SHANGHAI.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5342, 11 May 1878, Page 3

SHANGHAI.

(SPECIAL COBKESPOifDEKTS TO PKESS AGENCY.) Shanghai, March 14. The topic of chief interest at' the present moment is the famine in North China. Last year parts of the seaboard provinces of this vast empire, Shettung and Chihli, suffered from the failure of the crops ; but this year the scene of misery and destitution is much greater, covering portions of the four provinces of Shansi, Shensi, North Honau and South Chihli—in fact, ' the', central part of Northern China, on both Wanks of the Yellow River. Not only is the famine district much greater than it was last year, but it is far less accessible, hence the suffering is much more fearful. It would be almost impossible to exaggerate the state of poverty, hunger, and wretchedness which prevails. It is estimated that about ten millions of people are faminestricken. In the province of Shansi alone a native estimate gives one thousand deaths daily from absolute want. Not from native sources alone, however, are accounts obtained of the extent and character of the suffering. Protestant and Catholic missionaries have gone to the famine districts and reported upon what they saw. Did not the state-, meuts come from indisputable sources, it would be impossible to believe iu such a terrible mor-. tcility. To obtain a morsel of food parents sell their children as slaves, girls and women, have been consigned to a condition worse than slavery, and in many instances the wretched inhabitants have been driven to eat corpses to maintain their own lives. Iu some places the roads were found strewu witli dead, and famished crowds followed the missionaries, piteously demanding succor. , The Imperial Government has exerted itself on behalf of the sufferers from famine, sending large quantities of rice to the districts, and remitting taxation. The foreigners in China, who aided so nobly last year, are also striving hard to mitigate the distress. A committee has been formed, at Shanghai to receive svbsoriptious, and this city and Hongkong have been' canvassed for. help. Aid was also solicited by telegraph from Europe and America. The result; of these appeals has been the collection of . about £IO,OOO, which is being forwarded to the missionaries in the north who are personally superintending the distribution of relief. All, however, that has been and can be done by Government and private aid will be as a mere drop to the ocean, and the famine of 1878 will be remembered as one of the most terrible on record.

The China Merchants’ Steam Navigation Company has just suffered considerably by the loss of the Howsang and the Bhang, Chang, two of their finest steamers. This company, consisting entirely of Chinese, purchased last, year the ships, plant, and property , of the’ Shanghai Steam Navigation Company, for. 2,000,000 taels, equal to £500,000. The object of the company is to drive foreign vessels from the coast and 'river trade, being part of the Imperial policy to get rid of the “outside barbarians.” The result of the company’s undertaking is being watched with; great interest. . The Howsang was, lost on Dodd’s Island, off Amoy, and the Kiang Chang ou Porpoise Bock, in the Yangtsze. Courts of Enquiry were held ou the loss of both vessels, which were commanded and officered by foreigners, pending the time when, as the Chinese hope, their own countrymen may be able to fill such appointments. In the case of the Howsang, the chief officer, who was in charge at the time of the wreck, was drowned, and the Court came to no decision. No other life was lost. In the case of the Eaang Chang the Court attributed the loss to errors of judgment on the part of the foreign pilot. The company does not insure its vessels.

A case was tried in the Supreme Court lately in which a British gunboat sought to recover damages, sustained in a collision, from the owners of the steamer Dragon. The collision took place some time ago in the river Yangtsze, the Frolic sustaining great damage, being, in fact, almost cut in two. The curious part of the case was that both vessels had been watching each other for a long time before the collision, and striving to get out of each other’s way. The Court found that the fault lay with the Dragon, and gave judgment for the gunboat, damages to be assessed. The Dragon attributed the collision to the imperfect lights of the Frolic, and official evidence was given showing that the lights carried by the gunboat, although up to the recent regulation pattern, were so small and imperfect, as tested by the Board of Trade requirements, that no British merchant vessel would be allowed to clear from any port with them. The Court hinted that they thought better lights should be carried by British men-of-war, but were not of opinion that the character of the lights had led to the collision. The lights were, in fact, up to the requirements of the Act of Parliament, though much below the Board of Trade regulations.

The Woosnng railway, twelve miles long, from Woosung to Shanghai, and the only one in China, was purchasedfrom its foreign owners by the Chinese Government, and has been pulled up lately, and the whole material lies piled up; its destination is unknown. The destruction of this railway has been made a great deal of, as showing the conservative and retrogressive spirit of the Chinese, but subsequent revelations have shown that the Chinese have been greatly imposed upon; that they had never really consented to the construction of a railway, and that the ivork was executed in au underhand manner. Probably by destroying the line the Government only wished to assert its authority, and to show that foreign inventions must not be forced upon them. During its short career the natives very extensively patronised this railway. That the Chinese are not so conservative as is commonly imagined, is shown by their constant use of steamboats, and by the fact that the first large firm in Shanghai to avail itself of the telephone is the native steamboat company above alluded to. A native company is being formed to work coal and iron mines to the north-west of Tientsin. These districts have been inspected by a foreign miningengineer, and most favorably reported upon. There is everyreason for believing that China is rich in minerals. The capitalof the company is over £200,000, the greater part of which has been subscribed. The China Merchants’ Steam Navigation Company and the Imperial arsenals will have the right to purchase the coal and iron before any is put on the market. A fixed dividend of 10 per cent, on each share will first be paid ; one-fifth of the remaining profit will be distributed as a bonus among the employes; the balance will go to the shareholders. The opening of these mines is more significant than may at first sight appear. China has been treasuring her minerals for the benefit of future generations, trusting that the exhaustion of othor lands would add greatly to her wealth and position. Circumstances, however, are awakening her to a knowledge of the present value and importance of such riches,; and tempting her to discard her ancient policy. Mast important results may be expected to follow from opening these mines.

At present there is nothing of particular interest to report concerning Monokton Synnet’s experiments in woollen yarns. His agents here are having further samples of cloth made, and are steadily persevering in, their efforts for the promotion of the undertaking. It must be remembered that the Chinese are very slow in such matters, and difficulty is experienced in getting them to take up actively an experimental business of the kind, from which they do not anticipate an immediate pecuniary benefit.