A Letter from Shanghai.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9834, 6 August 1900, Page 2

A Letter from Shanghai.

In view of the fears entertained about the safety of Shanghai, the following extract from a letter, dated June 22, and received to-day by a lady in Richmond (Victoria), whose son is in a largo store in Shanghai, will be read with interest :— " There is absolutely no business doing in Shanghai except in the sale of firearms, and these are selling like hob cakes. Everybody is arming, in view of the rapidity with which the revolution is spreading, and in view of the fact that it has been stated there are 3000 Boxers in Shanghai, which Ido not believe. Jt would take 10,000 Boxers to do any harm in Shanghai. We are talking of all precautions. Mounted police are patrolling the streets at night, and some of the outlying district are guarded. All are volunteers here, and 1 am one of them. We have been instructed to be in readiness to turn out at the moment the general alarm sounds (four guns and eight strokes of the firebell). When the alarm sounds I shall turn out as a fireman, as the first thing they will do will be to set fire to the buildings. It is intended to furnish the firemen with revolvers, so we shall have something to protect ourselves with besides axes. A< a parade of local volunteers last week 3000 turned out at 9 p.m., and we had a long march all round town. We are a> I wishing something would happen so as to give us something to do. If anything occurs there will be no reason for fear, as we are well able to take care ot ourselves.'