Sungkiang, Ku, Jan. 24.
Last Saturday night, I witnessed th: completest and the quietest eclipse of the moon, during a long life. 1 not know whether the Chinese are learning better, or whether it was {oo Into and too cold for much demonstration, at any rate the poor moon was left to take care of he: self. T thought T heard a few crackfers fung at the beginning, but soon stopped snd neither did I hes:
gong bang.
Just now our. city is taken refugees. They seem to come from the country around Yebzah, Chekian 'A new lot came in yesterday. The say that there are now about 1,500 here, 'They li the streets and are pliable to see. Late last night, 1 Passed a number of them still out in) the open. 'They have no place tw' slay at nights save outside shelters and Such places as they can find. The authorities have been doling oni to them rice and some money. To-day they gave them about four pieces of Chinese bread for an adult and two pieces for each child. It Is hard to keep track of them and they arz rather a ability on the streets, 'They fo in to tea houses and make tea drinking uncomfortable for thos: who ike to take their tea at ease with nothing from outside to trouble Common beggars can be kept away even at the end of a stick, bu' they cannot treat these poor unfortunate in this manhandling fashion. The chairman of the chamber commerce told me to-day that begin: ning to-morrow, they would mak: use of a large temple enclosure, as each person entered the enclosure, they would be given their loaves. bread and there would be tea pre pared for them inside, but thes would not be allowed on the stree: s during the day, and would be turned ut as evening approached. In thi: way they hope to bs able to kes them more in hand. There seems Uttle hope of getting rid of them for over a month yet.
'Surgklang Is famous for a certain' kind of fish, which comes in abou' this time of the year. Tt is noted for having four gills, and is called the four-gilled perch. They are considered a delicacy at feasts and have made Sungkiang noted for centuries In the Story of the Three Kingdoms. mention is made of their being sent to the emperor as a gift, It is sale that they Will keep quite a while packed in rice hulls, It is said tha' they are caught in only one place here, in the canal that flows under the Sieuya Bridge, a well known bridge near here.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.