“On the 25th June, the Viceroy, as reported in a separate despatch of 28th June, to Lord Salisbury, sent a special envoy to assure me that H. E. would not accept or act upon any anti-foreign decrees from Peking.  At the same time he communicated copy of a telegraphic memorial from himself and seven other high provincial officers insisting on the suppression of the [Page 239] Boxers and the maintenance of peace.  This advice H. E. gave me to understand led to the recall of Li Hung Chang to the north as negotiator.

“Distorted accounts of the capture of the Taku forts and the hostilities of the north caused some excitement, but the Viceroy’s proclamation of 2nd July, copy of which was forwarded in my despatch of 3rd July to the Foreign Office, and the vigorous police measures taken by His Excellency soon restored calm which, despite occasional rumours, continued until the recent plot and scare reported in my despatch to you of 23rd of August.  In the same despatch I described how, in compliance with my wish, H. E. took the unprecedented step of tearing down his proclamation embodying an Imperial Decree which had been taken to imply license to harry converts.  To foreigners during the past two months the question of interest has been whether the Viceroy could and would keep his troops in order.  The Viceroy himself seemed to be in some doubt until the return of his trusted officers, who were attending the Japanese manoeuvres when the northern troubles began.  Every now and then reports of disaffection have been industriously circulated, but the drilled troops have never shown any sign of disloyalty.

“A point of H. E.’s policy which has caused considerable suspicion is the despatch of troops northward, At the end of June some 2,000 or 3,000 men passed through Hankow bound for Nyanking where the Governor was said to want a body-guard.  They were unarmed and did no mischief beyond invading the Customs and China Merchants’ Steam Navigation Company’s premises.  During July some 5,000 troops, of whom perhaps half were drilled men, went from Hukeang provinces overland to Honan and on to Chihli.  They were led by the anti-foreign Treasurer of Hunan; and their despatch was explained by the constitutional duty of succouring the Emperor.  Since July I have not heard of any further detachments leaving, though it was said that the total would reach 10,000.  Possibly the Viceroy sent the men because he did not feel strong enough to defy Peking altogether, because failure to help the court would [Page 240] have excited popular reprobation, and also in order to get rid of a considerable part of the dangerous ‘loafer’ class.

“About the 20th July there was a persistent report that the Viceroy was secretly placing guns on the opposite banks of the river.  The German military instructors assured me that the report was baseless; and Lieutenant Brandon, H. M. S. Pique, thoroughly searched the bank for a distance of three miles in length and breadth, without discovering a trace of a cannon.  The only guns in position are the two 5-inch Armstrong M. L. within the walls of Wuchang, and they have been there for a long time and are used ’merely for training purposes.’