We have good reason to believ there are dark days ahead for this province, and some folk are already pulling long faces. One of the leading officials is about to leave his home for a Buddhist temple on the top of a high hill. He is to reside there while the priests recite prayers on his behalf. It appears that last year he had a man executed, brutally murdered perhaps is the right term, and now whenever he goes to sleep he sees this man coming to take revenge on him.
A prominent member of parliament has just committed suicide because he appropriated public monies and could not refund them. It is now reported that for several days before his death he kept seeing Mr. Chang Hsueh-lu, who committed suicide about three years ago, and that Mr. Chang kept calling to Mr. Tai to "follow his lead." These omens are having a depressing effect on the official and he is going up the hill in the hope that he may succeed in making the evil spirit ''stick to the other It_is rumoured that General Lutao is desirous of paying ai visit to the sunny south, but there is no one to take over his office. Deputations have been sent to the two Brig.-Generals in Kuangsi, but one cannot return, and the other does not want to.
Daxixe Exetorrs riy Rossers.
Money is getting very scarce in some circles, for the above-mentioned officers have their representatives in several of the leading cities to collect the customs and other revenues for defraying military expenses. Then the robbers are becoming desperate and daring, and attacking cities is now the order of the day. Wuchuan and Fengchuan have been looted, and Shihping has been taken. At the last mentioned place they captured and executed the official. His lady would have shared his fate only that she hid in a pond of water for hours. The latest news to hand states that she is suffering seriously as the outcome of remaining in the water so long. Szenan is reported to have been captured, but we are awaiting confirmation. A city in the northwest part of the province is surrounded by the brigands.
Dr. and Mrs. F. Howard Taylor have left for the west and nortnwest parts of Kueichow. It is reported that at one city they suffered considerable inconvenience through the soldiers commandeering one of the coolies. The local missionary sent his cook with his card to ask for the release of the coolie but the soldiers beat knight of the culinary department so severely that he was confined to his bed for days afterwards. And these are the men who are supposed to be capable of taking charge of foreigners' affairs throughout China! Eventually the local mi: sionary had a run of five /i. before he succeeded in bringing about the release of the coolie.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.