pills were
gotten up, and such was the seriousness of the crisis that two German
missionaries had to flee for their lives, one having his mission premises
utterly destroyed. A people whose credulity is most amazingly developed by
feeding on fairy tales and demon adventures from their childhood, are
prepared to believe anything about the "ocean barbarians" whose name is
never spoken without mingled fear and hatred and suspicion.

The ferment, started at Canton, spread along the coast. The people of Amoy
were inoculated with the virus.

On the 22d of September, 1871, Dr. Talmage addressed a letter to General Le
Gendre, U. S. Consul at Amoy, informing him of the state of affairs in and
about Amoy. The missionary knowing the language and having constant
dealings with the people would be more likely to know the extent and
gravity of any conspiracy against foreigners than the Consul. A part of
the letter reads:

"In July last inflammatory placards were extensively posted throughout the
region about Canton, stating that foreigners had imported a large quantity
of poison and had hired vagabond Chinese to distribute it among the people;
that only foreigners had the antidote to this poison and that they refused
to administer it, except for large sums of money or to such persons as
embraced the foreigner's religion. In the latter part of July some of
these placards and letters accompanying them were received by Chinese at
Amoy from their Canton friends. They were copied, with changes to suit
this region, and extensively circulated. The man who seems to have been
most active in their circulation was the Cham-hu, the highest military
official at Amoy under the Admiral. He united with the Hai-hong, a high
civil official, in issuing a proclamation, warning the people to be on
their guard against poison, which wicked people were circulating. This
proclamation was not only circulated in the city of Amoy, but also in the
country around.

"It did not mention foreigners, but the people by some other means were
made to understand that foreigners were meant. The district Magistrate of
the city of Chiang-chiu issued a proclamation informing the people of the
danger of poison, especially against poison in their wells. Two days later
he issued another proclamation, reiterating his warnings, and informing the
people that he had arrested and examined a man who confessed that he, with
three others, had been employed by foreigners to engage in