Hangchow, July 6.
An immense amount of rain has fallen during the past few days and the canals everywhere are ful} and many overflowing. The railway station launch, which normally runs regularly to Sanchiaopu, taking passengers to Mokanshan, has not been running for some days as the waters are so high that it is impossible for boats to get under the bridge at Tsehtsien. The river there is so swollen that there is a veritable torrent of waters rushing through and the boatmen absolutely refuse to attempt a passage through. The only way that intrepid travellers to Mokanshan can go by way of Hangchow is to hire a native houseboat as far as Tsehtsien and hire a small one from thence to Sanchiaopu. But the plain from Sanchiaopu to the foot of the mountains is also under water and many have had thrilling experiences crossing this plain. The road is completely covered by water and. the chair bearers can only go at a snail's pace through water over their knees. They carry a long stick with which they test every footfall. Woe betide the unhappy person who would be precipitated into the water should the bearers take a false step! Next Monday will be. the earliest for anybody to get through in comfort, given that the rain stops now, which is quite uncertain.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.