Bishop Sing, accompanied by a pastor named S., has just. returned from a Confirmation tour in Chuki, on a branch of the Hangchow River. The journey between Chuki city and Lingp'u was made in a hired river boat with a crew of three men: while still dark and a few li off Lingp'u, the large oar, worked by two men, aged 18 and 25, broke and both boatmen slipped from the stern of the boat into the fast flowing river and were apparently drowned. The boat and struggling men were immediately swept asunder by the current and the latter lost in the darkness.
Fortunately the third boatman was able to bear testimony as to what had actually happened, yet the Bishop and his companion were detained a long time at Lingp'u by Chinese who are oily too ready to make money out of such accidents. The bodies had not been recovered when the two travellers were eventually allowed to continue their journey, having left their addresses and a promise to help with money, though entirely free from blame in the matter. Just how the affair will turn out remains to be seen.
Tue construction of the Canton Tramway will begin soon, according to those in authority. The $3,500, 000 capital desired has been almost fully subscribed; and some $600,000 worth of materials for the proposed street railway have been ordered.* The manager of the company has returned from America and is busy planning for an early commencement of the construction work.
Mr. Wang Kuang-chi, Chinese Minister to Italy, has' informed the Peking Government that Italy is in need of raw silk and that Italian importers have decided to order large shipments of silk from China early next year. He suggests that in order to maintain the reputation of Chinese silk in foreign markets, it is necessary to establish a silk testing office at Shanghai to examine silk for exportation so as to prevent adulteration.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.