The Bishop declares that the conditions now are precisely similar to those preceding the Tien-tsin massacre of 1870, and asks that a guard of marines should be sent to protect the lives of French missionaries.

At the meeting of the Diplomatic Body which took place accordingly yesterday, the French Minister showed that he was profoundly impressed by the apprehensions of Mgr. Favier, and by reports which he had received from other sources. He expressed complete disbelief in the genuineness of the measures of which the Yamên had spoken to me, and declared that it was impossible to exaggerate the danger of the outlook.

Mgr. Favier has lived in Peking for over thirty years, and is in constant touch with Chinese of all classes, so that it was generally felt that, after making all due allowances for the colour which might have been lent to his words by the fears of his converts, his deliberately expressed opinion on the situation could not be treated with indifference. At the same time we did not consider that the circumstances, so far as we were as yet in a position to judge, were such as to justify the bringing up of Legation guards, and M. Pichon did not insist upon the immediate necessity for such a step. He produced the draft of a joint note which he proposed the doyen should be authorized to address to the Tsung-li Yamên, in which certain specific measures for the suppression of the "Boxers" were demanded, and, after some discussion, the terms of this note were accepted by the meeting.

It was sent in to the Yamên to-day, and I have the honour to inclose a copy herewith.

The German Minister laid stress at the meeting on the importance of deciding on some common action if the Yamên did not return a satisfactory reply to the note, or if the Chinese Government failed to carry out the measures demanded by the foreign Representatives. He considered that in such an event the calling up of guards was not sufficient to bring the Chinese Government to a sense of their obligations. He thought that the most effective means of bringing pressure on the Government would be by a concentration of ships of war near Shanhaikuan, from which parties could be landed, if necessary, to march for the protection of foreigners in Peking.

This proposal was supported by the majority of the Representatives, and it was decided that we should recommend it to our respective Governments as a contingent measure.

In concurring in this decision I was largely guided by the fact that the joint note demands little more than the Chinese Government have already professed to be their principle in dealing with the disturbances, and that I, therefore, see no reason to anticipate an unfavourable answer.

I had the honour to report to your Lordship by telegraph to-day the substance of what passed at yesterday's meeting.

As regards my own opinion as to the danger to which Europeans in Peking are exposed, I confess that little has come to my own knowledge to confirm the gloomy anticipations of the French Fathers. The demeanour of the inhabitants of the city continues to be quiet and civil towards foreigners, as far as my experience and that of my staff is concerned, although, from the undoubted panic which exists amongst the native Christians, it may be assumed that the latter are being subjected to threats of violence. I am convinced that a few days' heavy rainfall, to terminate the long-continued drought which has helped largely to excite unrest in the country districts, would do more to restore tranquillity than any measures which either the Chinese Government or foreign Governments could take. As this cannot be counted upon, my judgment as to the probability of continued security must be suspended until the Chinese Government shows by its action within the next few days whether or not it has the will and the power to do its duty.

I have, &c.,

The Marquess of Salisbury.

CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.

(Inclosure 1.)—Placard posted in West City, Peking.

(Translation.)

In a certain street in Peking some worshippers of the I-Ho Ch'üan ("Boxers ") at midnight suddenly saw a spirit descend in their midst. The spirit was silent for long time, and all the congregation fell upon their kuees and prayed. Then a terrible voice was heard saying:

"I am none other than the Great Yu Ti (God of the Unseen World) come down in person. Well knowing that ye are all of devout mind, I have just now descended to make known to you that these are times of trouble in the world, and that it is impossible to set aside the decrees of fate. Disturbances are to be dreaded from the foreign devils; everywhere they are starting Missions, erecting telegraphs, and building railways; they do not believe in the sacred doctrine, and they speak evil of the Gods. Their sins are numberless as the hairs of the head. Therefore am I wrath, and my thunders have pealed forth. By night and by day have I thought of these things. Should I command my Generals to come down to earth, even they would not have the strength to change the course of fate. For this reason I have given forth my decree that I shall descend to earth at the head of all the saints and spirits, and that wherever the I-Ho-Ch'üan are gathered together, there shall the Gods be in the midst of them. I have also to make known to

all the righteous in the three worlds that they must be of one mind, and all practise the cult of the I-Ho-Ch'üan, so that the wrath of heaven may be appeased.

"So soon as the practice of the I-Ho-Ch'üan has been brought to perfection-wait for three times three or nine times nine, nine times nine or three times three-then shall the devils meet their doom. The will of heaven is that the telegraph wires be first cut, then the railways torn up, and then shall the foreign devils be decapitated. In that day shall the hour of their calamities come. The time for rain to fall is yet afar off, and all on account of the devils.

"I hereby make known these commands to all you righteous folk, that ye may strive with one accord to exterminate all foreign devils and so turn aside the wrath of heaven. This shall be accounted unto you for well doing; and on the day when it is done the wind and rain shall be according to your desire.

"Therefore I expressly command you make this known in every place."

This I saw with my own eyes, and therefore I make bold to take my pen and write what happened. They who believe it shall have merit; they who do not believe it shall have guilt. The wrath of the spirit was because of the destruction of the Temple of Yü Ti. He sees that the men of the I-Ho-Ch'üan are devout worshippers and pray to him.

If my tidings are false, may I be destroyed by the five thunder

bolts.

4th moon, 1st day (April 29, 1900).

(Inclosure 2.)-Consul Carles to Sir C. MacDonald.

SIR,

Tien-tsin, May 2, 1900.

I HAVE the honour to report that the measures taken by the authɔrities in this neighbourhood to repress the activity of the "Boxers" have produced some result, though placards of an offensive nature are still widely distributed.

At Yung Ching the author of some placards attacking the English Mission there had to apologize to the Rev. Mr. Norman, and the hostility of the people since then has apparently died

away.

The Magistrate at Tung-an-hsien, who has done his utmost to repress the "Boxers," had issued a reward for the arrest of the leaders and information as to their lodges, when instructions received by him, as it was reported, from the Empress-Dowager, but which

* Meaning obscure.

probably were those contained in the recent Edict, led to the sudden withdrawal of the rewards posted, and to an immediate display of hostility by the people in the town towards native Christians of so marked a character that Mr. Grant, a missionary residing there, withdrew his family at once.

The Viceroy, on my representing the matter to him, sent soldiers there, and within a few days an improvement was manifested.

The worst placards I have seen emanate from Ta-ching-hsien. I communicated them to the Viceroy, and his Excellency at once issued orders for their suppression, and the punishment of their authors, if possible.

M. du Chaylard informed me on the 22nd April last that he had received a telegram from Pao-ting, stating that the Christians of the environs of Lung-lu had been killed in great numbers in the village of Chiang-cha-chuang on the previous day.

Two days later he told me that the affray had, it was true, been of a serious character, but that only one Christian had lost his life, and that seventy "Boxers" had been killed. He also informed me that, acting on his advice, the Roman Catholic priests had placed fire-arms in the hands of their converts. The only further details regarding this affair which have reached me came from Pao-ting-fu, and were to the effect that 1,100 "Boxers" had been threatening the place, and that a collision occurred between them and the Roman Catholics, with the result mentioned by the French ConsulGeneral.

I am sorry to have to qualify my report as to the improvement by adding that in the north and north-east of the province considerable uneasiness seems to exist. Brigandage in the country between Chao-yang and Chin-chou has broken out again, and i the neighbourhood of Jehol, Ping-ch'uan, and Ta-tzu-k'ou; the "Chin Tan" and "Tsai Li" Societies are said to be preparing to revenge themselves for the punishment inflicted on the latter Society in 1891.

Sir C. MacDonald.

W. R. CARLES.

(Inclosure 3.)-Sir C. MacDonald to the Tsung-li Yamên.

MM. LES MINISTRES,

Peking, May 18, 1900.

I HAVE just heard that at a place called Kung Ts'un, south of Ku-an and Cho-chou, a chapel belonging to the London Mission has been destroyed by " Boxers," and that a native preacher, named Chao Ting-chun, has been killed after barbarous treatment.

I also hear that at Wu-ch'ing, Fangshan, and other districts to the south of Peking, the people are in a state of dangerous unrest owing to the activity of this lawless organization, and that threats

are openly made to attack Mission stations and put converts to death.

I have the honour to remind your Highness and your Excellencies that for the last six months I have unceasingly, both by written communications and personal interviews, striven to awake the Chinese Government to the extreme danger involved by their continued failure to take adequate measures for the complete suppression of the "I-Ho-Ch'üan" and the "Ta-tao-hui."* My representations have been invariably met by assurances that the dangers I apprehended were exaggerated, and that the Chinese Government were doing all that was necessary in the interests of peace.

Now that riotous attacks on foreign Missions are taking place within a few miles of the capital, I trust that your Highness and your Excellencies will at last cease to treat my representations with the apathy which has hitherto characterized the attitude of the Yamên, and it is in this hope that I hasten to bring to your notice this latest lamentable outrage, of which I have as yet received no detailed particulars.

I avail, &c.,

The Tsung-li Yamên.

CLAUDE MACDONALD.

(Inclosure 4.)-M. Pichon to M. Cologan.

Légation de France à Pekin, le 19 Mai, 1900.

M. LE DOYEN ET CHER COLLÈGUE,

J'AI l'honneur de vous prier de vouloir bien communiquer à nos collègues la lettre ci-incluse qui vient de me parvenir. En présence des informations qu'elle soutient, et qui confirment celles qui me viennent de toutes parts; en présence aussi de l'impossibilité d'obtenir du Gouvernement Chinois par une action isolée les mesures nécessaires pour assurer la sécurité des étrangers dans le Tche-ly et à Pékin, j'ai l'honneur de vous prier de vouloir bien convoquer d'urgence une réunion du Corps Diplomatique dans le but de délibérer sur la situation.

M. de Cologan.

Veuillez, &c.,

S. PICHON.

"Fist of Righteous Harmony" and "Big Knife" Societies.