September 2, 1896.]
Denby's neck. She grabbed hold of the wood- work of the window above her, and Colonel Denby did the same from his position; still the chance for escape was in the boat not completely capsizing. In a short time the other house boat, which carried the servants, came up, and the men climbed on to the side, or now the top, of the up-turned boat. They stretched their hands down through the window and dragged out first Mrs. Denby and then Col. Denby. Neither task was a light one. Getting outside the boat, they had to jump into the mud and water and wade up to the shore. By this time a crowd of spectators had gathered on the shore, but, as usual, never offered to do any thing. The boatmen, however, worked hard, trying to rescue a few things floating off in the water or hid away in the boat. After being transferred to the tag-boat, the Chinese boats and men were left behind to rescue as much as possible and to come on later, while Col. and Mrs. Denby proceeded on their way to Tung- cheo. In a short time a heavy gale came up, and the rain descended in torrents. Accommo- dation was found in the captain's room, and on Sunday they reached T'ungcheo. After some little trouble sedan-chairs were secured and on Monday they proceeded to Peking. The stone-road in places was covered with mud and water, making the task of carrying safely two such persons as these "heavy weights" by no means an easy one. Without further mishaps they at last arrived home. It is not yet known what is the loss, all of which is regarded as little when the danger is taken into consideration.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Looking at the breach in the Tientsin Bend | with the water, for some little distance at least, making a bee-line in the direction of the South Reach, it seems to a lay mind as if a favourable opportunity for making the long talked-of short cut has just been missed. Had there been any thing like a ditch existing to guide the course of the current to a given point and a boatload or two of stones sunk at the entrance of the East Reach, just where a portion of the stream still flows down, it certainly looks as if the river would have soon cut out a new channel, and abortened the distance between Tientsin and the Bar, which, in the opinion of many, is needed to improve the Peiho. It could, however, scarcely be foreseen that the breach would occur just where it did, and the only thing to do now is to get it repaired as soon as possible, and return the stream to its old channel past the match factory.
This unfortunate state of affairs points to one of two courses: either steamers will have to abandon Tientsin altogether in favour of T'angku and discharge their cargoes there; or prompt and drastic measures will have to be taken by all concerned in the direction of river improvement. To change the terminus of the steamers would, it is very evident, seriously affect vested interests here, and we hope that proper use will be made of the report now in course of preparation by Mr. de Linde to bring matters to an issue.
C
It is now more than a week since the breach in the Tientsiu Bend occurred, and nothing whatever has been done by the authorities. Both Col. and Mrs. Denby were remarkably This neglect is, no doubt, partly due to the free from all trepidation, the main anxiety of fact that the Viceroy, who is Superintendent of the former being for his wife. The Chinese, Northern Trade, has been allowed to remain in while also anxious to rescue her, thought it ignorance of the facts. It is, we believe, also especially incumbent on them to save the re-partly due to the fact that the Taotai does not presentative of the United States Government.
The whole journey, we understand, all the way from the steamer at the bar to Peking, was not only more troublesome and perilous, but more expensive than their trip by steamer from Kobe to Tientsin. All the trouble of delay, of transfer, of poor accommodation, of rains and winds, makes travelling in Chins far from agreeable.
hold his post as a substantive appointment, and that, having as usual paid handsomely for his appointment, and not knowing how soon he may have to move on, he is adverse to spending one cent more than he is compelled to. More- over, he appears to be a person of colossal ignorance in all matters of the world outside his yamen walls, and, as we are informed, he regards the present trouble in the river as a matter which can wait.
The East Rang on socount of the diversion of the current promises to become entirely silted up. If this happens, the stoppage of the rush of water by its normal outlet must lead to disaster to the surrounding country, to say nothing of the, at least, temporary cessation of
Colony Denby has returned greatly improved in health, though he requires to be careful. The medical treatment in Japan was of the best, bothes competent German and Japanese Waiting upon him. The attention of the Japa- nese Government was also the most cordial and flattering, but none too excessive. If he had been in good health, he could have parti-Tientsin as a port. cipated in many festivities. The Japanese more than the Chinese are quick to appreciate such labours as he put forth for the cause of peace.—Mercury correspondent.
THE PEIHO.
Tientsin, 22nd August. The most fruitful topic of conversation this week has certainly been the river, whose vaga- ries, have reached the culminating point of entirely suspending, for the time being, the lighter traffic of the port.
The breach in the bight of the Tientsin Bend, referred to in our last issue, is still open and the current rushing into it like a mill race, the immediate effect being the silting up of the East Reach to such an extent that it is only now
The acme of absurdity will be reached if we sit down and confess that it is in the power of any petty Nero to inflict so much damage and loss as the present neglect of the river entails. The Taotsi is not a big enough man for so big a rôle, and he should scarcely be consulted in the matter.
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started for Soochow, arriving there at three o'clock on Saturday morning, having only taken twelve hours to accomplish the journey of eighty odd miles. He at once commum- cated with Mr. Tsai, who is in charge of the Bureau for Foreign Affairs (our old frien Magistrate Tsai of the Mixed Court), and informed him of his desire to see. Taotai Lob that day. The sudden and totally unexpected appearance of the U.S. Consul- General upon the scene appears to have greatly perplexed and non-plussed the Soochow manda- rins, who were taken quite unawares, and before they had time to formulate their usual plans for procrastination and hair-splitting. An attempt was made to put off the Conanl-General's visit until next day, in order, apparently, to give the Taotai breathing time and some hours to collect his wits; but the old trick did not succeed, and in the same afternoon he had the pleasure of ex- plaining his outrageous attempt to violate foreign rights and to ride rough-shod over the new treaty. The result was that, after declar- ing publicly that no foreigner could rent or buy a house outside the new Concession, he offered to procure another house for Mr. Lambuth's steam-launch office beyond the Concession, and he was obliged, before any discussion as to the details of the settlement was reached, to first agree to the release and reinstatement in their homes of the two Chinese who had leased to Mr. Lambuth the house that the Taotai had seized and sealed up. This having been agreed to, after some of the usual Chinese official objections and a vain attempt to lead off the discussion into various side issues, the settlement of the little difficulty was satisfactorily arrived at, the Taotai being, during its progress considerably enlightened upon the rights of foreigners to reside and do business at the new treaty port, though it has not yet been formally declared open to commerce. It was clearly demonstrated to Lim that if there was any misunderstanding about this point, it was because of the ignorance or negligence of the Chinese Government to draw up the necessary rules and regulations for the new port and to declare it open, as the Shimonoseki Treaty stipulated that the four new ports were to become "open" within six months after the exchange, of the ratifications, and it was for the Chinese Government to make their rules and issue the necessary regula. tions in time and that they could not inflict injury upon foreigners wishing to take ad- vantage of the Treaty by pleading their own shortcomings. In justice to the Taotai, we may add that he does not appear to be even yet officially notified by his Government that Soochow is an open port, though it is believed that it will be declared open on the 1st October. Not only American residents, but all foreigners in China are under an obligation to the U.S. Consul-General for his prompt and strong action in upholding treaty rights in this matter and his example is one that we would like to see followed by some of his colleagues when their nationals' interests are threatened and injured.
The state of the river should be the subject of energetic representations to the Superin- Viceroy Wang Wenshao, and we feel sure that tendent of Northern Trade-that is, to the if he is made to understand the extremely If not, then Peking should be tried. It is serious nature of the case he will do something. simply appalling that so much wealth should be and that trade should be harassed to the limits wasted, so much misery and suffering caused,
of endurance year after year for the want of a little public money judiciously and honestly spent.—Peking and Tientsin Times.
PROMPT SETTLEMENT OF THE SOOCHOW DIFFICULTY,
THE RAILWAY QUESTION.
The chief topic of conversation in China for some months has been railroads; but few stop to think how many plans have been referred to the Chinese Government, and, in fact, we doubt
navigable for native cargo-boats and sampans. The lighter Shamrock and tug Fwo have been safely got back into the river, but the same risk of being sucked by the current into the plain attends any oraft of a dranght too deep to avoid getting within its influence. Loaded lighters have been able to get up to within & short distance of the match factory, where they A short time ago an American citizen rented have transhipped their cargoes into native a house at Soochow, intending to use it as an boats. Pai-tang-kao anchorage not being avail-office for a line of steam-launches between Soo-China as mercantile concerns, the stook to be able at present, owing to the shallowness of the reaches below, steamers are compelled to make T'angku their terminus, and to fall back upon native boats for the discharge of their cargoes, a state of things, we believe, unprecedented in the history of the port. The loss to the shipping interests concerned must be very serious; native cargo-boats only carry about 300 plouls each, and are limited in number. Taking into account therefore that they take at least three dan Po
day to make their way back to Tientsin against the stream, a long delay to the steamers is unavoidable
-f.
chow and Shanghai. The officials interfered, threw the owners into prison, and sealed up the house. The settlement of the affair is de- scribed by the China Gazette as follows :—
The little difficulty at Soochow between the local officials and Mr. Lambuth has been settled satisfactorily and with a rapidity that beats the record. This happy result is due solely to the energy and prompt action of Mr. T. R. Jernigan, the U.S. Consul-General. Immediately upon receipt of particulars of the trouble reaching Shanghai, Consul General Jernigan, took a steam-launch, and accompanied by Mr. Lambuth
criminated as to the points of difference." About their only plan at present is do nothing. The first plan which comes naturally to the mind of all the readers of the Gazette is the plan which was represented in the Imperial Ediot, and which Wei and Hsu and Liu and others attempted to carry out. This is none other than a plan to build the railroads of
taken up by the Chinese, and the business to be managed by them. This is all very fine and quite proper, but the only trouble is the Chinese won't subscribe. This is not that they have no money, but that they have no confidence either in the protection or stability Government, or in the honest and economical administration o
of Chineses direc is that foreigners have come fory plan of building the This plan is also very gets the concession. have not “caught on: The
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