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anaemia which was rapidly baking away what little strength he had. I was able to find the digestive in town, the chemists had their back doors open, although all front doors were firmly barred but we never did get the liver injections, the most essential of $71 until too late. He wasn't hungry, but he was not getting the type c food he had to have if he was going to rever. I have made notes in my diary stating December 5th, operation; December 8th- "War broke out" - December 13th "Very short of food," December 25th - "not a very Îmerry Christmas and Hongkong capitulated. I have been going out looking
for food and found some on December 28th" On January 2nd. I wrote looking for food at the risk of my neok". On Sunday January 4th - "Carried in about 35 pounds of milk and vegetables. Peeding seven people, people, what luck to find it. If I can ride and play golf all day, why can't I do something useful too". On the 10th of January I wrote, "saving up vegetables, hope to get a store." On the 19th of January-we are to be evacuated !!!" On the 21st - "moved to St. Stephen's Girl's College from queen Mary Hospital." And on the 22nd "this place seems all right".
"am
The above are brief enough entries; but they outline a whole history, the happenings, the suffering that was packed into those days! In spite of the vegetables and milk I was able to get my husband lost weight’and strength steadily. Ne needed liver injections and meat and vitamine B from fruit, and eggs. There were a few eggs at the hospital. The Gister in charge of the kitchen hád bought 200 chickens and had placed them for safe keeping in the tennis courts in the front of the hospital. The eggs they layed were clearly to be seen lying on the grass every morning, but there were too many people wanting them for us to have any. I combed the villages and finally, just before we were shifted from the usen Mary Hospital, found a good supply, which lasted for a week or two. The village people, on finding that they could get 45 an egg kept them for the Europeana, and I was able to get about two dozeń, some *uck eggs some chicken eggs. It was a
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Bongana.
The road to Tokfulam was filled with country people making their way into town with vegetables which they sold for $1 for a handful. They also carried wood, obviously looted from houses, for firewood. In the town they lined the streets, thousands and thousands of them, sitting in the guttera selling their basket loads. Occasionally there was a man selling beef or pork, dreadful looking stuff, at $4.80 a catty, when you could find it, which wasn't often. Further in town, along Feddar street and Wyndham Street and queen's Road, the gutters ere packed with people selling loot. I saw a Happin and eħb silver tea service, a very fine one, for $40, which meant 430 final price. Clothing, silverwear, Jewelly, scent, tinned goods, all of the liongkong native populace, was out selling, or buying. The shops were tightly closed although a few chemists had their back doors open.
One thing that helped was the lovely weather. The sun shone brilliantly nearly all the time during January and part of February, that helped a bit. Then it got bitterly cold for a few weeks, that was when the unfortunate civil population were trying to settle down to life in Stanley. Many people had disappeared, some were reported killed, many were uncertain, no one knew where they had got to. Sveryone asked what had become of the Governor. He was supposed to have bean taken over to the Feninsular Hotel. Later he completely disappeared. I have since heard from Mr. Leighton Shields, District Attorney in Shanghai, that Sir Mark Young is now held prisoner at Kiangan, in shanghai, and is being well treated and is fairly comfortable. How he got his information I cannot say. A friend in Hongkong, who saw Cir Kark a few days before Christmas, comiserated with him on his bad luck in arriving to take up his new appointment in Hongkong, just in time to bear the full force of bad times. As the Americans say, "just in time to carry the baby" 9ir Mark replied, "Not at all, I'm finding it all great adventure". I wonder how he feels about it now.
Mr. Tam -16,ce was reported dead, killed at the electric light works. And also Mr. Tinson, who was killed by a shell in his house. J.J. Peterson was reported killed, then alive, finally interned with the volunteers at Sham Sui Po and later in very bad condition, as thin as a rake and not at all well. The Grayburns and the other bank people were in the Bank building, they were safe at least. Bro. Edmonston had proved a "Tower of Strength", keeping up people's morale, and making
them