Suchien is having dry and mild weather, not the usual brisk and frosty weather we usually have at this time of the year; and in consequence, possibly, a great deal of sickness, with measles, chickenpox and smallpox all over the town. Fortunately, Ivaccination is popular here, and, though it does not exempt the children from the epidemic, the vaccinated patients have it very lightly. It is singular also that amongst children in their teens, who have been given the smallpox inoculation in their babyhood, the cases are very heavy and many of them die.
We have had several tutes executed within the last day or two, but alas! several were also let loose. Our present magist-ate has a nickname amongst the people which means he is a "'money-lcver," end report has it 'f the relations of the tutes can produce enough silver they can procure the release of those in prison.
Some of your readers may remember me writing about a country school at T'saiki, where, one night in spring, two teachers and 19 boys were carried off by the tutes. After quite a long time, negotiations were started for a large sum of money—about $30,000. It was not dorthcoming quick enough to please the captors, and two of the boys were shot.
Eventually, the 17 were released and "kao'd" a teacher in a Chinese school nomed Wang. Though he was not perhaps one of the tutes, he was a receiver of some of the captives' money. He.was brought into the yamen, and, after some kind of a trial, produced enough silver to permit of him being let out: on security. The school boys naturally objected and last week a deputation of 40 waited on the magistrate. As ha would not receive them, they made up their minds they would give him some trouble, and, pandering to his taste for silver, they said that if money were necessary they also could produce it. The next day they came with a "kuang-tsi'—large basket used up here for carrying coal—and said it was for the magistrate.
Their pluck carried the day, and the magistrate was forced to meet them and their teachers in one of the schools and promise not to free this man ang. They also demanded that he send soldiers to 'T'saiki to fight the tufet, as even in the day time people are not safe. The magistrate sent out the soldiers who on the, sabbath brought in a boy of 12 in chains. He had been carrying letters for the tufei.
The east side of the canal is very bad just now. The tutes are wear-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.