Conditions this summer are said to be particularly bad. At Grant Point, 39 miles below Ichang the Customs' channel is reported to be 500 yards off the actual course, the two beacons there having been useless for weeks. The Shasi Flats are said to shift continually, making each trip an experiment with the channel and extremely dangerous. At Sunday Island, the Customs beacons are said to be good for high water, but to be absolutely useless at present, That the con-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.