The bright prospect of a month ago for the tice crop was blasted in September by a fierce gale which damaged the crops from 40 to 50 per cent. This makes a bad situation worse, While it is admitted that there are some indications of a bet-ferment, it ig asserted that this merely superficial, and that in reality business has not improved; nor can it, it is declared, as long as silk brings the small price that it does.
On September $0 the launch train from Shanghai was pirated of a place near Li-chi. The pirates had three confederates on the launch, who forced the engineer to stop at the place where the pirate boat was walt-Ing. Everything of value was stripped from the boat even to passengers' cigarettes and food, The total loss was over $1,000, "A few days ago a launch from Hangchow overturned a small boat. Taree were drowned. The launch stopped a few minutes and then, arrangements {or 'a settlement of the affair. On ite Feturn trip at a high bridge near the place where the boat had been over. turned the launch was compelled to stop by men dropping large stones from the bridge, The engineer and the compradore were taken off as a guarantee for a satisfactory settlement.
'A brief visit has just been paid to Huchow by several dignitaries of the M.-E. Church, South. They were Bishop Moore; Dr. Cram, Secretary of the Board of Missions; and Dr. Quillign, Secretary of the Board of Education of the Church. Accompany: ing these were Mrs. Moore, Miss Evelyn Moore, Arthur Moore Jr, Miss Sessions, and Mrs. Quillian, Mr. 43, H. H. Berckman was conductor of the party.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.