Hankow, Sept. 25.
HE writer of this account of the last journey made between Hankow by rail is Mrs. E. G. Byrne, a resident of Hankow, whose husband is still in the city or at Chikungshan. Mrs. Byrne was one of the party of five foreigners who, on the second attempt, succeeded in reaching Hongkong after a perilous and nerve-racking journey. The account is written fom a diary kept while en route.
The second and last instalment follows.
As I sank into the comforting heat of my bath in Hankow on Tuesday morning and felt the almost pleasant sting of the hot water on my scratches, I swore that I never would attempt the same journey again, that I would take the boat to Changsha and try and catch a train there somehow or other. Mrs. Ramsay was in the same frame of mind.
After breakfast Mr. C. E. Whitamore, H. B. M.'s Consul, arranged for Mr. Rees and myself to take the afternoon boat to Changsha. Then Mr. Rees came along with the news that another train was leaving that might and that this time we would not be delayed. A strong protest had been sent by the French Consul about the French sailors and an assurance had been given by the japanese that they would not bomb that train, We would get right of way from the railway authorities and all kinds of privileges. I did not know what to do. Half my luggage was still in Wuchang on the train, which was licking its wounds in the repair workshops, It seemed cowardly to refuse.
Mr. Whitamore was full of enthusiasm, Mrs, Ramsay said she would ome, all this could not happen again, and so on. In fact everything in the garden was lovely, so we decided to risk it again. I admit I did so very reluctantly as I did not want to go in the slightest.
So we set off again at 4 pin. on Tuesday afternoon, after being delayed in Hankow an hour over an sir-raid alarm, and had a difficult time getting across in the overcrowded ferry. The train set off briskly at 645 pin. and we spent a restless night om board.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.