was threatened at tivo of our most flourishing stations, 70 li south-west of Chuchou and only a little over one hundred li north of here. the trouble was fomented: by emissaries from Jéhchao and Chuchou. "At our request the local magistrate sent up eighteen men, including ten of the Govern: or's troops, and the danger was, for the time being at lest, averted. Our prefect had gone to Chinanfu to consult with the Governor. On the morning of the 24th inst. these same soldiers proceeded from the Christian stations (which are known, respectively, as North and South Tsoach'tan) toa market town twelve Lite the east of there, called Shéngmuchén. A market was in progress and the report waa circulated that the soldiers were not official but wer" mercenaries, hired by the Chri-tians, among "hom happens to be wealthy min. It was asserted that the soldiers' guns were not lowied and it-was proposed by he more daring spirits that they be taken from them. Their leader. man connected with our hsien yamen, named Wang, wen! out to expostulate with the crowd and was seized. The soldiers rushed to-the assistance of their leader and one of them fired, seriously woinding a man- in the' crowd. Thereupon the usual mele fallowed and Sergeant Wang was badly beaten. One of the soldiers was wounded, and they and four der effected a retreat to the Tsoach'uan village and proposed to continue their retrozrade movement to Ichoufu, but were srsuaded by the people to stay with them.
we villages of 'Tsoach'uan are in' the southern part of the district of Yiwei and the local official has: put out a good proclamation which has no doubt tended to stave off the throstened trouble, "but the respite was largely due, we-are glad to record, to the manner in which the neighbours of the Christians rallied round them. Our people report that
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.