Frost un Own Comssrosoext Shaohsing, July 13.
During the past fortnight the topic Jot conversation with everyone is the Jweather, and the serious effects of {the widespread drought. In normal times a few weeks of dry weather do not alarm the farmers on this Jarge plain owing to the great net work of canals that hold a reserve supply.
At present most of the city canals Jare dry and are being used as shelters {from the burning sun of the mornings and afternoons." The. human water carriers are doing a great trade, selling average loads of water for seven and eight cents, This relief only for the relatively well-to-do households; the "poor have to resort to digging holes in the drying canal beds and after waiting some time filling their litre buckets with foul water. It is fortunate that no Jepidemics have broken out so far, Jotherwise the results would be Sevastating.
Small boats have ceased to operate the city and now we find that the long distance launches are also stopped as the wide canals are too shallow for such traffic. The price fof rice has also been raised owing both to the dittculties of transport Jand the prospect of a rice crop failure. Old residents state that 9 further extension of the drought for a week or ten days will mean no ferop this year. In some parts the late crop is not yet planted, awaiting rain to. soften the upturned clods, and the seed beds" nearby languishing from want of a" small trickle of water to keep moist. the roots The scarcity of water has urged most of the city leaders to think of setting up a modern water supply for this large city. Some say that there is a prospect of It being undertaken before another year has passed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.