Chinkiang, Aug. 7.
Whilst other parts of the country are being devastated by war, famine or flood, this section is imjune from anything of this nature. For miles round the country is enjoying peace and prosperity. A good average wheat crop was harvested and now the fields are green with the growing rice. The heat this summer has not been unbearable, we had a run of hot days and nights through part of July, but now, though it is warm through the day, the nights can be passed comfortably.
The river has risen very high this year and the water in the northern section of the Grand Canal is so high that it is not allowable for launches to ply up to Tsingkiangpu. The farmers are afraid that the backwash caused by the propeller will wash out their fields, This useful waterway is rendered useless for steam traffic through a good portion of the years In winter the water is too low or is frozen over and in summer it is too high. would be a great boon if the proposed motor road from Chinkiang to Tsingkiangpu would became an accomplished fact, and that would leave travellers independent of the uncertain waterway.
Suortace or Icr.
The past winter was so mild here that the ice merchants were unable to collect sufficient ice to supply the needs of the community. The local supply gave out some time ago, and now we have to depend upon an uncertain supply brought down the canal in boats with sometimes an interval of several days between cargoes, or else get a supply by rail from Shanghai.
'A report went abroad that a part of the railway tunnel here had collapsed. Such is not the case, but one side of the eastern approach slipped down across the track for a little distance. Workmen were soon put on and cleared away the clay, so there was little interruption with traffic.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.