\At Kuelfu, which had previously been reported to the "tripper" as in the hands of two robber bands, a particularly uncanny circumstance occurred, Throughout the passage, wherever the steamer anchors) along the way, small groups of village folk came down to the banks of the river, and the boatmen steered their sampans towards the ship a kind of anticipatory welcome At Kueifu, however, although the zig-zag. walls were filled with Chinese watching, not a soul came outside the city, which left a ques impression of ' hostility on the visitors? minds.
At anchorage above Ichang a steamer loaded to the gunwales with Chinese soldiers came in a little experienced considerable sion for the gunboat to et as convoy had not yet arrived and there seemed to be an intention to make use of the foreign merchant vessel. The gunboat, however, arrived time to avoid'the commandeering.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.