Wuchang, June 22.
Apart from the movements of soldiers, there is very little in this city to indicate that we are living not very far from the scene of a civil war. Last Sunday was the Dragon Boat festival. The streets were as thronged as usual on a holiday; people were in their best dresses, and feasting was going on, just as if no Chang chin-yao was standing at bay only 100 miles away and quite likely to retreat upon Wuchang if he is unable to hold his und.
All this is very different from the panic which reigned in Wuchang two and a half years ago, when last Yochow was a storm centre. Then, some were flying for safety from Wuchang to Hankow, and others from Hankow to Wuchang: This time, the Governor has issued orders that no baggage of any kind may leave or be brought in through the gates of the city, ani people are not even allowed to carry furniture, from one house to another inside the city. Inconvenient, this order must be to many people, it has probably been justified in the quiet of the city; for a time like this nothing causes a panic so readily as the impression that a good many people are on the move.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.