We are able to give this week the story of the flight of the unfortunate Europeans from Paotingfu, and their adventures on the way to Tientsin, They reached that place on Saturday, the 4th instant, at four in the afternoon, Some were wounded, all were ragged, footsore, and utterly weary. One woman, both of legs were wounded, had to be carried in a chair. Soon after arrival, and the giving out of the news that certain of the party had been lost, a party of Cossacks went out to try and find them, but their search in the neighbourhood was. unavaili The next news came froma Chinese servant, who came in and stated that, and had seen the dead bodies of M. Assent. and Mine. Astier, the latter mutilated. Altogether nine of the 41 who originally set out are missing, The story of the woeful march is as follows Owing to the massacres, troubles and pillaging in the neighbourhood, and the threats of the Boxers to kill all foreigners, and hearing of the burning of Fengtai, the station that was our junction with the main line, Mr, Assent, Chief Engiveer, gave us an order to leave Paoting on Monday, the 28th May, during the night. But he changed his mind, and ordered us to leave next day, the 29th, at four in the afternoon. Mr. Assent ordered the river route to be followed as the railway had been wrecked by the Boxers. On Tuesday, the 29th, we therefore left Paoting, being 41 Europeans—33 men, 7 women, 1 child, We embarked in 12 boats manned by Chinese sailors, the mandarin Sun, Interpreter Tsing, and some cther Chinese employees accompanying us, besides several Days (servants) and coolies, as well as the soldiers (Chinese) sent by the mandarin.to protect the boats.
'The Kuropeans were mostly armed with revolvers and a certain number of old Mausers. We weighed anchor about 5 p.m. and left in' perfect order. An enormous hostile crowd was present, but beyond game shouting and jeering did not display any hostility. A' great number of the crowd were armed with big sticks, and many of them wore the ved belt of the Boxers. After about an hour's journey Mr. Assent, on the advice of Mandarin Sun, gave us the order go down and close the hatchways in passing certain localities suid to be dangerous. We objected to this, as in case of an attack we should be helpless and we had no faith in the Chinese soldiers. We were all on the qui vive as certain friendly Chinese had told us the day before that we were sure to be attacked, and one was even able to tell us the exact place where the attack would be made, Notwithstanding this, Mr. Assent ordered the hatchways to be closed. The heat was intense, We halted in the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.