Scotsmen were at home on Decen= per 2 at the Amoy Club in honour of their patron saint. The gathering was nol as large as thow of previous years, but Kulangsu boasts of only eight Scotsmen and the east of entertaining, falling" heavily on 60 few shoulders, belies the xenerally- accept-reputation that Scotsmen have, been given. Mr. Forsyth accountant the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank, was chosen Chieftain for the occasion: Highland dew was" there although not conspicuous, but that deadly modern concoction the cocktail decidedly was, The brew was the invention of Captain Barwick and it down with the creamy velvety fide that delighted and The gallant captain strutted about proud of the perversity of ship.
Scottish Indy would tackle a haggis, that titbit of Caledonia, but a daring Russian lady lace of honour, al solitary grandeur on an enormous Dlue-dragon" trencher, curling and wierd-looking. But s0 does an ordinary Gaelic haxxis for that matter, $9 its grim forbidding aspect could" be excused. It tasted quite good, too. The thing that mattered most, however, to these Scotsmen was aecomplished: the honour and hospitally bonny Scotland was vindicated despite perversities and a typhoon and everyone was hilariously happy in "hoochs" and whirling heels rollicking in all the old fashioned Scottish dances.
'A. pleasant early morning was Sutsien, Ku, Dee. 4.
'The crops in this district this year are well above the average of recent years, the principal grains being Wheat, corn, beans and kaoliang, While' the acreage was somewhat reduced by war conditions, the total yield is stilt more than usual and the amount of grain produced is sufficient, and more than sufficient, to supply the needs of the local people.
'There ts great abundance "of! radishes, Chinese cabbage and all sorts of' vegetables, while the sweet potato crop is enormous, A few Weeks ago, at the beginning of frost, almost all' the country people were busy harvesting this crop and the fields were full of men, women and children, digging sweet potatoes; the country roads were full of wheelbarrows carrying them home, The potatoes ore large and fine, and are fold at less than one cent per catty, They form a very important part of the diet of the people of this district during autumn and winter, Chinese cabbage, radishes and various green Vegetables, cost about one cent per catty, Needless to say, war always, destroys large quantities of supplies of fall kinds, In. this district, consider ble quantities of grain have been "acquired" by armies of both sides! jand thousands of homes have been robbed by bandits, operating under various aliases, and the grain. has been carried off or burned by them. Japanese and Korean merchants are buying grain and shipping it_ to North China, In some places, such activities are forbidden, and. largely prevented, by guerillas; but thus far hho restrictions have been enforced here, The general opinion is. that the quantity now being shipped out fof this district by Japanese and Korean merchants is less than the quantity shipped out by local merchants in time of peace who are now of able to ship grain at all, unless in companies under specia! protection, Prices Much itigher Until recently, prices of grain wore very litre" higher, than the average of past years at the same casson,. Tu the past few weeks, how-fever, wheat has risen about 30 per Sent' and corn about' 80 per eat, Of course, "prices vary" indifferent {otafities but"in the rural" districts the cost of food is not high enough {o constitute a serious problem for those who have money, "Laeal ose ["seling at from 7 40" 10 cents for Prices of fuel are much higher tran howe. of gran, snd have been for several "months " past, Some lends of swamp" reeds "are about twee "as "expensive as in normal Sears, These reeds are extensively tued for building houses, es well for tel, Building materials are expensive, and some kinds of them are hard obtain at any price, Nearly all. the fonses of the common people have rails built of earth or of reeds. and Hollang stolka" and "plastered. with Tutt "he roots are made of poles Sand kaoliang talks or reeds, "and thatched with wheat straw or Swamp frase, "Thousands of famille in the district "have no, houses or no. od-equate houses. "Poles are very scarce ind. expensive, As. cold weather Comes an, there will be widespread find severe suffering, for' lack Houses, bedding and" warm clothing. Cotton ie two. or three "Umer 3
Sxpemive arn orman years and Sloth is high iso, Countless people fave lost al bedding and: wadded slothing and are not able to buy
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.