AS soon as we got to understand a little of this we said To Sungpu we go as fast as we can, and to nowhere else. It will never do that the only statements which will go forth with authority as true should be supplied by a liar of this size." We therefore demanded of Li Taotai that, according to the agreement under which we left Hankow, the escort should be ordered, and astart made. H.E. Li, however, said he was quite unable to help us in that. If we wished an escort to Sungpu we must apply to the district magistrate of Huangkang, whose business it was to provide it. In this matter he had been acting simply as our friend, and had no instructions to assist us in any way. In support of this statement he afterwards produced his Commission received from the Viceroy, that is, the Viceroy's letter of instructions, and there was in it no reference to his taking care of us or any other foreigner. Here was anew phase of the matter. We then wished to know what had been the meaning of all the statements to the contrary effect made in the name of the Hankow Taotai by his deputy to the Consuls, and to us, that he, Li Taotai and no other, would assist us in every way; and why he did not contradict them when made in his own presence before slarting, Ho replied they had been made by the Hankow Taotai's deputy of his own accord, and that he had no authority for making them. Next we wanted to know if Capt. Yang and his ten braves had not been sent on purpose to go with us to Sungpu, He said they had not. Capt. Yang was there to obey his (Li's) orders, and he could not ask him to go with us.
said that this was so.
Capt, Yang. who was present emphatically
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.