Waste land.—There are in the province of Chihle, 80,000 kings, or 8,000,000 Chinese acres of waste land; which the underlings of office continue to turn to their own advantage; and thereby hinder its being cultivated for the benefit of the people. The governor of Chihle is ordered, by the Emperor, to set honestly to work, and remedy the existing evils.
The Coachmen who bring their masters to the public Court at Peking have, of late, become very troublesome. They are probably most of them hackney coachmen, as they have recourse to violence to enforce their exactions. It has moreover been represented to the Emperor, that they have a good deal of intercourse with the Mandarin servants, and the numerous body of writers in the various courts. This intercourse his Majesty has strictly interdicted for the future.
Sacrifices at the public expense are to be offered at the tombs of a Tartar prince and princess lately deceased.
Tanka boats.—The local government is carrying the detail of licensing, even to the petty tanka boats, which contain no more than three or four poor women and children. This measure is adopted, it is said, with a view to prevent coasting pirates. This is "doing something" with a witness.
Native Junks.—Several of these vessels, wholly or partially dismasted, arrived from Siam soon after the Tyfung. They report the foundering of a large junk a few days before they arrived. The estimated number of seamen who perished was 82.
East Turkestan.—At Yarkand, or Yerkiang,—(the latter is the more correct pronunciation of the name), 12,600 sacks, to be made of Mohammedan cloth, are ordered, for the use of the army there. It should be remembered that Yerkiang is now the Capital of Turkestan, in place of Cashgar.
A dark picture.—Wooyungchaou. has suffered death for the murder of his wife, a daughter about the age of fifteen, and a neighbour's daughter whom he found in his house. The illicit intercourse of his wife, with an adulterer, who made his escape, led to this catastrophe.
Had he murdered his wife only, he would probably have escaped punishment; but he killed the two young women also, and then accused a neighbour, named Amei, of robbery and murder. Amei was tortured till he confessed that of which he was entirely innocent; and, at the dictation of the police, mentioned the name of a wealthy neighbour as an accomplice. The rich man paid money to arrest proceedings; and Amei passed through the court of Sinning district, and the Kwangchowfoo's office as a murderer. Providence, however, did not let him suffer death. The Nanhae magistrate discovered the facts; liberated Amei, and brought Wooyungchaou to his deserved fate.
The murder of a priest—This affair took place on the 27th inst. at one of the temples, situated without the western gates of the city and not far from the foreign factories. The murderer, as well as the murdered man, was a priest of Budha. The only of the case which we have heard are, that the quarrel originated in a dispute about some money, and that the parties fought with knives.
Postscript.—Ching-gan-tsih and Hing-fuh-shan, literary examiners from Peking, arrived in the neighbourhood of Canton a few days ago; on the 1st of the 8th moon (the 26th inst.) they came to the provincial city, and yesterday visited the Kung-yuen—a hall for the reception of literary graduates at the usual examinations.
More than six thousand candidates, we are informed, have already arrived in the city, of whom only seventy-two can receive degrees. The examination is to commence on the 8th of the 8th moon (Sept. 2d). and continue nine days.
