An interesting extract from a letter written by Mrs. Francis Ellis dated December 13 has been received. Mrs. Ellis sailed from Shanghai on the str. Hirano Maru, the last of the N.Y.K. boats to go through the Suez Canal. "We are preparing for all sorts of trouble and at present are busy sandbagging the ship to go through the Canal, as the Turk snipe at passing ships We have all been netied to sleep with our life-pelta at hand, warm clothing and our money and valuables in @ small bag ready to seize and rush up on deck. We have been told how to get into the life-boats which are to be lowered to saloon deck as soon as we leave Port Said. They have been busy provisioning the boats and keep telling us to keep calm and to obey orders."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.