cense, read charms,
and told all the bystanders to cry 'Burn!' loudly, and then they threw
the incense into buildings which caught at once, but houses next the churches
were left in safety.
"Thus the people believed that the Boxers actually possessed the
souls of spirits in their bodies, otherwise the houses in the neighborhood
would have caught fire too.
"In the morning of the next day the fire was yet in a fierce state;
the smoke was so much that it looked like big masses of clouds. In the
street the Chinese Christians were running about because they were too
anxious to take refuge.
"In Teng-Shi-Kou several Boxers came crying 'Sha! Sha!' ('kill,
kill!') loudly with swords in their hands. As they were passing along,
two Christian women, each having a little child in her arms, met with the
Boxers. When they were just going to kill those Christians, I was in such
a sorrowful state that I could not bear to see them die. Then I turned
back on my journey and walked toward the Hai-Tai Gate. In the main street
I saw several dead bodies, which I was told had been killed by the Boxers.
"Some time later very concentrated smoke was rising up violently.
It was found that the Boxers set fire to the medicine shop in Ta-Cha-Lan,
outside the Chien-Men. At first the Boxers did not allow the shops in the
neighborhood to remove their goods, saying that the fire would only burn
the one which they wanted to destroy, but could do no harm to any other.
"But two or three others began to burn, and the Boxers wrote charms
on yellow papers, which, so they said, could stop the fire where they were
"After a few minutes the fire spread to such an extent that they
allowed the shops to extinguish it with water, but it was impossible. In
the theatre house a man tried to put down the fire with dirty water, which
gave the Boxers excuse; so they said that the god of fire became angry
for the dirty liquor, therefore the fire ruined those that were innocent.
This fire destroyed about two square li, including a gate of the Chien-Men.
Since then very few people believed the Boxers.
"It was reported that forty or fifty Boxers in Shue-Fu-Yuen were
shot by foreign soldiers, who, when they were going away, were told by
the people that these dead men could become alive again when the old Boxers
touched their bodies with their hands. The soldiers, hearing this, turned
their way back and spoiled the bodies with the swords on their muskets.
"Tung-Fu-Hsiang suggested that, as the Boxers could not burn the
foreign legations, assistance with soldiers should be rendered. This plan
suited the mind of Prince Tuan's party, as they presumed the foreigners
in Peking were the chief number of all in the world.
"Thus the Chinese troops guarding the legations were increased
with orders to resist the Boxers, but virtually they would besiege the
"In the evening the Tsung-Li-Yamen, under imperial orders, sent
despatches to the different legations telling the Ambassadors to leave
Chiao-Min-Hsiang (Legation Street) within twenty-four hours, for the Admiral
demanded from the Chinese the forts at Taku, and thus the peace had been
broken, and saying that if they would not do so bombardment would be inflicted.
"The Boxers and those foolish were very glad, and said foreigners
had been enemies for forty years, now it was the time to take revenge by
sweeping over all the world. In the streets written informations were pasted
on the wall by Boxers saying that the fifth moon was changed to the eighth
moon, and Legation Street was changed to 'cut up foreigners' cock-crowing.'
In the evening Boxers set fire to the telegraph station outside the Hai-Tai
"On a certain day before noon I was told that the German Ambassador
was shot to death in the main street of Tan-Pai-Lou by the soldiers on
his way to the Tsung-Li-Yamen.
"In the evening it was reported that at Taku seven foreign vessels
wanted to enter the port, and were shot so they sunk and six were captured.
People who did not know much about foreign countries were glad to hear
the victory, and said that they were sure it was time for the Chines