Sm,—In your issue of the 11th ult. you published a translation purporting to be the story of a distressed Szechuan graduate, and that, story' must have touched the sympathy of all who read it, We at this port have only too much reason to know of the sad occurrences for which Ya Man-tze must be held responsible, and indeed {the people of Szechuan have just claim to the deepest sympathy of all lovers of justice or common humanity.
therefore without the least antagonism to the praiseworthy object of Mr. Mesny that I venture to wonder how a graduate, 8 native of Szechuan moreover, can have written that when he was at Wanhsien he' was not quite a day's journey" from his devastated homo" at Tatsuhsien, In an ordinary way these two cities are more than ten days apart, "land to all who know the West thu glaring inaccuracy. Chungking lies tween the two cities mentioned, and yot is so far from Tatsuhsien that' we have escaped actual trouble though alarming rumours have been, yet are very plentiful. It may be that the case of the graduate Chen is one for pity nnd help, T-anost confess my doubts were raised when I read this begging letter, showing such an apy ut misstatement as no ordinary coolie of this province would make. "It is to.be hoped that the benevolent public will help needy cases, but it might be worth while to make careful enquiries as to the absolute truth of any tories, otherwise, it is possible imposition. may be tried. May I further add how much surprised we are at this port to see your telegrams of a month ago telling complete settlement of these troubles which are not settled oven yet, nor do we see any reasonable signs of settlement in the immediate future, Tam, ete., Chungking, 6th December.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.