We translate the following from a private letter received here from Chénstu, which city was invaded the other day by Boxers, thst msy throw some light on the state of affairs in that region rior t+ the episode not-abore. Inthe mem while the news received by the local mandarins from that quar-er make them cow: in Szechuan to be s to produce grave Ts'én Chtun-hsien, the new vil be able to suppress the rising now become almost univers chuan provine? with the resources within his reach at the present moment. As matter of fact Viceroy Ts'én will have at his dispose', when he takes over his seals of office in Chéngtu—that is to say, if the Boxers will let him—a_ rabble of some 12,000, odd, ragged and ill-provided beggars who stagger under the burden of the weighty appellation of the "Terror-inspiring Grand Army whose Presence Fnowres Peace and Quiet to the mo-t distant places." uly 4.000 of this conglomeration are in Chengtu, among-t whom are some artil arists belo 7 the Viceregal Guinds. These last are about the best of a sorry Ist, but they have only two or three old-fashioned Armstrong field pieces with them, and [their sid: arms are of the old pat
or +0, tetriterial army of Szechwin, are scattered about the province, 3,000 of wh m are with Provincial Judg Ch'én Yoi supposed to he guarding certain passes in the his, in the vicinity of Chd ygtu, into which several "Armies" of Boxers the hid been driven some time ago. to prevent their reappearing in the plains. So far about official news. Th private letter in question runs as follows:—On the 20th of August, hearing that there was a gathering of some 200, odd, Boxers at a place oilled Hungtiaopa, some five miles outs te the North-gate of Chengtu city, who were intending to make a night attack on a Christian church situated on a neighbouring hill called Mupranshan, the Chengtu military authorities dispatched a Captain Chow with fifty men to nccompiny Mr. Fu, the district magistrate of Chengtu, who with a personal guard of yamen runners started at dusk to the Boxer place of gathering, with the object of breaking up the mee ing, It appeared that the Bsxers were assembled in a large farmhouse, and were on the point of starting on their expedition of fre und murder when the Proops and yamen runners arrived before farmhouse. 'The whole village seemed t+ be asleep and quiet, excep' th" farmhouse, which showed ~ome lights, C"ptain Chou went forward alone, keeping his men at a short distance away in order nut to Start the quarry too suddenly, and knocked loudly for admittance. Someone inside the walled farmhouse came to the vote and asked who was there. Captain Chou foolishly replied: Tam Captain Chou, and T have com to arrest certain Boxer des-paradoes hiding in your haus." Tne voice Inside craftily kept the Cxptain par eying, saying one thing and another until the majority of the Boxers inside had noise-1 Aly climbed out of the row wall of the farmhouse, where, dividing into two hodivs, they made_a detour to attack the soldiers, the district magistrate and his be it not-d, remaining ab spo farther away. As soon as a loud shout, warning the Boxers inside the farmhouse that their friends outside were about to fall on the soldiers, was heard, the gate was suddenly thrown open, and about a dozen Boxers armed with swords and lances rushed out and cat down the rash Captain Chou, who taken utterly by surprise had no time to defend himself. Simultaneously the troops found themselves attacked on the flanks. Fearing treachery the sergeants in charge were prepared for an onslaught, ant so Kept tie Boxers at bay. The district magistrate. Fa, and his runners then rushed up, and a desperate struggle ensued, the soldiers and runners aux ous to recover the holy of Captain Chou, while the Boxers wished to retain his body to offer up his had and heart to the ruaness of their dead friends, some "f whom had. been previous-ly captur-d by the Captain and beheaded by him. Eventually Cap'ain Chou's body was recovered by his men, bat not unt nine soldiers "ud fifteen runners hid been slain tin the desperate encounter avd over thirty more or less Srounled, The troops ant runners slowly retreated towards Chén: tu, incessantly harassed by the pursuing Box ati a strong force of troops with arti'lerists and a couple of field pieces apposed and covered the retreat of the hadly used solliers and yamen runners. rumoured that Mr. Fu, the magistrate, seems things getting "hot," eventually discovered that he had presting busin-s in the city which required - immediate personal attention, ant so did not. wait the recove y of the body of his military colleague; but, let it pass—On the night of the 21st August Roxers attacked a village called Lungeh'uanyd, some eighty miles from the city of Chien-chou, and murdered a convert named Ma
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.