We append a translation of a letter writ teu by a Chinese priest from the centre of the terrible scenes which have been enacted in the north, The letter is dated 16th December, and has just renched Shanghai There are in Mongolia two sects, the Tavists(Tsai-li ¢4- ig) ud the Rationalists (Kintan-tao @ f} 4) whose members, gathered from every class of people, literati, merchants, labourers, officials, and the like have long been infamous in the country for their injustice and wickedness. One of their leaders, named Hu Young (HEAR) had in particular become the terror of the iuhabitants on. account of his burglarious habits. Finding himself watched by the local mandarins, who waited for a good opportunity to seize him, he fled away to Saukiate (HERE Ff) in the district of Kienchang (7: £4 $4), where he had uary yattisans and could with their help continue his life of rapine.
The crop last year having been almost destroyed, the people of that district were soon reduced to misery. Impelled by hunger they applied, about tle beginning of Aug tu the petty magistrates and to the rich merchants for grants of rice, promising to repay them in the autumn, "very one in China knows what such promises are worth, The swerchants promised to comply with the request, and a day was appointed on which an equal distribution of rice was to be served out to every person, whether a native or @ stranger," In the' meanvihiley however, the crafty merchants secured the help of Hu Youg and when two days after a long file of men and women, bag in hand, walked up to the rice shop, they found the bravo standing by the front door. There was a moment of hesitation, but hunger was stronger than fear, They rushed on the man who, knocked down and trampled under foot by the crowd, was soon corpse, Fearing the consequences of their nct and anticipating retaliation from the dead mau's confreres, the people agreed to lay the Diame on the Christinns, and the rumour was soon circulated throughout the town that the Christians were guilty of the crime. Without inquiring into the fac's of the case, the Rativualists took up the treats of month were freely uttered the Christixng and a riot became imminent. Message after message was sent to the yanén, but the appeals for protection were disregarded by the local mandarin, who contented himself by saying the reports were unfounded and there was nothing to fear. In short, help was refused.
This was the state of affairs when, on the 16th of the 10th moon (November 17th) a violent mob rushed to the residence ut the missionaries at Sankiatz, broke into the house, seized the Chinese priest Ling, stole nil they could lay their hands on and burnt churel, house and orphanage. Of all the persons living there, men, women and Orphans, nota single one was left alive some were burnt in the house, others killed on the spot. Some, who escaped from the building, were soon overtaken and slaughtered. Then the mob scattered in all directions in search of new victims, and wherever houses of Christians were found, the inhabitants were murdered, their property stolen and the houses burut to the ground.
The fiendish work is nut yet over, Two victims are still captive. Father Ling is dragged to a temple and tied fast to one of the two masta in front of it. He is culled upon to apostatise, But threats are vain he romains firm. Guns are then levelled at him, and he is shot dead; his body is immediately ripped up, and pulling from the still panting corpse, the heart, liver and lungs, the murderers fix these ghastly trophies at the top of the must. Chere rewarns a woman with child. Kerosene oil is poured over the poor mother and they burn her alive.
After this first exploit, in which sume hundred Christian families were thus slaughtered, the rioters proceeded to Ping-chinchow (> 5p f}]). Another appeal for protection was nine to the Sud-prefect Wen Poni (9 ff)4F), but, though renewed several tines, it was always in vain, The rioters, however, were nut yet so bold as to act openly. They sent a message to the mandarin. 'They bad not, they said, taken arms against the government; they only asked him to carry out their revenge on Christians by burning and destroying their houses, 'This arrange license being granted them, they entered the town, schod' and burned down the Church, the orphanage and houses of the Christians, Far from opposing them, the officials and soldierscf the yamen, in thebupe of sharing in the buoy, kindly invited. the plunderers to search out all tie Christians, and proclaimed that any person who should give shelter to Christians would be treated such. The complaisant Won Pu-ni in the meantime was spreading the rumour that in the residence of the missivwaries,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.