November 14, Though it is evident that the population is atill restless in regard to the anti-plague measures adopted by the Manicipal Com il, nothing la the on-tare of a serione incident occurred cither on Saturday or yesterday, and for ti recent at Toast, it seems safe to assume that the row aments of the population were to some extent cowed by. the prompt display of force with which the authorities met Friday's di turbances. It would probably be tal ing too optimistic a view to assert tha the reintroduction of vigorous rao measures will not provoke further opposition, bat the arents of the pact: three days mast have convinced " large proportion of the Cainesa in the Seitlement that the Manicipal authori prepared to deal swiftly and st ith any attempts to break the peace the Settlement.
The Foreiga and Sikh Police, who still patrol the streets arm: ed, have been called upon to do a great deal of ardaons and responsible work, and the celerity and smoothness with which the Volanteer Corps was mobiliz.- ed both on Friday and Satarday show that our civilian soldiers can be relied upon to respond to a call to arms at very short notice. The armed patrols of police, and the route marches of calamus of volunteers through the scones of Friday's disturbances cannot fail to have bad a profound moral effect upon the Chinese in those localities, and though the loafer clement would probably be out of hand again in a fow hours, if precautions were relaxed, there is no immediate probability of ing like an organized riot, The proclamations have been posted conspicuously throughout the Se Uement, They have also been printed in the form of handbills and distributed in the streets, and in teashops sll over Rumours that the Hongkew ould be closed on Saturday led to the posting of a strong guard of armed police in that neighbourhood, 80 that not only was the market open on Saturday morning aod yesterday morn-but foreigners' servants were rambled to effect their parchayes without any fear of molestation, The exodos from the Settlement con-
Chinese genuinely fear that the authorities have some evil design upon their children is shown by the fact that handreds of wemco leading or carrying children have fled across our border into Paoshan, Chapei, or the French Concession since Thursday last. It is difficalt to say which of the numerous mischievous reports spread among the native population have had the greatest effect. Ta the opinion of many Chinese of good standing, the root of the trouble lies in reports regarding squeezing on the part of natives employed ander the Health Office staff. It seems that vagabonds, profiting by this report, bare endeavored to exact squeezes from the poorer Chinese by pretending that they were connected with the Health Office. and that in this way the real native staff has been brough! worse odour than it merits.
Whatever may be at the bottom of Friday's disturbances, however, it has become apparent that the task of reasoning with the Chinese and securing their ce-operation is an infinitely harder one than might be expected. Even the better class merchante, whose daily contact with foreigners should have taught them that no er motives lie at the back of the ti-plague meaaores, incredibly ignorant of the reasons which necessitate the enforcement of stringent Pablic Health regolstions. Many appear to be convinced that the authorities really do poison su: pzeted cases of plague to stay infection. Others, again, argue that plague has existed in Canton and other cities for years, and that it is only when foreiga doctors interfere that it really assames serious proportions. An intelligent native Press might do mach to prevent farther friction. Up to the present it has dmelt rather upon the conciliatory
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.