The crops all around this district have really been bumper ones this year, as though to make up for the shortage of the early part of the.year. Glorious weather now prevails and the planting of spring crops has been in full progress for some time and is now drawing to close. The young wheat is already appearing in a healthy condition. During a recent tour, I learned that opium is again being planted in considerable quantities in certain counties adjoining the mountains, though, so far as I can gather, our own. county seems to be quite free from it. The military authorities are taking tax of $12 per mow for permission to grow opium, which permission in some cases amounts almost to a command. Several cases of refusal to grow opium and thus escape the tax have been followed up by a request for a special subscription to military funds, which request must be complied with under pain of punishment or imprisonment, or' both.
Just at the moment of writing, your correspondent is taking a journey by boat, and he has never experienced so much difficulty in getting a passage. Some time ago, I mentioned that the Third Division Szechuan troops, under Gen. Teng, had been up their headquarters in Chungking, but they left behind a remnant of about. 1,000 men, who are just about leave and so every boat on the river for a distance of 300 li hag been commandeered, but, by payment of sums varying from $1 to $50, they may escape the journey. The boat I eventually obtained had to pay, even though J, had_ received the sanction of the authorities. Trade is absolutely at a standstill] and, as there are a number of places dependant en this district for rice, a Serious situation exists. The Third Division are now demanding a parting present of $30,000. It 's scme nine months since they took over these five counties and in that time they have taken the whole of the land tax for four years, besides other contributions, fines, ete. Now the Tenth Division are taking over contro] and have already had a ivan from the gentry on the strength of -the 1£th year of the Republic iand tax. Our new defenders (sic) are not so well drilled or disciplined as the men of the Third Division On the other hand, the civil n-agitirates the general is appointing are making headway against the Iccal banditti, and, as usual, some are being absorbed.
A esse has just gone through the law-courts here of a headman of local militia (Tuan Tsong) who has been lending out rifles to: obbers at $1-per night. This sum bad to be paid down before the rifles could:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.