T have just returned from a trip of a few days through the, northeast of this district, where I met a large number of people and had interviews with many. There seems to be a general consensus of opin~ ion that the present quietness is altogether.too good to last, and there must be another burst after the Chinese New Year. Then I met with many friends of the Provincial Civil Governor ¢lect, and they are all waiting until' he has taken over the seals, when a large number of them will go to Nanchang to get office. Quits a number that I know personally are sure-of at least a likin station.~ It seems awful that all officials must of necessity take with them the whole clan, or as many as possible.
The whole district has in the past 100 years or so suffered much from the barrenness of its hills, which originally contained much timber. This has gradually been weeded away with no planting and there are now miles and miles of barren red hills which are being washed down into the river as fast as possible. I crossed the river at several places and noticed that the bed was higher than the surrounding fields by about two feet, so that, when rain has fallen for about an hour, the river is full and a break means that there is a great amount of sand deposited on these fields, Thus every year much arable land is thus claimed by the river.
The district has now fewer soldiers than ever before and all seems to be going well. There are no complaints, the people are quiet, and the farmers are going ahead with their labour. Alas, the increase in likin is being felt by every one, but most by the small dealers, who have only a very limited capital to work en. The sugar is now being crushed, and there seems to "be a very good cro} Schools have had somewhat of a hard time this term, and the Middle School is about to close for the New Year. Disagreements amongst the staff have caused the retirement of some of the teachers, and, as there is so far no Government grant, it is not easy to get others. The latest was a mathematics teacher, who is a really clever man, and his students were exceedingly sorry that he resigned.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.