Back in safety at Hankow again, but without the bodies. For all we were allowed to do we might just as well have never' started. When the authorities, after much urging, gave a reluctant consent to our going in quest of the bodies of the murdered dead, they did so only on condition that we should not insist on going by the direct road to Sungpu, but by Huangchowfu, a long roundabout involving our travelling three times the distance necessary, an occupying twice the time. The reason for this was the fact that the Viceroy was sending down two deputies, one a Taota named Li who was commissioned to enquire into the riot, and the other a man of Hsien rank named Tseng, whose business it would be to see after the bodies. On condition that we accompanied these, the authorities undertook in the most definite manner to the Consuls that we should be taken on without the least delay to Sung-pu—probably arriving there the second day from Huangchow—that we should receive the bodies, and be enabled to return with all speed.' The. Viceroy's deputies would see to our being furnished with proper escort, and ensure our perfect safety, but in addition to what they might do in the matter when we got to Huungchow, a military officer named Yang was added to the purty with ten soldiers, whose special business it would be to look after us, We all went by the s. Twiwo, starting at 10.30 on Tuesday evening. As soon as the boat got under way we formed the acquaintance vf our officials who sat in th saloon with us till late. The Hsien never spoke a word, but Li, the Taotai, proved to bea vigorous and interesting talker, He assured us that he was a very competent manager of afl rs, very honest and straightforward, for which reason the Vie-croy had great confidence in him, and employed him in many im For the last two years he por ant matters. lad been engaged in in hunting out the members of the Kolwo Hoi; and nearly all who have: been caught and executed at Wuchang and Nanking had been laid hold of throug his instru: mentality. He hoped to catch just one more, a man of the name of Seissons,"" and when his head was off would feel satisfied.
Wo suggested that perhaps he would find some Koluo Hui men among the Sungpu rioters, but he entirely reject that. idea, saying that they were nob unfriendly to foreigners. his was important testimony, and, coming from si ch an authority, worth taking a note of, soving it is not so very long since they were made the unhappy scapegoats of all the antiforeign riots.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.