About 6,000 stalwart Kiangpeh refugees, with their women and children, who have abandoned their villages owing to the floods and consequent destraction of their crops last summer, have recently poured into Soochow and Ch'angchou prefectures penetrating within the borders at various points, by boat and by land. When this particu: lar army of some 20,000 refugees passed through the territories of Chiokiang prefecture bound for the north-east the tidings were at once flashed across the wires to the high provincial authorities at Soochow, who immediately sent orders to the numerous likin barrier stations la Chin-Kiang and Yangchou prefectures to stop at all hazards the further progress of these refugees and force them to remain where they were and await relief supplies from Soochow. But in spite of all orders for their prevention, even the troops sent by Governor K'uei could not stop the invasion of the refugees into Soochow or Chiangehou territories. They.simply over-rode the soldiery, who, being forbidden to use their firearms, were easily pushed aside by the mere impetus of the unsavoury mobs of ragged men, women, and children, and the mob were soon in fall possession of' the districts of Chinkuei, belonging to Changchou, and Ch'angshn, of the Soochow, prefectures, respectively. [t appears that the refugees decided to divide themselves into two bands in order to relieve the pressure, and so as also not to be too sever upon any one district, as that. would incite the natives to consider the laws of self preservation and arm themselves en masse fo fight the refugees; whereas at present it is only good-humoured, passive resistance to the invasion of the Kiangpeh refugees where pity for their distress is also felt by the more fortunate dwellers on the southern banks of the Yangtze. The refugees appear to follow military rules in forming an encampment, such as posting guards," ete. various points. Weir they arrive trict two-thirds of the women and children at once spread themselves over the fields and pull up by the roots anything planted there—at the present time, generally vege. tables, beans, ete.,—while a strong force of men form covering party, armed generally with clubs and staves, The reminder of the women, children, and men in the meanwhile approach the villages and "beg" for rice or wheat, although in many cases it is not begging but actual taking what they can without asking "by your leave." In two hours after the arrival of the refugees at a village they are able to get rice and vegetables ad libitum and feed themselves to the full." They rarely-stay more than forty-eight hours at avy one place, moving
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.