Last week, there was a good deal of fighting outside the north and South gates, and not very far from the city, for the fighting could be case, but not crushed, for we have heard of fighting twice since then lat Tsingchen (20 miles to the west), and now the troops who were said to have been driven north of the Black River (Wukiang) are again on their way here and are already as near as Sifenghsien (40 miles away).
It is a big job to feed the Yunnanese here, and they are asking for money and food. Gen. Chow left 5,000 piculs of grain in the public granary, as well aa a lot of silver in the treasury, and now are told that it has been used. The reports that the soldiers have been selling grain to get money true after all. Yester ing of the provincial Famine Relief Committee was held to consider the request of the Magistrate for a lon $5,000 to tide over the immediate crisis; he offered the "Opium Suppression Fine" as security, It was Gecided that, the situation being critical, a point-blank refusal was. not advisable, but it was agreed that, if the loan was made, it should be to the twenty prominent business men who counter-chopped the request, they giving the necessary security for an early refund. If the loan is put through, the money will not be sufficient for more than a few days, if the figures quoted at the meeting are reliable, and, when. this sum is exhausted, it is most likely that a forced contribution will be required.
If there were any who were gla? at the overthrow of our late Governor, they must now regret it, for, 8 many people are saying, he raised money in this way and he thi maintained peace throughout the province, whereas our present rulers have not yet managed to do anything more useful than scatter slogans telling of Chow's "crimes!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.