To-day has seen another of those great fires which seem so common here. This one was fortunately outside the city wall, and so its area was somewhat circumscribed by the wall on one side and the river on the other. A high north wind was blowing, so there was little chanco of stopping its fierce onrush. It burnt for over a quarter of a mile along the river bank, and finally stopped or was brought to a stop at the East Gate Street, only a house or two south of that being burnt. When your correspondent saw it this morning it seemed that all outside the wall must go, but a combination of walls, plus the help of the manuals on the wall and on the East Gate Cross Street, managed an undeniably difficult operation. The Shensi Guild House was burnt, and some other large buildings. Most of the stores burnt were wholesale houses in salt, rice, paper and hardware. Also many firewood stores on the water front. Several hundred houses must have been burnt in all, but I have not heard how many. I do not think any lives were lost. The lately-arrived foreign-drilled troops kept the streets clear for the water carriers, the first time they have been clear I should imagine. These troops are some two hundred, with black uniforms and straw hate, and good breech-loading rifles. They come from Anhui, I think, sent by the new Governor, who I hear has gone part of the way to Nanning.
Concerning the Rebellion all sorts of rumours are about, and one hesitates to pass on what may be absolutely false; yet at the bottom there is generally a foundation of fact for a rumour. So with this proviso I give what follows. On the 20th September I sent all the nows to date about this affair, and as I see it was also reported in the native papers, I suspect there was considerable truth in it. I hear that the rebels around Nanning have dared the Governor tocome and fight with them, and are threatening that if he does not quickly come to them they will go down to him. I hear that the boat containing his large supply of ready money was robbed by rebels, or by pirates, I am not certain which. He is now reported to} be waiting at Tsinchou, ie. Kuei-ping, afraid to go on. To come to matters nearer, I hear that Yuinfuhsien in this prefecture is pressed by rebels, Tufei, and has appealed to the capital for troops, which have been refused, there not being enough here, it is said, if the! rebels come on here, only a day away.
Yuinlinchou also, to the west of Kueilin, in very difficult country, is reported to be overrun with rebels, ie., Tufei.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.