Just as our solitary steamer had gone and we knew our means of communication with the outside world was cut off for seven days, alarming news came from P'ingyang G- What was hitherto looked upon as idle threatening now manifested itself in actual violence. The foreigners (C.LM. missionaries) happened to be away on holiday, so as usual the ative Christians bore the brunt of it.
immediately wrote the Taotai, but his reply was tantamount to inability or unwillingness to stir hind or foot against the Boxers. This soon became known to the "man on the street," and on the 4th of July, quite close to if not within Wenchow city itself, the fanatics were going through their performances, openly vowing death to the foreigners and fire to their buildings. The same day the Boxers began their work drawing a cordon round the church and buildings at Ts'ienk'n (130 Li) from Wenchow), allowing neither ingress nor egress. Ab night the preacher in charge managed to escape and send to Wenchow for help. The news reached us on Friday, Gth. The missionaries requested the weiyiian (Ch'én) to meet them at the CIM. ple, and then we got the true state of affairs, The Taotai was friendly but weak, the acting Chéntai intensely anti-foreign, and the newly appointed prefect yave as excuse for not acting in the matter, that he had not received the seals of office. Previous to this date lavish promises had been made—soldiers would be sent to the disordered districts—proclamations issued—and so on; just the usual game.
On Saturday, the 7th, the news was so alarming and the city in such a ferment over the alarming proportions to which the Boxer movement had grown that we deemed it necessary to get ready for defensive action. 'The ladies and' children were sent to the Consulate on Conquest Island, stores were laid in, and small arms got out for use in case the threatened attack came off. Some of the men remained on a hill inside the city wall from which watch could be kept over the city. We had two false alarms in that long' wet night, but were only too thankful when daylight came with the probability of no action being taken until nightfall. About 9.30 a.m, (Sunday) the Taotai's launch came in and from her crew we got startling news. in Prince Tuan's edict had been here since the 20th of une, and during all this time the Acting Chéntai had been longing to carry it out; we had been living on an active volcano as it were and knew it not. Later on came a courier with Nanyang Tacheng's proclamation, similar to that promulgated elsewhere, with instractions jor its immediate issue, but the officials could not be prevailed on to take action in the matter. As a solution of the difficulty the Taotai asked all ladies and mi sionaries to leave for Shanghai by his steam launch at once. The offer was not accepted as a steamer was due the next day. Our hope was realised, thes.s. Pooch came in, bringing our newly appointed Consul, who immediately took steps to bring the officials to a realisation of the situation. However, the Taotai still continued his vacillating rile. He prayed for time to act as prompt measures might stir up the people—we pointed out his delay was giving the rebels courage and an idea that the officials were with them, Wednesday brought news of pillage and bloodshed at Pingyang and Juin, and of chapels being "burned in mauly villages,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.