Owing to the frequency of suicides over the bridge, " society has been formed to raise a_ sufficient sum to maintain four boats to be constantly on the watch; two above the bridge "ud two below it. It has al-eady been go well subscribed tu that the schenio is to be carried into effect at once, the tipao of the different districts have been ordered by the authorities to see that by 9 p.m., and warned that if any customers are found in them after that hour, they will be arrested and handed over to the magi at once. It is reported to the officials 8 tenth part of the bad characters who come down from the country for no gor purpose are concealed in these dens until quite late at when they issue forth igh and commit all of atrocities, The Sale Comusissioner, under instructions from the Viceroy, has issued a proclamation informing the still numerous disbanded Hunan soldiers that they must return ty their native country. Before the end of the present noon they muse present themselves at his yamen when they will receive instructions about thole departure. A transport will be in reading to convey them to their own province, and all expenses will be mgt by the Government, e who do nut obey this order, but remain loafing about the country, will be arrested as vagabonds and severely Paniaued. The Commissioner, like e-regul superior, is not a man to be trifled with, and we may rely upon the order being carried out.
ICHANG, (mom ovr owy connEspoNDESt.)
In wy last I commented on the sweet serenity and peace prevailing at Ichang, notwithstanding the presence of upwards of two thousand students, to say nothing of their sisters and their cousins and their aunts, in the city. Taise wondered if -this was " lull before the greater blow. This wonder has now been partly dispelled, and evidence has been forthevming that the 8 of jealousy and murdering hate are still smiculdering within the bosoms of the gathering of literati that wre assembled in the cotitines of the city wails. 'This "evidence was produced in a sume. what unexpected uiunner on the afternoon of the 20th. 'The China Merchants' steamer Kinngtung being expected to furtive on that ute "with the Literary Chancellor board, the river bank, Janding steps, and official junks were early bedecked with many-coloured flags and gorgeous awnings this had the usual effect vf collecting a crowd to stare open-mouthed into vacancy, sud eventually squat down on their haunches and loaf around. Students came out of the city and joined them, awaiting their literary chief. 'Things were rather slow anda little excitement would be acceptable; the Customs pontoon was not more than' fifty yards from them—what more natural that to scoff and jeer at the foreigners on duty there? The thing was tried and fulfilled expectations brilliantly it helped along the time, and appeased and satisfied their national conceit and hate, for 500 of them to be taking it out of a couple of foreigners, The- ovalles and Yangtze trackers among the crowd became bolder, and went down on the sands and attempted to pass along the twenty or thirty yards of staging that bridged the shallow water to the pontoon, The students, taking the beat care of their own precious carcases, cheered, egged them on, and encouraged encroachment; the foreigners resisted it, This was afternoon. The mob increased, and catching the spirit that was alive, broke offin large sections and proceeded we violate the privacy of detached foreigners'
houses, the doors of which their occupants barricaded. A party of about forty climbed the walls of the new Consulate and wandered about within its preeints, They did not lay violent hands on anybody, or anything, but appeared content to display their unbounded cheek, and apparently assert their right to go just where they pleased in their own country. This shows the need of a foreign settlement, with well established and clearly defined frontiers.
They forced their may, willy nilly, into the Customs compound: bat a fureiguer's lug got loose and cleared the place of hundred of them with so much expedition that they nearly squeezed the life out of each other in their frantic efforts to escape through the door, Meantime the larger crowd waiting at the river steps were gradually becoming bolder as they increased in numbers, and the Customs officials, as they passed to and from the pontoon, were being hustled and spat upon by the rougher part of the mob assembled at the end of the staging, and being cheered on in this playful' benstliness by the literati, at a safe distance away on the—bank—always safe. The crowd increased un sands and bank were black wit The excitement advanced proporti-nately until the courage of the united mob was sufficient to inspire the advanced guard to mud throwing. And it began, followed later by small stones, though nobody was hurt. The bluejackets frou H.MLS. Hok who land for afternoon walks on Sundays, were recalled to their sh Most of them went on board from a. po some distance below; but the two last had to come through a galling fire of hots, yells, mud, and saliva, This was somewhat hazardous on the part of the Chinamen, for the British blue is not. aman to be spat on or mud-bespattered with impunity, and had the whole of the tars been together that mob would probably have been charged and dispersed with the big sticks that the blue jackets generally take on their walks with them. Asit was, these two kept their heads wonderfully w although near it once or twice, did not bring up an face the crowd. The conduct of these men, then, and the behaviour of the whole crew of the gunboat daring their stay here, has been admirable under very trying cireumstances, and limited elbow room.
The Customs staff behaved with great patience, tact, and cvoluess, during " very trying four hours, and gave not the slightest excuse for any serious development of the insulting, it that was abroad amonget the population, Still the steamer did not arrive, and the excitement continued toincreaseand must, Ithink, soon have taken another shape had not the darkness shut down, and effectually swallowed up all the pluck of the Chinamen, and dispersed them as the plague scatters the rich, I have frequently noticed that unless a ese mob is in the very highest throes ut excitement, one of three things will effect its instant dispersal; viz, darkness, a shower of rain, ora blank charge. There can be no doubt, however, that but for the intimidating influence of the presence of the gunboat, and the excellent behaviour of the Europeans in the Imperial Customs, there would have been another Ichang riot to chronicle. The event was of sufficient importance to show how easily the smouldering embers of foreign hate may be fanned into a flame, once a crowd is assembled; and how necessary is the presence of sonic standing menace to their nefarious designs, in the shape of a warship, in times of holiday and other excitements.. Had there been a. couple of that mob having the pluck of spiders, who would have stepped forward as leaders, they would nea body, only as e body, have been good for aug thing. The pluck of a crowd is proverbial there is nothing like noise and numbers to flog a coward up to striking point; moreover, their numbers were overwhelming. Aowever it all missed, or hung fre." All's well that ends well." ' We shall see, Capt. Raveuhill has arrived and taken command of the #sk.. Captain Burder proceeds to Shanghai en route to Hongkong to join H.MLS. Caroline immediately. One of the Eu \door staff, has unfortunately, been bitten on the finger by a rabid dog, and leaves Shanghai for Saigon in the next French Mail. It is not known if other dogs have also been bitten by this animal, but if so times ate likely to be lively in the near future, xs works are superlatively numerous here. There are a party of ten indies and one gentleman, missionaries, now here ashore on their way to Chungking and further, waiting the recovery of the one married lady among them, now ill in bed, With such a spirit abroad as they wit: nessed yesterday, truly they obey their Master's call with avidity and confidence.
Fremantle had been expected to pay a visit to this port, and it was thought might have been a passenger in the steamer Changreo, which was also expected on the 20th. It would have been a grand moment for him to arrive, for possibly, he might have had to run the gauntlet of mud, etc., with the rest, from the pontoon up {the Customs steps.
Then there would have been abject apologies from conceited and negligent Chinese officials, or, if the gallant Admiral is up to his reputation, the unboat would have woke the echoes with jer sixty-four pounders. Anyhow he would sve seen for himself the spirit that animates tne Chinese in the Yangtze valley, and out of it, in their dealings with forvigiva Unfortunately the steamers did not arrive until the following day—the Kiangtung, with the Chinese Solomon, early in the morning—thus preventing further crowds and excitement; the Changwo Into in the evening with Consul Gardner and family from Hankow, but without the Admiral, should have mentioned in my last that the only persons now concerned in the Chinese indger, unt at this place regarding their claims for the last riot, are the Presbyter-us; the rest have' succumbed to the Chinese offer.
22nd November.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.