Hsiong's defeat this time at the hands of the Yunnanese is put down to General Cheng of the 4th and General Liu of the 8th divisions. It is said openly that Liu accepted moneys from the Yunnanese to retreat at the critical moment and thus left General Tan Rub-gang in such a position that it was necessary for him to retire. Moreover, Liu's action made it possible for the Yunnanese to throw their weight against Tan and thus overpower his troops. Had the 4th and 8th divisions fought anything like the first and second, the Yunnanese would now be over the big river and looking for Yunnan borders.
But it is the old-story over again, and traitors have allowed their province to return into the hands of the enemy. Now we are told that Hsiong has come out of the Capital and he will endeavour to gather together the remnants of the first, second and eighth divisions and see if he cannot recover his which has been stolen by another. Uere's wishing him success, Terripie Ovrsreak oF CHOLERA.
Cholera has decimated the ranks of both sides. It is stated that over 400 of the Yunnanese fell victims to it in Fushun' alone, and hundreds along the line of march. The Szechuanese followed on the heels of the Yunnanese to Luchow, and then retreating, left their toll of victims, and those who did not die of the disease were left in the Mission hospital along the way. The local hospital came in for its full share and had good results in the treatment of the dread disease. Heavy rains, severe floods in the rivers, and' a few cool days helped to lessen the numbers succumbing to the plague, and it is now dying out hereabouts, A lot of good has been done locally by dispensing "Bolus Alba" to the natives, upon request. If the unfortunate victim of cholera comes at once for the medicine, it is generally effective. It is no exaggeration to say that thousands in this district "have died of the cholera.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.