When he got buck from Huangehow he called together the gentry and scholars of the 48 parishes surrounding Sungpu—there are 108 parishes in the Macheng district in all—and propounded them three things. First, that they should help him with contributions, the which they declined point blank to do. Second, that they should all send him in petitions against the foreigners telling him how wicked they were, which they also dectined to do on the ground that it was no business of theirs. Third, that no foreigner should ever be allowed a footing in the district again, which they agreed to, as he further informed them that it was' the will of the Viceroy. Each parish is said to have pledged itself to turn out 10,000 men if necessary to keep the foreigner away He also issued a proclamation forbidding innkeepers and all other persons to harbour foreigners, or travelling sellers of Christian Looks, and giving notice that if any one should rent or sell a house 10 foreigners again he would be immediately seized, and the property confiscated. Another proclamation was issued offering a reward of Tle, 200 per head for the apprehension
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.