THE CHINESE.
—The revival power is being manifested to a greater extent in Japan than elsewhere.
—A union for Christian work among the Chinese of Brooklyn, N.Y., has been formed, with Andrew A. Smith, Secretary of the Park Commission, at its head. A reading-room and headquarters will be established at 991 and 993 Fulton street.
—There are now more than 300 Chinese Christians on the Hawaiian Islands, and stated religious services for them are maintained at four different points. One of these Celestials, a member and a deacon of the Church in Honolulu, has built a school-house in his native village in China, and now supports a Christian teacher there, thus showing the importance of evangelistic work among the Chinese of these Islands.
—European statisticians are gradually reducing their estimates of the population of China. It used to be put at over 400,000,000. Behm and Wagner reduce their estimate for China and Corea from 434,500,000 to 379,500,000. Peterson reduces his estimate by 75,000,000, making the present total 350,000,000. Dr. Happer, missionary, believes this can safely be reduced another 50,000,000. Mr. Hippisley, Acting Commissioner of Customs, thinks 250,000,000 more nearly correct than 350,000,000. The losses by the Taeping and Mohammedan rebellions, and by the famine and pestilence which swept the provinces of Chili, Shantung, Shansi, Shensi and Houan, are variously estimated at from 61,000,000 to 81,000,000.
AFRICA.
—King Mtesa, of Uganda, is dead. He welcomed and co-operated with Capt. Speke, the discoverer of Victoria Nyanza, and has played a prominent part in all the events that have occurred in his kingdom, whether they were in the interest of exploration or mission work.
—The German Reichstag is said to have voted 1,000,000 marks, about £50,000, for the expense of a German exploring expedition into Central Africa.
—Mr. H. M. Stanley is said to have used more than a million yards of Manchester goods in paying the workmen employed in constructing the road to Stanley Pool.
—Drs. Bachmann and Wilms, of Munster, set out in May for a journey of several years in Africa, especially in the Transvaal, which they contemplate exploring with reference to botany and zoölogy. They hope also to develop commercial relations between Southern Africa and Germany.