Sutsien, March 15.
Sutsien continues to have respite from the brigands, and in consequence the 15th of the first month was celebrated with the biggest Jurei the country has seen for years.' On account of the tufei, and fear of trouble, this process. sion for some years was prohibited. This year's procession made up for past delinquencies; the country people just. flocked into town from north, south, east and west. till the streets were blocked to all traffic but the procession and on lookers.
The holiday festivities are over; shops and schools open, and the town settling down to another year's business. The epidemic I spoke of in my last letter, when the snow came, seems to be less virulent, but within the last week two there has been a now discace. and many deaths, mostly amongst children and young people. From all one hears, the symptoms correspond to meningitis, in some cass in the country whole families dying.
The Chinese prophesy further sickness. The country people are bemoaning the loss of their cows which are dying in many places. I heard yesterday of one home that had lost two, and coming just at a time when the cows are needed for the spring ploughing, the sickness and death cause not only loss but inconvenience.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.