The business community have bee doing business behind closed shutters for the most part, being afraid of a sudden raid op their shops. Gen. Liu Ping held a grand review of troops on New Year's Day. He has now in this district a full division of infantry alone, whilst artillery and other sections make up another full division, and he is still recruiting. All the temples and barracks in the city are full up, so the shops and private residences: have been requisitioned.
Every few days there is a raid on coolies for transport. Trade, which brightened up a short time ago, is now quite poor again. Money is very tight; especially as settling accounts has now begun in' preparation for the Chinese New Year.
Owing to lack of rain, the spring crops, which promised so well, are now Withering away. Rice and other foodstuffs have consequently risen in price.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.