Ichang, June 15.
Steamer traffic on the Ichang-Chungking run is not doing well this year. it is now obvious that the days of Jarge profits are past, and the sooner the companies get down to ordinary rates, and cease expecting large returns foe their outlay, the better. There are far too daany steamers on the rua. Recently there has been a good deal of firing on the steamers by troops ashore, and not only on the ships, hut on junks as well. The other day two men were brought into the Mission Hospital, one shot through the ankle, and the other through the face.
The boycott of Japanese ships and goods continues unabated. Te is svidom one sees a saltpan going off to one of their ships, and those who might do so are reminded of the risk they run by seeing the halves of two sampans, which were cut in two for th: grave offence of cirrying passengers to a Japanese steamer, on exhibition on the foreshore. There has been no actual outbreak between the Chinese ind Japanese, and there have been no recent demonstrations by the students, but the feeling against them keeps acute, and it looks as if the boycott may last a long time. In the meantime the steamers both above and below Ichang keep going, but they carry little. The Th-yang Maru is said to be on the rocks about Wanhsien.
There are lots of troops still being sent up-river to the help of Yang Sen's army. It is shameful to see the way these men are crowded on the steamers, and doubtless there would be great loss of life if a ship came to grief in its dangerous passage up river.
We are having abundant rain, and the crops ought to be good, though the farmers still have their lament of ruined hopes for this season.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.