished, and giving them a small dowry before her final return to Europe. Mrs.. Plant told me that these were her intentions a month before her death.
Both Captain and Mrs. Plant always showed the greatest interest in the welfare of the trackers and those connected with the junks of the Upper River.
In view of the above considerations I would suggest the following as a suitable memorial (1) A. statue of Captain Plant with arm raised and pointing up river in token of his desire to open up communications with Szechuen, to be erected some dangerous place
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.