23rd January.
Tranquillity of Sorts.
The almost universal reply to inquiries as to the condition of the country in any given direction is that it "extremely attains unto tranquillity," yet a closer inquiry shows that in every county there:
an inordinate number of eases of robbery with violence, generally by a band of men too large to be resisted, and almost invariably armed with foreign rifles, which are in themselves sufficient to inspire terror, and prevent any attempt at resistance. That these weapons are far} more widely and universally distributed than prior to the Boxer movement is certain, and this bodes no good to the future "peace of the law-abiding inhabitants. In addition to the many instances of robbery, there are perpetual cases of Kkdnapping, both of children and also of women, who are held for ransom. Tu one! village' not far from here a body of men saw a well-to-do woman passing from one! Millage to another with her child, which they snatched away with violence and went their way, After travelling six or seven miles a light was struck by the kidnappers, when the child was recognised ax not the one wanted, being that of a relative which was being taken home. As its parents were poor the lad was thrown away at a brick kiln where the workmen found the boy and sent him back the next day. Occurrences of this sort do not servo to make life any more worth the living than in average times of evil.
Government en the Mak At present the whole of a large section of Shantung, and parts of fifteen other provinces as well, are agitated by an order "from to the holders of "Canal land" to buy it of the Government at a certain (or rather uncertain) sum per mow, according to its value, or to some other more or less uncertain standard. This land was set apart some five hundred years ago, for the uso of those who were to} render service on the Grand Canal, or similar routes, but the service rendered for a veneration or more been entirely nominal. Within the last few months iv. has been abolished, and an unceasing, series of Proclamations, of deputies, an of debates has been m evidence. The people are far too shrewd to infer that simply because a Proclamation has been ised and a deputy sent, that the thing is a bond fide command "from above." In the very next county to this "they have just seen all these phenomena. fol-Jowed by a tax levied on all the land, which was later, in response to. appeals to some other "above," set aside, ant the whole tax refunded to those who paid it. Incidents of this sort make the Chi-nevo wary of paying out money to the Goverament" until they are forced to do s0. in attendance whenever we stir, which is at once superiiuous and troublesome. But on longer journeys or whenever a region is reported unquiet, we have asked to have two mien go along, as they lave frequently done on the way to and iron 'Tientsin, etc. The behaviour has been' most exemplary, belying the ancient and universally accepted adage that good men never enlist. ties Allowed. gular opposition to the usual customs of this eeventric land these wen have been sternly forbidden to receive any gratuities, no matter how long they were absent—on one occasion for mouth—but the usual festivals have been recognised in the time-Lonoured way, with uniformly pleasant results. But on the occasion of the impen Year the customary present was accepted with hesitation, and alittle later was definitely (but sadly) refused. This was because of orders front the General ai Techou. A happy compromise by which they were to have the gift of money expended in G7 catties of meat, 190 catties of cabbages, and other dainties, was then adopted, but tothe surprise of us all and to the dismay of the soldiers it was forbidden to cat the pro-sent even in our yard. Reluctantly the whole was returned (or rather it was supposed to be), but the prudent reader will be grieved (o hear that the meat turned out to be seventeen catties short. Then arose a delicate and difficult. diplomatic inquiry. When the present had been sent the bearers had been paid by the *smalley pices mandarin" eight hundred cash asa cums! The gift being returned, where was this to be reimbursed from At is no business of the reader of these ines to find out who furnished that eight hundred cash, but it was not those who had carried the gifts and absorbed the perquisites, The meat was then sold at a discount of 20 per cent, and, as mentioned, a liberal deduction' in weight. The news rules for soldiers are so strict that no one is allowed to spend even a cash of his own money. A' very sensible and intelligent Captain has just been pounded three hundred blows because his horse got away and ate the tops of some winter wheat, and because he is not strict enough with his men, Some writers have strongly condemned a "standing army" as' a menace to those who keep it, but in our case it is quite otherwise—a great and an inexpensive convenience.
The Last Alternative.
The people are poorer than ever before. A friend has just mentioned to the writer that his village of about three hundred i 1 four thousand mow of La now two-thirds of this hax been parted with to adjacent villages, and one-third of the population are landless, and thorefora obliged to steal for a
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.