Those in authority seem to take this as a tio me that he thought it meant that the; very bad sign, C—his just been in, and
intended to try to make an end of us this afternoon, C—is not often pessimistic, and it is rather depressing to hear tale like that. I take a much brighter view of it, I think it means thet our troops are very near, that the Yamen seo that it is hopeless to try to save the city, and that even if they do try to get rid of us now we will be able to hold out till relief comes, According to the programme of the Japanese General, he was to be here to-day or tomorrow. I' must say it would be a relief to hear our guns pounding the gates this afternoon. "Let us hope and trust that the generals do not delay or hesitate one moment for negotiations or anything of that sort; an hour may make all the difference to us poor beggars in here, Things area bit too critical just now to be comfortable, and as I hear that numbers of Chinese troop are being seen to enter the city, our prospects do not look too bright. However, we have kept them off before, and there is no reason why we should not do so again. Our troops positively must be very near now, and it seems out of question that they should have any reverse, We have stood it for nearly two' months now; ife can stand it for another two days at the very most we will be safe.
T have been trying to keep this letter more or lasa connected. and have forgotten to tell you that since I began to write it, a week ego my leg has been mending splendidly, and I am now able to walk about quite well with only a small stick, though still, of course, quite lame. It should be nite all right in a week now, I think, and will not be at all lame afterward.
I have not yet told you about the Peitang (Northern Cathedral). In the north of the Imperial city there is a Inrge Roman Catholic cathedral, in which lot of converts congregated when the troubles began. When things gat worse a guard of forty marines (thirty French and ten Austrians) were sent to them with one officer. Then the siege began, and from that day to this we have not been able to communicate with them in any way. They have been heavily attacked, just as we have, a3 we have heard the guns going continually, and as they bed not a large supply of food, I believe, and with such a emall guard, they must be in a very bad way, and must have held on like men.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.