Cheery View: Fortunately All Have Plenty of Clothes Fnos Ove OWN Connespoxpenr, Mlenchu, Sze, Aug. 17
Your columns will already have had the news of the kidnapping of the large EMS. missionary. party, hop Mowil wrote on. Sunday nice dry place for the rain so don't worry overmuch. Everyone too is wonderfully cheerful, only concerned for those who are worrying about:
We send Psalm 97, Everyone slept well again last night, and rest is doing us all good. We are a quaint sight, and laugh heartily at each other, Fortunately he can say they have plenty of clothes, one of our worries was lest their summer provision should prove insufficient for the mountains. The bandits have allowed servants to visit Mienchu to get necessaries. The Rev. T. Caldwell and Dr. Leehler are doing all they enn to procure their release; but the \Present state of unrest makes it! very difficult to find any dependable authority. For some fighting, closed communication with Chéngt, and it was impossible to inform the British Consul-General. He, however, has been in possession of the facts for some days now and is doing what he can. As a consequence of the event he has hidden all other holiday makers to leave for their stations, 'A Lucky Rain Storm The present writer and hi only escaped inclusion in napped party through the fact that, it rained hard on the day we were:
leave. During that day came advice from the Consul to all that we might have to leave for the coast. We therefore decided that our proper place was at home.
Meanwhile we are occupying ourselves witl? the possible reasons for this sudden move of the bandi 1. Is it an attempt at revenge for the punishment of the murderers of Messrs. Watt and Whiteside? This seems to.be discounted by the statement that the bandits are from another district; also the fact that the captives appear to be well treated does not look like revenge. 2. Another idea is that the bandits having made themselves thoroughly objectionable to the Authorities by their late attack on Mienchu now desire to create a situation by which they can bargain with the powers that be. By taking a party of foreigners they may be able to hold' them as hostages, and bring about an agreement with the authorities, "You let bygones be bygones, and receive us into the army,' and tell us we are good boys, and we will set the foreigners free."
Another obvious reason is the desire for ransom money. I have just heard that the Chinese on the street are saying that the bandits! want $10,000 for each person! T ex-ect the consul has begun. to raise the money!
Welcome News of the Release) by Szechuan Bandits "The welcome news was received Tyerday that "the "Eight mise fionaties of the Church Mlasionary Society, who were captured by freed of bartanoer Se ala Iwere released on Sunday, "August fette oan, on AUgUSE
'90, after being in captivity for 23
The captured missionaries, _it will be recalled, were the Rt. Rev.
W. K. Mow, assistant Bishop.
lof Chéngta, the Rev. doe Wort, China, snd Mrs. Mowit Donvithorne and Major F. W. Tes of Anhsien, Miss A. Settle of Nienchow, and Misses "C. Carlton and M. Armfield of Mienchu, The news came in a telegram from the Rev. T. Caldwell, secretary. of the West China branch of the [Church Missionary Society, to Mr. B. J. Ottewell, secretary for the mission in Ching, simply saying "Liberated 80th.
While no further information has been received regarding the release of the captives, or details lof -how this was effected, Mr. Ottewell informs us that, since the feature of the eight missionaries, he has received details from Mr. Caldwell of the place where they were carried away by the brigands.
Silverdale," the name given to the new summer resort, is a very Quiet place on the side of 'a hill, 18 miles to the north of Chengtu, Conaidering that the place would make an ideal spot for a summer resort, the Church Missionary Society last year purchased it and erected several bungalows, two of which had been finished. These were being occupied for the frst time and no doubt the presence of the missionaries attracted a certain amount of attention of both the countryside people and the bandits.
According to tthe—information received, missionaries were well treated, the brigands going 0 far out of their way as to send their cook back to bring the foreign cooking utensils, This was a great Yelief to the captives and everything would have gone extremely well had there not been a shortage of food. The best was done, however,
who, while for the sake of the missionaries ful to the bandits for their attempts to make them as comfortable as possible,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.