Since I last wrote the examinations have been held in the city of Chenchou and close upon ten thousand students were in attendance. In addition to the five hsiens belonging to Chenchou, there wore three hsiens of Hengchou examined at the same time. The reason for this is that one of the punishments attached to the Hengchou prefecture for atrocities during the year 1900 was that no examinations could be held in the city for five years.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.