'TO PEKING,
of Szechuan and the Manchu General in chief dna joint! memorial the Governor-General at Ch'éngtu report the approaching departure of the regulation quinquennial mission of native chieftains to Peking, The usual period of five years having now elapsed since the last mission in 1884, memorialists ye directions for assembling and despatch-Ing the contingent of motive chieftains whose turn itis to proceed to Peking, Some of them are, however, too old to bear the fatigues of the journey, whilst others, it appears, are sick or have business on hand which prevents their going away to any distance, and these, nine in all, are sending as their substitutes the headmen of their native villages. Two only are going in person, eight others claiming exemption on the ground that they have not yet succeeded to the chieftainship, have become naturalised as Chinese, or for other reasons. Memorialists have sent orders for them to assemble at once, due regard being had of the distances they have to travel respectively, when officers will be told off to escort them to the capital. In the meantime mentorialists beg to submit for the information of His Majesty a list giving the names and numbers of the party.
17th April.
HONOURS TO A DECEASED MILITARY OFFICER, Tha lengthy Memorial the Viceroy Tsen; Kud-ch'itan relates the career of Yi Chi-san, & distinguished lieutenant of the late Viceroy Tseng Kuo-fan. The deceased was native of Hunan, and in 1852 volunteered for military service in that province. Two years later he was transferred to the command of a naval brigade, and took part in the capture of Yochow, Chiayii and other places in Hunan, and subsequently in the attack on Kiukiang and
chen, being ever in the fore-front of ture of the rebel one at Tenchi: danger during the hard fighting that occurred almost daily. At the siege of Wuchang, a place called Nienyiit'ao formed the key of the position and was strongly occupied by the combined forces of the rebels, the masts of their junks forming a perfect forest. The rebels thought themselves inexpugnable, but Yii Chi-san suddenly appeared in their midst at the head of his troops, seized the junks and occupied the position, Communication by the river being thus cutoff, reinforcements from without could no longer reach the rebels and they began to give way. The Imperial forces took advantage of this to close up their encircling, cordon of attack, and the place was oblige: to surrender. In 1857 Yii Chi-san was placed in temporary command of the vincial forces, and by his skilful strategy it variably ensured the victory of the Imperial arms. In 1858, the Governor of Kuangsi applied for his services, but the Viceroy Tstng Kuo-fan, under whom he had served for a number of years and who recognised his value, declined to part with him. In 1800 he assisted in the defeat of the rebel reinforcements at the Hsiaoch'th post station and took part in the capture of Taihu, investment of An-ching and destruction' of the rebel camp at Linghu. For his services in the capture of Anch'ing he was rewarded with the title of Baturu and placed on the list of Brigade Generals. He was next sent to Chihchow in Anhui to make reconnaissances of the country and secupy the commanding situations, In 1862 he again joined the main
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.