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PREFACE. 
 
 The writers of this history of the Chinese in- 
 surrection are neither of them unknown to the 
 world of letters. M. Gallery, once a missionary, 
 and afterwards interpreter to the French, embassy 
 in China, is the author of several works connected 
 with the study of the Chinese language. Dr^ Yvan, 
 physician tq^ the French em bassy in Chin a^ has 
 written an interesting book of travels in various 
 parts of the globe, under the title of " Yoyages et 
 Kecits." There is no preface to their history of 
 the rebellion to inform us which is the share taken 
 by each in the work, but from the antecedents of 
 the two writers, we may fairly conjecture that the 
 narrative belongs to Dr. Yvan, and the interpreta- 
 tion of the various documents with which it is in- 
 terspersed to M. Callery. 
 
 If these gentlemen had merely made use of their 
 opportunities of consulting the archives of their 
 embassies to reduce a quantity of fragmentary in- 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 formation into a continuous narrative, they would 
 still have done good service, considering tlie im- 
 portance of their subject, and the scanty instal- 
 ments by which we receive all the knowledge con- 
 nected with it. But they have done far more than 
 this : they have not merely given a dry narrative 
 of the rebellion, but they have introduced so many 
 lively descriptions of localities and events, that 
 while this book has all the charm of romance, it 
 gives a novel, instructive, and even humorous pic- 
 ture of Chinese manners generally. 
 
 Although the work of MM. Gallery and Yvan 
 comprises the most important event that has occur- 
 red during the rebellion, namely, the capture of 
 Nankin, it has been deemed advisable to add a sup- 
 plementary chapter, bringing down the narrative 
 to the date of pubhshing this translation. This 
 supplementary chapter contains the events that 
 have occurred since last April, together with some 
 additional information, which throws new light on 
 the narrative of the events preceding. 
 
 In spelling the Chinese names, the French mode 
 has been adopted; the monosyllabic element of 
 the names of places commencing each with a cap- 
 ital letter, while those of persons are distinguished 
 by the hyphen only. An alteration of the spelling 
 would have rendered the book inconsistent with 
 the Map, and, in the case of persons, would hardly 
 
I 
 
 PREFACB. 
 
 have been justifiable. To convert the French or- 
 thography into the English, a change of "Teh" 
 into " Ch " of " Ch " into " Sh," and of initial " Ou" 
 into "W" will generally suffice. The French 
 method of distinguishing provinces by the definite 
 article (as the Kouang-Si), has also been employed. 
 With respect to the map, it should be remarked, 
 that a black spot against a town indicates its cap- 
 ture by the insurgents. 
 
 J.O. 
 
 London, August 25, 1858. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter Page 
 
 I. — ^The Emperor Tao-kouang — the last years of his 
 
 reign . 9 
 
 II, — Accession of the Emperor Hien-foung . . .24 
 
 IIL — ^The new Emperor and the old Ministers — First 
 
 news of the Insurrection 31 
 
 rV. — ^The Kouang-Si — The Miao-tze — Tlie Insurgents 
 
 during the year 1850 4*7 
 
 V. — Protestations — Secret meetings — Proclamation of 
 
 the Pretender 60 
 
 VL — ^The Revolt in the Kouang-Toung — the Viceroy in 
 
 the Kouang-Si 11 
 
 VIL — ^A crime — The SapSqnes — Kouei-Lin . . .87 
 
 VIII. — ^A sanguinary scene — Policy of the Insurgents . 100/^ 
 
 IX. — Chinese Generalship — Insurrection at Hai-Nan — 
 Insurrection in the Provinces of the Hou-Nnn 
 and the Hou-Pe 116 
 
 X. — ^The Pretender and two official envoys — Confession 
 and execution of Ti6n-t6 — New successes of tlie 
 
 rebels 128 
 
 XL — Revolt in Formosa — The Lin family — Tlie god 
 
 Eouan — An aquatic assault . .142 
 
Vm CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter Page 
 
 Xn. — ^The regatta of Tchang-Cha — The descendants of 
 Confucius — How to make money — Ou-Tchang 
 
 and Han-Tang 167 
 
 yTTT. — ^Decree respecting the taking of Ou-Tchang — Siu 
 poisoned — Punishment of the Europeans by the 
 
 Chinese 1*73 
 
 XIV. — ^The five kings — Organization of the insurgent ar- 
 my — ^A vord about Nankin . . . .188 
 XV. — Proclamation of the Empress — ^Disgrace of Siu . 20Y 
 
 XVI. — ^Taking of Xankin — ^Imperial edicts — Insurrection- 
 ary proclamations — Attitude of the Europeans 
 — Progress of the insurrection .... 216 
 
 XVIL — State of parties in China — Is Tien-te the legitimate 
 
 descendant of the Mings ? — ^Prophetic rebuses . 244 
 
 SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER. 
 Sir George Bonham's proceedings — Interview of Mr. Mea- 
 dows with the insurgent chiefs at Nankin — ^Sir George 
 Bonham's account — Religious ideas of the insurgents — 
 "The Trimetrical Classic" — Mr. Meadows' account of 
 the insurgents and their chief — Capture of Amoy . 263 
 
 POSTSCRIPT. 
 Proceedings of the insurgents at Amoy, Nankin, and Chin- 
 kiang-foo— State of Pekin — ^Visit yf ^ r. Taylor ta the 
 rebel camp— Latest advices 298 
 
THE 
 
 INSURRECTION IN CHINA 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 The Emperor Tao-kouang— the last years of his reign. 
 
 :/'"»/ 
 
 "^ HE Chinese insurrection is one of the most import- 
 events of the present time. Politicians of all coun- 
 r'lm /4>hserve with curiosity the progress of that invading 
 vhich during three years has steadily advanced to- 
 /' its proposed end — the overthrow of the Tartar dy- 
 '■> ^ Will it attain this prodigious result ? This we 
 lot yet foresee ; but in the meanwhile all who are in- 
 ; ted in Christianity or in commerce watch with unea- 
 ::::::^=j the alternations of the struggle, and the nations of 
 ,' 7est await with anxiety the issue of a war which, 
 [ when it may, will essentially modify their relations 
 \ he Chinese empire. In sucli a state of things, we 
 • leemed it opportune to write a history of the insur- 
 •Q — to give an idea of the threatening invasion — 
 Jo follow its course through the districts where it 
 i already penetrated. To throw a light on the origin 
 
10 THE iVstjftReqfTa?<''N; €HIKA, ''.^ 
 
 0^* these events we shall first sketch the biography of the 
 last emperor, and give a glance at the state of the Chi- 
 nese empire at the close of his reign. 
 
 This monarch, who was born in 1780, and who on as- 
 cending the throne took the name of Tao-kouang, or " bril- 
 liant reason," was the second son of the Emperor Kia- 
 king. His youth was passed in comparative obscurity, 
 and he was thirty years of age when an event which near- 
 ly overthrew his dynasty suddenly brought out some of 
 the eminent qualities with which he was endowed. 
 
 The Emperor Kia-king was a weak incapable man, 
 completely governed by those around him. An unwor- 
 thy favorite reigned in his name. This person, who was 
 named Lin-king, was the chief eunuch of the palace. In- 
 stances of this kind are not rare in the annals of the 
 court of China. The chief of the eunuchs has always 
 great influence in the intrigues of the palace, and accord- 
 ing to the strange ideas of the country, his personal de- 
 fect is no obstacle to his ambition. The authority of Lin- 
 king was boundless. He disposed of every office. The 
 highest functionaries, the ministers, and even the imperi- 
 al family, bowed before him. Nor did this lofty position 
 satisfy him. The indirect exercise of power emboldened 
 him to desire the sovereign authority for himself, and he 
 began to open a path to the throne by gaining over the 
 greater part of the military mandarins. This conspira- 
 cy was conducted with so much secresy, that no one at 
 the Court of Pekin suspected it in the least. 
 
 One day, when the Emperor was hunting with his sons, 
 
CONSPIRACY or LIN-KINO. U 
 
 Lin-king introduced into the capital those troops whose 
 chiefs he knew were entirely devoted to him, and the sol- 
 diers were disposed about the environs of the palace. 
 The plan of the first eunuch was to kill the Emperor and 
 the princes of the imperial family, and to have himself 
 immediately proclaimed by the army, whose chiefs he 
 had secured. Towards the evening the Emperor return- 
 ed to the palace without mistrust, accompanied by his eld- 
 est son, and followed by his usual cortege of civil and 
 military mandarins. Scarcely was the great portal closed 
 behind him than Lin-king gave the signal to his cohorts, 
 who at once surrounded the palace, and guarded every 
 outlet. 
 
 In the hurry of this critical moment, the first eunuch 
 had not observed that the second son of Kia-king was not 
 returned from the chase with his father. When the con- 
 spiracy had already broken out, the prince returned to 
 Pekin alone. He was in a hunting dress, and wore none 
 of the insignia of royalty ; he could therefore traverse 
 the city without being recognized. The greatest agita- 
 tion already prevailed in the principal quarter, and he 
 only required a moment's reflection to perceive the cause 
 of the tumult, and to divine the purpose for which the 
 troops had surrounded the palace. By the aid of his 
 plain costume, he passed through the people, who were in 
 an excited and disorderly state, and reached the very fo- 
 cus of rebellion. The first eunuch had left the palace to 
 harangue his partisans, and the prince could now see that 
 the favorite, whose insolcoco had so often angered him, 
 
1:2 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 was at the liead of the rebellion. He approached still 
 nearer, unobserved among the throng of troopers, and al- 
 though he was quite alone among so many enemies he did 
 not for an instant lose his courage or his presence of 
 mind. Tearing oflF the round metal buttons which adorn- 
 ed his dress to use them as bullets, he loaded the fowling- 
 piece which he carried in his belt, and taking a short aim 
 at the chief eunuch, shot him dead on the spot. 
 
 The troops were thrown into disorder. The soldiers 
 threw down their arras and fled, and all the partisans of 
 Lin-king dispersed, to escape the chastisement they had 
 deserved. The prince returned triumphant into the im- 
 perial residence, the threshold of which had not been 
 profaned by the rebels, and old Kia-king learned his dan- 
 ger and his deliverance at the same time. 
 
 Tao-kouang ascended the throne in 1820. According 
 to the usages of the princes of his dynasty, he had mar- 
 ried a Tartar woman — a woman with large feet. She 
 did not give birth to any children, but he had a numer- 
 ous family by his concubines. In China neither law nor 
 custom makes any difference between the children of a 
 lawful wife and those of a concubine : they have all the 
 same rights ; the sterility of the Empress therefore did 
 not at all affect the succession to the throne. 
 
 During the earlier part of his reign, Tao-kouang call- 
 ed to the administration of public affairs, those statesmen 
 who, in the eyes of the people, were faithful guardians of 
 Chinese traditions. Every nation whose history dates 
 from a remote past, has its conservative party ; and dur- 
 
CHINESE DIPLOMACY. 13 
 
 \ng tranquil times it is to the representatives of the old 
 national guarantees that the government is naturally en- 
 trusted. But when the luotiient for modifying ancient 
 institutions has inevitably arrived, the exclusive attach- 
 ment of this party to things of the past becomes really 
 dangerous. This political truth may be perceived as well 
 in the history of Chinese revolution, as in the history of 
 France. The agents of Tao-kouang, thoroughly Chinese 
 .in their ideas, and filled with a proud disdain for barba- 
 rian nations, involved their country in a disastrous war, 
 because they did not see that the moment was come when 
 they should descend from that diplomatic elevation where 
 their presumption and the endurance of the Europeans 
 had so long maintained them. At a later period, the 
 same spirit of resistance to the exigencies of the time 
 caused the insurrectional movement of which we are about 
 to treat. In fact, the two most important events which 
 have been chronicled in the annals of China during the 
 last quarter of a century — namely, the war with Eng- 
 land, and the revolt in the Kouang-si — have both pro- 
 ceeded from the same cause. 
 
 In spite of all the opposition of the " Son of Heaven," 
 the war of China against England resulted in bringing 
 Chinese diplomacy, to a certain extent, within the com- 
 pass of the political movement of the West; and the ex- 
 perience which cost Tao-kouang so dear, afforded no in- 
 struction to bis successor. Before proceeding further, 
 we will briefly set forth the occasion of this first struggle. 
 
 By virtue of its original charter, the East India Com- 
 
14 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 pany enjoyed till 1834 the monopoly of the British trade 
 with China. Those merchants who have founded, be- 
 yond the limits of their own country, the most opulent 
 and extensive empire of our time, had the sole right of 
 trading in the produce of the Chinese empire. It will 
 easily be understood that when difficulties arose between 
 the Chinese functionaries and the Company's agents, 
 the latter, being exclusively occupied with commercial 
 interests, made but feeble protestations against preten- 
 sions which were often exorbitant. The representatives 
 of the Company were, for the most part, clever merchants, 
 and nothing more ; and the one among them, who has of 
 late acquired the most celebrity — namely, Sir John Da- 
 vis — was more distinguished for his literary attainments 
 than for his national susceptibility. 
 
 When the Company's charter expired in 1834, the 
 English Government refused to renew their exclusive 
 privileges ; and all British merchants had now a right to 
 trade with China. Some years afterwards, the Emperor 
 Tao-kouang resolved to check in his dominions the pro- 
 gress of a custom, which was about a century old — in 
 other words, to prohibit the sale of opium through the 
 whole extent of the Celestial Empire. For this purpose 
 he sent to Canton a man whose services he had already 
 learned to appreciate. A mandarin of acknowledged 
 integrity and inflexible will, whose severity was some- 
 what barbarous, came to the capital of the two Kouangs 
 to replace a faithless official, who, in consideration of 
 
LIN fl VIOLENCE. lO 
 
 enormous advantages, had closed his eyes to the illicit 
 traffic of the British merchants and the smugglers. 
 
 Every one trembled at the arrival of the new governor, 
 who wore the insignia of the highest dignities, and whose 
 appearance was very imposing. Lin was then about fifty 
 years of age ; he wore the red ball, and the peacock's 
 feather with two eyes. *' 
 
 Lin's only error was that he did not understand the 
 altered spirit of the time, and consequently did not reck- 
 on on the change which had taken place in the character 
 of the foreigners with whom he had to settle such diffi- 
 cult and delicate questions. So long as the mandarins 
 had to deal directly with agents of the East India Com- 
 pany, they could without danger assume a disdainful 
 tone ; for such a tone inflicted no deep wound on men 
 devoted solely to their commercial interests. But when 
 Lin came suddenly into contact with the representatives 
 of a government jealous of its dignity, he struck against 
 a rock which he little expected. 
 
 As a man of tact, he should have confined himself to 
 the efficacious measures he had already adopted. Thanks 
 to his activity, his zeal, and above all to the fear which 
 
 * The color of the ball worn at the apex of the conical cap 
 Bcrves, in some measure, to mark the rank of the wearer. Red 
 indicates the highest degree of official dignity. The introduction 
 of peacock's feathers, of one, two, or three eyes, and of different 
 colors, to hang from the top of the cap down the back as a sign 
 of various degrees of merit, was an invention of the Tartar dy- 
 nasty. — J. O. 
 
16 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 he inspired, lie had given new sinews to the Chinese Gov- 
 ernment, and the smugglers, constantly chased by the 
 custom-house officers of the Celestial Empire, had nearly 
 abandoned their dangerous trade. Bat not content with 
 this first success, he wished, by a vigorous act, to strike 
 a blow at the British merchants, and to put out of their 
 heads all thoughts of again introducing the narcotic drug 
 into the Chinese empire. 
 
 One night the hongs, or factories in which the foreign- 
 ers resided, were surrounded by troops ; and the Eng- 
 lish, American, and Parsee merchants, learned, when they 
 awoke, that they were Lin's prisoners, and that the vice- 
 roy of the two Kouangs allowed them three days to give 
 up all the opium they had on board the " receiving ships ;" 
 in default whereof, they were to be treated according to 
 the utmost rigor of the new law, — in other words, were 
 to lose their heads. 
 
 This was a violent measure, especially when we reflect 
 that Lin was by no means in the right. In France, 
 where ideas are not always correct, it is a settled point 
 that the English were wrong in the opium war, and that 
 the cause of right suffered in the treaty of Nankin. No 
 opinion could be more false. The English carried on a 
 contraband trade on the coasts of the Celestial Empire 
 precisely similar to the smuggling which takes place ou 
 the coast of France ; and we have not, as I am aware, 
 laid down the principle that we can seize and threaten 
 with death all the foreign merchants within our clutches, 
 on the pretext that there are vessels in the Havre or Mar- 
 
SURRENDER OF THE OPIUM. l7 
 
 seilles roads loaded with contraband goods. To proceed, 
 however — when Lin struck his decisive blow, there were 
 vessels oflf the island of Lin-tin loaded with more than 
 20.000 chests of opium, and representing a value of more 
 than 50,000,000 francs (2,000,000/.) This glut arose 
 from the eflScacious measures which had been pursued by 
 the hoppo (the director-general of the Canton customs), 
 at the instigation of and under the authority of Lin. 
 
 In this extremity, the prisoners wrote at once to Cap- 
 tain Elliot, commander of the naval forces of England 
 in the Chinese waters, who then happened to be at Macao. 
 They informed him of the dangers which threatened 
 their lives and fortunes, at the same time soliciting his 
 intervention and assistance. Captain Elliot hastened to 
 his countrymen at once, and after urging them not to 
 yield to the demands of the mandarins, he announced 
 that he purchased the 20.000 chests of opium in the name 
 of her Britannic Majesty ; and declared that be would 
 make a political question of what had hitherto been a 
 commercial difficulty. He then ordered Lin to withdraw 
 his troops, and release the Queen's subjects. The vice- 
 roy took no heed of this demand. He simply replied, 
 that the severest measures would be taken against the 
 English, unless the whole of the opium on board of their 
 ships was given up. 
 
 As Captain Elliot had not suflScient force to resist the 
 Chinese troops, ho gave up the prohibited article. Lin 
 caused large pits to be dug, and the opium, covered with 
 (iuick-lime, was buried in the island of Lin-tin, in the 
 
18 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 presence of witnesses ; after which operation, the foreign 
 merchants detained at Canton were set at liberty. 
 
 However, the day of retribution was at hand. In a 
 short time a British fleet sailed up the river of Canton, 
 dismantling the forts, and threatening the banks on each 
 side, and took a strong position on the nothern coasts of 
 China, by occupying Tchou-san (Chusan). When news 
 of these events was received at Pekin, Lin was immedi- 
 ately recalled, and Kichan, a member of the imperial 
 family, was appointed by the Emperor to succeed him. 
 Ki-chan was an intelligent and resolute man. He saw 
 at once with what sort of enemies he had to deal, and 
 the danger to whidb the Government had been exposed by 
 the imprudence and presumption of his predecessor. As 
 a skillful diplomatist he did not hesitate to accept the 
 ultimatum laid down by the " barbarians ;" that is to 
 say, he avoided a disastrous war by accepting hard con- 
 ditions, such as a heavy indemnity paid to the English, 
 the cession of Hong-kong, and so forth. However, when 
 the treaty was submitted to the Emperor for sanction, 
 the " Son of Heaven " rejected it with indignation. Ki- 
 chan was ignominiously recalled, and underwent the great- 
 est indignity that had ever been inflicted on any high 
 functionary under the reign of Tao-kouang. He was pub- 
 licly degraded, his property was confiscated, his concu- 
 bines were sold, his house was rased to the ground, and, 
 to complete his misfortunes, he was exiled to the remotest 
 part of Tartary. 
 
 These sudden reverses of fortune are spectacles which 
 
TREATY OF NAXKIN. 19 
 
 the Celestial Emperor often presents to the Chinese peo- 
 ple. The lower orders always applaud such catastrophes, 
 which appeal to their gross instincts : and they think that 
 a strong blow is necessarily a just one. Those of our 
 readers who wish to form a better acquaintance with the 
 great mandarin Ki-chan, have only to read the '• Voyage 
 au Thibet," by MM. Hue and Gabet ; they will find him 
 at Lassa, on intimate terms with the intrepid travellers. 
 - A mandarin named Y-chan succeeded Ki-chan in the 
 government of Canton, and brought back with him the 
 treaty which his predecessor had concluded, torn. Hos- 
 tilities were renewed at once. Every one knows the re- 
 sult of the English expedition. Ning-po, Chang-hai, 
 Tchou-san, Ting-hai, fell successively into the hands of 
 the English, who at last compelled the Chinese to sign 
 at Nankin a treaty, by which they ceded Hong-kong to 
 the " barbarians ;" opened to them four new ports on the 
 northern coast of the empire, granted them the occupa- 
 tion of Tchou-san for five years ; and, moreover, bound 
 themselves to pay a heavy indemnity. 
 
 This treaty was concluded by Ki-in, another member 
 of the royal family, with whom we were intimately ac- 
 quainted. He was the political friend of Mou-tchang-ha, 
 the prime minister, and member of the council. These 
 two persons were unquestionably the greatest statesmen 
 during the reign of Tao-kouang. It is very probable 
 that the " Son of Heaven," the sublime Emperor, never 
 knew precisely what was going on between the English 
 and the Chinese. He died, doubtless, consoled by the 
 
20 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 pleasant thought that his troops were invincible, and that 
 if Hong-kong had been charitably bestowed on a few 
 wretched exiles, it was only because they had begged for 
 the happiness of being his subjects. 
 
 At all events, the treaty of Nankin was signed and 
 ratified, and Ki-in, who was appointed governor of the 
 two Kouangs, came to occupy the difl&cult post of Can- 
 ton. He at once impressed his convictions on the mind 
 of the prime minister, Mou-tchang-ha, and through his 
 influence with that high dignitary, though difi&culties still 
 sometimes arose between the people of the West and the 
 Chinese, a rupture became almost impossible. We 
 should add that this new policy, this attitude of the pro- 
 gressive conservatives, irritated the population of Canton 
 against them. They were accused of temporizing with 
 foreigners, and betraying their sovereign for the advan- 
 tage of the barbarians. Thousands of placards held up 
 the name of Ki-in as an object of popular hatred and 
 vengeance. We quote one of these placards literally, to 
 show that injustice, violence, and evil passions, belong to 
 all countries and all races. 
 
 " Our cannibal mandarins have hitherto been the ac- 
 complices of the English robbers in all the acts that the 
 latter have committed against order and justice. For 
 five years to come our nation will mourn the humiliation 
 it has been forced to undergo. 
 
 " In the fifth moon of the present year, many Chinese 
 have been slain by foreigners ; their bodies have been 
 flung into the river, and buried in the bellies of fishes ; 
 
MILITARY REFORM. 21 
 
 but our high authorities have treated these affairs as 
 though they had never heard of them ; they have looked 
 upon these foreign devils as though they were gods ; they 
 have despised the Chinese as though they had the flesh 
 of doojs ; and have not valued the life of men more than 
 the hair which is shorn from the head. They persist in 
 keeping the throne in ignorance of what is passing, and 
 in neglecting to treat this affair with the importance 
 which it deserves. Thousands of people are filled with 
 grief and anger ; sorrow has penetrated the marrow of 
 their bones, and their sole consolation is to express their 
 woes in the public assemblies, «&c., &c." 
 
 These absurd accusations had no influence on the po- 
 litical fortunes of Ki-in. The Emperor, satisfied with 
 his services, recalled him to Pekin to confer new dignities 
 upon him and to raise him to the highest ofl&ces. He 
 became the colleague of Mou-tchang-ha. These two 
 statesmen endeavored to effect several reforms. The 
 first was directed to the military department. Ki-in saw 
 clearly that the Chinese soldiers, armed like the Homeric 
 heroes with bows and arrows, or encumbered with old- 
 fashioned matchlocks, could not cope with the European 
 troops, and he endeavored to change this grotesque mode 
 of equipment. We find on this subject a very curious 
 report presented to the emperor during the ministry of 
 Ki-in. The point is the substitution of percussion guns 
 for the old arquebus, which was fired with a match. We 
 see that in this change of firearms China has the advan- 
 tage over Europe : she has passed over the flint-and-pan. 
 
22 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 '' I respectfully report, that whereas your Majesty has 
 charged a prince of the imperial family to make an ex- 
 periment of the percussion weapons made in my depart- 
 ment, all these weapons have been found admirably effi- 
 cient. Nevertheless, as such weapons are somewhat 
 similar in their mechanism to clocks and watches, they 
 are in constant danger of getting out of order, so as not 
 to work at all. Hence they are in need of frequent re- 
 pair, which must not be neglected if they are to be kept 
 ready for use at a moment's notice. 
 
 " For the manufacture of detonating powder and gun- 
 powder, an annual supply of one thousand cattis of salt- 
 petre and fifty cattis of sulphur will be required ; and I 
 entreat your Majesty to have them sent to me. 
 
 " Fifty thousand copper caps should be placed every 
 year in the arsenals, as a reserve, and renewed when 
 necessary, in order to meet the exigencies of a sudden 
 war. Besides this supply, a quantity of caps should be 
 made for the practice with fire-arms, which takes place 
 during the great reviews of spring and autumn. 
 
 " A year has scarcely elapsed since your Majesty first 
 gave orders for the manufacture of weapons of the kind 
 above mentioned, and even now all the persons employed 
 on them — artificers, officers, and soldiers — have acquired 
 wonderful experience, not only in the art of making them, 
 but also in that of using them. We, therefore, pray your 
 Majesty to grant to each of them the reward which his 
 meritorious efforts deserve. "We also entreat you to 
 
PROSPECTS OF 1850. 23 
 
 ' 'iblisli fill edict setting forth the Mantchou name which 
 < to be given to the percussion guns." 
 
 Thus in the last days of the reign of Tao-kouang the 
 Chinese empire was really in the path of progress. Mou- 
 tchang-ha and Ki-in gave a powerful impulse to the move- 
 ment, while the conciliatory spirit of the two ministers 
 improved the relations with foreigners. The English 
 chased the pirates, to the advantage of both nations ; and 
 if a suspicious junk made its appearance in the southern 
 waters they ran it down at once. In fact, all was going 
 on for the best, when an unexpected event changed the 
 aspect of affairs. 
 
CHAPTEE II. 
 
 Accession of the Emperor Ilien-foung. 
 
 On the 26tli of February, 1850, at seven o'clock in the 
 morning, the entrances to the imperial palace of Pekin 
 were obstructed by a dense throng of mandarins of the 
 inferior orders, and servants in white dresses and yellow 
 girdles, who spoke in a whisper, and wore an aspect of 
 official grief on their countenances. In the midst of this 
 ocean of subalterns were stationed sixteen persons, each 
 accompanied by a groom, who held a horse saddled and 
 bridled. These sixteen persons wore the satin cap tied 
 under the chin and surmounted by a white ball ; also a 
 girdle hung with bells ; a tube of a yellow color was 
 slung diagonally over their shoulders, and they held in 
 their hand a long whip. One of the high dignitaries 
 came out from the palace, and with his own hands gave 
 each of these men a folded document, sealed with the 
 red seal of the Emperor. The sixteen, after bowing to 
 receive it, swung round the tube, which with the exception 
 of its yellow colour perfectly resembled the tin cylinders 
 in which soldiers, released from service, enclose their 
 conge. In this they respectfully placed the official des- 
 
DEATH OF TAO-KOUANG. 25 
 
 patch ; after which they mounted on horseback ; while 
 the grooms secured them on their saddles with thongs 
 that passed over their thighs. When they were firmly 
 fixed, the crowd gave way, and the horses set oflf at full 
 speed. These sixteen horsemen, who are called Fei-ma, 
 or " flying couriers," had each of them to perform in 
 twenty-four hours a journey of six hundred li, or sixty 
 leagues French. Their office was to carry the following 
 despatch to the Governors-general of the sixteen provinces 
 of the Celestial Empire: — 
 
 " The Board of Rites gives notice in great haste to 
 the Governor-general, that on the fourteenth of the first 
 moon, the Supreme Emperor, mounted on a dragon, de- 
 parted to the ethereal regions. At the hour moo in the 
 morning, his Celestial Majesty transmitted the imperial 
 dignity to his fourth son, Se-go-ko, and in the evening, 
 at the hour /wzi, he set off for the abode of tlie gods. 
 
 " It is consequently ordered that the mourning for 
 the Empress-dowager, which had nearly reached its ter- 
 mination, shall be immediately resumed by all civil and 
 military functionaries, and that no one shall be allowed 
 to shave his beard or his head in the interval. A sub- 
 sequent decree will make known the duration of the great 
 imperial mourning." 
 
 Thus it appears that the Emperor Tao-kouang was 
 dead, and accordingly the constitution of the empire had 
 devolved the supreme dignity on the successor he had 
 appointed. 
 
 The sceptre was to be wielded by his fourth son ; but 
 2 
 
2C THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 the " Son of Heaven*' had departed from ancient usage, 
 by appointing his heir by word of mouth. Usually the 
 bequest of supreme power was made long beforehand, by 
 a solemn document which was deposited in a golden 
 coflfer, to be opened with great solemnity when the Em- 
 peror ceased to exist. However, even in China, the last 
 will of a deceased monarch is not always respected, and 
 we may find there, as elsewhere, an illustration of the 
 old adage, " A living dog is better than a dead lion." 
 The history of the Celestial Empire offers several 
 examples of a violation of the posthumous orders of the 
 Emperor ; and we may as well record here one of the 
 most remarkable instances of the sort, inasmuch as it 
 strikingly exemplifies the civilization and manners of 
 China. 
 
 The second Emperor of the dynasty of Tsin, Tsin-che- 
 houang, being already old and infirm, sent his son, Fou- 
 sou, the heir to the throne, into the north of China, to 
 superintend the defensive works, which three hundred 
 thousand men were constructing on the Tartarian fron- 
 tier. He gave the young prince for his guide and guardian, 
 the celebrated Mong-tien, an experienced general, and 
 the most illustrious warrior of his time. While the im- 
 perial prince and his three hundred thousand men were 
 working at that great wall of China, which travellers 
 have so much lengthened in their narratives, the old 
 Emperor Tsin-che-houang took it into his head to perform 
 a pilgrimage into the southern provinces, to visit the 
 tombs of his predecessors Chuen and Yu. The latter is 
 
AN ANCIENT ANECDOTE. 27 
 
 the Deucalion of Chinese mythology, and his memory is 
 held in high veneration. 
 
 Tsin-che-houang performed this long journey, accom- 
 panied by his second son, Hou-hai, and Tcha-kao, chief 
 of the eunuchs. The old Emperor could not support 
 the fatigues of the journey. He fell ill at a great dis- 
 tance from his capital, and feeling the approach of death, 
 wrote to his eldest son to quit the frontier, and proceed 
 .with all haste to the capital of the empire, there to re- 
 ceive the news of his decease, and to celebrate his funeral 
 when his body should be brought thither by his faithful 
 servants. The chief of the eunuchs, whose office it was 
 to place the imperial seal on this despatch and send it to 
 the crown-prince of the empire, fabricated another des- 
 patch, and boldly substituted it for that of the dying 
 emperor. In this document, which had all the marks 
 of authenticity, Tsin-che-houang ordered the prince his 
 son, and the illustrious warrior who accompanied him, 
 to kill themselves, by way of expiating their transgress- 
 ions. 
 
 On the day after the perpetration of this fraud, the 
 Emperor died. The infamous Tcha-kao then persuaded 
 the second son to take possession of the throne ; but to 
 cflfect this usurpation, it was necessary to conceal the 
 death of the Emperor for a certain time, in order that 
 the high functionaries, and the young princess, who had 
 remained in the capital, might not of their own accord 
 proclaim the heir, already appointed by the deceased 
 monarch. 
 
28 THE INSUllRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 The eunuch therefore contrived this stratagem. The 
 body, wrapped in sumptuous raiment, and in the same 
 attitude as during life, was placed in a litter surrounded 
 by a light trellis-work, and concealed by silken curtains. 
 A few initiated persons could alone approach it, and the 
 eunuch proclaimed throughout the route that the Em- 
 peror, wishing to hasten his return, would travel day 
 and night without alighting from his litter. At meal 
 times, the procession stopped for a moment to take in 
 the food, which was consumed by a man placed in a litter 
 by the side of the corpse ; but even the most curious eye 
 could not detect anything behind the thick silken cur- 
 tains. 
 
 Unfortunately this took place during the most intense 
 heat of summer, and the corpse soon began to send forth 
 a most intolerable stench, which would have revealed the 
 terrible truth, had not the eunuch contrived a new ex- 
 pedient. He sent in advance of the procession an ante- 
 dated edict, professedly issued by the Emperor, which 
 declared that the said Emperor, for the interest of com- 
 merce, allowed the carts of vendors of oysters to take 
 the same route as his cortege. Formerly this had been 
 severely prohibited on account of the offensive nature of 
 the wares. The oysters, which in Chinese are called 
 pao-yu. are the enormous shell-fish to which naturalists 
 give the name of spondyks. and were then, as now, large- 
 ly consumed by the people. 
 
 The oyster-dealers took advantage of the permission 
 which was granted them ; and consequently cart-loads of 
 
AN ANCIENT ANECDOTE. 29 
 
 spondyks preceded and followed the imperial procession, 
 sending forth efl3uvia which defied the most sensitive 
 nose to detect the putrid exhalations of the corpse among 
 the alkaline exhalations which surrounded it. In this 
 manner the imperial litter reached the capital amid the 
 sound of gongs and the acclamations of the multitude. 
 
 Prince Hou-hai and the eunuch took their measures at 
 once. Having gained over the high functionaries and 
 the soldiers, they announced the death of Tsin-che- 
 houang, and proclaimed the new Emperor. While all 
 this was going on at Ping-yuen, Fou-sou and Mong-tien 
 received with astonishment the imperial edict which com- 
 manded them to kill themselves. The old general ob- 
 served to bis pupil that it was contrary to the rules of 
 sound policy to order generals who commanded 300,000 
 men to die by their own hands, without providing suc- 
 cessors, and he was therefore of opinion that the impe- 
 rial edict was a forgery. However Fou-sou made the 
 heroic reply that filial piety required him to obey, with- 
 out examination or discussion, an order bearing his fa- 
 ther's seal, and stabbed himself without hesitation. 
 
 The accession of Hien-foung was not attended by such 
 disastrous circumstances, though his father had not ap- 
 pointed him in the express terms to which the Chinese, 
 who are formalists by nature, attach great importance. 
 He mounted the throne without opposition, and if we 
 have related the catastrophe of Prince Fou-sou, it is only 
 for the purpose of showing the reader how easily the 
 most audacious crimes may be perpetrated in a country 
 
30 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 where an almost invisible sovereign is surrounded by 
 persons who, at any given moment, can conspire together 
 to violate without a struggle the law of succession to the 
 throne. The new Emperor, according to custom, aban- 
 doned the name he had hitherto borne, and took that of 
 Hien-fouDg, which signifies " Complete Abundance," 
 
CHAPTEE III. 
 
 - The new Emperor and the old Miniatera— First news of the Inaurrection. 
 
 After the death of Tao-kouang, one of us wrote as 
 follows : — " We must be very ignorant of the affairs of 
 China, or have some interest in concealing the truth, if 
 we do not feel the gravity of the political position result- 
 ing from the old Emperor's decease." These words were 
 addressed to some journalists, who seemed to think that 
 the people of the Celestial Empire were utter strangers 
 to the feelings which animate the people of the West. 
 We, on the other hand, who have long been convinced 
 that the disdain of the Chinese for the arts of the bar- 
 barians is no more than a result of national vanity, could 
 not conceal from ourselves the gravity of the position. 
 
 A young man of nineteen, inheriting absolute power, 
 and succeeding an old man whose reign had been chec- 
 quercd by events of incalculable import, appeared to us 
 a severe test for the destinies of the empire. It was to 
 be feared that he would only be guided by the feelings 
 and suggestions of persons of his own age ; and it must 
 be remembered that in China the educated youth and the 
 
32 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 ignorant populace entertain the same political opinions. 
 They profess an equal hatred for foreigners, and enter- 
 tain the same instinctive repugnance for the institutions 
 of other countries. The arts of other nations seem to 
 them tainted with heresy, for they feel that their intro- 
 duction among themselves is followed by new manners 
 and customs. In a word, they are re-actionaries by hab- 
 it, and by their attachment to national usages. Only 
 those who are of a mature age, and have been trained in 
 the school of experience, can appreciate the arts and in- 
 stitutions of Christian nations. Ki-in, at the time of 
 our residence in China, when no misfortune had yet be- 
 fallen him, often praised the Governments of England, 
 the United States, and France ; and at the same time, 
 Ki-chan, who had been unjustly cast down from his high 
 position, expressed similar opinions to MM. Hue and Ga- 
 bet, in the holy city of Thibet. 
 
 The accession of Hien-foung was hailed as an event 
 of great promise. The national party saw in him the 
 regenerator of the old exclusive system. If this party 
 did not hope to see him build the great wall which was 
 now crumbling, it could, at any rate, believe, without ex- 
 cessive vanity, that he would raise a barrier across the 
 river of Canton, and hinder the fire-ships of the '• barba- 
 rians " from approaching the capital of the twO Kouangs. 
 On the other hand, the progressive conservatives hoped 
 that one who was the son of Tao-kouang, and the pupil 
 of Ki-in, would maintain peace with foreigners, and reg- 
 ulate the opium trade, as the English had done in India, 
 
FALL OF THE OLD MINISTERS. 33 
 
 the Dutch in Malay, and as the French have done with 
 respect to the sale of two poisons equally dangerous, al- 
 cohol and tobacco ; and finally, that the army, the fleet, 
 and the administrative details of the Chinese, would re- 
 ceive those improvements which modern times demanded. 
 
 In monarchical countries — especially where the mon- 
 archy is absolute — the beginning of a new reign affords 
 full scope to all sorts of illusions and ambitious dreams. 
 Everybody prepossessed with his own Utopia hopes to 
 see it realized, when a hint from the sovereign will is all 
 that is required for so desirable an end. Hence, during 
 the first days of the reign of Hien-foung, each of the 
 different parties believed that its own system of politic! 
 would be established. 
 
 In the mean while the young Emperor lived, surround 
 ed by a troop of flatterers, eunuchs, and concubines, i? 
 his immense palace — whose domain is as extensive as on« 
 of our cities. He never passed the limits of those gar 
 dens, the walks of which are of quartz, sparkling with 
 a thousand colors ; and it might be imagined that he was 
 altogether absorbed in those refined luxuries and splen- 
 did enjoyments which are concealed in retreats impene- 
 trable to the eyes of the multitude. Politicians began 
 to feel surprised at this long period of inaction ; when 
 all of a sudden the thunder broke forth. The absolute 
 power exerted itself at last — the moment of unexpected 
 downfalls, and unlooked-for elevations, had arrived. It 
 was the reactionary party that triumphed. The Moniteur 
 
 of Pekin contained the dismissal of Moa-tchang-ha and 
 2* 
 
34 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 of Ki-in, and thus set forth the motive of this proceed- 
 ing :— 
 
 " To employ men of merit, and to remove the un- 
 worthy, is the first duty of a sovereign, for if any in- 
 dulgence is shown to the unworthy, the government loses 
 all its power. 
 
 " The injuries done to the empire, by some of its func- 
 tionaries, have now reached their utmost limit. The 
 Government is everywhere on the decline ; the people 
 are in a state of general demoralization ; and the burden 
 of all these calamities falls upon me. Nevertheless it was 
 the duty of my ministers to propose good measures, to 
 reform abuses, and to render me such daily assistance as 
 might keep me in the right direction. 
 
 " Mou-tchang-ha, as first minister of the cabinet, has 
 enjoyed the confidence of several Emperors, but he has 
 taken no account of the difficulties of his office, or of his 
 obligation to identify himself with the virtue and good 
 counsels of his sovereign. On the contrary, while he has 
 maintained his position, and the credit which pertains to 
 it, he has, to the great detriment of the empire, kept men 
 of real merit out of office, and while, to deceive me, he 
 has put on an outward show of devotion and fidelity, he 
 has only employed his talents in dexterously trying to 
 make my views accord with his own. 
 
 " One of the acts which most kindled indignation, was 
 his removal from office of those men who had not the 
 same political opinions with himself, at the time when 
 the c[uestion concerning the barbarians was under con- 
 
FALL OF THE OLD MINISTERS. 35 
 
 sideration. For with regard to Ta-lioung-ha and Yao- 
 joung, whose extreme fidelity and energy offended him, 
 he never rested till he had overthrown them ; while with 
 respect to Ki-in, a shameless man, who is dead to all 
 virtue, and whom he hoped to have for an accomplice in 
 his iniquities, he was not satisfied till he had raised him 
 to the highest dignity. There are numberless examples 
 of the same kind to show that he constantly made use of 
 the favour he enjoyed to extend the measure of his 
 power. 
 
 " The last Emperor was too honest and too just him- 
 self to suspect men of perfidy, and on this account Mou- 
 tchang-ha has been allowed to go on fearlessly and with- 
 out hindrance in his evil courses. If all his treason had 
 once been brought to light, there is no doubt that he 
 would have suffered a severe punishment, and that not 
 the slightest mercy would have been extended to him. 
 However, his audacity was increased by his impunity, 
 and the continua^on of the imperial favour ; and even 
 unto this day his conduct has been unchanged. 
 
 " At the beginning of our reign, whenever we had oc- 
 casion to ask his advice, he either gave it in equivocal 
 term.s, or was silent. A few months afterwards he had 
 recourse to stratagem. "When the vessel of the English 
 barbarians arrived at Tien-sin he conspired with his ctm 
 fidant Ki-in, to make his own policy prevail, and to expo.SM 
 the people of the empire to the return of past calamitiea. 
 "Wc cannot depict all the dangers which were hidden in 
 l)is schemes. 
 
86 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 " When the minister Pan-che-gan strongly advised us 
 to employ Lin, Mou-tchang-ha never ceased to urge that 
 the iDfirmities of Lin rendered him unfit for any employ ; 
 and when we ordered him to proceed to the Kouang-Si 
 to exterminate the rebels, Mou-tchang-ha again questioned 
 the aptitude of Lin for this mission. He has thus treache- 
 rously endeavoured to dazzle our eyes, that we may not 
 see what is going on without ; and it is in this that his 
 culpability really consists. 
 
 "As for Ki-in, his anti-national propensities, his 
 cowardice, and his incapacity, are beyond expression. 
 While he was at Canton he did nothing but oppress the 
 people in order to please the barbarians, to the great de- 
 triment of the State. Was not this clearly shown in the 
 discussion respecting the entrance of the Europeans into 
 the official city ? 
 
 " On the one hand he violated the sacred principles of 
 justice, while on the other he outraged the natural feel- 
 ings of the nation, thus causing hostilities which we had 
 no reason to expect. 
 
 " Very fortunately, our predecessor, fully informed of 
 the duplicity of this man, recalled him in haste to the 
 capital, and though he did not at once remove him from 
 office, he would certainly have done so when a fitting 
 time arrived. 
 
 " Often, in the course of the present year, when he has 
 been called before us, he has, while speaking of the Eng- 
 lish barbarians, endeavoured to persuade us how greatly 
 they were to be feared, and how necessary it would be to 
 
FALL OF THE OLD MINISTERS. 37 
 
 come to a speedy understanding with them, if any dif- 
 ference arose. He thought that we did not know his 
 treason, and that he could easily deceive us; but the 
 more he declaimed, the more evident did his depravity 
 become, and his discourse was no more in our ears than 
 the barking of a mad dog. He even ceased to be an ob- 
 ject of commiseration. 
 
 " The manoeuvres of Mou-tchang-ha were veiled and 
 -hard to detect, while those of Ki-in were palpable and 
 visible to all the world ; but with respect to the mischief 
 they might have done to the empire, the guilt of both 
 these persons was equal. If we do not proceed against 
 them with all the severity of the law, how are we to show 
 our respect for the institutions of the empire? How 
 will our example strengthen the people in sentiments of 
 rectitude ? 
 
 " Considering, however, that Mou-tchang-ha is an old 
 minister, who has held the reins of empire for a long 
 time, under three successive reins, it goes against our 
 heart suddenly to inflict upon him the severe chastise- 
 ment which he deserves. We wish, therefore, that he be 
 treated with mildness, that he be simply deprived of his 
 rank, and that he never be recalled to any office hereafter. 
 
 " The incapacity of Ki-in has been extreme ; never- 
 theless, taking into consideration the difficulties of his 
 position, we wish that he also should be treated with in- 
 dulgence, and order that he be degraded to the fifth rank, 
 and that be remain as a candidate for employment in one 
 of the six Boards of administration. 
 
38 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 " The selfish conduct of these two men, and their in- 
 fidelity to their sovereign, are notorious throughout the 
 empire. Nevertheless we have treated them with elem- 
 encj, not condemning them to capital punishment. In 
 examining their case, we have used all our care, and it 
 was not till after mature reflection, as our ministers are 
 aware, that we came most unwillingly to a decision which 
 had become indispensable. 
 
 " May all the civil and military officers of the capital 
 and the provinces show henceforth by their conduct, that 
 they are guided by the principles of sound morality, and 
 faithfully serve the empire without fearing difficulties or 
 seeking indolent repose. If any one is aware of any 
 measure calculated to call forth the wholesome action of 
 the government, or to promote the welfare of the people, 
 let him make it known without reserve. No one should 
 be guided by his attachment to his political master, or 
 by his sympathies for his protectors. 
 
 " Such are our most ardent wishes ; and we order that 
 our decision be published both within and without the 
 capital, that all the empire may take notice of it. 
 
 " Respect this ! Dated the 18th day of the lOfch moon 
 of the 30th year of Tao-kouang (21st November, 1850)." 
 
 This document is dated in the reign of Tao-kouang, 
 although it was promulgated by his successor. To ex- 
 plain this apparent difficulty it should be observed, that 
 the whole of the year in which an emperor dies is con- 
 eidered by Chinese chronologists to belong to his reign. 
 
 We should bear in mind that Ki-in, now so cruelly de- 
 
THE STANDARD OP THE MINGS. 39 
 
 graded, had possessed the entire confidence of the Em- 
 peror Tao-kouang, to whom he was nearly related ; that 
 he had reached the very summit of greatness ; and that 
 his sovereign had given him the highest mark of esteem, 
 when he appointed him to preside over the obsequies of 
 the Empress dowager. 
 
 The successors of Mou-tchang-ha and Ki-in were se- 
 lected from among the most fanatical enemies of the 
 Europeans, and employed every effort to destroy the ef- 
 fect which a contact with " barbarians " might have pro- 
 duced on some individuals of their nation. This depar- 
 ture from his father's policy was not productive of hap- 
 piness to the new monarch. Shortly after the victory of 
 the reactionary party, the first intelligence of the revolt 
 of the Kouang-Si was received. 
 
 Precursory symptoms had to some extent announced 
 this insurrection. Marvels preceded realities, and en- 
 dowed them with a sort of prestige, by giving the rebel- 
 lion of the Kouang Si the character of an event predicted 
 by the prophets, and expected by true believers. A re- 
 port was current among the people that the 48th year of 
 the present cycle, which began in 1851, was the epoch 
 fixed by prophecy for the restoration of the dynasty of 
 Ming. It was added that a sage, who lived under the 
 last emperor of that race, had preserved his standard, 
 and had prophesied that he who unfurled it in the midst 
 of his army would ascend the throne. At the beginning 
 of the insurrection it was aflBrmed that the rebels march- 
 ed under this miraculous flag, and the fact was not at all 
 
40 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 questioned by the people. We have seen with our own 
 eyes many of these sibylline decrees, the obscure phrases 
 of which seem modelled on the verses of Nostradamus 
 and St. Csesarius. The multitude does not believe in 
 the extinction of ancient royal races ; it is never certain 
 that their last representative is laid in the tomb. The 
 Portuguese people still expect the return of Don Sebas- 
 tian, who was killed at the battle of Alcazar-Quivir, three 
 hundred years ago. 
 
 A general uneasiness soon took possession of the pub- 
 lic mind. There was a talk of treacherous or corrupt 
 mandarins ; the number and importance of secret affilia- 
 tions were exaggerated ; and in several places meetings 
 were held, where the legitimacy of the Tartar dynasty, 
 and the necessity of substituting for it a national dynas- 
 ty, were publicly discussed. The movement was so 
 manifest, that, in the month of August, 1850, the follow- 
 ing article was published in an English journal : — 
 
 " 24th August. — Under the powerful influence of the 
 men of letters, and in consequence of a general discontent 
 throughout China, the cry of reform is raised in all di- 
 rections. The new principles are making immense pro- 
 gress, and the day is rapidly approaching when the em- 
 pire will be torn in pieces by civil war. Among the 
 higher and middle classes of Pekin there is a firm belief 
 in the prophecy diffused over China a century ago, that 
 the reigning dynasty will be overthrown in the commence- 
 
INSURRECTION IN THE KOUANG-SI. 41 
 
 ment of the 48th year of the present cycle, and this fatal 
 year will begin on the 1st February next. 
 
 "This event is by no means improbable, if we exam- 
 ine with attention the revolutionary movements which 
 have simultaneously taken place at the most remote 
 points of this vast empire. The work of revolution has 
 already commenced in the province of Kouang-Si, in the 
 neighborhood of the first commercial city of China; and 
 It is the general belief among the lettered party of Can- 
 ton, that thia is only a pilot-balloon to test the opinion 
 of the masses, and to force the Tartar Government to dis- 
 play the means which it has at its disposal for its self- 
 preservation. 
 
 " Hitherto the rebels have triumphed over every ob- 
 stacle ; and their chief, who takes the title of Generalis- 
 simo, openly declares that the object of the revolutionary 
 movement is to dethrone the reigning dynasty, and to 
 found another of Chinese origin. In vain have the au- 
 thorities armed all the contingents of their several dis- 
 tricts; the torrent has carried everything before it, 
 and many mandarins have fallen victims to their loyalty. 
 At the same time, the successes of the rebels do no hon- ^ 
 or to their cause ; their passage is marked by pillage, 
 murder, conflagration, and all those acts of spoliation 
 which are scarcely practised in cities taken by storm ; 
 although the people thus afflicted have given no motive 
 for persecution, but on the contrary, have been the first 
 to sufier under the Imperial tyranny. The lettered and 
 
42 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 the ricli do not approve of these deplorable excesses, but 
 they are without power to check them. 
 
 " Besides the secret societies, which are now more nu- 
 merous than under the late Emperor, clubs are every- 
 where formed, in spite of the laws which prohibit all 
 meetings of the kind. In these every member is forced 
 to make oath that he will do all in his power to overthrow 
 the dynasty of Tsing, and pursue this noble undertaking 
 until its end is attained. 
 
 " While this work of regeneration is going on, the 
 boy who now wields the imperial sceptre annihilates the 
 devoted ministers who, seeing the approach of the tem- 
 pest, dare to convey the counsels of experience and wis- 
 dom to the foot of the throne. While the nation utters 
 the cry of ' Reform,' the blinded monarch answers by that 
 of ' Resistance ;' and to that natural movement of mind 
 which has brought China into the path of progress, he 
 opposes a factitious movement to force it back into the 
 impracticable routine of the past. Can we be astonished, 
 if the Tartar dynasty falls in a contest so unequal ? If 
 go, it will only have itself to blame. " 
 
 We shall presently see with what dexterity the insur- 
 gents have taken advantage of popular credulity, — with 
 what art they make use of a personage in the shade who 
 never speaks and never shows himself, but in whose name 
 an army of 100.000 men is in motion. Strange to say, 
 the chief competitors in this great struggle are two 
 young men scarcely out of their boyhood. The Emper- 
 
CHARACTER OF THE EMPEROR. 43 
 
 ror Hien-foung is only twenty-two years of age. He is 
 of a middle height, and his form indicates great aptitude 
 for bodily exercises. He is slender and muscular. His 
 face, which indicates a certain degree of resolution, is 
 chiefly characterized by a very high forehead, and by an 
 almost defective obliquity of the eyes. His cheek bones 
 are very prominent, and strongly marked. The space 
 between the eyes is large and flat, like the forehead of a 
 buffalo. Hien-foung is of a stubborn and credulous dis- 
 position. In the midst of the most effeminate luxury he 
 affects severity of morals, and, notwithstanding his youth, 
 he is already married. The Empress is a Tartar prin- 
 cess, with large feet, totally devoid of that delicacy and 
 fragile gracefulness which belong to the small-footed 
 Chinese women. The Emperor loves to see her perform 
 the violent exercises which are the delight of the women 
 of her nation, and she often gallops about with him in the 
 extensive gardens of the palace. 
 
 Ti^n-te, the chief of the insurrection, is not above 
 twenty-three years of age ; but study and want of rest 
 have made him prematurely old. He is grave and mel- 
 ancholy, leads a very retired life, and only communicates 
 with those about him when he gives his orders. His 
 face is expressive of mildness, but it is a mildness pecu- 
 liar to certain ascetics, and which neither excludes firm- 
 ness nor that obstinancy belonging to persons of strong 
 religious convictions. His complexion, which borders on 
 the color of saffron, is that of the Chinese of the south- 
 em provinces. In stature he is taller than Hidn-foang ; 
 
44 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 but he appears less robust. Both of them have been in- 
 fluenced by their education ; and their moral are indicat- 
 ed by their physical qualities. The young Emperor, 
 easy in his movements, and with firmness in his glance, 
 has an aspect of haughty command, and requires blind 
 obedience. Tien-te, on the other hand, has a fixed gaze, 
 which seems to penetrate into the depths of the human 
 soul, and to unmask all its designs. He commands 
 rather by suggestions than by directly giving orders. In 
 a word, he has the taciturn reserve of a man who has long 
 reflected before he has made any one the confidant of his 
 projects. As for the position he takes, the following is 
 an account given by a Chinese of the Pretender's entry 
 into one of the numerous cities of which his troops have 
 taken possession : — " The cortege of the new Emperor 
 recalled to my mind the scenes which are represented in 
 our theatres, and those pieces in which we see the heroes 
 of ancient times who lived before we submitted to the 
 Tartar yoke. The persons who surrounded Tien-te had 
 cut off" the tail, and allowed their hair to grow, while in- 
 stead of the change buttoned at the side, they wore tunics 
 open in front. None of the oflicers had on the thumb of 
 the right hand the pan-tche, or archer's ring, which our 
 mandarins wear with so much ostentation. The Em- 
 peror was in a magnificent palanquin, enclosed by curtains 
 of yellow satin, and carried by sixteen officers. After 
 the palanquin of Tien-te came that of his tutor, placed on 
 the shoulders of eight coolies. Then came his thirty 
 
CHARACTER OF THE PRETENDER. 45 
 
 wives in painted and gilded chairs. A multitude of ser- 
 vants and soldiers followed in perfect order." 
 
 Such are the peculiarities of the two young men who 
 now dispute the throne of China. If we draw a compari- 
 son between them we shall find that one is deficient in 
 qualities which are indispensable to his position, while 
 the other possesses all those talents which are useful to a 
 pretender. Hien-foung, invested with supreme authori- 
 ty,-and summoned to direct a state-machine, the springs 
 of which are strained but not worn out, does not know 
 how to restore those parts which have been affected by 
 time. His chief defect is a want of that exquisite tact 
 which enables a prince to give every one the exact meas- 
 ure of praise or blame which is his due. He is not en- 
 dowed with a correct judgment, for amongst that multi- 
 tude of attendants, eunuchs, concubines, and slaves who 
 surround him, he does not know how to distinguish those 
 faithful counsellors whose fate is bound up with the exis- 
 tence of his dynasty, from mere adventurers who hover 
 about every palace, and who, having their fortunes to 
 make, never give advice which is wholly disinterested. 
 At once violent and weak, the young Emperor abandons 
 himself to his favorites of the moment, and places blind 
 confidence in the officials for the time being. The mani- 
 festations of his authority are always the exaggerated ex- 
 pressions of some insinuation, perfidious or otherwise ; 
 and even in this latter case his most useful determinations 
 become so many political faults when they have passed 
 through a brain naturally disposed to violence and ferocity. 
 
46 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Tien-te, on the contrary, has organized his political 
 system by so marshalling existing interests as to secure 
 devoted agents. Affable to all, he has only one intimate 
 adviser. Whether it be his father, his master, or only 
 his friend, no one knows ; but this mysterious councillor 
 accompanies him everywhere. Violence is foreign to the 
 Pretender's character. He speaks on all subjects with 
 moderation, and it is only with the greatest reserve that 
 he alludes to the monarch whose rival he has become. 
 Surrounded by officers who are partners in his fortunes, 
 he is better served than the Emperor ; and the discipline 
 of his governmental staff is under his own immediate in- 
 fluence. While his generals advance, conquering cities 
 and acquiring new territory, he remains in the back- 
 ground, watching the position of the people of each dis- 
 trict, and organizing his political system. But he is al- 
 ways within such a distance of the theatre of war, that 
 his enemies cannot doubt his courage, while his friends 
 have no right to blame his temerity. 
 
CHAPTEE lY. 
 
 The Kouang-Sl— The Miao-tze— The Insurgents during tlie year 1850. 
 
 The insurrection began in the Kouang-Si. This prov- 
 ince, which is larger than the whole state of some sover- 
 eigns of our old Europe, is under the administration of a 
 governor-general, and forms part of the vice-royalty of 
 the two Kouangs. It is situated in the south-west of the 
 empire, and is bounded on the east by the Kouang- 
 Toung, on the west by the Yun-Nan, on the south by 
 the Tonkin, and on the north by the Hou-Nan. It is a 
 mountainous district, covered with naked peaks, the sum- 
 mits and declivities of which bear no signs of vegetation. 
 The numerous hills of rounded form, which rise above 
 these gigantic peaks, are covered with shrubs and ligne- 
 ous plants. The mountains of the Kouang-Si belong to 
 the curiosities of the Celestial Empire, and all the guides 
 of travellers in China give singular accounts of these ac- 
 cidents of the soil, which no foreigner has been at liberty 
 to explore since the time of the Jesuits. 
 
 According to native travellers, these masses take the 
 form of various animals, and represent, beyond the 
 
48 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 chance of mistake, sometimes a cock, sometimes an ele- 
 phant ; while rocks are found in which strange animals 
 are encrusted, petrified in the most singular attitudes. 
 We have carefully examined the drawings of these fig- 
 ures, which resemble the species restored by Cuvier, and 
 we are convinced that they are only red spots produced 
 by an oxide of iron, and strongly contrasted with the 
 black color of the stone. 
 
 The general aspect of the Kouang-Si is singularly pic- 
 turesque, and this vast district ofiers points of view, 
 which have often been depicted by Chinese painters. 
 But their landscapes always appear strange to European 
 eyes : the inaccessible mountains, which appear fashioned 
 to suit the caprices of human imagination — the rocks 
 bearing a resemblance to gigantic animals — the rivers, 
 which fall into abysses, crossed by impassable bridges — 
 all these appear to us like something belonging to the 
 realm of fairies. 
 
 Charming as it is, the country is extremely poor, and 
 its picturesque beauties are opposed to fertility. If the 
 Creator had spread a few vast plains at the foot of these 
 mountains with bare summits, the numerous torrents 
 which flow from the heights might have been turned 
 to useful account. But the soil is only suited to cer- 
 tain kinds of cultivation, and only produces a few arti- 
 cles of luxury. It is on the broad plains of the Kouang- 
 Toung that the waters are found in some degree service- 
 able. If we study the map of the Kouang-Si, and bear 
 in mind the war now going on, we are forced to admit 
 
PRODUCE OF THE KOUANGSI. 49 
 
 that the chief of the insurrection showed great discern- 
 ment in choosing for his starting-point this barren and 
 mountainous country. The poverty of the inhabitants 
 was in itself a powerful ally, and an army of adventurers 
 could easily be recruited from a people who are always 
 in a state of indigence. Moreover, the accidental irreg- 
 ularities of the soil, which we find throughout the dis- 
 trict, are favorable to its defence. The " Son of Heav- 
 en " would require an army twenty times more numerous, 
 and means of attack a hundred times more efificacious 
 than those now at his disposal, to dislodge the rebels 
 from their natural intrenchraents. 
 
 In case of defeat, the insurgents of the Kouang-Si 
 could renew the history of that desperate struggle which 
 the guerillas of heroic Spain maintained so long against 
 the French troops. There are besides several points of 
 resemblance between the inhabitants of the Iberian pen- 
 insula and those of this southern province of the Chinese 
 Empire. Both are sober, intrepid, inured to fatigue, and 
 animated by the same spirit of independence. After 
 centuries of occupation, the Tartars have been unable to 
 reduce the more remote regions of this mountainous dis- 
 trict into a state of submission. 
 
 A circumstance arising from the nature of the soil, 
 and the agricultural habits of the people, was also favor- 
 able to the designs of the Pretender. The produce of 
 the Kouang-Si chiefly consists of white cinnamon and 
 badiana. and the care which these trees require, only oc- 
 cupies the cultivators during a portion of the year. It 
 3 
 
60 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 is on the declivity of the hills that these two magniiSoent 
 species of evergreen chiefly thrive. The capital of the 
 province is in some measure concealed by the shade of 
 these fine trees. Hence comes its name of Kouei-Lin, 
 which signifies a forest of cinnamon-trees. The Laurus 
 cinnamomurYiy and the Ilicium anisatum constitute the 
 principle wealth of the Kouang-Si. Commerce derives 
 from this province, not only the bark of the white cinna- 
 mon and the brown umbrels of anise, but also the essen- 
 tial oils, which are obtained by distillation from the bark 
 of the Laurus cinnamomum and the husks of the Ilicium. 
 The oil of the green anise is found in a concrete state ; 
 and an oflScer of the customs confounding the two kinds, 
 has stated in an official document on the Chinese trade, 
 that Badiana sugar is supplied by the Kouang-Si. 
 
 "We need only glance at the drawings of the Chinese 
 artists to be convinced that the soil of the Kouang-Si 
 abounds in metallic strata. This natural peculiarity 
 caused a sort of miracle, which greatly struck the imagi- 
 nation of the multitude. 
 
 At the beginning of the insurrection, the chiefs wished 
 to mark the date of their enterprise, by the erection of a 
 religious monument. The w^orkmen set about their task, 
 and they hollowed out some of the decomposed rocks, 
 which offered no strong resistance to the pick-axe. They 
 had not descended many feet, when they came to some 
 pebbles very similar to the flints deposited by our rivers. 
 These pebbles, being examined with care, were found to 
 be very heavy ; they were in fact, lumps of argentifer- 
 
THE MIAO-TZE. 51 
 
 ous lead, of surprisiog richness. It was by means, they 
 say, of this providential treasure that the Pretender paid 
 his first soldiers 
 
 Whether this story be true or not, it deserved to be 
 recorded by those writers of legends, whose works will 
 some day amuse the leisure hours of the mandarins. We 
 cannot quit this wonderful anecdote without remarking 
 that, at the present day, strange coincidences take place, 
 which seem to hand over science and observation to the 
 service of those minds which have a tendency to believe 
 in supernatural phenomena. As if to confirm the Chi- 
 nese miracle, argentiferous strata precisely similar to those 
 of the Kouang-Si have been recently discovered in Nor- 
 way. 
 
 It was in the month of August, 1850, that the jour- 
 nals of Pekin first made mention of the Chinese insur- 
 rection. According to the ofl&cial gazette, the troop of 
 insurgents was merely composed of pirates, who had 
 escaped the shots of the English on the coasts of the Fo- 
 Kien, and had taken refuge in the mountains. It must 
 be confessed that the robbers must have made a singular 
 choice, in establishing themselves in one of the poorest 
 districts of the empire, far from the populous cities, and 
 from all the high roads of communication. But it must 
 also be admitted that this place, totally unsuited to the 
 exploits of a highway robber, was an admirable centre 
 for the organization of an insurrectionary army. 
 
 The insurgents at first were in no hurry to contra- 
 dict these reports. They even allowed them to gain 
 
62 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 credit, and established themselves in the southwest of 
 the province, in the midst of a population scattered 
 among the mountains ; continuing to recruit their army, 
 and patiently awaiting the attack of the " tigers" of the 
 Celestial Empire. We should here remark that the most 
 distant regions of the Kouang-Si are peopled by a race 
 of men known as Miao-tze. It would be difficult to give 
 the reader an idea of these refractory tribes, if we did 
 not find in the journal of one of our party the particulars 
 of a conversation on the subject. 
 
 This conversation took place during our stay in China 
 at the residence of Houang-ngan-toung, assistant impe- 
 rial commissioner, who had asked us to dinner in com- 
 pany with MM. Ferriere and D'Harcourt. The young 
 and elegant minister of the Celestial Empire occupied at 
 Canton the pagoda of Foung-lien-miao ; and it was in 
 the choir of this Buddhist temple that he received us, and 
 that the dinner was served. 
 
 During the repast the conversation turned on the Miao- 
 tze, and the following are the details given by this official 
 personage : — 
 
 " The Miao-tze are natives of a mountain chain, which 
 takes its rise in the north of the Kouang-Toung, and ex- 
 tends to the central provinces of the empire. They al- 
 ways choose secluded spots, and are never found in soci- 
 eties of above 2,000. Their houses are raised on piles, 
 after the manner of the Malays, and the domestic animals 
 which they rear are kept under their own roof In gen- 
 eral the Miao-tze are agriculturists and warriors. They are 
 
THE MIAO-TZE. 53 
 
 an intrepid race, inured to fatigue, and reckless of danger. 
 The Tartars have never been able to reduce them to 
 -ibmission. They have always preserved the ancient na- 
 tional dress, have never shaved their head, and have 
 always Kepelled the authority of the mandarins and the 
 the customs of the Chinese. Their independence is now 
 an established fact, and in our maps their country is left 
 white to show that they do not submit to the Emperor. 
 
 " The last attempt which was made to subdue them 
 was in the reign of Kien-loung ; but in spite of the bull- 
 etins which were published to set forth the victories of 
 the Imperial troops, it was necessary to give up all idea 
 of subduing the mountaineers. From that period till 
 1 832 there was no interruption to tranquillity ; when the 
 warlike spirit was again awakened. 
 
 " They decorated one of their nation with the title of 
 Emperor, clothed him in a yellow robe — the symbol of 
 supreme authority — and made an irruption into the low 
 countries, which they completely devastated. Their in- 
 vasion caused us great uneasiness. Our troops were 
 beaten by these savage hordes. The Miao-tze were too 
 warlike to be conquered by arms, but negotiation was 
 employed with success. The Emperor sent skilful di- 
 plomatists, Who held interviews with the chief, and per- 
 suaded them, in consideration of certain advantages, to 
 disband their troops and return peaceably home." 
 
 ^ Bat do these mountaineers never descend into the 
 plains ?" asked one of us ; " and have they not in the end 
 established some relation with the Chinese ?" 
 
64 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 " The Miao-tze scarcely venture into the cities," re- 
 plied Houang ; " nor do they carry on any great trade 
 with us. They cultivate the mountain rice, and turn to 
 account the forests which are protected, by their indepen- 
 dence, from the axe of the Chinese laborer. They sell to 
 the merchants who visit them in their villages the tim- 
 ber which they have felled, and which is floated down 
 into the low countries by the various streams which flow 
 into the sea. Their intercourse with their neighbors is 
 confined to the interchange of part of their produce for 
 the manufactured articles of which they stand in need. 
 It should be added that this nation is the terror of the 
 inhabitants of the Chinese towns. 
 
 . " The Chinese call the Miao-tze ' men-dogs, men-wolves.' 
 They believe that they have a tail, and state that when a 
 child is born, the soles of its feet are crtuterized to harden 
 them, and render them incapable of fatigue. These, 
 however, are mere fictions. The Miao-tze are, in reality, 
 a fine intelligent race, and their manners, I believe, are 
 becoming more civilized. Indeed, I have one fact to 
 prove that they are not wholly rude and unlettered. 
 During the last literary examination over which I pre- 
 sided, three young Miao-tze made their appearance to 
 take their degrees — a circumstance which never occurred 
 before." 
 
 This conversation throws great light on the shrewd 
 policy of the insurrectionary chiefs of the Kouang-Si. 
 By concentrating themselves at this point, they doubt- 
 less intended to gain the intrepid Miao-tze as auxiliaries, 
 
THE VICEROY SIU. 66 
 
 while at the same time they took care not to proclaim 
 this alliance, for fear of alarming the people of the towns 
 who persist in looking upon the Miao-tze as barbarians. 
 
 According to documents which we have ourselves in- 
 spected, it appears that the insurgents passed the first 
 months of 1850 in the South-west of Kouang-Si, perform- 
 ing some strategic movements of no importance, and ap- 
 proaching the frontiers of the Kouang-Toung. The first 
 towns which fell into their hands were the town of 
 Ho — one of the most commercial in the province — and 
 the capital of the district, Kiang-Men, where three manda- 
 rins of high degree persisted in opposing them. These 
 manoeuvres gave great uneasiness to the Governor-general 
 of the two Kouangs. The titulary head of this vice- 
 royalty, whose name was Siu, was an irresolute man, pru- 
 dent to a degree of cowardice. When he learned that 
 the rebels were approaching him, he urgently solicited 
 the honor of visiting the tomb of the late Emperor, and 
 prostrated himself before it, hoping thus to escape the 
 responsibility with which he was threatened. This re- 
 quest was not granted ; and the viceroy, fearing that he 
 would be accused of allowing the evil to increase, sent 
 troops to reduce the rebels. The Imperial soldiers were, 
 however, conquered and destroyed. 
 
 The tactics of the insurgents consisted in feigning 
 flight, and thus drawing their enemies into ambuscades, 
 where they slaughtered them without mercy. This strat- 
 agem answered on several successive occasions. Siu, 
 hearing of these calamities, set off without delay to Pekin, 
 
5G THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 where he spread the alarm. While he was proceeding 
 towards the capital, the insurgents obtained new successes, 
 and the Chinese journals gave a daily bulletin of the ad- 
 vantages gained by these guerillas. Two rebel chiefs, 
 Tchang-kia-soung and Tchang-kia-fou, did wonders on 
 two successive occasions, and the soldiers of the " Son of 
 Heaven" nearly all perished in the field. 
 
 Hitherto there was no notion of a pretender to the 
 throne. There were merely generals appointed on the 
 spur of the moment, who did not conceal their intention 
 of overthrowing the reigning dynasty, but made no men- 
 tion of any sovereign whom they intended to set up in 
 its stead. 
 
 The insurgents, emboldened by success, now passed the 
 limits of the Kouang-Si, and penetrated the Kouang- 
 Toung. Between Tsing-Yuen and Ing-Te they met a 
 detachment of the Imperial troops. The rebels retreated 
 according to their ordinary tactics, but turning back al- 
 most immediately, they slaughtered the Imperialists to a 
 man. 
 
 At this moment two political acts of great importance 
 took place almost simultaneously — one at the Court of 
 Pekin, the other in the insurgent camp. The young Em- 
 peror, faithful to his retrograde policy, ordered old Lin, 
 who was living in retirement in a charming habitation in 
 the environs of Fou-Tcheou, to subdue the rebels of the 
 Kouang-Si. Our readers will no doubt recollect this 
 austere mandarin, this conscientious barbarian, who had 
 opium destroyed to the value of 50,000,000 francs. Not- 
 
FIRST PROCLAMATION BY THE INSURGENTS. 5? 
 
 withstanding his advanced age, the old servant obeyed 
 the orders of his young master, and set oflF for the prov- 
 ince he was oommissioned to reduce. 
 
 The insurgents answered the commissioner's envoy by 
 the following proclamation, which makes the Chinese ap- 
 pear much less Chinese than they are generally sup- 
 posed. 
 
 " The Mantchous, who, for two centuries, have been 
 4;he hereditary occupants of the throne of China, were 
 originally members of a small foreign tribe. With the 
 aid of a powerful army they took possession of our 
 treasure, our lands, and the government of our country, 
 proving that superior strength is all that is required for 
 the usurpation of an empire. There is, therefore, no dif- 
 ference between us, who levy contributions on the villages 
 we have taken and the officials sent from Pekin, to collect 
 the taxes. Taking and keeping are both fair alike. 
 Why then, without any motive, are troops marched 
 against us? This appears to us very unjust. How ! have 
 the Mantchous, who are foreigners, a right to collect the 
 revenues of eighteen provinces, and to appoint the officers 
 who oppress the people ; while we, who are Chinese, are 
 forbidden to take a little money from the public stock 1 
 Universal sovereignty does not belong to any individual 
 to the exclusion of all the rest, and no one ever saw a 
 dynasty which could count a hundred generations of em- 
 perors. Possession — and possession only — gives a right 
 to govern." 
 
 This proclamation was the first political act of tlie re- 
 3* 
 
58 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 bels. Hitherto the principle for which they fought had 
 only been promulgated by those vague rumors which, 
 when the moment of revolution has arrived, circulate 
 among the masses, as if they had a presentiment of what 
 was about to happen. 
 
 At the commencement of the insurrection, the Anglo- 
 Chinese press was divided into two parties. One looked 
 upon the insurgents as mere robbers, ready to lay down 
 their arms as soon as they had filled their pockets, or 
 perhaps their hands ; the other, on the contrary, feigned 
 to regard the rebel army as a troop roused to fanaticism 
 by dexterous chiefs, and ready to shed every drop of their 
 blood in the overthrow of the reigning dynasty. Neither 
 of these exclusive opinions was correct. 
 
 Revolutionists cannot live in China any more than in 
 Europe, on pure water and patriotic maxims ; while, on 
 the other hand, it must be confessed, to the honor of 
 humanity, that the most detestable causes, to act on the 
 masses, must appeal to elevated sentiments, and gener- 
 ous ideas, by which, as isolated individuals, the members 
 of these obscure bodies would be but little moved. The 
 proclamation of the insurgents of the Kouang-Si gave 
 the insurrection its true significance. By openly pro- 
 claiming that they looked upon possession as the sole 
 source of legitimacy, they avowed that their object was 
 not only to expel the Mantchous, but to transfer the ad- 
 ministration of the public revenues into the hands of the 
 Chinese. Now, this latter consideration was not without 
 value in the eyes of the politicians of the Celestial Empire. 
 
DEATH OF LIX. 59 
 
 This was the last act of the insurgents in 1850. It 
 was simultaneous with the death of Lin, which took 
 place in the month of November. The old mandarin 
 died as he was proceeding to his post, at Tchao-Tcheou- 
 Fou, in the province of Kouang-Toung. He was about 
 sixtj-nine years of age, and sank under the fatigue and 
 cares of government. His death cast a gloom over the 
 public mind, and seemed a bad omen for that cause which 
 the courageous old man had supported to his last hour. 
 
CHAPTEK Y. 
 
 Protestations — Secret meetings — Proclamation of tlie Pretender. 
 
 The Chinese year begins in the month of February, 
 which marks a commercial and financial crisis through- 
 out the empire. At this time every liability becomes 
 due, everybody completely settles his affairs : creditors 
 are paid, and debtors are dunned for money. There is 
 no merchant so small that he does not make up his ac- 
 counts, and draw a correct conclusion as to the financial 
 results of the year just terminated. Now, in the month 
 of January, a report was spread at Canton that the insur- 
 rection of the Kouang-Si was suppressed, and that the 
 tigers of the Celestial Empire had added new laurels to 
 those previously acquired. While this intelligence found 
 credit liquidation was easy ; business went on in a nor- 
 mal course, and commerce being now rendered secure, 
 speculation was begun on a grand scale. This security 
 was not of long duration. It was soon found that the 
 reports of pacification, although emanating from an ofl&- 
 cial source, were entirely false. The cunning mandarins 
 of the Kouang-Toung had actually fabricated the bulle- 
 
THE CHINESE TAIL CUT OFF. 61 
 
 tins of the Chinese army to suit their own commercial 
 purposes. When the truth at last came to light, it was 
 found that the insurrection, far from being suppressed, 
 had made alarming progress. Hitherto, one of the 
 Anglo-Chinese journals had stood alone in treating the 
 troubles of the Kouang-Si as a matter of trivial import- 
 ance ; but recent facts caused this journal also to ex- 
 claim with dithyrambic fervor — " This revolt may be the 
 ijommencement of a revolution which will overthrow the 
 Mantchous ; but we say with Mazarin — let us wait !" 
 This was bringing Mazarin a long way to avoid a con- 
 fession that the character and importance of events had 
 been completely mistaken. 
 
 While the European press, placed near the scene of 
 insurrection, had come to the conclusion that the over- 
 throw of the Tartar dynasty was a possible event, the 
 insurgents made a demonstration which might be con- 
 sidered equivalent to a declaration of war to the death. 
 It is well known that the custom of shaving the head so 
 as to leave no hair except the long tail from the sinciput, 
 is a Tartar fashion, imposed by the conquering on the 
 conquered race. It was thus that the former marked 
 their new subjects. Now the insurgents, to show that 
 they had thrown oflf the foreign yoke, cut off the tail, al- 
 lowed their hair to grow, and decided that all who joined 
 the insurrectional movement, should leave ofif the chang 
 and the Tartar tunic, and should wear the robe open in 
 the front that their ancestors had worn in the time of the 
 ^lingfl. The mere act of applying the scissors to the de- 
 
62 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 molition of the ordinary fashion of the hair, constitutes, 
 in China, an act of high treason which it requires no little 
 courage to perform. Cutting off the tail is, in fact, 
 throwing away the scabbard of the sword. This vigor- 
 ous proceeding greatly alarmed the Court of Pekin. It 
 was necessary, at any price, to reassure the people, and to 
 reanimate the troops ; and for this purpose a crafty strat- 
 agem was devised. It was assumed that the rebels had 
 made their submission to the imperial commissioners ; 
 and one day the Imperial Gazette contained the follow- 
 ing document, which proves that the Moniteur of the 
 Celestial Empire, ofl&cial though it be, does not always 
 tell the truth : — 
 
 " We plebeians were born in times of abundance, and 
 have hitherto been faithful subjects. Our families are 
 esteemed in our villages ; we have practiced virtue, and 
 respected property ; but in consequence of a long series 
 of rainy seasons, the farmers were not able to get in their 
 harvests, and the people, being without labor or means 
 of subsistence, were obliged to associate with robbers. 
 We came to the Kouang-Si in search of a residence, and 
 there we met some of our countrymen, who being dis- 
 tressed like ourselves, formed with us a band of robbers. 
 If, however, we have followed the example of the too 
 famous Lou-moung, cannot we also, like him, reform our 
 conduct ? When we think of our homes and our rela- 
 tives, we are filled with the desire of seeing them once 
 more; but when a resistless wind has driven us far into 
 a stormy sea, how are we to regain the wished-for shore ? 
 
NEW COMMISSIONER IN THE KOUANG-SI. 63 
 
 Still, we trust that your lordships will have pity upon us, 
 and obtain from his Imperial Majesty an act of oblivion 
 for all that is past. If the withered and useless tree re- 
 ceives the same dew as the sweetest flower, why should 
 not a man endowed with great goodness, grant life to 
 those who implore his commiseration ? In our hearts 
 we are faithful subjects, and we shall be happy to return 
 to the path of duty. Henceforth, to the end of our days, 
 we will be faithful servants in any humble condition you 
 may please to appoint ; and if we commit any fault we shall 
 willingly submit to the lash and the bamboo. These are 
 our earnest wishes which we communicate to you with our 
 faces prostrate on the ground. If this proceeding offends 
 you, we shall await your sentence with fear and trembling." 
 
 In spite of this act of contrition, the Government of 
 Pekin, who perfectly knew the real claims of this docu- 
 ment to authenticity, appointed a new Imperial Commis- 
 sioner in the Kouang-Si, shortly after the death of Lin. 
 This functionary, who name was Li-sing-iuen, was for- 
 merly Governor of the two Kouangs. He received 
 orders to seize the Governor of the insurgent province, 
 and to send him chained to Pekin. However, Li-sing- 
 iu^n made a report to the Emperor, in which he made 
 it clear that all the responsibility of the recent events 
 fell upon Siu, the viceroy of the two Kouangs, and ac- 
 cused him, in so many words, of having favored the de- 
 velopment of the insurrection by his tardiness in sending 
 troops against the rebels. 
 
 While the Imperial Commissioner was drawing up this 
 
64 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 accusation, Siu was writing to his young master that the 
 insurrection in the Kouang-Si had been occasioned by 
 the incapacity of the old Governor of the province, who, 
 by his weakness, his unreasonable severity, his want of 
 intelligence, his presumption, and his love of popularity, 
 had excited these disorders. The young Emperor, who, 
 between these contradictory reports, did not know 
 where the truth lay, adopted a middle course. He de- 
 graded the Governor of the Kouang-Si, and he lowered, 
 the rank of Siu by four honorary degrees. This was 
 just the same thing as if the French Government, being 
 dissatisfied with a holder of the Grand Cross of the Le- 
 gion of Honor, reduced him to the position of a Chevalier. 
 Notwithstanding this punishment, Siu was maintained in 
 the Government of the two Kouangs. In the course of 
 our narrative, we shall frequently recur to this estimable 
 viceroy, who, like many mandarins of a country better 
 known than China, is endowed with every virtue, but 
 who certainly shines little by his civil, and still less by 
 his military courage. 
 
 The following fact, which was related at Canton, will 
 explain the sympathy of the people for the cause of the 
 insurgents. 
 
 In March 1851, the little town of Lo-Ngan was taken 
 by the insurgents, after a stout resistance. The conquer- 
 ors levied contributions on the town, and securing the 
 person of the pawnbroker,* fixed his ransom at 1.000 
 
 * This was probably one of the upper class of pawnbrokers, 
 who correspond in a great measure to our bankers. — J. O. 
 
UPROAR AT LO-XGAN. 66 
 
 taels (nearly 8,000 francs, or 320/.) The unfortunate 
 man paid the ransom, and was released at once, hut on 
 the following day the city was occupied by the Imperial 
 troops, who had dislodged the rebels, and who now levied 
 a new contribution on the inhabitants. The unfortunate 
 pawnbroker was taxed on this occasion to the amount of 
 3.000 taels. 
 
 The pawnbroker, who was a man of great influence in 
 his locality, was enraged at being pillaged by those who 
 ought to have protected him, and excited the people in 
 the public places. He was followed by several other 
 orators, and the mob, under the influence of their speech- 
 es, swore by their ancestors that the reign of the Tartars 
 was henceforth at an end. The inhabitants threw off 
 the cJiang, after which they immediately cut off the tail, 
 and then made an appeal to the insurgents. These came 
 in the middle of the night, and the Imperial troops, sur- 
 prised during their sleep, were massacred. 
 
 In March 1 85 1, the acts of the Court of Pekin followed 
 each other with great vigor, while the insurgents re- 
 mained inactive, or, at any rate, did not risk any import- 
 ant movement, never attempting an expedition except 
 where conquest was certain. In the meanwhile, the most 
 contradictory reports were circulated throughout the em- 
 pire, and even at the seat of war. The mandarins an- 
 nounced that the rebels had been deprived of the miracu- 
 lous standard which had rendered them victorious. This 
 magical banner, of which we have already spoken, had, 
 according to the general opinion, been preserved by a 
 
66 THE INSURRECTION" IN CHINA. 
 
 Tao-se,* who endowed it with supernatural power. It is 
 said to be covered with spots of blood, and to bear an 
 historical inscription. 
 
 If we regulate our opinion on this subject by the known 
 habits of the Chinese, it appears probable that the Impe- 
 rial troops will often boast of having taken this palladi- 
 iim^ while, on the other hand, the insurgents will never 
 lose it. On the side of the insurrection, the news is 
 hawked about that the insurgents have entered the 
 Kouang-Toung ; that Sin-Tcheou-Fou is in their power ; 
 and that they have taken the city of Kouei-Lin, the cap- 
 ital of the south-east. 
 
 In the meanwhile, Li, the Imperial Commissioner, who 
 was sent to the Kouang-Si, established himself at Kouei- 
 Lin, which had not been taken by the rebels, together 
 with the terrible Tchang-tien-tsio, as his lieutenant. Dur- 
 ing our residence in China, that ferocious mandarin gov- 
 erned the Hou-Nan, where the use of opium had spread 
 to a frightful extent. To stop the progress of this mis- 
 chievous habit, he ordered that the smokers of opium, 
 when fully convicted of the fact, should have their lower 
 lip slit. We have seen the mutilated wretches with our 
 own eyes, and their appearance is most horrible. The 
 operation, performed by clumsy executioners, had left 
 hideous traces. The flesh was jagged, and the scar was 
 much more like a gaping wound than one of those seams 
 which the surgeons of Paris produce with so much art, 
 
 * A priest of the sect of Tao. — J. O. 
 
EXECUTIONS IN CANTON. 67 
 
 The appointment of this terrible man to the post of 
 Lieutenant-Governor was a most significant act. How- 
 ever, it seemed that the terror inspired by his name pro- 
 duced no more effect upon the insurgents of the Kouang- 
 Si, than upon the opium-smokers of Hou-Nan. In con- 
 formity with the same system of policy, rigorous measures 
 were adopted towards the turbulent population of Canton. 
 The authorities of the two Kouangs, viz., the Governor- 
 Gejieral and the criminal judges, put to death in one day 
 thirty-six individuals accused of plotting against the 
 safety of the State. "Were these unhappy persons really 
 condemned for political oflFences? In China a sort of 
 preventive justice is exercised. According to the ex- 
 igencies of the occasion, individuals condemned for other 
 misdeeds are dressed as political criminals, and put to 
 death in that character, that the people whom these ex- 
 ecutions inspire with a wholesome terror, may think the 
 culprits are suffering the penalty of treason and rebellion. 
 
 It is, however, possible that these wretched victims 
 were members of the secret societies which are very 
 numerous in China, and which not only branch into the 
 interior of the empire, but extend to those Indian locali- 
 ties resorted to by Chinese emigrants. In Singapore, 
 Penang, Batavia, and Manilla, we have known numerous 
 adepts of the secret societies of the Chinese empire. 
 These societies belong to a sort of freemasonry, the 
 known object of which is the dethronement of the Man- 
 tchous. 
 
 In 1845 we passed several days in the society of a 
 
68 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 tradesman of the Chan-Toung, who clandestinely intro- 
 duced arms into the territories of the empire. He con- 
 ducted us to a house which he occupied in the western 
 part of the suburb, the dirtiest and worst inhabited quar- 
 ter of the outer town. The proprietors were adepts of 
 the association. We were received by a young woman 
 with large feet, and with her head dressed in the usual 
 Chinese fashion, with silver bodkin and flowers in her 
 hair, and attired in a tunic and trowsers of deep blue. 
 We went into a species of garret: though it must be ob- 
 served the garrets in this country are on the first floor. 
 The merchant had taken us home to ask our opinion re- 
 specting the arms which he had bought from the Ameri- 
 cans. These were enormous sabres, with steel scabbards. 
 They were of common workmanship, but nevertheless 
 were very cheap, having been sold in China at the price 
 of ten francs, which was less than prime cost. When we 
 entered the room, our Chinese friend drew one of these 
 broad blades from its sheath, and with loud exclamations 
 began to throw himself into attitudes, after the manner 
 of those Chinese heroes which are painted on fans. 
 
 After giving him our opinion on the value and quality 
 of his merchandize, we asked him if he had purchased 
 these arms for the invincible " tigers." At these words 
 the Chinese smiled in a significant manner, and by an 
 expressive gesture showed us the use to which the weap- 
 ons were to be applied with respect to the Imperial 
 troops. Who can say ? Perhaps at this very moment 
 these gigantic sabres are in the hands of the rebels ; per- 
 
THE INSURGENT EMPEROR PROCLAIMED. 69 
 
 haps their keen blades have laid open more than one blue 
 cbang, and have demolished more than one conical cap. 
 
 The nomination of the terrible Tchang-tien-tsio, the 
 executions at Canton, and the reported triumphs of the 
 Imperial army, industriously circulated, had not checked 
 the rebels. To the violent acts and vauntings of the 
 Tartar sovereign, they answered by proclaiming an empe- 
 ror of their own, whom they called Tien-te, that is to say, 
 ''Celestial Virtue." 
 
 Hitherto the insurgents had merely expressed their 
 intention to overthrow the Tartars, but now they raised 
 up a competitor for the throne, paid the highest honors to 
 a Chinese, and — horrible to say ! — clothed him in the 
 Imperial yellow. Soon the name of Tien-te resounded 
 throughout the empire ; and, contrary to Tartar usage, 
 which prohibits subjects from copying the features of 
 their sovereign, portraits of the Pretender were distributed 
 throughout the provinces by thousands. Thanks to this 
 circumstance, we are enabled to present to our readers a 
 portrait of Tien-te. 
 
 It is our opinion that the principal object of the rebel 
 chief in circulating his likeness was to give the people an 
 idea of the head-dress and costume of the time of the 
 Mings, thus newly revived. 
 
 We can now duly appreciate the facts of this first 
 period of insurrection, as well as the skilful, firm, and, 
 above all, cautious policy of its chiefs. For a whole year 
 Tien-te remained in the shade, and his partisans contended 
 themselves with spreading the report that a descendant 
 
10 THE INSURRfiCTlON IN CHINA. 
 
 of the Mings was still in existence. Now they proclaim 
 him, but they do not show him to the people. The new 
 Emperor is enveloped in a sort of mysterious obscurity, 
 and it is only at distant intervals that he shows himself, 
 even to his fanatical partisans. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 " The Revolt In the Kouang-Toung— The Viceroy in the Kouang-Si. 
 
 The rebellion now decidedly took the character of a 
 civil war. The Court of Pekin was in consternation, and 
 the young Emperor resolved to send to the theatre of 
 war, men of whom he had personal knowledge, and whose 
 energy and steadfast fidelity had already been tested 
 under other circumstances. 
 
 In May 1851, he sent to Kouei-Lin, the capital of the 
 Kouang Si, the Prime Minister Sai-chang-ha, with two 
 assistant Mantchous, Te-hing and Ta-toung-ha. The first 
 of these two mandarins was hitherto little known ; the 
 other had acquired an unfortunate celebrity on the coasts 
 of Formosa : he had presided over the massacre of the 
 whole crew of the Nerbudda^ an European transport- 
 ship. 
 
 As soon as these measures were known at Canton, the 
 commercial interest was alarmed. The traders began to 
 deplore the misery of the times ; and, in their hyperbolio 
 and figurative language, likened the insurrection of the 
 Kouang-Si to the overflow of the Yellow River, that 
 
72 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 " Grief of China," as it is called by the poetical bureau- 
 crats of the Celestial Empire. 
 
 Soon came a new measure which increased the discon- 
 tent of the Canton merchants to perfect exasperation. 
 The Grovernment took the liberty of borrowing their 
 money to defray the expenses of the war. At first 100,000 
 taels were asked, and afterwards 500,000 piasters passed 
 from the pockets of peaceable tradesmen into the pouches 
 of mandarins more or less military ; though it must be 
 confessed that, in return for their money, they had the 
 satisfaction of seeing Canton put into a respectable state 
 of defence, and of being present at an important military 
 evolution. Several bodies of troops were despatched to 
 the Kouang-Si ; but as the communications with Kouei- 
 Lin were cut off, the soldiers, to reach their destination, 
 were obliged to take a circuitous route by the Hou-Nan. 
 About this time a strange rumor began to circulate, 
 and was published without qualification in all the Anglo- 
 Chinese journals, whether favorable or unfavorable to the 
 insurrection. It was stated that the Pretender was 
 really a descendent of the Mings, but that he was a 
 Catholic ; and that his course was everywhere marked by 
 the overthrow of pagodas and the destruction of idols. 
 Others, oiPtigj^ntrary, affirmed that he belonged to the 
 sect of the Chang-ti — in other words, that he was a Pro- 
 testant. 
 
 Not wishing to discuss the part which the Christian 
 inhabitants of China are destined to play in the existing 
 struggle, we shall merely remark that the name of Tien- 
 
f 
 
 RUMORS CONCERNING THE INSURGENTS. 73 
 
 tS or " Celestial Virtue," chosen by the Pretender, is 
 purely pagan. The rumor in question was, doubtless, 
 spread by the crafty agents of the retrograde party — ^by 
 mandarins, who played the double game of exciting the 
 Buddhist part of the population against the insurgents, 
 and of increasing the hatred of the young Emperor 
 against the Christians, by representing the latter to be 
 enemies of his throne. 
 
 "By a less dexterous manoeuvre, which had no other 
 effect than that of revealing the source of the suspicious 
 information, it was even insinuated that the insurgents 
 had announced their intention of expelling the Europeans 
 from the five ports as soon as they were in possession of 
 supreme authority. Thus the mandarins intrigued in 
 three directions, hoping to gain a three-fold advantage, by 
 exciting the hatred of the Emperor against the Chris- 
 tians, whilst at the same time they aroused the courageous 
 Europeans, and the numerous followers of Buddha, 
 against the rebels. 
 
 At this juncture new complications arose to increase 
 the embarrassments of the Viceroy Siu. The insurgents 
 unfolded their banners in the West of the Kouang-Toung, 
 and the rebels occupied Kao-Tcheou-Fou, a chief town of 
 the department, situated about ten leagues from the fron- 
 tiers of the Kouang-Si, and at a short distance from the 
 sea. This coup de main led to the supposition that they 
 meant to secure a retreat in case of a reverse, or — what 
 was much more to be dreaded — that they contemplated 
 some maritime expedition. At the same time troubles 
 4 
 
74 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 arose in another part of the Kouang-Toung. The inhab- 
 itants of the districts of Nan-Hai and Toung-Kouan re- 
 fused to pay the taxes. The Emperor ordered the in- 
 stigators of this contumacious act to be punished ; and 
 Siu, in faithful execution of his master's commands, sent 
 a mandarin, with an order to bring before him the two 
 principal culprits. The mandarin returned with the in- 
 telligence that they were both dead. Siu suspected this 
 to be one of those tricks so often resorted to by man- 
 darins to shelter criminals from the pursuit of justice ; 
 and to be assured of the fact, he ordered the two corpses 
 to be brought to him. When the unlucky mandarin re- 
 turned to the disloyal districts with this order, the whole 
 population rose to a man, surrounded the ill-starred agent 
 with furious cries, threw him out of his palanquin, which 
 they tore to pieces, and would have torn him to pieces like- 
 wise, if he had not effected his escape while they were 
 sacking his house. On reaching Canton, this worthy son 
 of the Celestial Empire declared that nothing in the 
 world could induce him to return to the duties of his ad- 
 ministration. 
 
 Siu at last found a way of chastising these rebellious 
 districts. The punishment which he inflicted is highly 
 characteristic, and shows the degree of civilization attain- 
 ed by this singular people. Notwithstanding the difii- 
 cultie'j of the moment, he announced that the literary ex- 
 aminations would take place as usual within the walls of 
 Canton ; but that candidates from Nan-Hai and Toung- 
 Kouan would be excluded. He thus punished the rebel- 
 
A LITERARY PUNISHMENT. 
 
 lious districts in the persons of those men of intelligence 
 wlio ought to be the leaders of the people in every coun- 
 try ; and certainly no punishment could have been more 
 effective. Siu in person presided over the examinations, 
 at which more than 3,000 students were present. The 
 number of candidates would have been still larger, had 
 it not been for the difficult circumstances under which 
 they took place. 
 
 We have travelled through these districts of Nan-Hai 
 and Toung-Kouan, which are situated in the midst of the 
 fruitful plains watered by the Tchou-Kiang. They are 
 intersected in every direction by canals, and there is no 
 cessation of abundant harvests. These canals are con- 
 stantly furrowed by vessels, which, with their broad sails 
 made of reeds, pass through fields of rice like so many 
 gigantic fans. Nowhere in the world has human indus- 
 try produced more splendid results, or accumulated more 
 agricultural wealth. 
 
 During the months of June and July, no intelligence 
 was received. Persons acquainted with the general 
 practice of the Government affirmed that letters from the 
 Kouang-Si were stopped, in order to keep the people ig- 
 norant of the real state of affairs. Only one fact was 
 known for certain. The Tartar General, Ou-lan-tai, had 
 set off from Canton with a small army to attack tho 
 rebels ; who, contrary to their usual custom, had advanc- 
 ed to meet him, and intercepted his passage near Lo- 
 r-I. A smart encounter took place, and victory was 
 the side of the insurgents. Many of the Imperial 
 
76 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 soldiers were killed, and Ou-lan-tai, dangerously wound- 
 ed, had to undergo the amputation of an arm. 
 
 After this misfortune, the Government took new meas- 
 ures, and concentrated fresh forces to march against the 
 Kouang-Si. Sam-koua, formerly a Hong merchant, and 
 now prefect of Shang-IIai, was despatched with orders 
 to appropriate the revenues of the customs and salt-tax 
 in the province of tlie Kiang-Nan to defray the expenses 
 of the war. Siu himself, having no longer any pretext 
 for delay, made up his mind to join the Imperial Com- 
 missioners, and set off at the head of 3.000 men. At 
 the moment when he was about to quit Canton, the fol- 
 lowing proclamation was posted at the northern gate : — 
 
 " Tchou, hereditary prince of the dynasty of Ming, 
 having received orders from Heaven to take pity on the 
 people, and punish the crimes of its present rulers, has 
 published this for the information of all. 
 
 "His Sovereign Majesty, Tien-te, has learned that 
 Siu-kouang-tsin is so wicked and corrupt, as to deceive 
 his sovereign, deceive the nation, flatter foreigners, and 
 oppress the people. Knowing that at this moment he 
 abuses his authority at Canton by treating men of letters 
 with tyrannical cruelty and severity, thus awaking the 
 wrath of Heaven, his Majesty had resolved to collect a 
 great number of troops to take vengeance on his crimes. 
 Fearing, however, to disturb the people, his Majesty con- 
 fines himself to a statement of facts, and now publishes 
 this proclamation, in order that you, soldiers and people, 
 may clearly know that if any one of you will lay hands 
 
DANGER OF SIU. 11 
 
 on the aforesaid traitor, Siu-kouang-tsin, and bring him 
 to the Imperial camp, with witnesses to prove his identi- 
 . . he shall at once receive a reward of 10,000 piastres. 
 The money is ready, and will be paid down as soon as | 
 the robber is brought. Observe well the name of this ; 
 despoiler of the people ; he is called Siu-kouang-tsin, and 
 is to be found at this moment in company with wretches 
 like himself, in the ofi&cial house of the street Maina, in 
 the city of Canton. ' 
 
 " The 25th of the sixth moon of the second year of 
 Tien-te (13th July, 1850)." 
 
 The prudent Viceroy fell into a great passion, when he 
 heard of this proclamation ; and fearing that some des- 
 perado would really act upon it, he declared it apocry- 
 phal, and swore he would be revenged upon the author, 
 when he found him out. But even the police of a vice- 
 roy cannot know everything, especially when they have 
 to deal with those unlawful productions to which the au- 
 thor does not put his name. Siu continued his search 
 for the culprit, suspecting that it was some Canton man 
 of letters that had done him this ill turn ; he had, how- 
 ever, so many enemies in this class, that he did not know 
 whom to punish. 
 
 When Siu began his march, he crossed the two walled 
 enclosures of Canton, escorted by a double rank of sol- 
 diers. Two gongs noisily announced his passage, and 
 his chair was preceded by a banner, on which was in- 
 scribed, '• Fall into order and keep silence ; this is the 
 Imperial Commissioner." No one thought of disobeying 
 
78 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 this order. At the sound of the tam-tams, the trades- 
 men prudently retired into their shops, the chair-porters 
 stopped, and the foot passengers, surprised by the pro- 
 cession, ranged themselves along the walls, with eyes 
 lowered and hands hanging down. Siu was huddled into 
 a corner of his palanquin, in an attitude indicative of bad 
 temper. The afifair of the placard had greatly vexed 
 him ; and he looked about from left to right, as if he was 
 seeking an opportunity of venting his wrath. In China, 
 however, such great pains are taken to avoid the conse- 
 quences of ill-humor in a mandarin, that notwithstanding 
 his desire to pick a quarrel with some one, there was no 
 fault to be found. At last, when he reached the corner 
 of Hoei-Gai-Kiai, the street of " Kind Affection," which 
 is the Faubourg St. Germain of Canton, the grand man- 
 darin turned pale, knocked violently at the edge of his 
 chair, and ordered the porters to stop. They were be- 
 fore the house of one of those poor artists who make 
 large images of household gods, and paint family pictures. 
 This man had displayed against the outer walls of his 
 residence some of his most remarkable works ; and, 
 strange to say, in the midst of smiling deities, offended 
 genii, and pictures of footless women, who seemed to fly 
 about like birds in the fluttering folds of their light rai- 
 ment, appeared the figure of a decapitated mandarin ; the 
 dignity of the person being indicated by the characters 
 on his breast-piece. The body was on its knees, and the 
 head, separated from the trunk, was lying near a felt 
 cap, decorated with the ball of honor. It was this hor- 
 
AN UNLUCKY OMEN. 79 
 
 rible painting which had called forth the wrath of the 
 viceroy. 
 
 '• Let the author of this painting be brought before me," 
 he exclaimed. 
 
 At these words a poor miserable painter came out of his 
 shop trembling, and fell on his knees before Siu's chair. 
 
 " Why did you set up this figure in my path ?" cried 
 the mandarin, in an angry voice. 
 
 "*• Only to dry it, my lord," replied the artist. 
 
 '' Was it not rather to put an evil omen in my path?" 
 asked the Viceroy enraged. 
 
 "How could I, your excellency's humble slave, be 
 guilty of such a crime ?" cried the painter, with his face 
 in the dust. 
 
 " Why, then, did you paint this abominable picture?" 
 
 " Alas ! my lord, because it was ordered. I gain my 
 living by my work." 
 
 " Good ! To teach you not to get your living by daub- 
 ing horrible subjects of this sort, you shall have twenty 
 strokes of the bamboo," said the Viceroy, turning towards 
 the oflBcers of his suite. 
 
 The porters again set themselves in motion, while the 
 poor painter was seized and taken to the city gaol, where 
 the Viceroy's sentence was executed. It was with these 
 two events fresh in his mind that our mandarin set off 
 for the war. 
 
 Siu learned by his scouts that the insurgents, who 
 amounted to a formidable body, were at Ou-tcheou-Fou, 
 one of the towns in the extreme east of the Kouang-Si. 
 
80 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Faithful to his prudential maxims, he took care not to 
 surprise the enemy j but stopped at Chao-King, with the 
 intention of watching them. It must be confessed that 
 he would have found it very diflficult to conceal his march, 
 for besides the 3,000 men under his command, he had in 
 his train a throng of inferior mandarins, servants, execu- 
 tioners, musicians, and flag-bearers ; to say nothing of a 
 small party of young women, who were intended to relieve 
 the tedium of the journey. It would have been impossible 
 to advance secretly with this noisy escort, which recalls 
 to memory that of Darius ; with this difference, that the 
 money and the women, instead of being borne in chariots, 
 were carried on men's- backs, in sacks, coffers, and palan- 
 quins, Siu took with him a store of treasure : on leaving 
 the city of Canton he had laid in a good supply of piastres, 
 and on his route had increased his stock of the sinews of 
 war as much as possible. In China, more than in any 
 other country, are victories gained by money over hearts 
 and consciences ; which, it may be observed, bear by no 
 means an extravagant price. Siu, impressed with this 
 fact, had taken measures to reduce the town without 
 striking a blow, and to gain battles without firing a shot. 
 During his journey from Canton to Chao-king, the follow- 
 ing incident occurred. 
 
 He came on his way to a deep and rapid stream, which 
 could only be crossed by a swinging bridge of bamboos. 
 Part of the escort had already crossed to the opposite 
 bank ; Siu stopped his chair, and ordered the coolies to 
 proceed slowly and cautiously. They obeyed, but had 
 
EPARTURE OP SIU FROM CANTON. 81 
 
 no sooner reached the middle of the bridge, than a sudden 
 shock precipitated them and their burdens into the stream, 
 and a moment of terrible disorder ensued. The military 
 chest was at the bottom of the river, and the unfortunate 
 coolies were struggling against the current, uttering la- 
 mentable cries ; while Siu, enraged, beat the edge of his 
 chair with his fan. Fortunately the coolies swam like 
 fishes, and easily gained the bank. The Viceroy would 
 wiHingly have given them the bastinado, but he reserved 
 this luxury for another time, and ordered the luckless 
 wretohes, who were still panting and trembling, to fish up 
 the precious chest without delay, threatening them with 
 the most terrible chastisement if they did not recover it. 
 The coolies threw oflf their clothes, and courageously 
 plunged into the water. They were skilful divers, and 
 having duly explored the bottom of the river, they suc- 
 ceeded, after many efi"orts, in bringing ashore the precious 
 chest, which, though wet and covered with mud, had re- 
 ceived no damage. Siu lost no time in having it placed 
 on the shoulders of two other coolies, and gave orders to 
 renew the journey. Some days afterwards, when he had 
 reached Chao-King, one of his first cares was to have the 
 chest opened in his presence ; when, in the place of his 
 ingots of gold, he found nothing but flints and pieces of 
 stone wrapped carefully up in silky paper. The coolies 
 were audacious thieves, who had dexterously contrived 
 the substitution. The Viceroy, in a transport of rage, 
 set all the police on the alert, but without avail. The 
 thieves had doubtless taken refuge in the country of the 
 4» 
 
82 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 rebels, where both their persons and their booty were in 
 safety. 
 
 The insurgents, knowing what kind of projectiles were 
 in the Viceroy's coffers, and with what sort of ammuni- 
 tion he had armed himself for the campaign, began to 
 adopt a system of observation likewise, waiting a favor- 
 able opportunity for effecting a double capture, by taking 
 the general and his weapons at once. However, if the 
 Viceroy was not excessively brave, he was extremely cun- 
 ning, the rebels got nothing by their generalship. China, 
 a prosaic and unwarlike country, was on this occasion the 
 scene of a proceeding which recalls the days of the preux 
 chevaliers. Tchou-lou-tao, a rebel chief, tired of finding 
 himself opposed to an enemy whom no provocation could 
 withdraw from his intrenchments, resolved to "call him 
 out;" and, with his imagination probably excited by 
 " tJie lovely eyes of the Viceroy's chest,^'' sent Siu the fol- 
 lowing challenge : — 
 
 " Having learned that your excellency has brought 
 troops hither to subdue and exterminate us, I want to 
 know how you will escape the fate which awaits you ? 
 You are afraid to fight with us. You are evidently 
 without strength or courage ; for having ranged your 
 troops in order of battle, you are overcome with fear and 
 confusion jusfe when an engagement ought to begin. If 
 you realljr hav€ confidence in your strength and your re- 
 sources, and in spite of your absolute weakness think you 
 can support a contest, appoint some near day that we 
 may at once decide by single combat which of us is 
 
END OP SIU'S FIRST CAMPAIGN. 83 
 
 to yield and which to triumph, and thns save from cer- 
 tain and general destruction those unfortunate soldiers 
 whom you are slaughtering in detail." 
 
 On receiving this challenge, which was contrary to all 
 the usages of a country where the great point is to live 
 as long and take as much care of oneself as possible, Siu 
 flew even into a more violent passion than when he read 
 that famous placard which set a price upon his head. 
 Under the influence of extreme excitement he went be- 
 yond the limits of his ordinary prudence, and even be- 
 yond the ramparts of the city. Seated in his palanquin, 
 he put himself at the head of his troops, and performed a 
 whole day's march. However, at the distance of a few 
 lis from Chao-King, the Viceroy, taking a hint from the 
 heat of the weather — it was the month of August — re- 
 solved to finish his military display with a return to the 
 city. Thus ended the first campaign of Siu against the 
 rebels. 
 
 While announcing the departure of the Governor-Gen- 
 eral of the two Kouangs at the head of his little army, 
 an English journal well acquainted with the affairs of 
 China, made this apparently correct remark. '' Siu is 
 laboriog to disperse the bands of the Kouang-Si, not by 
 force, but by money and stratagem ; and he will assur- 
 edly succeed. Money is the great object of the rebellion." 
 
 However, in spite of this prophecy, the crafty manda- 
 rin did not succeed. The fact is, there was something 
 beyond an interested motive at the bottom of this re- 
 bellion. We shall presently see what other element it 
 
84 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 was that offered an invincible resistance to Siu's diplo- 
 macy. 
 
 At all events, Siu did quite right in not measuring 
 himself against the soldiers of Tien-te, who treated the 
 vanquished with unheard-of barbarity. Five hundred 
 soldiers of the Hiang-Chan, having had the misfortune to 
 fall into an ambush, were slaughtered by the fanatical 
 partisans of the Pretender. Only ten escaped, and these ' 
 spread the alarm through Kouei-Lin, by relating the sad 
 fate of their comrades. 
 
 Notwithstanding these successive defeats, the manda- 
 rins did not cease sending bulletins of their victories to 
 the " Son of Heaven." The Moniteur of Pekin was 
 hardly large enough to record their prowess. In some 
 of these military romances, mention is made of the mar- 
 vellous effects of a cannon ball which swept off an entire 
 file of the enemy's army, beginning with the captain ; and 
 a reward is asked for the cannoneer who took this won- 
 derful aim. Another bulletin states that in one action 
 800 men were killed by a single volley, and that the con- 
 querors stormed three towns in one day. All these mon- 
 strous fables are accompanied with precise names and 
 dates. Even the official flourish of the pen is not want- 
 ing. Nevertheless, these very men who palmed such 
 gross falsehoods on their sovereign would die in the de- 
 fence of his throne. 
 
 We have already seen Lin quitting his beloved soli- 
 tude in obedience to the orders he had received, and dying 
 on his way to his post. His successor, Li-sing-yuen, after 
 
DEATH OP LI-SI\G YUfeK. 85 
 
 half a year's good and faithful service, asked the Emperor 
 to release him from his duties for a short time, that by 
 a little rest he might recruit his health, now worn out by 
 his struggles in the cause of Tartar rule. The favor was 
 granted, and the faithful subject, transmitting the Impe- 
 rial seal to Sai-chang-ha, in compliance with the orders 
 he had received, quitted Kouei-Lin for Pekin. How- 
 ever, the desired boon arrived too late. The responsibil- 
 ity of his position had undermined his health: his in- 
 ability to subdue the insurgents had affected him with a 
 mortal grief; and he died before reaching the Imperial 
 city. 
 
 Old institutions have alone the power of inspiring this 
 devotion. The story of Blondel and Richard his king, 
 is repeated in the history of all old dynasties. A loyal 
 subject of this kind, though lie sighs to see the sceptre in 
 weak or incapable hands, dies, nevertheless, to defend the 
 sovereign who is bowed down beneath the weight of his 
 own greatness. Certain families have traditions which 
 render them partners of the misfortunes of royalty, and 
 nothing — not even their own will — can detach them from 
 their glorious servitude. 
 
 The Emperor, on learning the death of Li-sing-yuen, 
 found also in his own heart one of those noble sentiments 
 which do equal honor to the monarch and the subject. 
 He shed tears for his faithful servant, pronounced his 
 eulogy in a public edict, and ordered the Board of Rites 
 to render the deceased all the honors due to a governor- 
 general. These oflBces being performed, he sent to the 
 
86 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Governor of the HouNan, ten taels weight of the gin- 
 seng of Tartary, that it might be presented to the aged 
 mother of Li-sing-yuen. It is well known that, in the 
 eyes of the Chinese, this plant is endowed with marvel- 
 lous properties. It is looked upon as a specific, at once 
 powerful and harmless against the decline of strength, 
 and the diminution of vital warmth. The rich, therefore, 
 make frequent use of this cordial, not doubting that it 
 will prolong their existence for a considerable time, and 
 in certain cases preserve them from death. The young 
 Emperor seemed, by making this present, to tell the mo- 
 ther of his faithful servant, that he prayed she would live 
 as many days as her son had lost in his service. 
 
f 
 
 CHAPTEE YII. 
 
 A crime— The sapeques— Kou*i-LIu. 
 
 In the month of July 1851, a mysterious occurrence, 
 the circumstances of which are now but imperfectly 
 known, took place in the Imperial palace. At the hour 
 when the Emperor usually walks in the superb gardens 
 of his palace, an armed man darted upon him and at- 
 tempted to assassinate him. A chamberlain, who was 
 close by, arrested the arm of the assassin, and thus saved 
 the " Son of Heaven." He perilled his own life by this 
 act of devotion, and received in the elbow a wound which 
 rendered amputation necessary. Now, had this crime 
 been premeditated by some partisan of the rebels ? or 
 had the relatives of the Emperor, alarmed at seeing the 
 sceptre in the hands of a mere youth at such a critical 
 juncture, wished, for the sake of the dynasty, to remove 
 their young kinsman by violence ? This last supposition 
 is the more probable. Regicide is the crime of desperate 
 causes ; and it is very seldom that the representatives of 
 progress — men who have really a fair prospect of the 
 
88 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 realization of their views — employ this detestable expe- 
 dient to accelerate the triumph of their principles. 
 
 Eighteen mandarins lost their heads in consequence 
 of this attempt ; and every member of their families suf- 
 fered the same fate. This is a terrible law of the Celes- 
 tial Empire. Decrees very often smite criminals in the 
 persons of their descendants. i 
 
 A report was spread in China on the subject of this 
 occurrence, that the Emperor's uncles were not strangers 
 to the crime ; and this report was not wholly disbelieved. 
 Even the names of Mou-tchang-ha and Ki-in were men- 
 tioned. This was precisely the case of Burrus and Sen- 
 eca, suspected of attempting the life of young Nero. It 
 is more probable that the eunuchs of the palace were the 
 accomplices of the odious attempt, — those degraded be- 
 ings, who have always played an infamous part in the 
 conspiracies of the court. On more than one occasion, 
 revolutions in the Celestial Empire have been chiefly 
 promoted by some individual of this abject class ; who, 
 while deprived of virility, are endowed with a treacher- 
 ous energy, and in whom the passion of envy supplies the 
 place of ambition. 
 
 The attempt on the Emperor's life found an echo in 
 the insurgent provinces, where the fall of the Tartar dy- 
 nasty was proclaimed, to some extent, by the circulation 
 of sapeques bearing the name of Tien-te. Sapeques 
 called in the Chinese language tsien, are the current coin . 
 of the empire. They are small pieces of copper, zinc, and 
 nickel, round and thin, like a French piece of twenty sous, 
 
CHINESE COIN. 89 
 
 and are pierced through the middle with a square hole, 
 by "which means certain definite amounts may be strung 
 together. , This coin is as ugly as the large French sou. 
 A single piece is never worth more than a centime ; and 
 as the composition of which they are made is very liable 
 to rust, they have often the dirtiest appearance imagin- 
 able. Nevertheless, these coins are the national money 
 par excellence: there is no other currency; excepting 
 ingots of gold and silver, which are totally without oflScial 
 mark. The sapeques are never adorned with medallions, 
 but are only stamped with the name of the Emperor in 
 whose reign they have been cast — we say ca&t^ because in 
 China money is cast in a mould, not struck with a die. 
 The law punishes with death the imitators of these 
 wretched little coins : as was formerly the case in France. 
 The practice of rewarding the informer is, however, not 
 general in China : this is one of the refinements of Euro- 
 pean civilization. 
 
 The appearance of the new coin greatly perplexed the 
 politic traders of Canton ; who for a long time doubt- 
 fully contemplated the seditious mark of the Pretender. 
 They were perhaps of the opinion of a person who, hav- 
 ing once been a politician, afterwards held a sacred office, 
 and said, " I have a very easy method of discovering 
 whether a sovereign is legitimate. I merely order a new 
 piece of 100 sous to be placed before me, and the image 
 which it presents is, in my eyes, the true Caesar. To me 
 the true Caesar is always he that coins the money." i 
 
 This method was convenient ; but between two sover- 
 
90 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA, 
 
 eigns, each of whom claimed the same authority, the theo- 
 logians of the Celestial Empire wefe sadly puzzled. The 
 man we have quoted would not have been epibarrassed 
 at all ; he would probably have held out both his hands, 
 and declared that both the emperors were legitimate 
 alike. 
 
 In spite of their efforts, the insurgents had not been 
 able to take possession of Kouei-Lin, the capital of the 
 Kouang-Si ; but a great number of capitals of depart- 
 ments had fallen into their power. Lo-Ting-Tcheou and 
 Li-Ning-Hien had been taken by storm, and they had 
 carried off an enormous booty. After the capture of 
 these two cities, one of the rebel chiefs, Tchou-lou-tao, 
 sent a flotilla manned by 6,000 men, to take lu-Lin- 
 Tcheou. The prefect and the general, Ou-lan-tai, were 
 in this town. At the approach of the rebels, they at- 
 tempted a strategic movement to intercept their passage ; 
 but instead of suddenly attacking the enemy, they fell, 
 quite unexpectedly, into an ambuscade. 
 
 The action took place during the night, and the fol- 
 lowing day shone upon a melancholy scene. The Impe- 
 rial troops, surprised by the rebels, had literally had 
 their throats cut, and among the dead lay the unfortu- 
 nate prefect of lu-Lin-Tcheou. However, it is better for 
 a Chinese official, civil or military, to fall in a struggle 
 than to survive a defeat. The unhappy vanquished often 
 anticipate the Emperor's sentence, and inflict the punish- 
 ment of death on themselves. We have seen several ex- 
 amples of this barbarous stoicism. The governors of 
 
PREVALENCE OP SUICIDE. 01 
 
 Lo-Ting-Tcheou and Li-Ning-Hien obeyed that fatal pre- 
 judice which forbids most mandarins to await the arrival 
 of disgrace. 
 
 It is difficult to reconcile this contempt of life with 
 the cowardice displayed by the same men under other 
 circumstances. It is the prestige of traditional authority 
 that causes this miracle. The same individual who would 
 tremble at the sight of a drawn sword, resolutely^ poisons 
 or hangs himself, at the thought that the master who has 
 elevated him will degrade him, or blame his conduct. 
 
 Towards the end of 1851, the triumphs of the rebels 
 succeeded each other so rapidly that even the Pekin 
 Gazette^ ceasing to record the Imperial victories, began 
 to set forth the advantages gained by the insurgents. 
 All the fortified towns were put in a state of warlike 
 preparation, and the Europeans received letters from 
 their correspondents in the interior, assuring them that 
 at Hang-Tcheou, Tchin-Hai, and Ning-Po, all was ready 
 for action. In the large cities, topographic plans of the 
 insurrection were sold, in which were marked all the dis- 
 tricts occupied, and all the towns taken by the rebels. 
 These plans, which were published monthly, have been 
 brought to Europe, and it is by one of them that we now 
 follow the progress of the rebels. We shall call them 
 rebels till the day when they enter the imperial palace 
 of Pekin. After that event we shall give them anothc 
 name, for then, according to the political notions receiv- 
 ed in China, the rebel will be Hien-foung. 
 
 On the 29th of September, a considerable body of in- 
 
92 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 surgents encountered the Imperial troops in the district 
 of Young-Gan. A conflict took place, and the tigers 
 were routed. After this action, which was one of the 
 most sanguinary throughout this war of skirmishes, the 
 rebels followed up their advantages, and took by storm 
 Young-Gan-Tcheou, Houen-Mou, and Ping-Lo, the chief 
 town of the department. The victors summoned the 
 magistrates to recognize the sovereignty of Tien-te, and 
 every one who refused to obey the summons was mutilat- 
 ed, or simply put to death. Even in this country, which 
 the civilized children of the "West call barbarous, official 
 dignitaries may be found who will remain faithful to 
 their sovereign in the presence of triumphant rebellion, 
 and who will rather die than violate their oaths. 
 
 The insurgents, now masters of the three towns, spared 
 the inhabitants, who suffered no injury of person or of 
 property. A proclamation by Tien-te urged them to 
 live peaceably together ; at the same time, allowing all 
 who would not recognize his authority to retire whither- 
 soever they pleased, and to take their property with 
 them. A large number of peaceable citizens took speedy 
 advantage of this permission, and went off, loaded with 
 their most valuable effects. Unfortunately, in effecting 
 this emigration, they fell into the midst of a troop of 
 Imperialists, who, without taking into consideration the 
 motive that had caused them to flee from the conquered 
 cities, stripped them completely, and killed those who en- 
 deavored to defend themselves. While suffering from 
 this violence, these unfortunate victims of civil war re- 
 
CRUELTY OF THE IMPERIAL SOLDIERS. 93 
 
 preached the Emperor's soldiers with cowardice before 
 the enemy, and audacity in attacking defenceless people. 
 " You are," they said, " mice to the rebels, and tigers to 
 us." 
 
 In the meanwhile, Siu, who was still shut up in the 
 environs of Kao-Tcheou Fou, exhausted his strategic re- 
 sources. He set a price on the head of Tine-te's father, 
 on that of the mysterious counsellor who everywhere ac- 
 companied the Pretender, and on that of Tien-te himself; 
 offering 90,000 taels to whoever should bring him these 
 three heads in a sack, thus estimating each of these re- 
 bellious skulls as worth 20,000 taels above the value set 
 on his own. In spite of these brilliant offers, Siu saw no 
 results. Despair then got the better of the viceroy of 
 the two Kouangs. He felt ill at ease in the Kouang-Si, 
 and urged the Emperor to allow him to return to Canton. 
 A Chinese mandarin afflicted with ennui, and bowed 
 down under the cares of his state, is capable of devising 
 the oddest stratagems to get out of it. 
 
 Our mandarin, in a report which the official gazette 
 of Pekin was unkind enough to publish, declared to his 
 master that the subjects of Dona Maria de Gloria, Queen 
 of Portugal, were preparing an expedition against the 
 Celestial Empire. He transformed the peaceful resi- 
 dents of Macao into a troop of pirates ready to aid the 
 insurrection, and wishing to conquer the provinces of the 
 Kouang-Toung and the Fo-Kien on their own account. 
 
 It is plainly evident that this gigantic empire, admin- v 
 istered by lying mandarins, and defended by cowardly 
 
94 THE INSURRECTION IN *CHINA. 
 
 soldiers, is in a state of dissolution. Symptoms of its 
 approaching fall appear on every side. 
 
 On the right bank of the Tchou Kiang, in the front 
 of those gardens of Fa-ti. so well known to Europeans, 
 and which abound in knotted and stunted trees cut into 
 the shapes of buffaloes and tigers, there arrived in the 
 month of September, 1851, twenty large junks, bearing 
 2.000 recruits from the district of Touang-Kouan, in- 
 tended to reinforce the troops of the Kouang-Si. At 
 the moment of setting sail, these mercenary troops re- 
 fused to start, unless they received two months' pay in 
 advance. The mandarins complied with their demands, 
 and the undisciplined horde set off, accompanied by 1,000 
 volunteers and 900 regular troops, and taking with them 
 twenty field pieces. But what could be expected from 
 men of this kind ? Like the bands of mercenaries who 
 sold their services in days of yore, they were capable of 
 going over to the enemy if their pay was a single day in 
 arrear. This circumstance alone serves to explain the 
 continual defeats of the Imperial army, and the no less 
 uninterrupted progress of the insurrection. 
 
 In the mean while, the Emperor Hien-foung, who felt 
 his throne tottering, sought to prop it up by new acts of 
 vigor, and had recourse to those detestable expedients 
 which blind despotism employs in dangerous times. 
 Prompted by terror and indignation, he punished with- 
 out mercy the generals who were guilty of being beaten, 
 and degraded the administrators of the provinces, depart- 
 ments, and districts, over which the insurrection was 
 
SEVERITY OF THE EMPEROR. 96 
 
 spread. The Moniteur of Pekin contained a long com- 
 ment on the faults which the persons in question had 
 committed ; and every name was followed by a sentence 
 of death, or at least by a degradation. 
 
 Sai chang-ha — who, having first been prime minister, 
 was sent as commissioner extraordinary of the Kouang- 
 Si, and who, after the death of Lin, had been appointed 
 by the Emperor, governor of that province — was lowered 
 foor degrees, because he did not succeed in suppressing 
 the insurrection. Generals, who on the eve of an action 
 had the misfortune to be ill, were also degraded; and 
 Ou-lan-tai, the Tartar general of Canton, was included in 
 the degradation. However, before the arrival of the Im- 
 perial decree in the Kouang-Si, Ou-lan-tai was fortunate 
 enough to prove his bravery in a bulletin of his own. 
 The decree, therefore, was revoked as far as he was con- 
 cerned, and he was reinstated in his dignities. 
 
 Amid all these dangers and difficulties, the " Son of 
 Heaven" passed much of his time in trifling amusements, 
 surrounded by his favorites and a few courtiers ; who 
 were, perhaps, plotting his death. Strange to say, he 
 amusbd himself in writing a poem on the lofty deeds of 
 the Tartar general. We have read some of the poetic 
 lucubrations of the young Emperor. They give evidence 
 of a mind which, having little invention of his own, uses 
 the imagination of others; every line awakening a re- 
 miniscence of the classic authors of the Celestial Empire : 
 the Chinese Homers, the Ariostos of Pekin, furnished the 
 imperial poet with most of his bombastic lines. 
 
96 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 While the Mantchou sovereign was " tuning his lyre," 
 as Delille says, what was the descendant of the Mings 
 about ? He was not composing an epic poem : he doubt- 
 less thought, and with reason, that an Emperor who had 
 a throne to conquer or defend, had quite enough to do 
 without writing dithyrambics. He wrote only in prose ; 
 and he now published a new manifesto, in which, to a 
 certain extent, he revealed his future policy. This im- 
 portant document roused the attention of the European 
 residents of China, who generally have a sublime contempt 
 for native politics. We give a fragment of this document, 
 which was especially addressed to the Imperialists ; we 
 shall afterwards give another proclamation in which the 
 ideas of Tien-te are more clearly laid down ; — 
 
 " We shall not be alone in defeating you. The very 
 air, by the infection which it spreads around you, warns 
 you to retire. When my celestial virtue has triumphed, 
 the country will become happy, and the governors will 
 be virtuous as in the days of old. I perceive the standard 
 set up by the celestial council, and I have appointed a 
 great general, after receiving his oath of humanity. If 
 the waves rise and engulf all before them — if we ascend 
 ramparts, and open for ourselves a pathway into citadels 
 — I fear that you will have much trouble in saving the 
 capital, and in preserving tranquillity in his majesty's 
 palace." 
 
 The attempts of the rebels against the city of Kouei- 
 Lin (which according to more reports than one they had 
 taken, but which in reality they had not yet captured), 
 
DESCRIPTION OF KOU^ILIN. 97 
 
 was a frequent theme of conversation. This city was an 
 important military post ; but it seemed that the insurgent 
 chiefs did not care much for the military importance of 
 the places which they occupied. With the exception of 
 certain strongholds-, into which the Pretender retired, 
 they abandoned all the fous and all the Mens* after 
 having levied the contributions required for the payment 
 of their troops. This system of tactics resembles that of 
 those barbarous chiefs whose great invasions are recorded 
 by'history. The insurgents advanced straight forward, 
 gaining every day a position which they abandoned on 
 the day following. It was evidently their intention to 
 lay open a path to the capital. With such a centralized 
 government as China, the Mantchous will always hold 
 the throne as long as Pekin remains in their hands ; but 
 when the descendant of the Mings enters the imperial 
 capital, the provinces which he has crossed, and not con- 
 quered, will recognize his rights and submit to his au- 
 thority. 
 
 Having returned to Kouei-Lin we will now give a 
 short description of the city, which we shall have fre- 
 quent occasion to mention in the course of this narrative. 
 The capital of the Kouang-Si is built on the right bank 
 of a large river called Kouei-Kiang. This magnificent 
 river, which flows from east to west, after frequently 
 changing its name and receiving several tributaries, 
 
 * A " Fou," according to Sir J. Davis, is a city of the first, and 
 a " Hi6n " a city of the third rank ; though the above would lead 
 us to suppose that the first and second ranks were intended. — J. O. 
 5 
 
98 THt; l.N.SUJUililCTlON IN CHINA. 
 
 washes the ramparts of Canton, under the name of Tchou- 
 Kiang, or the river of pearls. Koue'i-Lin is a walled 
 city. The horizon is bounded on the north by magnifi- 
 cent mountains, the sharp summits of which resemble 
 the points of an immense row of obelisks. At the foot 
 of three slender peaks are a number of rounded hills, 
 which seem to have fallen from their summits. These 
 are covered with cinnamon trees, the fragrance of which 
 pervades the atmosphere nearly all the year round. 
 
 The aspect of Koue'i-Lin presents many charms to a 
 Chinese. The landscape abounding in freaks of nature is, 
 in their eyes, endowed with singular beauty : those artists 
 who paint impossible rocks, create an imaginary vegetation, 
 and admire in their gardens the monstrosities of Chinese 
 art, are never weary of contemplating natural scenery, 
 provided that their imagination can detect in it some 
 strange image, some undefinable form. The tourists 
 of the Celestial Empire contemplate the rocks of the 
 Koua.ng-Si with a feeling similar to that with which cer- 
 tain individuals survey the fantastic forms assumed by 
 floating clouds, insisting that they are peopled with im- 
 ages which merely exist in their own imagination. 
 
 One of these natural curiosities is on the borders of 
 the River Kouei-Kiang, in front of the city on the east. 
 It is an enormous block of stone, the shape of which re- 
 minds one of a gigantic elephant. The Chinese call this 
 rock Siang-Pi-Chan, or the '^ rock of the elephant's snout." 
 
 The animal is half covered with bamboo ; and bears on 
 his back a round tower, with a double roof of porcelain. 
 
THE " ISOLATED WONDER. 09 
 
 surmounted by winged dragons. One might almost 
 fancy it to be one of those huge creatures, bathing amid 
 the reeds in one of the rivers of India, and carrying one 
 of those pavilions on which the king of Siam loves to 
 ride. 
 
 The ramparts of the city are composed of bricks and 
 large stones, cemented with clay. They are surmounted 
 with battlements in good condition, and two rows of can- 
 -non are pointed from the embrasures. Towards the 
 west, within the precincts of the city an immense stone, 
 conical in form and resembling an immense sugar- 
 loaf, rises suddenly from the soil. This steep rock, which 
 the Chinese call the " Isolated Wonder," is ascended by 
 a path winding around it, and along which small oratories 
 are formed at every step. The celebrated pagoda, in front 
 of which are two tall masts, adorned with gay pennants, 
 rises from its summit. A bridge of boats connects the 
 suburbs of the city with the surrounding country ; for 
 the river flows at the foot of Kouei-Lin, in much tho 
 same manner as the Rhone before Avignon. 
 
 It is asserted that Kouei-Lin contains more than 400,- 
 000 inhabitants ; but such statements do not appear cor- 
 rect to any one who has not seen a Chinese city. Such 
 is the capital of the province which has been the cradle 
 of the insurrection. We may add that Siu, with whose 
 prudence we are acquainted, has not endeavored to shut 
 himself up in this place, which the Chinese Government 
 deems impregnable. Perhaps the same opinion has hither- 
 to protected it against the rebels. 
 
CHAPTEE YIII. 
 
 A sanguinary scene— Policy of the Insurgents. 
 
 In the course of the year 1851, more than 700 unfor- 
 tunate persons were executed at Canton. The severity 
 of the mandarins seemed to increase in the same propor- 
 tion as the extension of the insurrection ; and every day 
 some arrest took place, and some unhappy wretch, shut 
 up in a bamboo cage, or shackled like a wild beast, was 
 brought from the province of Kouang-Si or the revolted 
 districts of the Kouang-Toung. Generally they had not 
 to wait for their sentence ; since, in case of insurrection, 
 the superior authority of the province has a right to in- 
 flict capital punishment, and makes abundant use of this 
 sanguinary privilege. An execution is a horrible thing 
 in any country, but in China its horrors is doubled by 
 its attendant circumstances. We give here the letter of 
 one of our friends, who had the melancholy curiosity to 
 be present at the execution of fifty-three rebels of the 
 Kouang-Si. 
 
 " On the 1st of May," he writes, " I attended an execu- 
 tion with three of my friends. The street in which these 
 frightful scenes occur, is situated as you are aware, with- 
 
A CHINESE EXECUTION. 101 
 
 out the walled city of Canton, towards that part of the 
 suburbs which lies to the south along the river. This 
 narrow, dirty street, which is about 100 metres long and 
 15 wide, is called by the Europeans, the ' Potter's Field.' 
 All the houses on each side are in fact inhabited by work- 
 men who make common services of porcelain, and those 
 portable furnaces which you have often seen in the poor- 
 est houses, and in the floating residences on the river. 
 For fear that a Chinese Scholar like you may dispute 
 names with me, I must tell you at once that this dismal 
 place is called by the natives, Tsien-Tze-Ma-Teou, or, 
 the '■ Quay of the Thousand Characters,' in allusion to 
 the numerous signs which are seen there from the river. 
 
 " "We arrived there at ten o'clock in the morning, and 
 took our station in front of a shop belonging to a mender 
 of old stockings. This was an excellent position to take 
 a survey of the whole ceremony, and we remained there 
 quietly till noon ; at which time some soldiers and officers 
 attached to the service of the mandarins, arrived to clear 
 the street and thrust back the curious. As in Europe, 
 the persons who came to see the spectacle were the vilest 
 dregs of the populace, — dirty, ragged people, with sinister 
 countenances, who wandered about this ensanguined soil ; 
 where most likely they had already seen the execution of 
 u number of their companions, and perhaps of their ac- 
 complices. 
 
 *^ In a short time the roll of the tam-tam announced to 
 us the arrival of the whole procession. Mandarins of 
 every degree, with the red, white, blue, or yellow ball, 
 
102 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 riding on horseback, or carried in palanquins, and followed 
 by an escort of musicians, sbirri, and standard-bearers, 
 alighted at a short distance from the place of execution. 
 Contrary to their ceremonious habits, they arranged 
 themselves in the dismal enclosure. 
 
 '" Then arrived the criminals. They were fifty-three in 
 number, each shut up in a basket, with his hands tied be- 
 hind his back, his legs chained, and a board inscribed 
 with his sentence hanging from his neck. You have 
 often met in the Chinese streets a pair of coolies carry- 
 ing a pig stretched out at its full length in a bamboo 
 case. Well Just imagine a human being put in the place 
 of the unclean animal, and you can form an idea of the 
 fifty-three unfortunate creatures in their cages. When 
 the cages were set down, they were opened and emptied, 
 just as when a pig is turned out at a butcher's shop. I 
 examined these unfortunate wretches with attention : 
 they were worn out with hunger, and looked more like 
 skeletons than living beings. It was evident that they 
 had sufi'ered the most dreadful privations. They were 
 clothed in loathsome tatters, wore long hair, and the 
 dishevelled tail attached to the crown of the head, had 
 been reduced to a third of its usual length. They had 
 evidently belonged to the insurgent bands, who had 
 adopted the fashion of the Mings, and allowed all their 
 hair to grow. 
 
 " Many of these unfortunate persons were very young : 
 some were not sixteen years of age ; while others had 
 gray hair. Scarcely were they thrown on the ground 
 
A CHINESE EXECUTION. 103 
 
 pell-mell, when they were compelled to kneel ; but the 
 greater part of them was so debilitated from suffering, 
 that they could not keep in this position, and rolled in 
 tlie mud. An executioner's assistant then picked them 
 up, and arranged them all in a row ; while three execu- 
 tioners placed themselves behind them and waited the 
 fatal moment. Fou doubtless recollect those horrible 
 figures whom we have often seen together in the cortege 
 of the criminal judge of Canton — those figures dressed in 
 a red blouse, and wearing a copper crown, adorned above 
 the ears with two long pheasant's feathers. Well ! these 
 were the executioners who now waited the signal with a 
 rude and heavy cutlass in their hands. These enormous 
 weapons are about two feet long, and the back of the 
 blade is two inches thick : altogether it is a cumbrous 
 instrument, shaped like a Chinese razor, with a rude 
 handle of wood. 
 
 " A mandarin who closed the cortege^ then entered the 
 enclosure. He was adorned with the white ball, and held 
 in his hand a board, inscribed with the order for execution. 
 As soon as this man appeared the frightful work began. 
 Tlic executioner's assistants, each clothed in a long black 
 robe, and wearing a sort of head-dress of iron wicker- 
 work, seized the criminals behind, and passing their arms 
 under the shoulders of their victims, gave them a swing- 
 ing movement, which made them stretch out their necks. 
 The executioner who was now in front, holding his 
 sword in both hands, threw all his strength into the 
 weapon, and divided the cervical vertebra with incredible 
 
104 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 rapidity, severing the head from the body at a single 
 blow. The executioner never had to strike twice ; for 
 even if the flesh was not completely cut through, the 
 weight was sufficient to tear it, and the head rolled on 
 the ground. An assistant then levelled the victim with 
 a kick, for the corpse would otherwise have remained in 
 a kneeling position. After three or four decapitations, 
 the executioner changed his weapon ; the edge of the 
 blade seeming completely turned. The execution of 
 these fifty-three wretches only lasted some minutes. 
 
 " When the last head had fallen, the mandarins retired 
 from the scene as silent as they had come. Seeing the 
 highest provincial officers present at the execution of 
 these unfortunate men, I was struck with the reflection 
 that in all countries — horrible to say — the political 
 scaffold has been elevated instead of degraded. After 
 the departure of the mandarins, the executioner picked 
 up all the heads, and threw them into a chest brought 
 for the purpose. At the same time the assistants took 
 the chains off the victims as they lay in a pool of blood. 
 The heads were carried away, but the bodies were left on 
 the place of execution. 
 
 " A lamentable scene then commenced. A troop of 
 women with dishevelled hair approached the fatal spot, 
 shrieking aloud in wild disorder. These unhappy beings 
 were endeavoring t6 distinguish their fathers, their hus- 
 bands, and their children, among the headless corpses. 
 It was a frightful scene to see them hurrying about, pon- 
 dering, and constantly mistaken among these headless 
 
A CHINESE EXECUTION. 105 
 
 remains. This search continued all day, accompaniGd 
 by a mournful noise ; funeral dirges being mingled with 
 cries and sobs. The women never ceased repeating that 
 kind of chant common to all funeral ceremonies, and 
 which was composed, it is said, in the time of the Mings. 
 It is a sort of rhythmical plaint, in which the same words 
 constantly recur. ' Oh, misery ! Oh, despair ! My hap- 
 piness is gone forever ! Your kindness will no longer 
 soften the bitterness of life ! Alone and bereaved of all, 
 I can only weep and die over your ashes !' and so on. 
 
 " To these details, which I saw with my own eyes, I 
 should add some others which have been communicated 
 to me by the Chinese. When the criminals left their 
 prison, each was provided with a cake. This was one of 
 those pies cooked by steam, and filled with sweetmeats, 
 that you have often seen on the table of mandarins. 
 
 " I asked the reason of this practice, and was informed 
 that the criminal stomach was filled for two reasons. 
 First, that the effusion of blood should not be too copi- 
 ous ; and, secondly, that the soul, famished by too long 
 an abstinence, might not torment those who separated it 
 from its mortal tenement. I give you this explanation, 
 that nothing may be omitted. The following particular 
 statement is curious. It was given me by a man of let- 
 ters, who stood by my side during the horrid spectacle. 
 The execution did not take place quite according to rule. 
 Generally the culprit is brought before a kind of altar, 
 formed of stones brought from the eighteen provinces. 
 This expiatory altar is raised on the day previous to the 
 5* 
 
106 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 execution, and when all is over it is taken down. This 
 custom — so thought my informant — is excellent. It in- 
 spires the criminal with feelings of contrition, because he 
 seems to pay the penalty of his crime before the inhabit- 
 ants of the empire." 
 
 The mandarins not only employed means of this kind 
 to suppress the insurrectional movement ; they also en- 
 deavored to turn the cause of the rebels into derision, by 
 circulating among the people pamphlets filled with incred- 
 ible anecdotes. In one of these satirical productions it 
 was stated, for instance, that Tiente had perished in an 
 accidental conflagration of his camp, an dr that his wife had 
 seized upon the government, having first assassinated her 
 husband's brother. Now, in China, female rule is not 
 allowed ; and the Empress Ou-heou,the Elizabeth of the 
 East, who seized the Imperial power and held it for more 
 than twenty years, is always mentioned with horror. The 
 prejudices of the Chinese are so obstinate on this sub- 
 ject, that they have effaced the name of the Empress 
 Ou-heou from the list of sovereigns of the Celestial Em- 
 pire ; so that, to them, this disgraceful reign never ex- 
 isted at all. The idea of seeing the sovereign power in 
 the hands of a woman fills them with indignation : al- 
 though they are aware that it is a woman reigns over 
 that western people which has subdued them, and that 
 the English nation was never greater or more glorious 
 than under the government of her Gracious Majesty, 
 Queen Victoria. 
 
 The Government lost no time in appealing to the 
 
PROGRESS OF THE REBELS. 107 
 
 purses of Canton, and by an Imperial decree, " Complete 
 Abundance" asked the opulent city for the sum of 
 1.000,000 taels. This loan is equitably divided in the 
 following manner : the weight of 400,000 taels falls upon 
 the mandarins, and that of the other 600,000 on the 
 tradesmen. The latter say that, in point of fact, they 
 will have to bear the whole burden, as the mandarins 
 will continue to extort from them the 400,000 which 
 .should fall to their share. The political reflections of 
 these unfortunate persons are as dismal as possible ; but 
 after a multitude of suppressed complaints, they end by 
 opening their purses 
 
 The generals charged with the suppression of the in- 
 surrection stood in great need of cash. The Viceroy of 
 the two Kouangs, our intrepid friend Siu, still employed 
 no other projectiles than ingots of silver. It was said 
 that he remained shut up in Kao-Tcheou-Fou ; and that, 
 being blockaded by the rebels, he had offered them the 
 Bum of 300,000 taels if they would retire and allow him 
 to leave the city and proceed to Pekin, where lie would 
 have the satisfaction of informing the Emperor that he 
 had pacified the Kouang-Si. The rebels took no notice 
 of his proposals, but alwaj's pressed forward. 
 
 After occupying Ping-Lo-Fou and Young-Gan-Tcheou, 
 as we have already said, the rebels successively took pos- 
 session of Ou-Hien and Tchao-Ping. which are situated, 
 one to the east and the other to the west of the two first 
 cities. With the exception of Kouei-Lin, the city of the 
 " Isolated Wonder," there was not a town, village, or 
 
108 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 hamlet, throughout the Kouang-Si, which had not sub' 
 mitted to the law of the rebels, and adopted the costume 
 of the Mings. The Emperor, irritated by these fresh 
 defeats, continued, in his own person, to stimulate the 
 courage of his generals. He ordered Sai-chang-ha to re- 
 take Young-Gan-Tcheou within a fortnight ; and that, in 
 default thereof, the generals Hain-ing, Ou-lan-tai, and 
 Tien-san, should lose their heads. This order of con- 
 quest — made after the fashion of the Moniteur of 1793, 
 which Hien-Foung had certainly not read — singularly 
 aroused the zeal of the gallant captains, and on the 17th 
 day of the 10th moon, they set out to recapture the city 
 of Young-Gan-Tcheou. The insurgents, who did not 
 expect them, advanced to meet the Imperial troops, whom 
 they at first attacked feebly. However, in the middle 
 of the action they unmasked a formidable battery, the 
 murderous fire of which swept away the troops of the 
 unfortunate mandarins. 
 
 The taking of Young-Gan-Tcheou was followed by that 
 of Ou-Tcheou-Fou* in the province of Canton. An eye- 
 witness, who was present at this action, asserted that the 
 insurgents proved to be divers bodies of troops, com- 
 manded by chiefs, who, though independent of each other, 
 were all united by a common desire to overthrow the 
 Tartar dynasty. This assertion was confirmed by the 
 following proclamation, which was posted on the walls of 
 
 * Ou-Tcheou-Fou has previously been mentioned as situated in 
 the Kouang-Si, and is so placed both in the map attached to this 
 woi'k, and in the one published by Sir John Davis. — J. O. 
 
PLAX OF FEDERALIZATION. 109 
 
 'Toung-Gan-Tcheou, and threw a new light on the history 
 of the insurrection. This important document was as 
 follows : — 
 
 •' Know all people, that China belongs to the descend- 
 ant of the ancient dynasty : do not be appalled, ye stu- 
 dents, freemen, artisans, and merchants, but remain each 
 of you firm to his work. The fortune of the dynasty of 
 Han is about to flourish once more, and the foreign dy- 
 nasty of the Mantchous approaches its termination. 
 This is a decree of Heaven, of which there can be no 
 doubt. After a long union, division is to follow. In 
 order that things may be securely established on the pub- 
 lication of the laws, our sovereigns have displayed their 
 beneficence, and before prostrating themselves before the 
 Supreme Being have always rendered assistance to the 
 unfortunate. After having learned to adore God, they 
 labored to save the peeple from calamity, have supported 
 the weak, resisted the strong, and saved the villages from 
 robbers. They did not act like the chiefs Tai-te-ou and 
 others, who stopped the junks on the rivers, pillaged and 
 massacred the inhabitants of town and country, and then 
 asked the mandarins for passports and safe conducts to 
 take them to a place of safety. When our princes, by 
 the power of Heaven, entered Young-Gan, they extended 
 their munificence around them, and looking upon the 
 people as their own children, induced them to abstain 
 from murder, and to take nothing without permission. 
 They are just and impartial as a balance ; but if any one 
 refuses obedience, he will be handed over to the oflBcers 
 
110 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 of the army. Our princes call upon the inhabitants of 
 every district to surrender, if they would merit the re- 
 ward due to voluntary adhesion. In the meanwhile 
 they are now waiting the arrival of chiefs of the other 
 provinces, that they may join their forces, and attack the 
 capital of Pekin ; after which they will proceed to a di- 
 vision of the empire." 
 
 This proclamation, as far as the political ideas are con- 
 cerned, is a paraphrase of that proclamation of Tien-te 
 which we have not given entire. There is one predomi- 
 nant idea, namely, that of breaking up the empire. 
 These men have perceived that countries so heteroge- 
 neous as those of which the immense empire of China is 
 composed — separated from each other not only by long 
 distances, but also by difference of customs — could not 
 remain submissive to the same laws. A decree may in- 
 deed be passed that the people of the north and the peo- 
 ple of the south shall be governed by one code, but the 
 human mind protests against this assimilation. A vast 
 empire cannot remain free and compact except by feder- 
 alization. Hence, although Tien-te is at Young-Gran- 
 Tcheou, it is not he who speaks ; but one of the feuda- 
 tory kings yet to come. The proclamation is not dated 
 from the second year of Tien-te, but from the first year 
 of Tien-kio. 
 
 This document not only shows us the intention of the 
 chiefs, but to a certain extent initiates us into their plans. 
 It tells us by what means they expect to acquire supreme 
 authority. These skilful politicians are in reality not 
 
POLICY OF THE INSURGENTS. Ill 
 
 very anxious about the countries which they cross, and 
 the submission of the provinces and departments, how- 
 ever they may call upon the inhabitants to submit. 
 They are perfectly acquainted with the vulnerable side 
 of the power which they assail, and against this they di- 
 rect their attack. Their chiefs, they say, are waiting the 
 arrival of the chiefs of the other provinces, that they 
 may march with combined forces and take the city of 
 Pekin ; after which they will proceed to the division of 
 the empire. They know well enough that if once 
 Pekin is in their power, they are sure of everything else. 
 Will the Emperor take refuge in one of the towns of 
 the Tartar frontier, and there seek to reconquer his 
 throne ? 
 
 While we contemplate a plan so ably devised, we na- 
 turally ask how it was thus wisely and patiently matured. 
 We ask how these chiefs, who sign in the name of royalty, 
 are accepted without reservation by numerous armies, 
 and what sanction their authority has received. In our 
 opinion the whole affair has been admirably conducted, 
 from the time of the first movement in Kouang-Si — a 
 pilot balloon, which the rebels launched to test the under- 
 mined power of the Tsings — to the proclamation of Tien- 
 t<^. This proclamation was inspired by the profoundest 
 wisdom. To a people accustomed for ages to imperial 
 rule, that is to say, to the infallible authority of one 
 chief, it would be most injudicious to reveal at once the 
 project of founding a federal empire. The men of letters 
 were alone capable of comprehending this idea, too lofty 
 
112 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 for the apprehension of the multitude. It was, therefore, 
 especially necessary to show that the future edifice had 
 its key-stone like the edifice now existing. It was in the 
 silence and in the shadow of the secret societies that this 
 plan was conceived. Since the fall of the Mings and the 
 accession of the Mantchous, clandestine associations — 
 these intellectual laboratories of declining states — have 
 been incessantly in operation. The most celebrated of 
 these secret societies — the society of the three princi- 
 ples, or the Triad — commands a powerful organization. 
 Throughout China, and whereever the Chinese emigrate, 
 members of this association may be found ; and the people 
 of the Celestial Empire can almost say without exagger- 
 ation, "When three of us are assembled together the 
 Triad is amongst us." 
 
 Even in the form of the proclamation of Tien-Kio, it 
 may be perceived that a new regenerative element has 
 penetrated those obscure retreats where projects of na- 
 tional independence are formed — we mean the Christian 
 element. The authors of the proclamation of Young- 
 Gan-Tcheou talk of " decrees of Heaven." They have, 
 they say, prostrated themselves before the Supreme 
 Being ; after having learned to adore God, they have la- 
 bored to save the people from calamities. These are 
 forms of expression unknown to the idolaters of China, 
 and foreign to the language of Catholics. The honor of 
 introducing them into China belongs to the Protestants ; 
 and if we may trust report, it appears that a native Pro- 
 testant holds an elevated rank, and exercises a high au- 
 
M. GDTZLAFF. 113 
 
 thority among the insurgents. This Protestant is, we 
 are assured, a convert of Gutzlaff, the last secretary- 
 interpreter at Hong-Kong. 
 
 M. Gutzlaff has now been dead some years. He was 
 bom in Pomerania, and quitted his native country very 
 young. He did not in the least resemble the fair sons of 
 Germany, whose florid complexion is kept up by draughts 
 of beer. He was an intelligent man, endowed with 
 a great aptitude for acquiring languages; and had no 
 sooner entered a country than he spoke the idiom of its 
 inhabitants. At the outset of his peregrinations he had 
 been a Lutheran missionary ; next he entered the service 
 of the Bible societies ; and, at last, by his great familiar- 
 ity with the Chinese language, he obtained the situation 
 of first interpreter to the English Government, a place 
 to which splendid appointments are attached. If we can 
 trust certain malicious informants, the Rev. Dr. Gutzlaff 
 travelled for a long time, with a Bible in one hand and a 
 yard measure in the other, distributing Bibles and selling 
 cloth, on the most equitable terms ; and that, in this 
 fashion, he went through Java, Slam, the Archipelago of 
 Chusan, and the islets in the neighborhood of Corea 
 and Japan. Be that as it may, he has left us accounts 
 of his travels, which, on the whole, are very pleasant 
 reading. 
 
 M. Gdtzlaff had the art of inspiring the Chinese people 
 with the greatest confidence. He was of a middle stature, 
 and tolerably stout ; his prominent eyes sparkled beneath 
 thick lashes, which were overshadowed by long black and 
 
114 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 bushy eye-brows. His face, with features the reverse of 
 angular, and its light olive complexion, seemed to belong 
 to that variety of the human race which we call the Mon- 
 gol. In his Chinese dress, he was so exactly like a na- 
 tive, that he could have gone through the streets of the 
 walled city of Canton, without being recognized. 
 
 One evening, during our stay in China, we spoke of 
 him to the mandarin Pan-se-tchen, who was much at- 
 tached to him, and one of us expressed his astonishment 
 at finding in a European the characteristics of the Chinese 
 race. The mandarin quietly replied : — 
 
 "Nothing can be more natural. GutzlaflF's father was 
 a native of the Fo-Kien settled in Grermany." 
 
 This fact appears to us so extraordinary, that we should 
 hesitate to relate it if Pan had not assured us that M. 
 Gutzlaff himself was his authority. 
 
 At all events, whether his origin was Chinese or not, 
 M. Gutzlaff perfectly knew how to adapt himself to the 
 ideas of a people who are at once sensual and mystical. 
 He founded in China a sort of secret society called the 
 " Chinese Union," the object of which was the conversion 
 of the Chinese to Christianity by the Chinese themselves. 
 "When it was first known that the insurgents had in several 
 places burnt the Buddhist statues, and overthrown the pa- 
 godas, it was thought that a number of Catholics had 
 joined the rebels. At a latter period the various Anglo- 
 Chinese journals stated that a disciple of the artful Pro- 
 testant missionary was the head of the band, whose zeal 
 
gutzlaff's influence. 115 
 
 was displayed by the destruction of the monuments of 
 idolatry. In time we shall know, perhaps, the name of 
 the iconoclast, whose influence we have shown in the im- 
 portant document laid before our readers. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Chinese generalship— Insurrection at Ha'i-Nan— Insurrection in the Provinces 
 of the Hien Nan and the Hien-Pe. 
 
 The Tartar general resolved to avenge the defeats 
 that had taken place in the department of Ping-Lo. For 
 this purpose he assembled the greater part of the troops, 
 dispersed about the Kouang-Si, the Kouang-Toung, the 
 Kouei-Tcheou, and the Yun-Nan, and marched against 
 the rebels with a force of 13,000. A Chinese army looks 
 like a military array on the stage. The foot soldiers are 
 dressed in red cassocks trimmed with white, having on 
 the bosom and in the centre of the back a piece of white 
 calico, on which the name of the regiment to which they 
 belong, is inscribed in huge characters. They wear on 
 their heads a conical cap, striped with various colors, 
 and are armed with a wretched matchlock. The horse- 
 men, of whom there is a very small number in the Impe- 
 rial army, are mounted on lean, ill-harnessed jades, and 
 wrapped up in long blue robes.- In this strange attire 
 they look much more like Musselmen women on a jour- 
 ney, than the Tartar heroes whom our fathers saw in the 
 opera of " Lodoiska." 
 
CHINESE GENERALSHIP. Ill 
 
 In the midst of these grotesque soldiers, march the 
 
 aidard-bearers, holding a stafiF surmounted by a flag 
 representing a chimera, a dragon, or some other fabulous 
 figure. The drummers march at the head of the regi- 
 ment. Numerous gongs are beaten in regular time, and 
 the roll of the drum is minted with the heavy sound of 
 the metallic instrument. 
 
 The Imperial army encountered the rebels between two 
 towns of the third order, called Ping-Nan-Hien and 
 Tchao-Ping, on a very irregular spot, near the Kouei- 
 Kiang, the banks of which are bordered with sloping 
 hills. The general deployed a portion of his troops in a 
 small valley, and sent the rest to attack the insurgents in 
 flank. While the soldiers were executing this manoeu- 
 vre, the general accompanied by his aides-de-camps, sta- 
 tioned himself in the central army, to direct the strategic 
 movements. The standard-bearers and the drummers 
 formed a double circle round this staflF. and the officers 
 of each company placed themselves each behind his 
 seventy-five soldiers. 
 
 To explain this arrangement, we ought to inform our 
 readers that in the Chinese army the word of command 
 is given, not with the voice but with the sound of the 
 gong. A certain innovator has proposed to introduce 
 this method into the French army, but it has been judi- 
 ciously settled that it would be impracticable in a country 
 where the ears of the soldiers have not been trained to 
 harmony. It is evident that to carry this musical ar- 
 rangement into eflect, the gongs and drums must always 
 
118 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 be within the range of the staff officers. As for the 
 other chiefs of the army, they stand behind their soldiers 
 because the latter are very apt to retreat without waiting 
 for any word of command, and this position enables the 
 officers to keep them at their post, or to kill them if they 
 recede. 
 
 Silence is not required in the ranks : in fact, the con- 
 trary is the case. The Imperial soldiers advanced 
 against the rebels, uttering horrible shouts ; and the dismal 
 roll of the gongs was echoed among the mountains. The 
 insurgents seemed panic-struck at this revival of the 
 siege of Jericho. They feebly defended the heights 
 which they occupied, and descending from their positions, 
 gradually retreated to other points. 
 
 This game of hide-and-seek had already lasted several 
 hours, and the Imperialists, now weary, were on the 
 point of abandoning the pursuit of the enemy when they 
 debouched into a valley abounding in groups of those 
 magnificent bamboos which form part of the wealth of 
 China. The rebels flung themselves behind these bar- 
 riers of verdure, as if to escape the fury of the Imperial- 
 ists ; when the latter formed the fatal resolution of pur- 
 suing them through the bamboo thickets. Scarcely were 
 they entangled in these treacherous oases, than a large 
 body of rebels came down from the mountains, preceded 
 by upwards of sixty field-pieces. 
 
 The Tartar general, finding himself thus surrounded, 
 gave the signal for retreat ; that is to say, the gongs left 
 off their martial roll, and only sounded at intervals. It 
 
THE "TIOEKS. 110 
 
 was too late. When Ou-lan-tai retreated to Lis camp, 
 only half the troops obeyed the order. Of the rest, some 
 had been killed, and the others had prudently gone over 
 to the enemy. 
 
 Frequently in the course of this narrative we have 
 given the name of " tigers " to the Emperor's soldiers 
 without explaining the cause of a sobriquet so often ap- 
 plied. In the Celestial Empire these brave warriors 
 haYe all sorts of animals painted on their bucklers, and 
 the surname is derived from the circumstance that the 
 figure of the tiger is more common than any other. All 
 this seems very ridiculous to us ; but we have something 
 very like it at home. In our own military uniforms we 
 find traces not only of the tiger, but also of the wolf and 
 other animals ; the hair caps, and all those shaggy arti- 
 cles of dress with which we muffle up our grenadiers, 
 take from us the right of laughing at the Chinese tigers, of 
 whom, to speak the truth, we are sometimes mere imitators. 
 
 European troops, it is said, have borrowed another de- 
 tail of military art from the Chinese. The Spaniards 
 allege the Portuguese introduced into their exercise the 
 ridiculous command : " Rostro feroz ao inimigo .'" and 
 that on receiving this order the soldiers put on a fierce 
 aspect, advanced with a warlike gesture, and showed 
 their teeth to the enemy. If this story be true, the Por- 
 tuguese were plagiarists. At the present day the poor 
 tigers go to battle with menacing gesticulations, and make 
 horrible grimaces. 
 
 The defeat of the Tartar general did not discourage 
 
120 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Siu, the Viceroy of the two Kouangs, who remained shut 
 up behind the thick ramparts of Kao-Tcheou-Fou. He 
 swore by his long moustache that he would revenge the 
 rout at Ping-Nan-Hien ; and for this purpose he bor- 
 rowed from the ancient history of the kingdom of Tsi, a 
 stratagem which reminds one of the Trojan horse, and 
 the foxes of Samson. Four thousand buffaloes were tied 
 together, and torches of resin were attached to their long 
 horns. This troop was placed under the conduct of four 
 thousand soldiers, and the expedition, the preparations 
 for which had been a profound secret, set off one evening 
 in the direction of the rebel camp. 
 
 According to this notable scheme, every, buffalo, being 
 thus transformed into a " fire chariot," was to commit 
 fearful ravages, kill every one within its reach, and set 
 fire to the enemy's camp. The horned battalion advanced 
 at first without meeting any obstacle, for the insurgents, 
 warned of the stratagem, allowed the animals to pass 
 along unimpeded. The Imperialists paid dearly for this 
 procession by torchlight ; for before they had reached the 
 camp, the enemy, who had watched all their movements 
 by the light of this splendid illumiuation, fell upon them 
 unexpectedly, as they had often done before, and the usual 
 scenes of carnage were renewed. 
 
 This bright invention of Siu's caused a sacrifice of 
 more than 2 000 lives. Those who escaped slaughter 
 were chased as far as the walls of Kao-Tcheou-Fou, 
 where the Viceroy was quietly ensconced. This fact 
 alone is enough to show us the state of the art of war 
 
ART OF WAR. 121 
 
 amoDg the Chinese. If the Anglo-Chinese press had 
 been our sole authority, we should have hesitated to 
 publish this account ; but we have compared the narra- 
 tive of the Friend of China with authentic Chinese doc- 
 uments, and they both perfectly agree in all the details of 
 this incredible story. In the eyes of the Chinese and 
 Tartar warriors, the comical invention of Siu passes for 
 a very ingenious piece of generalship. 
 
 - Nevertheless, there exists among them a treatise on 
 the art of war which is highly esteemed. This classical 
 work, which is in twenty-four volumes, is entitled " Ou- 
 Pi-Tche," or a " Complete Treatise on the Art of 
 War." Not only private individuals, but even civil 
 mandarins below the third, and military mandarins be- 
 low the fourth rank, are forbidden to read this book. 
 In China a tradesman, a cultivator, or a man of letters, 
 is not allowed to take any interest — even the interest 
 of ordinary curiosity — in the art of war. The owner of 
 such a book would be severely punished, if he held but a 
 subordinate post in the hierarchy, or was a mere " man 
 of letters." The booksellers are allowed to keep only 
 one copy of the work in their shops, and when they sell 
 it they are compelled to set down in a register the name 
 and address of the purchaser, — ^just as is done in France, 
 when poison is sold by a druggist. Certainly, if the 
 work contains such fine things as Siu's contrivance, it is 
 as well not to reveal them to the eyes of the vulgar. 
 
 Before they undertook the war against the Celestial 
 Empire, the English obtained several copies of this trea- 
 G 
 
122 THE INSURRECnON IN CHIXA. 
 
 tise. One day, an American merchant at Canton com* 
 munlcated this circumstance to a mandarin of very high 
 rank, when the latter struck his left hand with his fan, 
 and exclaimed, " I am not surprised now that the red- 
 haired barbarians defeated us." 
 
 We have already said that there were several symp- 
 toms in China of internal discomfort, and a tendency to 
 dissolution. As we proceed in our narrative, new facts 
 arise to confirm our opinion. The official Gazette of 
 Pekin stated, over and over again, that insurrectional 
 movements had taken place in the island of Hai-Nan, 
 in the Hou-Nan, and in the Hou-Pe. 
 
 The island of Hai-Nan lies to the south of the prov- 
 ince of Canton. This is a possession almost as im- 
 portant as that of Formosa. All the tropical fruits 
 grow there in abundance, and great quantities are ex- 
 ported to the principal cities of the empire. The Chinese 
 have held Hai-Nan for many centuries, but have never 
 completely subdued the native race, that inherits the 
 mountainous districts in the centre of the island. 
 
 It is probable that the insurgents formed an alliance 
 with this warlike race, and that they acted with regard 
 to them as their brethren of the Kouang-Si had acted 
 with the Miao-Tze. The following fact confirms the 
 supposition : — 
 
 After a great battle at the foot of the high mountains 
 of Hai-Nan, a Tartar chief ventured to pursue the rebels 
 into the narrow ravines of the " Mountains of a Hundred 
 Fingers." Ten days elapsed, but neither the soldiers 
 
INSURRECTION IN THE HOU-KOUANG. 123 
 
 nor their officer had returned. It was then resolved that 
 an expedition should be made to learn their fate, and, 
 after a long and dangerous search, the unfortunate cap- 
 tain was found nearly starved to death. He was the 
 only survivor of his troop, and the rebels had abandoned 
 him in this solitude, after cutting off his nose and ears. 
 
 The insurgents having found allies in the country, lost 
 no time in occupying Kioung-Tcheou-Fou, the capital, 
 and- afterwards all the other towns of any importance. 
 This coup de main in Hai-Nan proves that the insur- 
 gents wished to secure a point whence to act afterwards 
 upon the Kouang-Toung and the Fo-Kien. 
 
 The Hou-Nan and the Hou-Pe once formed a single 
 province called the Hou-Kouang. Even at the present 
 day, the two provinces are frequently known by the name 
 of the Hou-Kouang, just as in France, we still use the 
 name of Provence to designate the various departments, 
 arising from a division of the former province ; and in 
 the course of this narrative we shall often make use of 
 the ancient denomination to designate the towns com- 
 prised within the limits of the two modern provinces. 
 Hence, to trace the progress of the insurrection in the 
 map, it is necessary to look for the points indicated in 
 both the provinces, when it is not stated to which of the 
 two they belong. 
 
 The entrance of the rebels into the Hou-Kouang pro- 
 duced a great sensation at the Court of Pekin. The 
 Imperial Government had hitherto lessened the import- 
 ance of its defeats, and concealed as much as possible the 
 
124 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 "uneasiness of its position. However, on hearing that 
 the insurrection had extended to the Hou-Nan and the 
 Hou-pe, it uttered a cry of alarm. 
 
 An express was sent from Pekin to Canton to commu- 
 nicate the disastrous news. The official messenger pub- 
 lished the facts that the insurgents had effected a junc- 
 tion with 20.000 Miao-Tze, that they were marching 
 upon the capital, and that Soung-Tao-Ting had been de- 
 stroyed. While this news was scattering terror through 
 Canton, the rebels took possession of Toung-In-Fou like- 
 wise. The Minister of War ordered the 10,000 men in 
 the Se-Tchouan to march at once to Hou-Pe, and that 
 all the disposable troops of the surrounding provinces 
 should be directed to this point. 
 
 As the action of the rebels was chiefly centred in the 
 north of the province of Hou-Kouang, we shall now give 
 a topographical sketch of the country. 
 
 The Hou-Pe is one of the poorest provinces of the 
 empire. It is, like the Kouang-Si, a mountainous coun- 
 try, but the temperature is much colder. The produce 
 of the soil is analogous to that of the centre of France, 
 consisting of corn, vegetables, and the finest gourds in 
 the world. The mountaineers of the Hou-Pe live much 
 like the mountaineers of France, residing, like them, in 
 huts thatched with straw, and subsisting on a still more 
 scanty nourishment. These poor people are frequently 
 visited by famine, the constant attendant of violent 
 changes of climate. Once it swept away a third of the 
 population. 
 
INSURRECTION IN THE HOU-KOUANQ. 1^6 
 
 In this district, as in the Kouang-Si, the insurgents 
 had for allies the poverty, and the warlike instincts of 
 the people. When first it was learned that a portion of 
 the population had risen in the ancient province of the 
 Hou-Kouang, the first supposition was that this was a 
 strategic movement on the part of the rebels of the 
 Kouang-Si. This was a mistake. The insurrection in 
 the Hou-Pe and the Hou-Nan, although the same in 
 tendency as the other, was commanded by independent 
 chiefs. As we have already had occasion to remark, the 
 troops, ill paid by the Imperial Government, readily 
 passed over to the enemy. It was now learned that a 
 detachment of the army, 6,000 strong, commanded by 
 Ou-lan-tai, had joined the rebels with arms and baggage. 
 
 There was among the people such a disposition to aid 
 the insurrectionary movement, that the Viceroy of the 
 two Kouangs published a decree to prohibit the young 
 men of the towns forming themselves into volunteer corps. 
 In this document, which is ably drawn up, the Governor- 
 General affirms that the Imperial troops are sufficient to 
 resist the insurrection, and thanks the people under his 
 charge for their excess of zeal. In reality, he knew 
 what he was about. Experience had taught him that 
 these improvised soldiers, when placed under the orders 
 of the military mandarins, were eager to desert as soon 
 as they were opposed to the enemy. 
 
 As if for the express purpose of disproving the asser- 
 
 Ition that it was the rebels of the Kouang-Si who had 
 r— 
 
126 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Hou-Nan, news now arrived that the chiefs in command 
 at Kouei-Lin had assembled round this capital all the 
 troops at their disposal, for fear of being surprised by 
 the insurgents, whose number daily increased. To these 
 details were added the account of a new victory gained 
 over the Imperial troops in the north of the Kouang-Si. 
 The progress of the insurrection in the Hou-Kouang 
 was no less rapid than in the Kouang-Si ; and it was 
 learned that the towns of Tao-Tcheou and Kiang-Hoa 
 were taken almost simultaneously without much resist- 
 ance. A chief of the Kouang-Si, named Tai-ping-wang, 
 then formed an alliance with the rebels of the Hou-Pe. 
 This sort of confederation threatened many points at the 
 same time ; and several important localities — Lo-Ting- 
 Tcheou, Houen-Yuen-Fou, and Ho-Che-Fou — fell into 
 the power of the insurgents. In these three principal 
 towns they found abundance of booty ; as they seized the 
 public treasure and the stores provided for the Imperial 
 troops. According to their usual custom they respected 
 private property, confining themselves to the spoilatioQ 
 of the functionaries, and a large appropriation of the 
 public revenues. This conduct gained for them the sym- 
 pathy of the inhabitants, who saw with the most perfect 
 indifference, the tragical end of the mandarins who had 
 governed them, and who now, dreading the Emperor's 
 wrath, hanged themselves in despair. It was now per- 
 fectly clear that, in proportion as the insurrection spread 
 over the provinces, its action became more regular. The 
 brigands of Kouang-Si had become neither more nor less 
 
REAL PROGRESS OF THE INSURRECTION. 
 
 127 
 
 than party-leaders, who respected the property of others, 
 inspired their soldiers with notions of moral rectitude, 
 and sympathized with those who are the real victors in 
 all political conquests — viz., those who have something 
 to lose. However, this new development of the insurrec- 
 tionary power was more and more menacing to the Em- 
 peror's throne. 
 
CHAPTEE X. 
 
 The Pretender and two oflBcial envoys — Confession and execution of Ti6n-T6- 
 New success of the rebels. 
 
 "While the army of Tien-te commanded the country, 
 the Pretender himself, surrounded by his household, his 
 soldiers, and his guard, had established himself in a strong 
 position in the mountain of Tse-Hing, not far from the 
 Kouei-Lin. 
 
 The Governor of the Koang-Si, finding that there was 
 a favorable occasion for opening one of those negotiations 
 in which Chinese diplomatists so greatly shine, resolved 
 to send a kind of embassy to the rebel chief This high 
 functionary would willingly have pacified the country 
 without bloodshed, and concluded the war by dint of 
 those long subtle arguments in which the Chinese " men 
 of letters " so much excel. We shall give what may be 
 called the proces-verhal of the interview that took place 
 between the Pretender and the envoys of the Vice-Grov- 
 ernor Tseou. This document, which has been translated 
 from the Chinese, will show the reader the firm and cautious 
 policy of Tien-te, the prestige which surrounds his dawn- 
 
DEPUTATION TO Tlfex-Tfe. 129 
 
 ing authority, and the attitude he assumes with respect 
 to the Tartar Emperor. 
 
 " Tseou. Lieutenant-Governor of the Kouang-Si, sent 
 Han-heou, a man of letters of the first degree, and Tchang- 
 fang-yeou, a man of letters of the second degree, with 
 three other individuals, to Tien-te, on the mountain Tse- 
 Hing, to induce him to make his submission. 
 
 " Han-heou and his companions, fearing lest they 
 Bboold be at the appointed place at an unfitting moment, 
 wrote a letter to Tien-te, to ask him on what day he 
 would admit them into his presence, and resolved to 
 await his answer, before they ascended the mountain. 
 The answer having arrived, they advanced with their 
 baggage ; but before they reached the foot of the moun- 
 tain, they were joined by a certain number of persons, 
 who came to salute them and to act as guides. 
 
 " When they had gone halfway up the mountain, they 
 came to an outer wall, the lofty gate of which was guarded 
 by troops, both within and without. They then went 
 through three other gates, guarded in the same manner, 
 and arrived at a fourth, where they were received by a 
 dozen ofl&cers, dressed in the fashion of the Ming dynasty, 
 who, after having proclaimed the name and rank of each, 
 advanced courteously, and invited the five visitors to 
 enter the house set apart for strangers, where they were 
 entertained with great magnificence. 
 
 " Their arrival was announced to Tien-te, who fixed 
 an audience for the following day. In compliance with 
 this order, they were, on the mc-rrow, conducted by au of- 
 6* 
 
130 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 ficer through a fifth door, when an eunuch signified to 
 them, on the part of the Emperor, that they must put on 
 the costume of the Ming dynasty Han-heou and the 
 others did not dare to disobey orders, and accordingly 
 put on the costume, which was brought them. When 
 their toilette was ended, the eunuch conducted them to 
 the steps of the court, where they were received by Tien- 
 te himself, who came to the foot of the steps, and led. 
 them to his residence, asking them to sit down, like guests 
 on a visit to a friend. Tien-te then asked them for what 
 purpose they had come ; upon which Han-heou opened 
 the conference, and set forth, in a very eloquent discourse, 
 the commission with which he was charged. The others 
 spoke in their turns, making use of the most specious ar- 
 guments, and citing various examples to persuade Tien-te 
 to make his submission, and thus to restore to the people 
 that tranquillity of which the war had deprived them. 
 
 " When this discussion was ended, Tien-te said to 
 them : — ' Masters, you misunderstand me completely. 
 How can a prince submit to his own subjects ? I am the 
 eleventh descendant of the Emperor Tsoung-tching, of 
 the great dynasty of the Mings, and I now rightfully 
 levy troops in the hope of recovering my ancient terri- 
 tory. A rebellion was originally the cause that the race 
 of Tsing was invited by Ou-san-kouei', minister of the 
 Ming dynasty, to assist in overthrowing the rebel chiefs 
 Tchang and Li. Here, however, they did not stop. They 
 took possession of the country, and my ancestors, con- 
 sidering the service done by the race of Tsing in the 
 
INTERVIEW WITH TifcN-Tfe. ' ISl 
 
 war against the rebels, did not venture to expel them at 
 once, but allowed them and their descendants to occupy 
 the throne for 200 years, as a reward for their good con- 
 duct. You surely cannot say that this reward was in- 
 sufficient. At present, strong in the justice of my cause, 
 I am levying troops to recover the possessions of my an- 
 cestors. The race of Tsing ought to retire to their own 
 country without resistance, so that each party may be in 
 j)ossession of its own territory. This course would bring 
 repose to the soldiers and the people. Masters, you are 
 still subjects of the Chinese empire, and you perfectly 
 understand the doctrines of Confucius and Mencius. Can 
 you have entirely forgotten your lawful prince, and re- 
 main contentedly the subjects of foreigners ?' 
 
 ''After this discussion, Tien-te ordered that Han-heou 
 and his companions should be called by the name of min- 
 isters. He gave them a grand banquet, and entertained 
 them splendidly for five days. At the end of this time 
 the clothes which they had worn on their arrival were 
 burned, and Tien-te accompanied them to the confines of 
 the mountain, where he took leave of them with great af- 
 fability. 
 
 *' On returning to Kouei-Lin, they related their ad- 
 venture to the Governor. Tseou flew into such a passion, 
 that it brought on a fit of illness, and for several days he 
 could neither eat nor sleep." 
 
 Immediately after this interview, the Pretender aban- 
 doned his retreat, and quitting the mountains, stationed 
 himself in the plain. His presence was the signal of new 
 
132 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 calamities to the Imperialists, who, in many encounters, 
 were beaten by the legions who accompanied the Pre- 
 tender. These warlike bands took Lou-Tchcou, and ad- 
 vanced once more against Kouei-Lin, which they intended 
 to storm. The walls, however, defended by artillery in 
 good condition, proved too strong for them, and they were 
 forced to retire. On their retreat they set fire to the 
 suburbs and burned the bridge, which crossed the river 
 opposite the " Isolated Wonder." 
 
 Kouei-Lin was defended by the Tartar general Ou- 
 lan-tai. While fighting on the ramparts, where they 
 were attacked with fury by the rebels, he received a ball 
 in the knee. As the wound was considered very danger- 
 ous, and the medical science of China was deemed insuf- 
 ficient in so grave an emergency, an express was sent to 
 Canton to ask the advice of Dr. Parker, minister of the 
 gospel, interpreter to the American charge d'affairs^ and 
 medical man into the bargain. The doctor expressed 
 himself perfectly willing to visit the wounded man and 
 extract the ball, but his offer was not accepted, inasmuch 
 as no foreigner can go into the interior of the country, 
 without violating the laws of the empire. Ou-lan-tai, ac- 
 cordingly, set off for Canton to receive the attentions of 
 Dr. Parker there, but the bad medical treatment which 
 he had previously undergone, produced a mortification of 
 the wound, and he died on the road. 
 
 Ou-lan-tai was one of the best generals in the Chinese 
 army, which, however, by no means, proves that he was 
 endowed with great military talent. He was a good 
 
PRETENDED CONFESSION OF TiftN-Tfe. 133 
 
 master of that official kind of bragging, by dint of which 
 the people of the Celestial Empire often get rapid pro- 
 motion. 
 
 Shortly before his death, when the rebels had evacuated 
 the city of Young-Gan, to advance to another point of 
 greater importance, Ou-lan-tai lost no time in making a 
 triumphant entrance into the deserted town, and sending 
 a report in which he boasted that he had taken it from 
 the enemy. There was no great harm in this ; the Court 
 of Pekin is accustomed to hear much greater falsehoods. 
 
 Shortly after the interview of Tien-te with the men of 
 letters sent by the vice-Governor Tseou, a wonderful re- 
 port was circulated. It was affirmed that the Pretender 
 had been made prisoner, and that Siu, the Viceroy of the 
 two Kouangs, had sent him to Pekin, with a strong escort, 
 shut up in an iron cage. At first, the tale was not re- 
 ceived without hesitation ; in fact, it was considered a 
 mere fiction. Soon, however, all doubts were removed, 
 for the Official Gazette of Pekin published a decree by 
 which Tien-te was sentenced to undergo the extreme 
 penalty of the law. According to the custom generally 
 adopted in China, the decree was prefaced by a general 
 confession, on the part of the accused. The contrite 
 document was as follows : — 
 
 " I am a native of Hang-Chan, in the department of 
 Hang-Tcheou, and am thirty years of age. My father 
 and mother are both dead ; I have neither brothers, sis- 
 ters, wife, nor children. In my youth I gave myself up 
 to letters, and I have undergone several examinations. 
 
134 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Since, however, the examiners did not acknowledge in me 
 any talent for composition, hut paralyzed my efforts, I 
 hecame a honze. Shortly afterwards I quitted this posi- 
 tion, to be examined again, but I was sent back as be- 
 fore. This filled my heart with resentment, and I 
 carefully studied works on military science, as well as 
 the topography of the different provinces, that I might 
 become skilful in war, and overthrow the Imperial Gov- 
 ernment. While I was a bonze, I lived in silence and 
 retirement, studying how to render myself familiar with 
 all the rules of generalship, as practised from the earliest 
 times down to our own day. I thought that I could thus 
 execute my plans with promptness, and take the empire 
 by a mere turn of the hand. 
 
 " A few years ago, being still a bonze, I travelled into 
 the Kouang-Toung, and passing through Houa, formed 
 the acquaintance of Houng-siu-tsiuen and Foung-yun- 
 chan, both men of letters of great talent, but both, like 
 me, unfortunate in their examinations. They had tra- 
 versed the two Kouangs, and had formed an association 
 composed of the most determined members of the ' So- 
 ciety of the Three Principles.' Each of the initiated 
 made a vow that he would live and die with the rest, and 
 aid them to the best of his power. The number of 
 adepts rapidly increased, and there was a growing fear 
 that disunion would arise among them. Houng-sin-tsiuen 
 was learned in magic, and the art of holding converse 
 with devils, while Foung-yun-chan forged a history about 
 a Heavenly Father, a Heavenly Brother, and Jesus, set- 
 
PRETENDED CONFESSION OF TifeN-Tfe. 136 
 
 tiDg forth how the Heavenly Brother came down from 
 Heaven, and how all those who wished to serve the Hea- 
 venly Father might know where to find their greatest ad- 
 vantage ; and adding that the Heavenly Brother, before 
 his death, only occupied a small palace in Heaven, but 
 that since he died for man, he has been seated in a large 
 palace. By inflammatory words like these they have so 
 bound to themselves the number of the association, that 
 no one thinks of leaving them. 
 
 "In December 1850, when their number and their 
 power became great, I went to the Kouang-Si, where I 
 saw Houng-siu-tsiuen ; he had engaged many graduates 
 of Kouang-Toung to begin the work of pillage, and at- 
 tack the government. The members of the fraternity 
 voluntarily followed these individuals, sacrificing to them 
 their persons, their families, their property — in fact 
 everything they had — so that there was money to pur- 
 chase horses and enrol troops. From this moment their 
 hopes increased, and they took the name of the ' Society 
 of the Chang-ti.' 
 
 " When I arrived at the Kouang-Si, Houng-siu-tsiuen 
 called me his worthy brother, honored me with the title 
 of King Tien-te (celestial virtue), and took lessons from 
 me in the art of war. He called himself King Tai-ping 
 (grand pacificator) ; Yang was general-iu-chief with the 
 civil power, with the title of King of the East ; Siu was 
 lieutenant-general of the right wing, with the title of 
 King of the West ; Foung was general of the advanced 
 guard, with the title of the King of the South ; Wei was 
 
136 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 general of the rear-guard with the title of King of the 
 North. 
 
 " Ministers were also appointed. Thus Che was ap- 
 pointed minster of civil affairs, and King of the Right 
 Wing ; Tsin was charged with the revenue department, 
 and was King of the Left Wing ; Ou-lai and Tsang 
 were generals of the guard ; Tchou was appointed judge ; 
 and Tsang, Yu-sin, and Lo, were appointed lieutenant- 
 generals. There were several other officers, whose names 
 I have forgotten, who commanded some 300, others 100 
 men. If any individual turned his back in battle he was 
 executed, and his officer was severely punished, while re- 
 wards and dignities were granted to those who obtained 
 a victory. The Grovernment troops killed a great many 
 of our men. I called Houng-siu-tsiuen my elder brother, 
 and our subordinates addressed us both as your majesty ; 
 otherwise we were always called by our proper name. 
 
 " On the 25th of August we took Young-Gran after 
 routing the Imperial troops. Houng and myself mount- 
 ed our palanquins, and installed ourselves in the official 
 residence, which was called the Court, and in which no 
 one was permitted to reside. Houng-siu-tsiuen derived 
 all his military knowledge from me ; but we did not al- 
 ways agree in our views. I looked upon this place as 
 not sufficiently important, and asked him why he gave so 
 many individuals the title of king ; moreover he had great 
 confidence in the practice of magic, although even in the 
 remotest times no one ever attained the throne by that 
 means. In addition to all this, he was given to wine and 
 
I 
 
 PRETENDED CONFESSION OF TifeN-Tft. 137 
 
 debauched, and bad with him thirty-six wives. At the 
 bottom of my heart I desired his defeat and destruction, 
 for without him I should have got the power into my 
 own hands. 
 
 " At this period, all the battles were directed by Wei- 
 tching, who, as a military man, was careful and indefa- 
 tigable. He was endowed with great courage, and with 
 1,000 men was a match for 10,000 Imperialists. During 
 the few months that we occupied Young-Gan-Tchou, 
 which we called our court, all our ofl5cers made reports 
 on state affairs. A calendar was published under the 
 direction of Young,* in which the intercallary moon was 
 omitted. In this I took no part. 
 
 " When all communication with the city was impeded 
 — when rice, gunpowder, and other stores, began to fail — 
 the idea occurred to us, that as the members of our as- 
 sociation were very numerous in the Kouang-Toung, and 
 in the department of Ou-Tcheou, we must take courage, 
 and leave our prison (sic) to rejoin them. On the 7th of 
 April, we planned a sally, and divided our forces into 
 three bands. At eight o'clock in the evening Wei-tching 
 set out with 6,000 men ; and at ten o'clock Yang and 
 Foung set off also with 6,000 men, taking with him 
 Houng-siu-tsiuen and his wives, with palanquins, horses, 
 and baggage. At two o'clock in the morning Siu and I 
 set off, with 1,500 men. When we were at a league's 
 distance from Houng-siu-tsiuen's column, the Imperial 
 troops attacked us ; and as Siu had neither obeyed my 
 • Quwre, Houng ? — J. O. 
 
188 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 orders, nor attended to my signals, we were put to rout ; 
 more than 1,000 men were killed, and I was made prisonei'. 
 It was I who ordered the eastern fort to fire, when we 
 left the town, and set fire to the houses, in order facilitate 
 our sally. 
 
 " My real name is not Houng, but I adopted it when I 
 contracted friendship with Houng-siu-tsiuen. I wore an 
 embroidered dress, and a high yellow hat. The other 
 kings had similar hats embroidered with red. The rest 
 of the chief ofl&cers wore yellow embroidered aprons 
 when they went to battle, and carried yellow flags. In 
 the ofiicial palace I wore a yellow robe, but it was not 
 through my own choice that I ascended the Imperial 
 throne. 
 
 " This confession is authentic." 
 
 In this document, which was probably composed by 
 some Pekin man of letters, we may easily detect a per- 
 fidious intention to compromise the Christians. The 
 Chinese Union, the secret society founded by Gutzlaff, 
 is principally mentioned as having furnished its contin- 
 gent to the insurrection. To the present day the Chang- 
 Ti alone — that is to say, the Protestants — are accused of 
 having raised the standard of revolt. We do not know 
 how far these insinuations are true ; but it would be 
 singular enough if we found the same phenomenon at 
 the same time through the whole world ; viz. that while 
 the Catholic nations seem to be asleep in Europe, the 
 Protestant nations are pushing forward, spreading, and 
 occupying the largest place in this great globe. It is 
 
REPORTS SPREAD BY TPIE MANDARINS. 139 
 
 true that in the days of their religious fervor, the Por- 
 tuguese and the Spaniards did as much as is now done 
 by England and the United States. 
 
 The confession of Tien-te had produced a great sensa- 
 tion, and the particulars of his execution at Pekin were 
 discussed, when all of a sudden it was ascertained that 
 the dead Tien-te was apocryphal, and that the real Tien- 
 te was safe and sound among the mountains of Kouaug- 
 Si, where he continued to exercise his secret influence, 
 and to watch the progress of the insurrection. 
 
 This political comedy had been played off by the in- 
 genious Siu, who, having caught an insignificant rebel 
 chief, had boldly passed him off as the Pretender, and 
 sent him to Pekin with all the pomp due to Tien-to. 
 
 The rebels appeared at several points simultaneously, 
 and the Imperialists always retired before them. As 
 these marches and counter-marches are not very inter- 
 esting we shall not name the places where they occurred. 
 
 About this time a fact, for the authenticity of which 
 we do not vouch, greatly occupied the public mind. A 
 report was suddenly spread that Tien-te had quitted his 
 retreat, marched with his troops into the Hou-Kouang, 
 and, having taken possession of the district of the Tchang- 
 Che, had ordered the erection of a temple to the Supreme 
 Being. This fact, we repeat, is not probable. If it had 
 been true, there is no doubt the Catholics, sooner or later, 
 would have joined the insurrectionary movement. 
 
 We must not omit to mention here a new manoeuvre 
 on the part of the cunning mandarins. We have already 
 
 uJ^^ 
 
140 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 said, that on various occasions, they had endeavored to 
 alarm the Europeans with the consequences which might 
 result to them from the triumph of the rebels. For this 
 purpose they first spread the report that it was the in- 
 tention of Tien-te to close the ports of China against the 
 " barbarians," and afterwards affirmed that all his eflforts 
 were directed against Canton, and that he had sworn 
 that, on the first day of the Chinese year, he would eat 
 his dinner in that European port. On the contrary, 
 everything in the conduct of Tien-te proves a deliberate 
 intention to keep on the best footing with the Christian 
 nations. 
 
 Instead of advancing towards Canton, the rebels have 
 never shown themselves even in the province, except to 
 sound the disposition of the people, and, in case of neces- 
 sity, to secure a retreat by sea. Then, have we not our- 
 selves a convincing proof that Tien-te is not hostile to 
 Europeans or Christians ? Among the great number of 
 missionaries, who have spread to the very heart of the 
 empire, there are many who reside in the Kouang-Si, and 
 other provinces occupied by the rebels. Now, not one 
 of these has suffered the slightest violence. We have 
 not heard so much as a dark rumor on the subject since 
 the commencement of the insurrection. 
 
 The reader will, perhaps, be of opinion that we exag- 
 gerate the personal importance of the descendant of the 
 Mings, and that, like the generality of historians who 
 sketch a political figure, we ascribe to the hero of our 
 tale designs, calculations, and combinations, of which he 
 
GREATNESS OF TlfiN-xfi. 
 
 141 
 
 never dreamed. In answer to objections of this kind, 
 we need only refer to the documents which we have laid 
 before the reader, and which, without doubt, emanated 
 from the Pretender. After reading these, every one 
 must agree with us that Tien-te is endowed with rare po- 
 litical sagacity, indubitable superiority of intellect, and 
 above all, with that energy, at once active and patient, 
 which is peculiar to men trained under the shadow of 
 secret societies. 
 
OHAPTEE XI. 
 
 Revolt in Formosa— The Lin family— The god Kouan— An aquatic assault 
 
 We said some time back that there is more resem 
 blance between Chinese civilization and our own, than is 
 generally supposed ; in fact, the points of similitude are 
 more numerous than the points of difiference. This opin- 
 ion has been held by many travellers, and above all, by 
 those laborious Jesuits, who have even been reproached 
 with too much partiality for the Chinese. Since those 
 learned men left off writing, no one, except those who 
 have pillaged them, has given a perfectly accurate de- 
 scription of the interior of China, or of the manners, 
 ideas, and private life of the Chinese. The truth is that 
 this country has suddenly stopped in the path of progress, 
 and that, in certain respects, it is where Europe was three 
 centuries ago. Hence, we often find among the people — 
 a people at once polished and barbarous — facts which to 
 us seem incredible, — acts of puerile and savage so- 
 lemnity. 
 
 The following anecdote was related at Canton in the 
 month of June 1852: — 
 
OATH OF BLOOD." 143 
 
 I 
 
 1 Two rebel chiefs, Houng and Ki, made between them 
 the oath of blood — that is to say, they swore to live and 
 die together, fighting for the same cause ; and for this 
 purpose, putting off the Tartar dress, and putting on the 
 austere costume of the time of the Mings, they went to 
 a desert-place on the sea-shore, where, in the presence of 
 some friends, the elder of the two opened a vein in the 
 hand of the younger, and received in a cup the blood 
 whrch flowed from the wound. He then handed over the 
 sharp instrument to his friend, who performed a similar 
 service in return. After this operation the blood of the 
 two friends was mixed with a small quantity of water, 
 and the whole was poured into one of those metal cups 
 which are used at marriage ceremonies. Houang and Ki 
 then drank the sanguinary mixture alternately till the 
 last drop was gone. From this moment the blood was 
 supposed to flow in their veins, and they were bound by 
 a tie which they could not break without infamy. Per- 
 haps on this account they made use of the nuptial goblet, 
 like a bridal couple, who are to hold all things in common. 
 
 While the Orestes and Pylades of China thus cemented 
 their friendship, they conceived the idea of spreading the 
 insurrection through the island of Formosa, and set off, 
 followed by a large number of partisans. 
 
 The island of Formosa is situated to the south-east of 
 the province of Fo-Kien, and is the largest Chinese pos- 
 session, independent of the Continent. This island has 
 always been a focus of rebellion. Being but half sub- 
 dued, it has often, and sometimes for many years, thrown 
 
144 THE INSURRECTION IN CUINA. 
 
 off the authority of the mandarins. The celebrated cor- 
 sair Ko-chin-ga succeeded in making Formosa a snug 
 little independent kingdom ; but the Chinese, with the 
 aid of those irresistible projectiles, which they employ so 
 efficaciously in all their wars, finished by demolishing the 
 usurper. 
 
 For a long time the soil of Formosa has been turned 
 to profitable account by the Chinese, especially those of 
 the Fo-Kien, who have surrounded the shore with mag- 
 nificent plantations of the sugar-cane. However, the 
 interior of the country, like the mountains of Hai-Nan, 
 is peopled by an unsubmissive race, who to this day have 
 resisted the decrees of the Emperor and the authority 
 of the mandarins. 
 
 The Chinese Government maintains a numerous garri- 
 son at Formosa, and it is here that the most warlike sol- 
 diers are trained. 
 
 It is well known that the inhabitants of the Celestial 
 Empire feel great horror at the thought of leaving their 
 bones far from the " Land of Flowers." On this account 
 the Government, to free those whose trade is death from 
 the dread of being buried beyond the limits of their 
 country, causes all the soldiers who die in the island to 
 be taken to Emoui (Amoy). We have, with our own 
 eyes, seen the tombs of those deceased heroes who died 
 in defence of the sugar-plantations of Formosa. They 
 are modest tombs, shaped like a horse-shoe, and symmet- 
 rically constructed on the perfumed hills of Emoui, where 
 they are shaded by the undulating leaves of the magno- 
 
t 
 
 FORMOSA. 145 
 
 lia, the plumeria, whose scarcely opened flowers fall like 
 flakes of snow, and by the fragrant mimosa, the yellow 
 tufts of which embalm the air. Here every one has his 
 place in a common inclosure, which is, as it were, a bee- 
 hive of death, where every one peaceably reposes in his 
 \ solitary cell. 
 
 The rebels proceeded to a point in the island, and had 
 no sooner arrived than they found allies among the na- 
 tivfis. Ha'i-Nan and Formosa, do not occupy a large 
 space in the vast map of China, and the loss of these pos- 
 sessions would take but an imperceptible fragment from 
 the crown of the " Son of Heaven ;" but they are looked 
 upon as military posts of great importance, inasmuch as 
 they respectively command a view of the coasts of the 
 '^ Kouang-Toung and the Fo-Kien, and those who occupy 
 them can impede the junks on their passage to the north 
 of the Empire. Again, if the turbulent people of the 
 Fo-Kien rose in conjunction with those of Formosa, they 
 would, without further aid, form an army, against which 
 the Tartars would struggle with difiiculty. 
 
 The result of the attempts made by Houng and Ki is 
 as yet unknown. The only news Is, that they were for- 
 tunate in their first engagements with the Imperialists, 
 but this is not sufficient to make us prejudge future 
 events. 
 
 As we have already said, the Chinese keep their best 
 troops at Formosa. This country is to China what Cau- 
 casus once was to Russia, and the Punjaub to British 
 India. Here the Chinese soldiers receive their military 
 
 7 
 
]46 THE INSUKUECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 education ; but it must be confessed that the school has 
 not turned out any celebrated generals. 
 
 The insurgents of the island of Formosa, like those of 
 the Kouang-Si and the Hou-Kouang, wear a red turban, 
 fastened by long metal bodkins, which pierce the knotted 
 hair gathered up at the back of the head. This is the 
 real Chinese head dress. When the French ladies turnup 
 their hair a la Chinoisc, they adopt a fashion, which is 
 not at all that of the present empire, but is an exact im- 
 itation of the Chinese fashion two hundred years ago. 
 The style, which the insurgents have lately revived, is 
 several centuries old. 
 
 The three provinces of the Hou-Nan, the HouPe, and 
 the Kouang-Si, were still occupied by the insurgents. 
 Siu had prepared a new expedition, and a grand battle 
 was fought in the neighborhood of Lo-King-Chan. As 
 usual, the tigers were defeated ; the general who com- 
 manded the Imperial army lost more than 1.500 men, 
 and thought himself very lucky in escaping the pursuit 
 of the enemy. 
 
 Danger became so pressing in the Hou-Kouang that 
 the viceroy of that ancient province, now the Hou-Nan 
 and the Hou-Pe, levied a force of 4.000 men at his own 
 expense, and devoted a sum of 200,000 taels to the costs 
 of the war. In spite of this patriotic devotion, and the 
 energetic measures of the high functionary, who had 
 given such a noble proof of his devotion, the insurgents 
 pursued their invasive march into the Hou-Pe, where 
 they secured the post of Kouang-Fa. Tbey next ad- 
 
PROGRESS IN THE IlOU-Pfi. 147 
 
 vanced upon Young-Tcheou-Foo ; and afterwards, Hou- 
 ang-Cha-Ho and Tcbouen-Tcheou fell successively into 
 their hands. No act of violence marked their passage ; 
 but at Kia-Ho, on the extreme frontier of the Hou-Nan, 
 the insurgents were followed by a band of robbers, who 
 committed numerous depredations. This isolated fact, 
 to which many parallels may be found in epochs of inter- 
 nal struggles, and of war civil or foreign, cannot be laid 
 to the charge of the leaders of the revolt. 
 
 Hitherto the progress of the insurrection had been one 
 continued triumph ; but at last this series of unparalleled 
 successes was interrupted by a few reverses. The rebels 
 attacked at Tchao-Tcheou-Fou by the Imperialists, lost 
 more than 200 men in the engagement, while an equal 
 number remained prisoners in the hands of the enemy. 
 Some days afterwards they were again defeated at Young- 
 Tcheou-Fou ; and about the same time they received a 
 check still more terrible. Their flotilla chased the ene- 
 my's fleet, directing fire-boals against the Imperial junks. 
 During this manoeuvre the wind changed suddenly, and 
 their own vessels were consumed by the flames. Soon, 
 however, the insurgents were amply revenged. They 
 took Kouei-Yang, in the Hou-Nan, by storm, and acted 
 as if they were in an enemy's country. All the public 
 buildings were. burned down, ten mandarins were be- 
 headed, and all the principal inhabitants were forced to 
 pay a heavy contribution for the preservation of their 
 lives and property. The Lin family alone were obliged 
 to pay 200.000 tacls into the treasury of the insurgents. 
 
148 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 The Lins are the most powerful family in this rich 
 district. 
 
 In every one of the eighteen provinces of the Chinese 
 empire there are several families so ancient that our 
 Montmorency, compared to them, are but nobles of yes- 
 terday. Their internal hierarchy is altogether patri- 
 archal. Three or four generations live under the same 
 roof, obedient to the will of a revered grandsire ; they 
 bring the fruit of their labor to a common stock, and 
 thus accumulate great wealth. These families are often 
 mentioned in the Imperial edicts as affording examples 
 of the highest virtues, and they always command the 
 greatest respect. 
 
 We have just said that, in these patrician houses, 
 every individual brings the fruit of his labor to the com- 
 mon stock. To explain this peculiarity it is necessary 
 to state that, by a prejudice contrary to ours, a man who 
 lives on his income is much less esteemed in China than 
 one who lives by his labor. To avoid the blame attached 
 to indolence, even the richest persons make a point of 
 exercising some liberal profession, and do not disdain 
 manual labor. Thus a person whose father and brother 
 write comments on Confucius, paints screens and fans. 
 
 The exactions of the rebels were doubtless caused by 
 the vigorous defence made against them ; at Ping Gan, 
 where the garrison offered no resistance, the insurgents 
 were content with the trifling sum of 50,000 taels ; after 
 receiving which, they retired and proceeded to Yen-Tze- 
 Che. After their departure the garrison quietly re- 
 
HING-GAN. 149 
 
 sumed its duties, and things resumed their ordinary 
 course. The only difference was, that the inhabitants 
 found themselves with 50.000 taels less in their pockets. 
 
 In the month of September, 1852, Tien-te, with all 
 his court, and with that devoted guard which never quits 
 him, established himself in the town of Hing-Gan, situ- 
 ated in the North of the Kouang Si, at a short distance 
 from Kouei-Lin, and on the frontiers of Hou-Nan. He 
 was thus only a few leagues from the ingenious and pru- 
 dent Siu. Notwithstanding this alarming proximity, the 
 Viceroy did not abandon the position he occupied. It 
 seemed as though a sort of truce had been tacitly agreed 
 upon between the insurgents and the Imperialists, for 
 they both kept their respective positions without risking 
 an engagement. There is no doubt that the insurgents 
 had considerable forces at their disposal, since Siu did 
 not attempt to dislodge the Pretender from his central 
 position. 
 
 Hing-Gan is a walled city, smaller than Kouei-Lin, 
 but admirably situated. Its occupation placed Tien-te, 
 as it were, in the very heart of the insurrection. By the 
 way of tlie Kouang-Si he could communicate with Hai- 
 Nan and Formosa ; and at the very entrance of the 
 Hou-Nan, at a short distance from Yang-Tze-Kiang, was 
 the route which would sooner or later conduct him to 
 Nankin, and perhaps to the capital of the Empire. 
 Moreover the position he assumes as the Agamemnon of 
 the insurrection, obliges him to practice the greatest 
 caution. " The King of Kings " can, indeed, direct the 
 
150 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 various movements of his army, but lie avoids taking any 
 part in the action. The descendant of the Mings could 
 not expose his sacred person to danger without risking 
 the safety of his cause. Here lies the difficulty of all 
 political edifices that depend on one key-stone. If any 
 accident loosens this stone, the whole structure falls to 
 pieces. Tien-te understands this so well that he has 
 never been seen near the place of danger. When a bat- 
 tle is over, the " kings," his future vassals, send him their 
 high officers to communicate what has passed. 
 
 In the meanwhile the project of forming a federal em- 
 pire became more and more manifest. 
 
 We have already seen that Tien-te, in his interview 
 with the envoys of the Governor of the Kouang-Si, ex- 
 pressed himself formally on this subject. " The Tsings," 
 he said, " ought to retire into their own country, without 
 resistance, and the people would recover their tranquil- 
 lity." He did not deny the services which the Tartars 
 had rendered to China, and he spoke of Hien-foung as 
 " His Majesty."* hoping, perhaps, that the latter would 
 one day recognize his sovereignty. Constant to this 
 scheme of federation the rebels of the Hou-Nan, concen- 
 trated at Houei-Yang and Yang-Hing, proclaimed a new 
 royalty, dating from the first year of Ming-Ming. The 
 monarch thus enthroned unfurled his banner, and set the 
 royal seal at the foot of his decrees. According to an- 
 
 * This expression does not occur in the proces-verhal of Tseou's 
 envoys, but in the fragments of Tien te's manifesto, contained in 
 Chapter VII.— J. 0. 
 
INSURGENTS STILL SUCCESSFUL. 151 
 
 cient usage, the Government is carried on by ministers : 
 three Koungs, nine Kings, twenty-seven Tchou-heous, 
 and eighty -one Ses.* 
 
 The power of the new king is absolute, but there is no- 
 thing in his acts to show that he denies the right of the 
 descendant of the Mings, as his suzerain. The successes 
 of the insurgents in the Hou-Nan became more and more 
 rapid : they occupied the greater number of the chief 
 tmvns of departments, and after a contest which lasted 
 five days, took Kia-Ho-Tcheou and Y-Tchang. 
 
 The emissaries of Tien-te were spread throughout the 
 provinces. One of them arrived at Canton ; coming into 
 contact with the officials, and even with the agents of the 
 European governments, to whom he made known the 
 progress of the insurrection. Through him it was ascer- 
 tained that the rebel army, 80.000 strong, was assembled 
 at Kiu-Tcheou-Fou, in the Hou-Pe ; that it was com- 
 manded by generals of equal power, and that the Kings 
 of Chinese Attica were deliberating whether they should 
 descend the Yang-Tze-Kiang as far as Nankin, whence 
 they would ascend towards the Se-Tchouan. 
 
 This intelligence caused the adoption of new fiscal 
 measures to strengthen the sinews of war. The man- 
 darins levied on all the inhabitants of the empire a sup- 
 plementary tax equal to this tenth part of their incomes. 
 At the stvme time the PcJcin Gazette stated that the 
 Emperor had taken 3.000.000 taels from his own private 
 
 • These are Chinese titles of nobility ; the word " King" in thii 
 list being not English but Chinese. — J. O. 
 
152 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 purse, to contribute to the expenses of the war. This 
 example did not, in the slightest degree, excite the 
 patriotic generosity of individuals ; and even the agents 
 of the Government were not forward with their cash, but 
 rather confined themselves to protestations of devotion, 
 and enthusiastic prayers. The vice-governor of the 
 Kouang-Si transmitted to his sovereign, in the form of a 
 report, the following account of a vision, which filled his 
 soul with courage and hope. The curious document is 
 as follows : — 
 
 " Tseou-ming-ho. Governor of the Kouang-Si, presents 
 this memoir on his knees, entreating his Majesty to re- 
 cognize by new titles the protection afforded to the em- 
 pire by certain deities. 
 
 " Since this dynasty has governed the empire, the ma- 
 jestic energy of the God Kouan* has been displayed in a 
 very remarkable manner, and the emperors have success- 
 ively decreed to him honors, erected temples, and offered 
 sacrifices. Lately when the city of Kouei-Lin was at- 
 tacked by rebels, I respectfully visited his temple at 
 critical moments, burned incense before him, and en- 
 treated him to save the lives of the people. Now it 
 happened that within a week after a prayer of this kind, 
 twenty-five pieces of cannon, cast by the Mings, were 
 found behind the pagoda. The cannon proved to be of 
 great strength, and have aided us much ; for the greater 
 
 * This is a Jeified warrior of ancient times, especially adored by 
 the present dynasty fur his supposed assistance. — J. O. 
 
THE GOD KOUAX. 153 
 
 number of the rebels left on the field of battle were slain 
 by them. 
 
 " On diflferent occasions we learned, through the spies 
 sent by the rebels, and also tljrough our prisoners, that 
 whenever the rebels pressed too close upon the city, they 
 saw a red light shining above it, and a horseman who in- 
 cessantly brandished his sword. The horse was gigantic ; 
 ihe guards who surrounded the mysterious personage 
 were far above the ordinary stature, so that the sight of 
 them alone was sufficient to terrify the rebels and make 
 them yield. 
 
 "I am informed, moreover, that on the 13th of the 
 third moon, when the night was dark and rainy, at the 
 fourth watch, the rebels sent down, upwards of fifty junks 
 behind the rock called the ' Elephant's Snout,' hoping 
 that the obscurity of the night and the noise of the rain 
 would conceal their approach, and that they would thus 
 be able to effect a landing. It happened, however, that 
 their progress was stopped by a violent wind from the 
 north, and a horseman armed with a brilliant cuirass ap- 
 peared on the surface of the waters, encouraging the 
 Imperial troops to advance and repel the rebels. At the 
 same moment, amid the darkness of the night, suddenly 
 appeared an enormous shining lantern, inscribed with the 
 words ' Great Happiness.' 
 
 " I now reflect that whereas, when the rebels were 
 
 beaten before the town, our soldiers were all near the 
 
 embrasures of the wall, the horseman who appeared to 
 
 the rebels brandishing his sword amid a red light, could 
 
 7* 
 
154 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 not be any other than the god Kouan, who thus visibly 
 came to our aid. When, again, our troops repulsed the 
 rebels and destroyed their vessels, it could not have been 
 one of them who galloped on the water as on terra fir ma. 
 Indeed the words which appeared on the lantern in the 
 air allow of no doubt that this was the spirit of the god 
 of ' Great Happiness.' 
 
 " Under diflfereut dynasties, this god has granted fa- 
 vors, which the sovereigns recognized by new titles of 
 honor. In the twentieth year of Tao-kouang (1841), the 
 image of the god was carried in procession on account of 
 a terrible drought which afflicted the province, and by this 
 pious act gentle and abundant rains were obtained. The 
 Emperor, to whom the fact was related, wrote the follow- 
 ing words with his own hand, and sent them to be hung 
 up in the middle of the temple ; ' The assistance we have 
 received has been as vast as the goodness of the god.' 
 Now, therefore, that the rebels have been happily repel- 
 led, and hide themselves for shame, I dare to ask your 
 Majesty whether it would not be right to testify our grat- 
 itude to the god Kouan, ' King of Great Happiness,' 
 by adding some new titles to those he bears already. By 
 this expedient, fear and respect will be everwhere dif- 
 fused, and the country will enjoy endless repose. 
 
 " I have consulted with the Imperial commissioner, the 
 Prime Minister Sai-chang-ha, and also the Governor- 
 general Siu, who joined with me in this petition." 
 
 Notwithstanding this happy omen the Imperialists 
 were defeated at every point, and the insurgents success- 
 
I. 
 
 EXD OF 1852. 155 
 
 ively occupied the district of Ho-Tchang-Tsan, fifteen 
 leagues from Tchao-Tcheou-Fou, Tai-Lin, Ta'o-Tcheou, 
 and Kiang Hoa. However, in the midst of this monoto- 
 nous series of victories and acquisitions, an exhilarating 
 event occurred, an account of which we borrrow from the 
 official journal. The rebels having taken Tao-Tcheou, 
 the Imperial troops became much enraged, and swore 
 that they would recapture the city, or exterminate its 
 defenders. For this purpose an army of 40.000 laid 
 siege to Tao-Tcheou, and a great number of warriors 
 courageously mounted the walls. A sanguinary con- 
 test ensued, and the tigers killed 3.000 ijisiirgents, and 
 made 100 prisoners; but without being able to enter the 
 city. After this defeat the besieged fled, panic-struck, 
 behind their ramparts, and there remained. No provo- 
 cation could induce them to renew the contest. The 
 tigers then raised round the city a wall twenty feet thick, 
 in which there was but a single opening ; after which they 
 turned the course of the Tao-kiang, so as to inundate the 
 town. The official journal unfortunately omits to tell us 
 the result of this aquatic manoeuvre. Probably the Pre- 
 tender's troops got oflF with a little wetting, and the rats 
 were the only sufferers in the besieged town ; in which 
 case rats for the first time would have been the victims 
 of tigers. 
 
 The year 1852 closed upon these disasters. Where- 
 cver the Imperialists had opposed the rebels, they had 
 been almost invariably beaten, and the insurrection was 
 evidently spreading like the Yellow River when it bursts 
 
156 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 its dykes. The Emperor punished the generals and high 
 functionaries for the defeats they had suffered. Sai- 
 chang-ha was recalled to Pekin ; and, in company with 
 the viceroy of the Hou-Kouang, and the under governor 
 of the Hou-Nan, was by virtue of a decree, summoned 
 before a state council. These officers were threatened 
 with degradation, and perhaps with capital punishment. 
 Such is the mode of procedure adopted by the Court of 
 Pekin ; the " Son of Heaven" compels the mandarins 
 literally to take the words " Conquest or Death" for 
 their motto. Siu was appointed to succeed Sai-chang-ha 
 as Imperial commissioner in the two Hous, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Y in the viceroyalty of Canton. We do not 
 give the decree ordering the degradation of Sai-chang-ha, 
 having already given a specimen of the kind by inserting 
 in our third chapter the Imperial decree by which Mou- 
 tchang-ha and Ki-in were degraded. Suffice it to say 
 that the governor and vice-governor of the two Hous 
 were accused of the defeat of the Imperialists in the city 
 of Kiang-Hoa, on the 24th July, and of Young-Ning on 
 29th of the same month. The crime for which the Em- 
 peror punished them, was that of disobedienee : he had 
 ordered them to conquer, and his orders had not been 
 executed. 
 
CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 The regatta of Tchang-Cha— The descendants of Confucius— How to make 
 money — Ou-Tchang and Han-Yang. 
 
 The Emperor Hien-foung, cast down by so many ca- 
 lamities, summoned back to office the old servants of his 
 father. Ki-chan and Ki-in, his great uncles, were the 
 first reinstated in their functions. Ki-chan had incurred 
 the anger of the old Emperor for having acceded to the 
 propositions of the English, and Ki-in had been high in 
 favor during the same reign, through accepting the very 
 treaty which had caused the fall of his kinsman. The 
 disgrace of the latter, it will be remembered, was of recent 
 date ; Hi^n-foung removed him from his councils because 
 he showed too much favor to the "barbarians." A man- 
 darin named Hin-gan, whom Tao-kouang had degraded 
 for being too progressive in his views, was appointed prime- 
 minister in the, place of Sai-chang-ha. But while the 
 young Emperor recalled these intelligent and faithful 
 men, who might, perhaps, have re-established his totter- 
 ing throne, he did not change his policy. 
 
 In no country in the world is there ever more than a 
 certain number of men whose political value is universally 
 
158 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 recognized ; and whatever the government may be, it is 
 compelled, by the law of self-preservation, to apply to 
 these men for assistance. This the young Emperor per- 
 ceived ; . but when he re-established the former ministers, 
 is was only to make use of their names. Far from asking 
 their advice, he sent them into remote provinces. The 
 very terms of certain decrees, which were promulgated 
 by the young " Son of Heaven" after this measure, are 
 suflficient to reveal his real sentiments. We see that the 
 monarch entertains against the " barbarians" feelings 
 which nothing can conquer — not even the services which 
 the " barbarians" may be called upon to perform. 
 
 The rebels laid siege to the capital of the Hou-Nan. 
 This city, which is called Tchang-Cha, is situated on the 
 river Siang, one of the tributaries of the Yang-Tze-Kiang. 
 The Siang flows from an immense lake, which is a sort of 
 boundary between the Hou-Nan and the Hou-Pe. It is 
 a fine river, with limpid waters, constantly furrowed by 
 innumerable vessels. Tchang-Cha, whose battlements 
 are reflected on the glassy surface of the stream, is backed 
 by mountains covered with trees half way up, and ter- 
 minating in peaks as black as basalt. This city was con- 
 sidered important as far back as 500 years before Christ. 
 About this time, a celebrated man named Chen-yuen was 
 drowned in the blue waters of Siang. He was, probably, 
 some fresh-water sailor, a predecessor of the canotiers on 
 the Seine. His countrymen, afflicted at his death, pro- 
 claimed him genius of the stream, and established regattas 
 in his honor. From these remote times to the present 
 
THE REGATTA. 159 
 
 day, the nautical fete has been celebrated on this spot 
 every year, on the fifth day of the fifth moon, with un- 
 diminished splendor. The privileged vessels which take 
 part in the sport, are without parallel in the world. They 
 are small, long, narrow boats, representing all the fantas- 
 tic animals devised by the imagination of the children of 
 the Celestial Empire. Some have the lengthened form 
 of serpents, and are winged like antediluvian reptiles. 
 Others have the shape of chimeras, with long teeth, and 
 a tail armed with darts ; while others, again, resemble 
 the dragons of the pagodas, with their scaly backs shin- 
 ing like bars of metal. These fantastic boats are richly 
 gilt, and are painted inside green, red, or blue. They lit- 
 erally fly across the waters, each impelled by the force 
 of twenty rowers. The fiites generally last for three 
 days. 
 
 Tchang-Cha is, however, not a mere place of amuse- 
 ment. It is also a commercial and military city of great 
 importance. The insurgents besieged it with great ac- 
 tivity ; and the garrison, losing all courage, was about to 
 Burrender, when our friend Siu revived the spirit of the 
 soldiers. Ho came at the head of some fresh troops, 
 who bravely repulsed the enemy, and forced them to raise 
 the siege. The eity, however, had suflfered greatly from 
 this attempt. The enemy's artillery had demolished a 
 portion of the walls, which, it must be confessed, might 
 easily have tumbled down in the time of peace at the 
 mere sound of gongs and petards. The insurgents then 
 proceeded to Yo-Tcheou, which they took without strik- 
 
160 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 ing a blow, and where they levied a contribution of 
 IjOOO taels. But, what was much more important, they 
 took 200 junks which were lying off this town, and sailed 
 up the river as far as King-Tcheou-Fou, where they in- 
 trenched themselves and secured their booty. 
 
 The whole of th^ expedition was conducted by the in- 
 surgent general, Tai-ping-wang, one of the most deter- 
 mined chiefs in the army of Tien-te. This was the general 
 who wrote upon his banners two lines, which would liter- 
 ally be mille pieds in our prolix language, but which they 
 compress into twenty syllables. The lines are as fol- 
 lows : — 
 
 " We three thousand brave men, courageous as tigers, 
 will straight proceed to tread down the enclosed land of 
 Yeou-ien. 
 
 " The dragon will fly to the fifth nine, and cause the 
 days of Yao and Chun to revive." 
 
 Every Chinese inscription is so much like the Apoca- 
 lypse, that it cannot be understood without a comment. 
 The following is an explanation of the above lines. " The 
 three thousand brave men, courageous as tigers," — this 
 is a hemistich from the ancient Kins* — " will straight 
 proceed to tread down the inclosed land of Yeou-ien," — 
 that is, they will go to Pe-tcheli, where Pekin is situated. 
 " The dragon will fly to the fifth nine," is an allusion to 
 the Cabalistic number in the treatise on " Changes," re- 
 
 * The Kins, or "Kings" as they are generally spelled in Eng- 
 land, are five canonical books, ascribed to Confucius. Of these, the 
 Ye-King, which treats of the changes in nature, is the last — J. 0. 
 
K O U t'i-TC II E O IT. 161 
 
 lating to the flying dragon in the heavens. Translated 
 into our vulgar tongue, the whole, put together, signifies 
 that the Emperor Tien-te will quit his humble residence 
 at Young-Gan to visit the Palace at Pekin. 
 
 The Moniteur of the Empire, notwithstanding its hab- 
 itual taciturnity, registers facts with extreme gravity. It 
 contained the information that the viceroy of the Kouei- 
 Tcheou had represented to tlie Emperor that he could 
 not^ send recruits into the Hou-Nan because the country 
 was filled with armed rebels. The province of the 
 Kouei-Tcheou is situated to the west of the Koang-Si, 
 and is a country still poorer than the cradle of the insur- 
 rection. The authority of the mandarins has always been 
 strongly contested by the inhabitants, who are much more 
 like their neighbors, the indomitable Miao-Tze, than the 
 Chinese. The mandarins of the Kouei-Tcheou habitu- 
 ally say of the people under their rule tliat they are a 
 detestable race, who will never understand the merit of 
 obedience. The industry of this country corresponds 
 with the rude character of its inhabitants. Mines of 
 various metals are worked, and the poppy is cultivated. 
 
 The inhabitants of the Kouei-Tcheou are like those 
 European peasants who set a few tobacco plants under 
 the shelter of rocks in some nook unknown to revenue 
 ofi&cers, and thop carry on an illicit trade with the pre- 
 pared leaves. From the secret produce of the Kouei- 
 Tcheou is prepared an opium which is quite as good as 
 that of Patna, Malwa, and Turkey. China at this mo- 
 ment presents a singular spectacle to the world. She is 
 
162 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 ruining herself by vain attempts to prohibit the introduc- 
 tion of a drug from foreign countries, which she could 
 produce in enormous quantities in her own country at a 
 cheaper rate, and of an equal if not superior quality. 
 
 The number of the Pekin Gazette winch contained the 
 report of the viceroy of the Kouei-Tcheou stated that 
 the mandarin of Hio-Kouang in the Chan-Toung had 
 been killed by rebels. The Chan-Toung is situated more 
 than 200 leagues from the insurgent provinces, and is a 
 country which resembles the mountainous districts of 
 Savoy and the French Alps. Lofty oaks grow on its 
 heights, while chestnut trees and dark-leaved walnut-trees 
 border its fields. Family estates are separated from each 
 other by hedges of hawthorn and sweet-briar. The sober 
 and laborious inhabitants of the Chan-Toung have not 
 the warlike spirit of the Miao-Tze, and it is difficult to 
 see how a population so peaceable could have been in- 
 duced to join the insurrection. 
 
 It was in the Chan-Toung that Confucius was born. 
 Well-authenticated descendants of the philosopher par 
 excellence, are still found in the province, amounting at 
 the present time to several thousands. The direct heir 
 has the title of duke, and of all the hereditary nobility 
 of the empire this is the most sacred. A fief has been 
 granted to this family, and for more than 2,000 years it 
 has lived apart from political commotions, always honored 
 and respected by the numerous dynasties which succeeded 
 each other on the throne. One of the last numbers of 
 the Pekin Gazette contained a letter from the Duke 
 
t 
 
 DESCENDANTS OF CONFUCIUS. 163 
 
 Koung-fan-hoa, thanking the young Emperor for sending 
 him the poems composed by his father, Tao-kouang. In 
 fact, the descendant of the great man corresponds with 
 the Imperial family as an equal. To preserve the re- 
 spect of the people and the affection of the sovereign, the 
 heads of the family have always abstained from taking 
 part in public affairs. They are contented with peace- 
 fully superintending their fief, and governing their nu- 
 merous vassals, who are nearly all related to them. The 
 existence of this powerful family may afford matter for 
 serious reflection to us of the West. The descendants 
 of the divine man of China have been surrounded for 
 twenty centuries with universal veneration ; the respect 
 which is felt for them has been transmitted from genera- 
 tion to generation in the country which owes its civiliza- 
 tion to their venerable ancestor. With us infant nations, 
 the origin of some princely families comparatively mod- 
 ern may be readily found, but we should in vain seek for 
 the direct heirs of the majority of our great men : in fact, 
 we scarcely know where their ashes repose. 
 
 We have known in our time a descendant of the Chi- 
 nese Socrates. His name was Tchao tchang-ling, and he 
 was assistant mandarin to the imperial commissioner Ki- 
 in during the labors of the mission extraordinary of 
 France in China. He was a Han-Lin* academician, well 
 versed in tlje learning of his own country ; and the rep- 
 resentatives of European interests could perceive that he 
 was a profound diplomatist. At the same time the truth 
 
 ♦ The Imperial College at Pekin.— J. O. 
 
164 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 obliges us to state that he was too much of a pettifogger, 
 and very ugly. 
 
 The symptoms of rebellion were now terribly strong in 
 all directions. In the midst of the general embarrass- 
 mentj the imperial treasury became exhausted, and the 
 minister who superintended the outlay of the public 
 money uttered a wail of distress, and denounced this 
 scandalous fact to the Emperor. It was found impossi- 
 ble to make the mandarins who commanded the insur- 
 gent provinces render an account of the money confided 
 to their charge. They merely replied that they required 
 700.000 taels to support the costs of the war. The num- 
 ber of soldiers on the lists concocted by the mandarins 
 amounted sometimes to 40,000, sometimes to 100.000 
 men : that is to say, to a number that always varied ac- 
 cording to circumstances, but which in every case was 
 three times larger than the effective force assembled un- 
 der the Imperial flag. 
 
 However it is the fate of the Chinese Government to 
 be always cheated. The " Son of Heaven " is the best 
 robbed man in his dominions : the ministers rob him, the 
 military officers rob him, the inspecting mandarins rob 
 him: in fact, there is an organized system of pillage, in 
 which every one seeks to enrich himself at the expense 
 of the State. 
 
 According to official documents published by the 
 Government, the general costs of the war amounted to 
 18,000,000 taels, that is to say, to 75,000,000 francs 
 (3,000,000/.), in a single year. In this financial difficulty 
 
GENERAL DISHONESTY. 165 
 
 all the mandarins hit upon new plans for raising money. 
 One of them, Hou-tio, head of one of the departments of 
 the board of war, proposed to the Government a monop- 
 oly of the opium trade. A similar project during the 
 reign of Tao-kouang caused the fall of the minister who 
 dared to propose it : the old Emperor's indignation was 
 so great that he had at first resolved to put the auda- 
 cious minister to death. But times were now changed : 
 Hien-foung, notwithstanding his hatred of opium-smok- 
 ers, listened with respectful attention to a plan which 
 promised to replenish his cofiers ; so alarming was the 
 rapidity with which these were drained. Although no- 
 thing is yet decided, it is probable that before long Hien- 
 foung will consent to this reform. Pie is aware that be- 
 fore engaging in a desperate struggle with the European 
 merchants and the Chinese smugglers, the best policy of 
 the Government will be to establish a monopoly of the 
 drug. As a pendant to this measure, the official Moni- 
 teur of the empire makes a curious statement of the 
 means which the State has at its disposal for increasing 
 its resources. "We give this list ; since it will show far 
 more clearly than any remarks of ours, the vices which 
 liave crept into Chinese administration. It will be seen 
 that Hien-foung, under the pressure of circumstances, far 
 from seeking to elevate the morals of the nation by a 
 bold and honorable measure, has recourse to a wretched 
 sale of honors and dignities. lie encourages neither the 
 inspirations of patriotism, nor generous acts of devotion, 
 but he panders to a puerile and contemptible vanity ; as 
 
166 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 •^ if an empire had ever been saved by money, at such a 
 crisis. The list is as follows : — 
 
 " The Emperor having charged the Comptroller of the 
 Imperial Household, the Ministers of the Cabinet, the 
 Members of the Council, and the Board of Revenue, to 
 consider the means for raising money to support the war 
 against the rebels, these high functionaries have drawn 
 up the following project of law, which received the sanc- 
 tion of the vermilion pencil. 
 
 " 1. The princes, the nobles, and the high functiona- 
 ries, both civil and military, are called upon to contrib- 
 ute, each according to his means. 
 
 " 2. The academicians of the Imperial family will be 
 authorized to purchase government situations. 
 
 " 3. The academicians and the censors are at liberty 
 to buy the ofl&ces of judges, treasurers, and intendants of 
 provinces. 
 
 " 4, Every titulary holder of an ofl&ce can, in consider- 
 ation of a certain sum, be exempted from completing the 
 time which he would regularly be bound to devote to the 
 duties of the situation. 
 
 " 5. The district intendants and the prefects can, in 
 consideration of a sum of money, be exempted from the 
 regular obligation of returning to Pekin, when their term 
 of office has expired. 
 
 " 6. The cabinet secretaries can, in consideration of a 
 sum of money, be exempted from the five years of ser- 
 vice regularly required before they can obtain promo- 
 tion. 
 
PLAN FOR RAISING MOXEr. 167 
 
 '• 7. All functionaries in the capital, who have passed 
 the examination of the first degree, and are waiting for 
 appointments, can obtain them by purchase. 
 
 " 8. All functionaries can purchase honorary titles for 
 a relation, during absence caused by sickness, mourning, 
 or otherwise. 
 
 " 9. A son can purchase for his father a rank superior 
 to his own. This was not allowed under the old regula- 
 tions. 
 
 " 10. Functionaries who have been dismissed can re- 
 cover their rank by purchase. 
 
 "11. Functionaries who have retired can recover their 
 rank by purchase. 
 
 '• 12. Functionaries can purchase titles for their rela- 
 tions. 
 
 " 13. All those who have the degrees of Kiu-jen, 
 Kouang-souen, and Kien-souen,* can purchase their ad- 
 mission into the royal college of Pekin. 
 
 " 14. The peacock's feather can be obtained by pur- 
 chase. 
 
 " 15. All the mandarins of the first or second rank, 
 who have been degraded, can recover the ball by pur- 
 chase. 
 
 " IG. All public functionaries condemned to exile or 
 other punishment, can obtain a dispensation for money. 
 
 " 17. Every functionary transported to I-Li for any 
 crime, can obtain a dispensation for money. 
 
 *• 18. The Government will consider the pecuniary rc- 
 
 * Academical d^ees. — J. 0. 
 
168 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 wards given to the troops by private individuals as so 
 many loans to itself, and loans may also be effected by 
 commercial paper. 
 
 '•19. The money deposited in the Nei-ou-fou is to be 
 sent to the army as a reserve fund. 
 
 '' The Government will issue paper-money, as in the 
 times of the troubles caused by the barbarians (the 
 English), on the banks of the Tche-Kiang. 
 
 "21. Three months will be allowed for collecting the 
 arrears of taxes. 
 
 " 22. Offices of exchange will be established on ac- 
 count of the Government. 
 
 "23. Public tenders will be received for the farming 
 of the gold and silver mines in the Je-Hol, in the prov- 
 inces, in Eastern Turkistan, and in the I-Li." 
 
 «' Pekin Gazette, 12tli Nov. 1852." 
 
 In this absurd document the English are still styled 
 " barbarians :" the offensive appellation is applied by the 
 sublime Emperor to a nation from whom his agents will 
 soon have to beg aid and protection. This reveals to us 
 the true sentiments of the present representative of the 
 dynasty of the Tsings. 
 
 Towards the end of February, some merchants who 
 arrived at Chang-Hai from Sou-Tcheou-Fou affirmed that 
 the rebels had sailed down the Yang-Tze-Kiang, and had 
 taken Ou-Tchang-Fou, the capital of the Hou-Pe. This 
 city contains more than 400,000 inhabitants. It is 
 built on the right bank of the Yang-Tze-Kiang, near the 
 
A CHINESE PROSPECT. 169 
 
 mouth of the Han, one of the tributaries of the " Son of 
 the Ocean."* 
 
 On the left bank of the Han, opposite to Ou-Tchaug, 
 rises the city of Han- Yang, with immense suburbs on the 
 right bank. The windings of the gigantic river water the 
 plain ; in the centre of which are situated three large 
 cities. The declivities are planted with willows and bam- 
 boos. At intervals, in the midst of green clumps, are 
 seen light scaflfoldings, upon which whole families are 
 perched. These are the aerial residences of the fisher- 
 men. More fortunate than their fraternity of the sea 
 shore, these fresh-water fishermen gain their livelihood 
 almost without toil. They cast into the river a net 
 stretched on a wooden frame with a long handle, by 
 which they are enabled to guide it : they draw it in, with 
 the aid of a capstan, several times a day full of fish. 
 
 About a league to the north of Ou-Tchang, rises a 
 small eminence which commands a view of the windings 
 of the two vast rivers, and of the three commercial 
 cities. One of our friends, an intrepid traveller, who had 
 the opportunity of admiring this scene, has communicat- 
 ed his impressions in these terms : — 
 
 " I was never weary of contemplating the course of 
 the two rivers, which seem to twine about the three 
 large cities like azure ribbons. The Yang-Tze-Kiang 
 is really au inland sea, upon which porpoises dis- 
 port themselves as on the surface of the ocean, 
 
 * This is the interpretation of Yang-Tze, the termination 
 Kiang signifyiDg river.— J. 0. 
 
 8 
 
1*70 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 and which bears the largest vessels on its rnpid 
 stream. The Han, although not so large as the river 
 into which it flows, is nevertheless a noble stream, with 
 brawling waves like the Durance, where great commotion 
 also prevails. The Chinese vessels are certainly the 
 noisiest in the world. Every moment gongs are struck 
 and petards are fired. Only imagine the terrible uproar 
 produced by a combination of 5,000, or 6.000 junks ! 
 Across the almost boundless plain, the clang of metal and 
 the explosion of powder would reach my ear like the con- 
 fused hum of an enormous bee-hive. 
 
 " On reading these words : the ' combination of 5,000 
 or 6.000 junks,' you doubtless smile with incredulity. 
 It is generally admitted that Chinese travellers, when 
 they estimate the riches and population of this country, 
 always count by thousands, like the vendors of nails; 
 however, I really think that I am below the truth. • I 
 yesterday saw at anchor, before Ou-Tchang, more than a 
 thousand barks, loaded with salt. To this port is brought 
 all the produce of China, and all the manufactured ar- 
 ticles sent to the Celestial Empire from Manchester, 
 Liverpool, and the United States. 
 
 "The point of junction where the Han flows into tho 
 ' Son of the Sea' is called by the natives Han Keou or 
 the mouth of Han, and the Chinese consider this the 
 most commercial city of the empire. Han-Keou is situ- 
 ated 250 leagues from the sea, but the river is navigable 
 throughout for the largest vessels. On reaching the 
 point of junction, the junks which have hitherto travelled 
 
A CHINESE PROfiPECT. iTl 
 
 together, divide themselves into two parties, one of which 
 stops at Ou-Tchang, while the other goes up the Han. 
 These vessels vary in aspect, according to their trade ; 
 and if my nautical education were more complete, I 
 would describe every variety of the heavy, old-fashioned 
 craft, with masts bedecked with ribbon and flags, loaded 
 with the celebrated teas of Moning, much in request 
 among Europeans, — with the woods of the Kiang-Si, — 
 with the porcelains of Yao-Tchang-Fou, — with the cloths, 
 the cotton goods, the cutlery, and even the smuggled 
 opium of the 'barbarians:' for wherever a large trade 
 is carried on, there is sure to be a good number of smug- 
 glers. 
 
 " The aspect of Ou-Tchang, Han- Yang, and Han-Keou, 
 surrounded by waters, which make the wealth of the em- 
 pire circulate into its very centre, is really most imposing. 
 Pagodas, nine stories high, rise amid the houses, and 
 the floating forest of masts presents a triple rampart of 
 pikes decked with yellow, red, and blue flags. 
 
 '• The imagination of a European can easily realize the 
 cities with their curved roofs ; the barks perpetually 
 crossing each other, and decorated like our vessels on 
 gala days ; the sailors and the populace with plaited hair, 
 and broad bamboo hats : in short, all the minor details 
 of this scene, which is at once comic and picturesque. 
 But what the home-bred sons of our country can not 
 realize is the enormous plain, watered by rivers as fruit- 
 ful as the Nile, and covered with trees and houses ; and 
 the three twin cities, larger than Marsoilles and Lyons, 
 
172 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 and only separated by a river, which the strongest row- 
 ers can only cross after many hours of hard pulling." 
 
 This description, which sets forth in a lively manner 
 the impression made upon a traveller by the sight of a 
 strange country, will show the reader that the taking of 
 Ou-Tchang by the rebels was a most important event. 
 To the details already given we should add the fact, that 
 near this city in the Kiang-Si, on the borders of the lake 
 Po-Yang, which communicates with the Yang-Tze-Kiang, 
 there is one of tbe best defended strongholds called Kieou- 
 Kiang. If it were really true that the insurgents oc- 
 cupied Ou-Tchang, they would lose no time in taking 
 possession of the military city ; whence they could pro- 
 ceed to Nankin without impediment. However, the re- 
 ports relative to Ou-Tchang had as yet nothing positive 
 or official about them, and the Chinese, English, and 
 American merchants refused to give credence to state- 
 ments which, if true, would seriously affect the interests 
 of commerce. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Decree respecting the taking of Ou-Tchang— Siu poisoned— Punishment of 
 the Europeans by the Chinese. 
 
 "When the news of the taking of Ou-Tchang-Fou, the 
 capital of the Hou-Pe, was first spread about the empire, 
 the mandarins, and even the Europeans, declared that 
 the intelligence was false. Soon, however, a proclamation 
 by the Emperor put a sad end to their incredulity. Hien- 
 foung announced to his people the recent victory of his 
 enemies, and explained it after his own fashion. This 
 document is a melancholy proof of the young Emperor's 
 ignorance, and shows plainly enough that his own mili- 
 tary knowledge is not superior to that of his generals. 
 This curious specimen of the " Son of Heaven's" strategic 
 science is as follows : — 
 
 '' This day (29th January 1853), a despatch arrived 
 from the Commissioner Siu, announcing that the rebels 
 have occupied the provincial city of Ou-Tchang (capital 
 of the Hou-Pe). We cannot express the whole measure 
 of our indignation. General Hiang-young fought with 
 the rebels to the east of the city, and was victorious ; but 
 
174 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 as the western side of the city is on a level with the lake, 
 and the gate Ouang-Tchang and others were open, the 
 rebels took advantage of this circumstance, and by means 
 of a subterraneous mine, which blew up on the fourth of 
 this moon (Jan. 12), they dispersed the garrison, and 
 took possession of the town. 
 
 " In a preceding report Siu stated that Ou-Tchang 
 was in fit condition to sustain a siege ; and now, after an 
 interval of a few days, he declares to us that Ou-Tchang 
 has been taken by the rebels. Is he not aware that in 
 war there is a great diflFerence between things that can 
 be put off, and things that require immediate action ? 
 His report is like that of a mere dreamer. Siu loitered on 
 the road between Tchang-Cha and the Hou-Pe. The 
 Commander-in-Chief, Hiang-young, although he arrived 
 in time to gain a victory, could not at once attack the 
 strong position of the rebels and put them completely to 
 rout. He also is slow in action, and not less culpable 
 than his colleague. The moment for the extirpation of 
 the rebels has arrived. If we put to death Commissioner 
 Siu and General Hiang-young we should only extricate 
 them from their difficulty ; therefore, while we deprive 
 Siu of the dignity of Governor-General of the two 
 Kouangs, and of the peacock's feather with two eyes, we 
 allow him to retain his offices as High Commissioner and 
 Pro visionary Governor of the Kouangs. General Hian- 
 young is degraded, but he will be allowed to fulfil his 
 duties, till he has given signs of improvement. 
 
 " The provincial city of Ou-Tchang is the residence of 
 
IMPERIAL DECREE. l75 
 
 the Governor and other grand mandarins. With what 
 promptitude has it been taken by the rebels, and how 
 deeply do we feel for the calamities it endures ! 
 
 '• We regret that we have not employed fitting persons, 
 and that our people have not been delivered from this 
 wicked horde. The troubles of the South deprive us of 
 sleep at night, and of all desire to eat. We have al- 
 ready appointed the' Governors-General of the two 
 Kouangs and Ki-chan to be High Commissioners, and 
 each of these will head a powerful army to exterminate 
 the rebels. The Governor of the Chen-Si and the KaQ< 
 Sou, and the Governor-General of the Se-Tchouan, have 
 received orders to unite their forces, and proceed to ex- 
 terminate the rebels in the Hou-Kouang. We order 
 them to act in perfect harmony, to prevent the rebels 
 from ravaging the land, and to restore peace to the 
 country. We hope that their operations will be speedy, 
 an^ that they will spare no trouble. 
 
 " As for the authorities of the provincial city of Oa- 
 Tchang, we command Siu to submit to us a true report 
 of all that concerns them. — Obey this." 
 
 The Official Gazette also contains a decree by which 
 the young Emperor summoned to his standard the troops 
 of the '• Kiriu" and of " Love." These soldiers belong 
 to the nomadic tribes who live in tents, and whose exist- 
 ence is a sort of perpetual march. Like armies on a 
 campaign, they carry all necessary articles about with 
 them, pitch their tents as occasion serves, and raise their 
 camp ou the slightest hint from their chiefs. Their man- 
 
176 THE IXSUKRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 ners have been described in a very interesting work by 
 MM. Hue and Grabet ; and as every one has read the Voy- 
 age au Thibet^ we abstain from giving even a rapid sketch 
 of the aspect of the wandering tribes visited by the two 
 travellers. 
 
 After appealing to the ruler of his most intrepid sub- 
 jects, the young Emperor terminated his proclamation 
 with this frightful picture of the evils already caused by 
 the rebellion. 
 
 '• Since the army first commenced its operations, whole 
 years have passed. The afflicted districts of the Kouang- 
 Si are not relieved, and the Hou-Nan has been reduced 
 to ashes. Lately the spirit of rebellion has burst forth 
 in fresh places ; and disorder prevails in Ou-Tchang and 
 Han- Yang. The districts through which the insurrec- 
 tion has passed have been trampled under foot ; and al- 
 though the capitals of Kouei-Lin and Tchang-Cha have 
 been preserved, the sufferings of those of my people who 
 have been driven from their homes are beyond all descrip- 
 tion." 
 
 On receiving these documents, the authorities of the 
 Kiang-Nan and the Kiang-Si were panic stricken. Every 
 town was put in readiness for a siege, the houses adjoin- 
 ing the ramparts were pulled down, and a vigorous de- 
 fence was prepared. At the same time all the troops yet 
 at disposal in the North and South of the empire, were 
 ordered to march upon Nankin, and levies en masse were 
 made in all the cities of importance. Circumstances of 
 this kind serve to show the scantiness of the military re- 
 
MORALITY OF CHINESE SAILORS. 1*7 Y 
 
 sources at the disposal of China. At Chang-Hai, for in- 
 stance, one of the posts open to the Europeans, the man- 
 darin commanding the troops could not collect together 
 more than one hundred regular soldiers and one hundred 
 volunteers. Nevertheless the town contains more than 
 200,000 inhabitants ; and has, besides, a large floating 
 population, entirely composed of the sailors of the Fo- 
 Kien, Cochin-China, and the Kouang-Toung : a set of 
 vagabonds ready for anything. Probably these rascals 
 expect to take part in the campaign under more favorable 
 circumstances. 
 
 To give an idea of the morality of the maritine popula- 
 tion of Chang-Hai, we will cite a fact of which we were 
 eye-witnesses. The Ou-Soung, a noble river, flows be- 
 neath the walls of the city, which are almost coacealed 
 beneath a forest of masts. One day we were in an Eu- 
 ropean boat, winding our way through the multitude of 
 vessels, and admiring the commercial activity of the port; 
 when we suddenly saw a large piece of wood fall from a 
 bark which, with the aid of a favorable breeze, was going 
 rapidly down the stream. Another bark immediately 
 put oflF from the shore and darted like an arrow upon the 
 waif, while the crew of the first bark furled their sail, 
 and rowed with all their force to pick up their floating 
 property. The marauders were, however, too quick, and 
 secured the wood before the current had brought it within 
 reach of its lawful owners. A conflict now ensued, in 
 which right did not get the better of might, so negotia- 
 tions commenced, and the article in dispute was at last 
 
 8» 
 
lis THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 restored on the payment of a certain sum. When we ex- 
 pressed our indignation at this act of piracy committed 
 in broad daylight, our attention was called to a number 
 of barks on both banks of the Ou-Soung, similar to the 
 one which had effected the capture ; and an Englishman 
 said to us : 
 
 " Those are the sailors of the Fo-Kien, who are on the 
 look out all day long, carefully watching every vessel 
 great and small, and calculating how they can carry off 
 part of the cargo. This is a lucrative trade ; and taking 
 one year with another, the rascals get a handsome liveli- 
 hood without running any risk." 
 
 " But why do not the Chinese give chase to these pi- 
 rates 1 A few fast boats and a hundred soldiers would 
 be quite suflScient." 
 
 " That would make matters still worse," was the re- 
 ply : *' the soldiers would certainly be in collusion with 
 the thieves. Peaceable folks would be doubly pillaged." 
 
 Nothing could be more true. The Chinese, who set 
 little value on the profession of arms, pay military ser- 
 vice very ill, and the persons who take up the profession, 
 and who are nearly all born in the central provinces, are 
 generally desperadoes, who have no other alternative 
 than that, of putting on the red coat, or attacking passen- 
 gers on the highways, that is to say, on the rivers and 
 canals. The Chinese who come in contact with Euro- 
 peans are so well aware of their military inferiority, that 
 the inhabitants of Chang-Hai, that is to say, the wealth- 
 iest, have raised Frank corps, to guard their persons and 
 
h 
 
 DESTRUCTION OF PIRATES. 179 
 
 property. Moreover, considerin<jj the elements of wliich 
 these troops are composed, it is to be feared that, wlien 
 they are perfectly organized, they will only form a re- 
 serve for the insurgents. 
 
 Since the commencement of the troubles, the pirates 
 have re-appeared on the coasts of the southern provinces, 
 and even in the heart of the Yang-Tze-Kiang. The 
 mandarins, seeing that there was no chance of resisting 
 ^hem with the Imperial navy, took into their pay a cer- 
 tain number of Portuguese Icnxhas, which they ordered 
 to exterminate their enemies. The Filltos de Macao 
 (sons of Macao), the descendants of the heroic adven- 
 turers of the fifteenth century, have undertaken the de- 
 struction of pirates. The Chino-Portuguese subjects of 
 ber Majesty Donna Maria, are the police of the Chinese 
 coast, somewhat in the style of those brave adventurers 
 who, during the great wars of Italy, sold their services 
 sometimes to the Pope, and sometimes to the Emperor. 
 In the eyes of the Chinese, those poor Portuguese ves- 
 sels, badly armed and manned with indiflferent sailors, 
 are formidable machines of war. It must be owned that 
 the sailors of Macao will go out in nearly all weathers, 
 while it is the custom of the Chinese never to raise 
 anchor, except when the sea is calm, and the weather is 
 favorable. In reference to this peculiarity, we find in 
 the Monileur of Pekin, a report from the admiral of the 
 Fo-Kien, which is a charming specimen of naivete. 
 This commander of the naval forces sets forth to the Em- 
 peror, that he Las been denounced by the Governor and 
 
180 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Vice-Governor of his province, for neglecting to chase 
 the pirates, and he makes the following excuse : — " The 
 sea was so rough, and the wind was so high, that none 
 but robbers would venture to sail. A person that would 
 have dared to pursue them on the ocean, could have had 
 no regard for his own safety." The Emperor, we grieve 
 to add, had the bad taste to degrade this prudent admiral. 
 
 A short time after the insertion of the decree announc- 
 ing the taking of Ou-Tchang-Fou, in the Moniteur of 
 Pekin, a melancholy report was spread at Canton. It 
 was said that Siu, in despair at finding himself disgraced 
 again, had poisoned himself. The fact, however, was 
 told with circumstances which somewhat consoled us as 
 to the consequences of this act of despair. He had 
 poisoned himself, it was said, with gold-leaf! The story 
 was literally as follows : — 
 
 Chinese toxicology is, at any rate, on a par with the 
 military science of the Imperial generals. When a great 
 man wishes to kill himself, he takes an ounce of gold-leaf, 
 makes a ball of the almost imponderable sheets, and 
 swallows the precious pill. According to the physiolo- 
 gists of the Chinese empire, these balls, when once 
 lodged in the stomach, become undone of their own ac- 
 cord, and spread over the internal coats, as if they had 
 been laid on with the hand. The stomach, thus gilt, 
 ceases to perform its functions, and the mandarin, after 
 dozing for a few hours, expires of suffocation. 
 
 We strongly recommend this method to all despairing 
 aybarites. 
 
ACTS OF PATRIOTISM. 181 
 
 The Emperor once more visited his functionaries with 
 a heavy hand. The mandarin of Chang-Nan was de- 
 graded for not seeing to the defence of the city, under 
 his administration ; the major-general and the colonel of 
 Pao-Cheu, in the Hou-Kouang, for not being at theii 
 post in the hour of battle. Ki-chan was sent as an im- 
 perial commissioner to the two Kouangs, and our old 
 friend Ki-in was charged with a special mission into the 
 Ktang-Si, and took with him Houang-gan-toung, as his 
 aide-de-camp. 
 
 On reading these names in the Official Gazette of 
 Pekin, we offered up hearty prayers for the two diplo- 
 matists. They were men of loyalty and honor, at least 
 so far as these qualities are to be found in a Chinese. In 
 a country of administrative corruption, and mistrustful 
 tyranny, they have hitherto suffered only transient dis- 
 graces. May they be able still to maintain their position 
 amid the perilous honors which surround them ! 
 
 From time to time the journals recorded some acts of 
 patriotism and devotion. Some mandarins gorged with 
 wealth submitted to their share of the loss, and gave up 
 a portion of their corrupt earnings to the public treasury. 
 In the number for the month of March, we read that the 
 Vice-Governor of the Kiang-Si, and the Commander-in- 
 Chief of the Je-Hol, each laid down, on the " altar of his 
 country," as they said of old, the sum of 3,000 taels, and 
 that a Tao-Tai* of the Kouang-Si had followed their ex- 
 
 * The Tao-Tui is the iotendaot of a circuit, a subdivision of a 
 province. — J. O. 
 
182 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 ample, giving 10,000 taels in his turn. However, these 
 acts of devotion find few imitators. The feeling of loj'al- 
 ty strikes no chord in the bosom of the masses, and 
 amid those hesitations which precede all revolutions, it 
 is easy to perceive that the real sympathies of the ma- 
 jority of the people are not in favor of the Mantchou 
 Emperor. The rulers are aware of this alienation of 
 feeling, and instead of endeavoring to arouse the barbar- 
 ous patriotism of their countrymen, as in the. time of the 
 English war, they begin to look for foreign assistance. 
 Hien-foung, like Ferdinand of Spain, applies to another 
 people to secure his throne. The old despotism of Asia 
 appeals to the magnanimity of England and the United 
 States. The following is the petition addressed by the 
 Tao-Tai of Chang-Hai to all the representatives of the 
 Christian nations residing in those parts of China which 
 are opened to European commerce. 
 
 " Ou, appointed by the Emperor provincial judge, in- 
 tendant of Sou-Tcheo, Soung-Kiang, Tai-Tsing, &c.,&c., 
 gives notice : — 
 
 •' I, the intendant, have just received a despatch from 
 the Governor in reply to a report which I sent to him. 
 I had told him in my letter that the war steamers of 
 your honorable nation had not reached Chang-Hai, but 
 that they were expected in the course of the first ten 
 days of the present inoon. I also said that there was 
 only one ship of war belonging to the great English na- 
 tion, and that this would not be sufficient to suppress and 
 exterminate the rebels. 
 
APPLICATION FOR FOREIGN ASSISTANCE. 183 
 
 "To all this this the Goveruor made the following 
 reply : — 
 
 '• ' It appears that the rebels have already reached Kiu- 
 King and Ngan-King, capital of the Ngan-Houei, carry- 
 ing trouble and disorder wherevever they go. All the 
 foreign vessels lying along the banks of the Yang-Tze- 
 Kiang, in front of the cities and market-towns, have fallen 
 into the hands of the rebels, and although their forces 
 haVe been attacked by our great army, marching from 
 the Hou-Nan and the Kiang-Si, the main body of them 
 has succeeded, by means of the vessels, in effecting a pas- 
 sage to the east. Our troops have impeded them at sev- 
 eral points, but, in consequence of the breadth of the 
 river, have not been able to stop them entirely. Our 
 grand army, coming by land from various districts, could 
 not be united at once, while our ships of war could not 
 closely pursue the enemy, and hinder their progress ; the 
 rebels have consequently become more and more stub- 
 born and audacious. The lorchas sent by the intendant 
 of Chang-Hai, although successful in various encounters, 
 were not sufl&ciently numerous to resist them ; and the 
 rebel ships are now before the city of Nankin, which is 
 in the greatest danger. If we do not attack them imme- 
 diately on their arrival, we shall have a difficulty in hin- 
 dering them from spreading in all directions. The 
 intendant is, therefore, requested to consult once more 
 with the consuls of the different nations, and to ask im- 
 mediately that the war-ship now at anchur off Chang Hai 
 (this was the English steamship Li/y) might bo sent to 
 
184 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 attack the rebels ; he will then ask that the war-steamers 
 whose arrival is now expected, may be collected togeth- 
 er, and exterminate the rebels ; so that these detestable 
 enemies of the Chinese Empire may altogether vanish. 
 If the consuls do this, not only will his Majesty the Em- 
 peror be deeply sensible of the service rendered, but the 
 mandarins and the people will be grateful likewise ; and 
 when peace and tranquillity are universally enjoyed, all 
 will reap reciprocal advantages by pursuing their various 
 occupations without impediment. If, on the other hand, 
 we wait the advance of the great army of the East to 
 combine in exterminating the rebels, the assistance will 
 be too late for the urgency of the occasion. I request, 
 therefore, that the agent may make his arrangement as 
 speedily as possible, for I am awaiting the result with the 
 deepest anxiety. I shall on my part also write to the 
 plenipotentiaries of the different nations.' 
 
 " When I received the above dispatch I reflected that 
 the provinces of the Hou-Nan, Hou-Pe, Kiang-Si, Ngan- 
 Houei and Kiang-Nan are those which have a commer- 
 cial connection with Chang-Hai. However since the 
 rebels of the Kouang-Si spread over the Hou-Nan about 
 a year ago, and thence invaded the Hou-Pe, Han-Keou, 
 and several other places of commercial importance, have 
 been so much disturbed that the merchants have been 
 interrupted in their business, and have not ventured on 
 any new enterprise. The rebels now direct their steps 
 towards the east, going down the course of the Kiang, 
 intending to carry disorder into Nankin, and if their 
 
CHANGE OF TONE TOWARDS EUROPEANS. J 85 
 
 progress is not intercepted, all commerce will be at an 
 end. 
 
 " In conformity with the above dispatch which I have 
 just received from the Governor, it is my duty to give 
 notice of it to the honorable consul, praying him to take 
 the matter into his consideration, and to let the ships of 
 war that arrive at Chang-Hai, together with the one 
 which is stationed here for the defcDce of the port, pro- 
 ceed immediately to Nankin, and act in concert with the 
 lordtas already there, employing their united forces to 
 attack the rebels, and swearing to exterminate these 
 frightful brigands so as to satisfy the feelings of the 
 people, and favor the. interests of commerce. I also re- 
 quest that the honorable consul will write to hasten the 
 arrival of the expected vessels of war that they may sail 
 up to Nankin, sweep these vagabonds from the face of 
 the earth, and give tranquillity to the whole of the coun- 
 try. The authorities and the people of China will be 
 obliged to you in the highest degree, and I the intendant 
 shall be obliged to you also. I urge you to give all ex- 
 pedition to this a£fair. 
 
 '• An important communication. The 7th of the 
 2nd. moon of the 1st year of Hien-foung (16th March 
 1853)." 
 
 Only a few days before this date the Emperor Hien- 
 foung, in a document which we have already given, called 
 the English "barbarians" We now find his officials 
 politely addressing the representatives and honorable 
 
186 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA, 
 
 consuls of the great British nation. Nevertheless, how- 
 ever expressions may be changed, we know that things 
 are the same at bottom. The terrified mandarins do not 
 speak as suppliants. We should say, on the contrary, 
 that they address the people of the West with certain 
 set forms of command. They boldly ask them to join 
 the mercenary lorchas. Instead of putting the lorchas 
 under the direction and orders of those whose assistance 
 they implore, they treat the latter like the condottieri 
 picked up in the peninsula of Hiang-Chan. 
 
 When the English and American plenipotentiaries re- 
 ceived this commuuicaton they proceeded to Chang. Hai". 
 Did they comply with the request of the mandarins, and 
 did they oppose the progress of the insurgents ? This is 
 not probable. But if such were indeed the case, the 
 " Son of Heaven" would at once imagine that the people 
 of the West were ataetig his tributaries. And after- 
 wards no doubt Hien-foung would draw up a proclama- 
 tion to announce to the world that his troops had con- 
 quered the rebels with the assistance of the nations re- 
 cently subdued, who had acted like good and faithful sub- 
 jects. The Chinese are cunning folks, and if in the 
 character of suppliants they have implored the assistance 
 I of the Christian nations, it is because they have found a 
 number of maxims in the Jdngs, or in Confucius, to show 
 that it is a duty — in fact, a law of nature — to assist one's 
 neighbor. But under the influence of their incural>le 
 presumption, and of that pride which is with them an 
 
CHANGE OF TONE TOWARDS EUROPEANS. 187 
 
 organic disease, they have attempted, by the use of am- 
 blgious phrases, to impose upon the bulk of the people, 
 SO as to make them believe that if the nations of the 
 "West at their desire marched against the insurgents, 
 it would be a mere act of vassalage. 
 
CHAPTEE XIY. 
 
 The five kings — Organization of the insurgent army — A word about Nankin. 
 
 We have not yet given any details respecting the 
 chiefs of the insurrection, and the organization of the 
 rebel army. The Chinese documents which previously 
 came under our inspection contained no precise informa- 
 tion on the subject ; but now the rebels have reached the 
 richest provinces of the empire, namely the Kiang-Nau 
 and the Kiang-Si, information pours upon us in abun- 
 dance. 
 
 We shall not repeat here what we have already said 
 respecting Tien-te, on the strength of popular rumor. 
 Fame first enlightened us as to this personage ; and 
 though her voice is generally deceitful, her information 
 perfectly accords with that which we have since received. 
 
 We are now. therefore, going to make the acquaintance 
 of the General in chief and his four predatory colleagues. 
 Houng-sieou-tsiuen, who takes the title of Tai-ping-wang, 
 or " King grand pacificator," is a man of tall stature, with 
 a face bronzed by the sun, and of a bold, confident as- 
 pect. He is about forty years old ; his beard and his 
 
THE FIVE FEUDATORY KINGS. 189 
 
 hair are already gray ; and he is said to be endowed 
 with great courage. Although his accent betrays a Can- 
 ton origin, no one knows his real name, or in what dis- 
 trict he was born. 
 
 Hiang-tsiou-tsing, or Toung-wang, that is to say, the 
 '• King of the East" is a man of five-and-thirty. He is 
 short and pitted with the small-pox, and his scanty mous- 
 tache stands bristling on his upper lip. Hiang-tsiou- 
 tsing speaks with remarkable facility, and is very acces- 
 sible to all his subordinates. No one knows from what 
 country he comes ; it is only known that he is married to 
 the eldest sister of Tai-ping-wang. 
 
 Siao-tcha-kouei, or Si-wang, " King of the West," is 
 the Achilles of this pleiad of kings. In every engage- 
 ment he shows himself regardless of personal safety, 
 always fighting in the foremost ranks, and directing his 
 troops with a precision which gives evidence of a superior 
 knowledge. His figure is graceful, his countenance is 
 animated, and there is nothing of the Mongol type in his 
 oblong face, except the distension of the nostrils and the 
 obliquity of the eyes; he does not wear moustaches. 
 This man, who is one of the most gifted of the party, 
 is not more than thirty years of age. They say he is 
 married to the youngest sister of the '• King-pacificator." 
 
 Foung-hien-san, or Nan-wang, that is, " King of the 
 South," is a man of letters, of the province of Canton, 
 He has gone through several public examinations, and 
 has gained degrees. He is thirty-two years old, and is 
 said to be much beloved by his fellow students, who con- 
 
190 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 sider him endowed with great talents. He does not wear 
 the moustache, and his features still have something 
 youthful in their character. Even amid the agitated 
 life of a camp he lives as much in retirement as possible, 
 to pursue his literary studies. 
 
 Wei-tching, or Pe-wang, the " King of the North," is 
 the Ajax of the insurrectionary army. He is very tall, 
 and has the dark complexion of a Malay, so that his black 
 moustache forms but a slight contrast to his brawn skin. 
 He is only twenty-five years of age. His physical force 
 and his intrepidity have given him a high position among 
 the insurgents, and it is said that he is a native of the 
 Kiang-Si. 
 
 Such are the five kings, whose united armies now act 
 in concert. They are all young; and have all resolved 
 to sell their lives dearly in case of defeat. A large num- 
 ber of functionaries and officers surround these sovereign 
 chiefs. We shall only mention here the two prime min- 
 isters, who are assuredly destined to play an important 
 part, if the insurgents gain their end. The prime min- 
 ister, Foung-je-tchang, is thirty-seven years of age. In 
 person he is short and thin, while his mind is subtle and 
 fertile in resources. It is known that he was born in the 
 province of Canton. 
 
 Tche-Ta-Kai, the second minister, is extremely ugly. 
 He is very thin ; his complexion is the color of soot, and 
 his long neck supports a bony face, with a head rising to 
 a point. He is a man of letters ; and it is said that he 
 is the author of most of the proclamations lately pub- 
 
REVOLUTIONARY PROCLAMATION. 191 
 
 lislied — a circumstance which might lead to the supposi- 
 tion that he is a Chang-ti — perhaps a member of Gutz- 
 laflPs union. After the ministers, come the high officials 
 of the army. It will be seen at a glance, that the kings 
 have not been lavish of titles or decorations. They are 
 soldiers in active service, and do not yet think of array- 
 ing themselves in empty names. 
 
 The dignitaries are divided into three classes, the title 
 of* excellency " being bestowed upon all. The dignitaries 
 of the first class wear yellow scarfs, and their hair, which 
 is never touched with the scissors, is hidden under a silk 
 handkerchief Those of the second order wear red or 
 green scarfs, and the piece of stufi" round their head is of 
 the same color. There is, besides, a body of propagan- 
 dists, who wear these articles red and black. These go 
 about the towns preaching the holy war, circulating in- 
 surrectionary tracts, and receiving the oaths of the initi- 
 ated. The oath is thus worded, •' May those who are not 
 heartily united with us be swept away by cannon, hewn 
 to pieces by the sword, or hurled into the depths of the 
 ocean." 
 
 The proclamation by which they invite the people to 
 revolt is probably the work of the Prime Minister. It is 
 couched in these terms : — 
 
 " Heaven especially favors virtue, and all men are nat- 
 urally endowed with a certain talent. In the remotest 
 times a suitable exterior was highly esteemed, and the 
 greatest importance was attached to music and ceremonial 
 forms. But these rats of the desert who have crept into 
 
192 THE IKSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 our palaces, and taken possession of our houses have not 
 followed the rules of Yao and Chun* in the Government 
 of the empire, but have forced human beings to put on 
 the appearance of animals deprived of human reason ! 
 Those who study the works of Confucius and Mencius 
 rarely attain official dignities by their examinations, while 
 those who bring forward pecuniary arguments get the 
 highest posts. I among the rest, have kept my name 
 concealed to the present moment, imitating the philoso- 
 pher Tchouang-tze, who resided at Po-Hai, the patriot 
 Lieou-chang who lived in retirement at Han-Houa, and 
 the sage Heou-yeou, who remained hidden from Yao, 
 concealing himself at Ko-Chan. My ancestors were sub- 
 jects of the Mings ; and during the 200 years which 
 have elapsed since their fall, they have had nothing to do 
 with the Tartar dynasty. I myself, not wishing to re- 
 ceive any appointment granted by the Mantchous, have 
 led a life of privacy until, seeing how you were oppressed 
 by this tyrannical Government ; remarking how rapacious 
 functionaries and magistrates grind you down in defiance 
 of every principle of right and humanity; observing 
 moreover that you, the people, are shut out from mutual 
 affection, and the practice of virtue, inasmuch as great 
 and small are all involved in a perpetual contest for gain ; 
 reflecting, lastly, that the black-haired race has no one on 
 whom it can rely to escape from the oppression under 
 
 * These are the last two of the rery ancient if not mythical per- 
 sonages, called the five sovereigns, and they are generally held up 
 as patterns of virtue. — J. O. 
 
r 
 
 REVOLUTIONARY PROCLAMATION. 193 
 
 which it groans — for all these causes, I say. I have 
 brought my brave warriors into the field, and furbished 
 my sword and spear, and now uniting our efforts in the 
 defence of right, we have unfurled the standard of virtue 
 with the determination that we will not eat our break- 
 fasts until we have overthrown the Tartar dynasty. 
 
 " We adore with respect the Supreme Lord, imploring 
 him to extend his protection to the people, and on aH our 
 projects. All the movements of our army have but one 
 end, that of the destruction of tyrants, after the example 
 of Tchiog-tang and Ou-wang.* 
 
 " You Tartars, who have neither wise councillors, nor 
 profound politicians, nor courageous generals, nor good 
 fc^ soldiers, you have bound the nobles and the aged men to 
 enrol their neighbors, and have forced the brave villagers 
 to arm for your defence. In the time of the ancients a 
 standing army was employed to protect the people, while 
 you, on the contrary, force the people to become soldiers. 
 
 •' You often complain that you do not get enough, and 
 yet when our troops make the slightest advance you leave 
 the people unprotected, and are the first to take to your 
 heels. Know then that we have made up our minds to 
 march to the East, and that when we please we can raise 
 
 * The overthrowerB of the Shang dynasty in the person of the 
 tyrant Chew- Yang. The third or Chew dynasty was founded by 
 Ou-Wang. The earliest dynasty, that of Hea, was founded by Yu, 
 •oroamed the Great, of whom ull sorts of miracles are narrated. 
 Tbese incidents form the subject of one of the classical books of 
 OoDfucius. — J. O. 
 
 9 
 
194 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 the wind that will waft us to the Eastern shore. We 
 possess all that intelligence and courage that Heaven in- 
 spires, and how is it that you Tartars do not understand 
 that it is time to scrape together your scattered bones, 
 and light up slices of bacon (sic) to give signals of your 
 terror ? Why do you not imitate Yu and Kouei, who 
 settled their differences amicably ? If you are so blind as 
 not to see the precursory signs of the new empire, we 
 have only to give a hint to our troops, and they will rush 
 with one accord to the summit of our hopes, cutting 
 through every obstacle that may be raised in their path. 
 When you find neither security in your citadel lined with 
 iron, nor repose in your palace inlaid with pearls, of what 
 avail will be your useless repentance ?" 
 
 The author of this proclamation is a revolutionist of 
 the modern school ; but he is at the same time a follower 
 of the preux chevaliers^ swearing that he will not eat on 
 a table-cloth, that is to say, take his breakfast, till he has 
 overthrown the tyrants. However, amid all these chiv- 
 alric eccentricities, the spirit of Christianity is always 
 discernible ; it is a worshipper of the Supreme Being 
 speaks. 
 
 The military organization of the insurgents reminds 
 one of the Roman centuries and decuries. The lowest 
 ofi&cer is a sergeant, who has twenty-five men under his 
 orders. Four sergeants or a hundred men are command- 
 ed by a lieutenant. A company is composed of four 
 hundred men, and four lieutenants under a captain. A 
 regiment comprises four companies, and a general has 
 
p 
 
 SUPREMACY OF TlilN-Tfi. 195 
 
 the charge of four regiments, each of which has a 
 colonel.* 
 
 In this army there is an administrative corps and a 
 special corps, answering to our artillery and engineers. 
 The officers are distinguished by the color of the scarf, 
 and their head-dress. The mass of the troops do not 
 wear a uniform, so that the rebels are only recognized by 
 their long hair, and the tunic simply crossed over the 
 chest. The organization of the whole body is perfect. 
 
 Above all these soldiers, officers, high dignitaries, min- 
 isters, and kings, is the supreme chief, the Emperor, 
 Tien-te. It is said that when Tien-te came to Keou- 
 Teou-Chan in the Hou-Nan, all the feudatory kings, with 
 the " King Pacificator " at their head, received him 
 kneeling. On this occasion he held open court, and there 
 were banquets in the Homeric style. More than a hun- 
 dred oxen were killed, hundreds of pigs were roasted, and 
 during three whole days festival followed festival in the 
 districts recently conquered. After these solemnities, 
 
 ♦ This division does not exactly correspond with the regulations 
 of the array of the Tae-pmg dynaety, as extracted by Dr. Medhurst 
 from a pamphlet furnished by Sir George Bonham. According to 
 the pamphlet, the army is divided as follows : — Over every 5 men 
 is placed a corporal, the lowest officer ; 2 sergeants are placed 
 over every five corporals or 25 men ; these carry a flag 2i feet 
 broad A centurioh presides over every 4 sergeants, or 104 men, 
 and carries a flag 3 feet broad. Next senior is the leader of a co- 
 hort, of whom there is 1 to every 626 men ; his flag is 8 J feet 
 broad. Above him is the commander of a legion, who commands 
 6 oohorta or 2,626 men ; his flag is 4 feet broad. A brigadier- 
 general commands 6 legions, consisting of 18,125 men ; his flag is 
 4i feet broad..— J. O. 
 
196 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Tien-te returned with his intimate councillor into that 
 impenetrable retreat, in which, when the crisis arrives, 
 the destinies of the empire will receive their solution. 
 
 Religious hymns, attributed to the Pretender, were 
 distributed throughout the army. These sacred songs, 
 which were intended to kindle the enthusiasm of the sol- 
 diers, contained some Christian phrases and some images 
 which were entirely Pagan. The editors of an English 
 journal states that they are in possession of a collection 
 of these poems, remarking also that the last empress of 
 the Ming dynasty was a Christian ; that she was bap- 
 tized by the name of Helen, and that for a long time she 
 corresponded with the Pope. 
 
 In the midst of this great movement there is no end 
 of pamphlets and apocryphal documents. In the names 
 of the four Kings — of the East, West, South and North, 
 a species of homily is circulated which is redolent of 
 ultra-methodism. It appears impossible to us that four 
 kings laying their heads together — even four kings of 
 China — could have produced anything so turgid and tire- 
 some. However, as one of our leading journals has in- 
 serted some fragments of this document, we think we are 
 bound to insert it entire.* 
 
 " Yang, king of the East, and general-in-chief, and 
 Siao, king of the West, and also general-in-chief, of the 
 dynasty Tai-ping, re-established in the Celestial Empire 
 by the grace of God, jointly publish this proclamation to 
 
 * Vide Supplementary Chapter. — J. 0. 
 
INSURRECTIONARY HOMILY. 197 
 
 show that they have received orders from Heaven to ex- 
 terminate the wicked, and save tlie people. 
 
 " According to the Old Testament, the supreme Lord, 
 our heavenly Father, created in the space of six days, 
 heaven and earth, mountains and seas, men and things. 
 The supreme Lord is a spirifUal, invisible, omnipotent 
 Father, knowing everything and everywhere present. 
 There is not under heaven any nation which does not 
 know his power. 
 
 " On referring to the reminiscences of past times we 
 
 find that since the creation of the world the supreme 
 
 Lord has often manifested his displeasure. How is it 
 
 then that you people of the earth are ignorant of him 
 
 still ? 
 
 " On the first occasion the supreme Lord displayed his 
 
 wrath by causing a great rain to fall forty days and forty 
 
 nights, which caused a universal deluge. 
 
 " On a second occasion the supreme Lord manifested 
 his displeasure, and brought Israel out of Egypt. 
 
 " On a third occasion he displayed his tremendous 
 majesty when the Saviour of the world, the Lord Jesus, 
 became incarnate in the land of Judea, and suffered for 
 the redemption of the human race. And of late he again 
 showed his wrath, when in the year tingyeou (1837) he 
 sent a celestial messenger whom he appointed to slay the 
 infernal bands. Moreover, he has sent the celestial king 
 to take the reins of empire into his own hands and save 
 the people. From the year meoudien (1848) to that of 
 sin-hai (1851) the supreme Lord has been moved by the 
 
198 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 misfortunes of the people who were entangled in the 
 snares of the Evil One. In the third moon of last year 
 the great Emperor appeared, and in the ninth moon 
 Jesus the Saviour of the world manifested himself by 
 innumerable acts of power, and by the massacre of in- 
 numerable numbers of the ungodly in many pitched bat- 
 tles. How then can these children of hell resist the 
 majesty of Heaven ? 
 
 " How, we add, could the wrath of the supreme Lord 
 be otherwise than kindled against men who M^orship cor- 
 rupt spirits, who give themselves up to unclean actions, 
 and thus deliberately violate the commandments of 
 Heaven ? Why do ye not wake, all ye inhabitants of 
 the earth ? Why do ye not rejoice to be born in a time 
 when you are permitted to witness the glory of the Most 
 High! 
 
 " Since you fall into an epoch like this, where you will 
 have the surpassing peace of heavenly days, it is time for 
 you to awake and be stirring. Those who fulfil the will 
 of Heaven shall be preserved, but those who disobey shall 
 be torn in pieces. 
 
 " At this moment the diobolical Tartar, Hien-foung, 
 originally a Mantchou slave, is the sworn enemy of the 
 Chinese race. More than this, he leads our brethren to 
 adopt the habits of demons, to adore evil, to disobey the 
 true spirit, and thus to rebel against the Most High. 
 Therefore Heaven will not sufier him any more, and men 
 will not fail in their resolution to destroy him. Alas ! 
 body of valiant men as ye are, ye appear not to know 
 
INSURRECTIONARY HOMILY. 199 
 
 that every tree has its roots, every brook its source. 
 You seem as though you wish to reverse the order of 
 things, for while running after the least advantage you 
 so turn about that you serve your own enemies, and be- 
 ing ensnared with the wiles of the Evil One, you un- 
 gratefully rebel against your rightfnl Lord. You seem 
 to forget that you are the virtuous students of the Chi- 
 nese empire, and the honorable subjects of the celestial 
 dynasty, and thus you easily stray in the path of perdi- 
 tion without having pity on yourselves. 
 
 " And yet among you courageous men there are many 
 who belong to the Society of the Triad, and have made 
 the compact of blood that they will unite their strength 
 and their talents for the extermination of the Tartar dy- 
 nasty. After so solemn an engagement can there be 
 men who would shrink from the common enemy of us 
 all? 
 
 " There must now be in the provinces a great number 
 of resolute men, renowned men of letters, and valiant he- 
 roes. We, therefore, call upon you to unfurl your stand- 
 ard, to proclaim aloud that you will no longer live under 
 the same heaven as the Tartars, but seek to gain honor 
 in the service of the new sovereign. This is the ardent 
 wish of us who are his generals. 
 
 " Our army, desirous to act upon those feelings of 
 kindness, through which the Most High is pleased to 
 spare the life of man, and to receive us with a kiss of 
 compassion, have shown clemency on our march, and 
 have treated all with mercy. Our generals and our 
 
200 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 troops observe the greatest fidelity with respect to the 
 rewards due to the country. These intentions are known 
 to you all. You ought to know that since Heaven has 
 brought before you the true sovereign to govern the peo- 
 ple, it is your duty to aid in establishing his dominion. 
 Although our diabolical enemies may be counted by mil- 
 lions, and their crafty plans by thousands, they cannot 
 resist the decrees of Heaven. 
 
 " To kill without warning is contrary to our feelings ; 
 and to remain in a state of inaction without attempting 
 to save the people would be contrary to humanity. 
 ( Hence, we publish this proclamation, urging you, peo- 
 ple ! to repent in all haste, and to awaken with energy. 
 Adore the True Spirit, and reject impure spirits ; be 
 men for once and cease to be imps of the devil, if you 
 wish for length of days upon earth, and happiness in heav- 
 en. If you persist in your stupid obstinacy, the day of 
 destruction will arrive, as well for the precious stones as 
 the pebbles, and then you will vainly gnaw every finger 
 in despair, but it will then be too late to repent." 
 
 The following is another proclammation which the 
 rebels distributed about Hou-Kouang. This work, which 
 is a true political sermon, has all the good and bad 
 qualities of its class, as well as that particular stamp 
 which distinguishes the elaborate productions of the Ce- 
 lestial Empire. 
 
 " Kouo, the great general-in-Chief of the forces, now in 
 possession of the territory, in the province of the Hou-Pe, 
 publishes this proclamation : — 
 
A "political sermon." 201 
 
 " When we reflect upon the origin and fall of empires, 
 we see that when a power loses the affection of the peo- 
 ple, the time of its dissolution is at hand ; and when we 
 endeavor to account for the favor of the wrath of Heaven, 
 we see that every power endowed with virtue, is gifted 
 with a constant increase. During the last two hundred 
 years, the Mantchou dynasty of the Tsiiigs has been dis- 
 tributing official dignities in the most irregular manner, 
 taking no account of the complaints of the nation. But 
 the Emperor, Tien-te, by one single outbreak of his 
 wrath, has restored peace to the people. Attacking the 
 oppressor with a bold front, and silently investigating 
 those doctrines which cause dynasties to flourish, or to 
 fall, he has levied an army for the defence of that which 
 is just and right. He has taken pity on you devoted 
 students and virtuous inhabitants of the Hou-Kouang, 
 giving free vent to his most kindly feelings, and he has 
 begun the massacre of greedy functionaries and corrupt 
 magistrates, not setting any limits to the work of carnage. 
 You, now, students and people, who have resolved to 
 make common cause with the Emperor Tien-te, do not 
 let anything shake you in your determination. Those 
 among you who are possessed of fortune, ought to contrib- 
 ute according to your means, to the support of the 
 troops, and those who are poor, ought to select the 
 strongest and youngest among them, to increase the 
 ranks of our army. Whoever can make a civil or mili- 
 tary mandarin prisoner, shall receive ten thousand pieces 
 of money as a reward, and whoever shall bring the head 
 9* 
 
202 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 of a mandarin shall receive three thousand pieces. Lest 
 any one should have the audacity to disobey our orders, 
 we declare we are resolved to deliver up to pillage all 
 contumacious towns. The object of this proclamation is 
 to prevent all from having occasion for regret, when re- 
 pentence is too late. 
 
 " The first year of Tai-ping, of the dynasty of the late 
 Mings, the sixth day of the third moon (23rd April 
 1852)." 
 
 As the pieces of money promised by Kouo to the man- 
 darin-hunters, are only sapeques^ we see that the price set 
 on the head of a high functionary, is very low. A red 
 ball,* in good healthy condition, is valued by the rebels 
 at fifty francs, and the head of a blue ball is only valued 
 at three pieces of one hundred sous. We may easily see 
 that it is more profitable to chase wolves on the Alps and 
 in the Ardennes, than to chase mandarins in China. 
 
 After taking possession of the capital of the Hou-Pd 
 and the larger towns connected with it, the rebels went 
 down the Yang-Tze-Kiang, and successively occupied 
 Kieou-Kiang, Gan-King, and Ou-Hou. On receiving in- 
 telligence of these events, the Governor-Greneral of Kiang- 
 Nan proceeded to Nankin at the head of all the troops he 
 
 * These remarks will be best elucidated by stating the degrees 
 of rank signified by the balls on the caps of the mandarins. The 
 ranks are nine in number, and the order of colors beginning with 
 the highest is as follows: — 1. Plain Red. 2. Flowered Red. 3. 
 Transparent Blue. 4. Opaque Blue. 5. Uncolored Glass. 6. 
 'White Glass. 7. Plain Gilt. 8. Gilt, with engraved flowers. — 
 J. 0. 
 
NANKIN. 203 
 
 could collect together, and ordered all available forces to 
 concentrate themselves on the threatened capital. Along 
 the Yang-Tie-Kiang, the functionaries and rich traders 
 were panic-struck; the mandarins prepared for the de- 
 fence of the towns, and the cautious merchants of Sou- 
 Tcheon and Tchen-Kiang, little heeding the defence of 
 their country, fled as fast as they could, taking their 
 wealth with them. In fact, there was a general sauve- 
 quijjetU. In the meanwhile, money and food became 
 scarce ; the price of gold reached an enormous height, 
 and the price of rice was trebled. The rebels, turning 
 the panic to their own advantage, seized all the merchant 
 ships on the river ; and thus, with a formidable fleet and 
 an army of 50,000 men, the five kings appeared before 
 Nankin. 
 
 This city, which contains more than 500,000 inhab- 
 itants, was in the time of the Mings — that ancient dy- 
 nasty which Tien-te professes to represent and wishes to 
 restore — the capital of all China. The space enclosed 
 within its walls is at least three times greater than that 
 of Paris, but large cultivated spots are found in the 
 midst of its streets, and grass grows upon the quays lately 
 bordered by a triple row of vessels. 
 
 Nankin is situated on an immense plain, intersected by 
 canals as numerous as those which traverse the human 
 body. In the midst of fertile fields, innumerable rivulets 
 aad streams of navigable water are perpetually crossing 
 each other. The banks are planted with willows and 
 bamboos, with straight stalks aad dark foliage. It is on 
 
204 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 the plains of the province of Nankin that that yellowish 
 cotton is grown, which, when woven, is exported in such 
 enormous quantities. Here also is reaped the greater 
 part of the rice which is consumed throughout the em- 
 pire. The Kiang-Nan, or province of Nankin, is the 
 richest jewel in the crown of the " Son of Heaven." 
 
 Nothing in Europe can give an idea of the fruitfulness 
 of this province — neither the plains of Beauce nor the 
 plains of Lombardy, nor even that richest of lands, Flan- 
 ders. In the Kiang-Nan the fields are covered with 
 crops twice a year, and produce fruit and vegetables 
 without cessation. On the borders of the arable land 
 the most delicious vegetables in the world are produced. 
 The pe-tsa'i, a cabbage which is between a lettuce and 
 the cabus^ bitter mustard, water-melons, potatoes, and 
 the hundred species of haricots produced in the Celestial 
 Empire. 
 
 We have been fortunate enough to sit under the 
 shadow of the orchards which border the Ou-Soung, one 
 of the numerous veins which fertilize the province of 
 the Kiang-Nan : we have plucked with our hands those 
 pulpy jujubes which travellers often take for grapes; 
 pomegranates with transparent grains ; monstrous peaches, 
 by the side of which the finest kinds of Montreuil would 
 appear like wild fruit, and dyospyros as large as toma- 
 atos. We have seen scarlet pheasants and their brethren 
 with mother-o'-pearl plumage running freely about the 
 furrowS; 
 
 This province maintains 28,000,000 inhabitants : ten 
 
NANKIN. 205 
 
 times as many as Belgium, ten times as many as Hol- 
 land, and rather more than the whole of France. Never- 
 theless, our worthy countrymen, who fancy that our na- 
 tion is the most rich and powerful, also imagine that 
 their country is the most populous in the universe. 
 
 Nankin is built in the water. It is a city like Rotter- 
 dam, surrounded by fertile marshes and waters abound- 
 ing in fish. Towards the south the river suddenly 
 widens, and forms a kind of lake scattered over with in- 
 numerable islets. Here, under clumps of trees, are hid- 
 den the villas of the mandarins. In these mysterious 
 retreats they conceal from the envious glances of the vul- 
 gar their aviaries stocked with pale birds, reared in the 
 cages of Sou-Tcheou-Fou, that city of delights of which 
 a Chinese proverb says, '• In the other world there is a 
 paradise ; in this there is Sou-Tcheou-Fou." 
 
 These poetical women, these Aspasias of the East, 
 compose charming verses in their own naif and impas- 
 sioned language ; but the jealousy of their masters only 
 allows them to sing their compositions on these echoless 
 banks. On the indolent waters of the lake, as well as on 
 the more rapid waters of the river, sail the most elegant 
 vessels in the world. Thousands of junks bear to the 
 extremities of the Empire all the produce and manufac- 
 tures of the country. 
 
 We have already said that Nankin has declined from 
 its ancient splendor. The ramparts of the old city form 
 80 vast a circuit that from the summit of the hills the 
 eye cannot distinguish the ruined walls. The modem 
 
206 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 city, which nevertheless contains 600,000 souls, looks like 
 a mere village compared to the immense city whose 
 boundary walls are alone left standing. 
 
 In the centre of the modern city stands that tower of 
 nine stories, which is almost as familiar to the citizen of 
 Paris as the yellowish web out of which he makes his 
 summer pantaloons. 
 
 The pagoda of nine stories is an old monument of the 
 time of the Mings. We shall give a description of it in 
 the course of this narrative. It is before the walls of 
 Nankin that the five united kings are now encamped. 
 Troy is thus defended by a formidable garrison. But 
 old Priam is dead and Hector is at Pekin ! 
 
CHAPTEE XY. 
 
 Proclamation of the Empress— Disgrace of Siu. 
 
 While the Imperial armies were everywhere defeated 
 — while symptoms of rebellion were manifest in the cen- 
 tral provinces, and Kiang-Nan was invaded, the Emperor 
 Hien-foung astonished the world by a great political act. 
 He seated by his side, a young lovely woman, and called 
 upon her to share the weight of his power. It seemed 
 as though he wished to check the approaching storm by 
 the enchantments of beauty. This was the only act of 
 progress performed by Hien-foung since the commence- 
 ment of his reign. Hitherto, like other barbarian kings, 
 he has employed no auxiliaries but cunning and force ; 
 but now he obtains the support of a young, graceful crea- 
 ture, in whose heart sentiments of mercy may be sup- 
 posed to dwell. This action of Hien-foung is the more re- 
 markable, inasmuch as it is not calculated to flatter vulgar 
 prejudice. The corrupt people of the East, accustomed 
 to look upon women as inferior beings, would hardly like 
 to see the Imperial sceptre in fair hands. The brain of 
 a Chinese of the lower orders is incapable of understand- 
 
208 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 ing that a lady of high extraction might perhaps modify 
 a weak and violent mind by her gentle influence, and 
 thus avert impending calamities. 
 
 The Emperor thought it his duty to announce his de- 
 termination to his subjects by a special manifesto, and 
 the Official Gazette of Pekin, the Kin-Sin-Pao, the Mo- 
 niteur of the eighteen provinces, heralded the Imperial 
 edict by a " leader" on the subject. We give both these 
 remarkable documents, and first the article from the 
 Chinese journal : — 
 
 '-'- Marriages and births are events that belong to pri- 
 vate life, and the Emperor is not bound to communicate 
 them to his subjects. The people has no occasion to re- 
 joice because his Majesty is pleased to introduce a woman 
 of surpassing beauty into his sanctuary. The same thing 
 may be said of the birth of a child ; for since his Majesty 
 has the right of appointing his successor, so that he can 
 not only select the one among his children whom he con- 
 siders most worthy to reign, but even a man of merit 
 who is no relation to him whatever, the nation can take 
 no interest in the birth of a prince, who perhaps will not 
 be his father's successor. But the case is altered when 
 the Son of Heaven resolves, after the example of some 
 of his glorious ancestors, to give the woman he has mar- 
 ried a place by his throne, and to elevate her to the rank 
 of a reigning empress. He, therefore, proclaims this 
 happy event to the world, that the world may know who 
 is the virtuous woman whom he has deemed worthy to 
 share his throne. For this reason his Majesty has com- 
 
A PEKIN " LEADER." 209 
 
 muDicated his will to the nation. The people would have 
 been made aware of this event long ago, but before de- 
 claring it, the Son of Heaven was obliged to wait till the 
 first period of mourning for his illustrious father had ex- 
 pired. On the morrow of the 7th of the first moon, the 
 Board of Rites will officially register in the annals of the 
 Empire, and announce by placards of yellow paper, and 
 in the Mantchou language, his Majesty's proclamation, 
 that no person throughout the country, whether in the 
 towns or in the villages, shall be ignorant of the event." 
 
 This article was followed by the Imperial manifesto. 
 This document we have translated with the greatest care, 
 and have afterwards collated our work with the transla- 
 tions of the same document made by the Europeans re- 
 sident in China, especially by an historian of the insur- 
 rection who has preceded us — we mean Dr. Macgowan, 
 member of the Missionary Medical Society, a zealous and 
 erudite man, who enjoys a high reputation in China, par- 
 ticularly in Ning-Po, where he has resided for several 
 years : — 
 
 " The Emperor, by the will of Heaven, and the per- 
 petual revolution of the world, says : 
 
 " Even as in nature we see the earth obey the laws of 
 the heavenly bodies, to whom the earth itself is neverthe- 
 less of essential importance, so do we learn from the Ca- 
 nonical Books, that good Emperors have availed them- 
 selves of the assistance of exemplary Empresses. For 
 example, the excellent Ngo-tai, wife of the renowned Em- 
 peror Chun, and the worthy consort of the great Yu, per- 
 
210 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 fectlj fuUfilled all their domestic duties, and, moreover, 
 set examples which were highly edifying to the whole 
 empire. 
 
 " Absorbed day and night by the vast occupations be- 
 longing to the inheritance with which Heaven has en- 
 trusted me, through the medium of my pious ancestors, 
 I have need of an assistant actuated by the same spirit 
 as myself. Niou-lou-kou is a lady of honorable extraction, 
 whose excellent disposition is highly esteemed within the 
 precincts of the palace, where the natural goodness of 
 her heart, and her exemplary character, is shown by the 
 scrupulous exactness with which she performs her domestic 
 duties. Following the examples of antiquity, she does 
 not shrink from washing fine or even coarse linen with 
 her own hands. Frugal and amiable, kind and gentle, 
 she deserves to enjoy every kind of happiness. We 
 therefore desire that she be clad in the Imperial costume, 
 and be at the head of the ladies of the six pavilions. In 
 conformity with ancient usage, I shall respectfully com- 
 municate this event to Heaven, to earth, to the manes of 
 my ancestors, and to the tutelary spirits of the territory 
 and of the harvests, on the seventh of the first moon — 
 the day on which she will be seated by us on the Imperial 
 throne. Then, also, it will be ofl&cially registered in the 
 archives of the empire, that the virtuous and worthy lady 
 Niou-lou-kou, is constituted Empress. From that date 
 she will reside in the palace of the Nenuphars, and will 
 aid us in our administration in the perfumed precincts of 
 her apartments. 
 
HOMAGE TO THE EMPRESS. 211 
 
 " May she be as happily fruitful as she is rich in 
 virtue. 
 
 " On this joyous occasion, it is our wish that the follow- 
 ing favors be granted." 
 
 (Here follows a long list of favors, granted chiefly to 
 ladies, and remissions of the punishments incurred by of- 
 ficial crimes.) 
 
 The new Empress having been solemnly proclaimed, 
 the members of the Imperial family, the ministers, and 
 the high dignitaries of the empire, offered at the feet of 
 their young sovereign the expression of their respectful 
 devotion. In China, the men cannot be received by the 
 women, and hence the following ceremonial forms were 
 observed. The whole assembly proceeded to the throne- 
 room, four of the principal functionaries bearing a canopy 
 of yellow brocade, under which was placed a small bound 
 book. When the visitors came to the Imperial seat, they 
 all fell on their knees, as if Hien-foung was present, and 
 smote their foreheads three times against the ground. 
 The chief of the eunuchs then introduced the Emperor, 
 who was no sooner seated than the President of the Board 
 of Rites took the book from under the canopy, and, ac- 
 companied by two assessors, advanced to the foot of the 
 throne. The three dignitaries then fell on their knees 
 again, and the President of the Board of Rites read with 
 a sonorous voice the compliment which the academy of 
 Han-Lin had composed in honor of the Empress. After 
 which they retired, their duties to their young mistress 
 being now duly performed. 
 
212 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 In the afternoon, the princessess of the blood royal, 
 the princes, the wives of the ministers, and of the high 
 dignitaries, repeated the same ceremony in the presence 
 of the Empress herself The Empress was seated on 
 her throne, and the ladies knelt before her, striking their 
 foreheads only once against the ground. After this, the 
 grand mistress of the palace presented to her the com- 
 plimentary address which had been read in the morning 
 to the Emperor, written on a large sheet of paper adorn- 
 ed with beautiful paintings. On the same day, the new 
 Empress published an edict, in which she declared that 
 she granted special favors to all the old women in the 
 empire. This custom has existed in China from time 
 immemorial. Youth and beauty, loaded with honor and 
 power, bestow alms upon poor and laborious age. The 
 donation consists of a few measures of rice and some 
 pieces of stuff ; and distributed over the whole of China, 
 represents more than 1.000,000 taels, charged upon the 
 Imperial purse. We should add, that it is only women 
 of more than seventy years of age, who participate in the 
 largess. 
 
 The proclamation of the Empress is a charming epi- 
 sode in the Chinese Iliad. We unwillingly quit the sub- 
 ject to return to the narrative of executions, disgraces, 
 battles, and Imperial edicts. 
 
 Our friend Siu was now hurled from the summit of 
 his greatness. When the news reached Canton, a friend 
 of the Viceroy secretly gave warning to his lawful wife, 
 so that the prudent lady had time to put all the most 
 
FRESH PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE REBELS. 213 
 
 valuable effects in a place of safety. Therefore, when, 
 on the following day, the agents of the Grovernment pro- 
 ceeded to the sequestration of all his property, fixed and 
 movable, they found the palace stripped and the coffers 
 nearly empty. The disappointed agents at once opened 
 the Viceroy's harem, and set at liberty those trembling 
 doves who were cooing through the ebony and ivory bars 
 of their aviary. As for Siu, some affirmed that, after 
 another defeat, he had committed suicide ; others that 
 he had been beheaded, which would have justified the 
 omen that attended his departure from Canton ; others, 
 again, who perhaps knew him better, whispered that he 
 had gone over to the rebels. We shall not stop to in- 
 quire which of these suppositions is the true one ; we 
 only hope, for our own part, out of gratitude for the 
 amusement that the Viceroy has afforded us, that the 
 last report may be confirmed. In that case, his head 
 would, at any rate, be least in danger. 
 
 The Tao tai of Chang- Ilaj, more European in his 
 views than the rest of the Chinese, purchased some 
 American vessels to arm them against the rebels, and 
 was supplied with cannon by the merchants of Macao. 
 The Emperor, too, hearing that the insurgents had taken 
 possession of every junk they had met, issued a decree, 
 the substance of which we may express as follows : — 
 
 Art. 1. Whoever takes the fleet of the rebels shall re- 
 tain it as his own property ; all the wealth with which 
 it is loaded shall belong to him, except the powder and 
 the arms. 
 
214 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Art. 2. Whoever burns the fleet of the rebels shall be 
 liberally rewarded. 
 
 Art. 3. Every individual who has slain one or two 
 chiefs with long hair, will have deserved well of his 
 country. 
 
 This decree was followed by another official document, 
 in which the Emperor recommended the offering up of 
 prayers to the goddess Kouan-in, that she might grant a 
 favorable wind to the boats laden with grain, which the 
 southern provinces send every year as a tribute to the 
 « Son of Heaven." 
 
 From the seat of war no certain intelligence was re- 
 ceived. A single letter from the environs of Nankin, 
 affirmed that a conspiracy had burst forth in that city, 
 and that the conspirators, caught in the fact of incendiar- 
 ism, had been slaughtered to a man. The same letter 
 mentioned a battle fought with Tai-ping, in which the 
 Imperialists, after being beaten at first, were at last vic- 
 tors. A Tartar general, named Tchang-king-se, having 
 arrived at the head of 4,000 fresh troops, completely 
 changed the face of affairs, the 4.000 Tartars killing 
 9,000 rebels: that is, two and a quarter each. This 
 battle in two acts lasted four and twenty hours, adds the 
 narrator ; they fought without eating or drinking — a 
 fact which, by the way, appears somewhat unlikely to 
 any one who knows the hearty appetite of the children 
 of the Flowery Land. But such are the extravagant re- 
 ports which the mandarins spread abroad after every 
 disaster. 
 
CHINESE VERACITY. 
 
 215 
 
 A defeat of the Imperialists is immediately followed 
 by a bulletin announcing a complete victory. The Tao- 
 tai goes even further than his colleagues. In a special 
 proclamation, he promises a victory at an appointed day 
 and hour ; and it is only a wonder, that this brave " blue 
 ball " did not prepare a bulletin, with the report of the 
 action in advance. 
 
 We may add that the incidents we have just narrated 
 as belonging to the fight with the general Tchang-king- 
 se, have no ofl&cial character, and that we have only nar- 
 rated them, that we may be guilty of no omissions, and 
 to show how much uncertainty prevails as to the real 
 state of things, and how little confidence is to be placed 
 in reports in which the Government has an interest in 
 diffusing. An ordinary Chinese lies often, very often ; a 
 mandarin lies always. Two facts were ascertained be- 
 yond the reach of a doubt, namely, that the insurgents 
 were before Nankin, and that danger had become so 
 pressing, that the agents of the Chinese Government 
 placed near the scene of events, had been forced, in spite 
 of their antipathy to the Europeans, to apply to them for 
 assistance in the end. 
 
CHAPTEll XVL 
 
 Taking of Nankin— Imperial edicts— Insurrectionary proclamations — Atiitude 
 of tiie Europeans — Progress of tlie insurrection. 
 
 Nankin is in the power of the insurgents ! The victo- 
 rious army of the Pretender has entered the ancient cap- 
 ital of the empire, and there is now an emperor in each 
 of the two rival cities, Nankin and Pekin ! We do not 
 yet know the details of these events, but we can at once 
 foresee their importance. One of the persons best ac- 
 quainted with China, Sir John Davis, thus appreciates 
 the result of such a movement : — 
 
 " To an European fleet, this city would be one of the 
 most vulnerable parts of the empire, as the canal opens 
 into the great river, a little below the city, towards the 
 sea. To blockade at once the mouth of the canal and 
 of the Yang-tze-King could scarcely fail to distress the 
 empire ; especially Pekin, which is fed by supplies from 
 the southern provinces."* 
 
 These lines, written some twenty years ago, were to 
 
 * The passage is from the very instructive work, *' The Chi- 
 nese," published by Sir J. T. Davis in 1886. 
 
IMPORTANCE OF NANKIN. 2l7 
 
 some extent prophetic. When the glorious countrymen 
 of Sir John Davis stationed themselves before Nankin, 
 and were thus masters of the mouth of the canal, the 
 mandarins humbly made submission, and sued for peace ; 
 they clearly saw that the soldiers of her Britannic Maj- 
 esty had secured the keys of China, and that they could 
 easily starve the Emperor in his own palace. 
 
 It must be owned, however, that a Chinese army is 
 jnuch less formidable to native soldiers than an European 
 one, and that under present circumstances they have to 
 deal with enemies whom they can fight with equal arms. 
 Moreover, the insurgents have now not only the Imperial 
 tigers to dread ; but they have a still more implacable 
 foe in the atmosphere which they breathe. Our Euro- 
 pean arms triumph over everything, even the delights of 
 Capua; but these hordes, picked up at haphazard on a 
 march more than 300 leagues in length, cannot feel the 
 same sentiments of duty. These men, recruited among 
 the inflammable populations of the Kouang-Toung, the 
 Kouang-Si, and the Hou-Kouang, and joined by thou- 
 sands of semi-barbarous Mio-Tze, excited by privations 
 and trained to cupidity, will not be able to struggle 
 against the seducing dangers that encompass them. The 
 severe discipline which the united kings have imposed 
 upon their troops, has triumphed over the cunning of Siu 
 and the valor of Ou-lan-tai ; but it will, perhaps, prove 
 impotent against the delights of the Kiang-Nan. 
 
 We have tried to give an idea of that fruitful soil ; we 
 liave briefly described that rich country, where there is 
 10 
 
218 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 110 exception to universal cultivation and production. No 
 exception, we say ; for even the rivulets which disperse the 
 vivifying waters through the fields are not unproductive 
 spaces. The soil beneath the waters is cultivated, and 
 the current rocks the large leaves of the nelumbium — of 
 which both the root and the fruit are eatable — or shakes 
 the slender stalks of the cyperus esculentus, or the trappa 
 bico7-ms, both of which produce excellent food. We have 
 now to become acquainted with Nankin, the rival of Sou- 
 Tcheou-Fou — Nankin, the city of learning and pleasure. 
 According to the estimation of a Chinese, nothing is 
 beautiful, nothing is good, nothing is graceful, elegant, or 
 tasteful, but what comes from Nankin or from Sou- 
 Tcheou-Fou. Being essentially a people of routine^ we 
 French have only one city which gives the tone and sets 
 the fashion ; the Chinese have two. The " fashionables " 
 of the Celestial Empire are divided into schools, one of 
 which belongs to Nankin, the other to Sou-Tcheou-Fou, 
 and we know not which of the two rivals is triumphant. 
 As for Pekin, the city of the Government, it has no voice 
 whatever in matters of taste and pleasure, but merely 
 enjoys a monopoly oi ennui. Nankin is the residence of 
 the literati^ the men of science, the dancers, the painters, 
 the antiquaries, the jugglers, the physicians, the poet^, 
 and the courtezans of celebrity. In this charming city 
 are held schools of science, art, and — pleasure ; for here 
 pleasure itself is at once an art and a science. Malte 
 Brun asserts that in this learned city there are even an 
 Institut and an academy of medicine. None but a geog- 
 
FASHIONABLE LIFE AT NANKIN. 219 
 
 raplier could spread such a calumny ; at Nankin there is 
 neither an academy nor academicians. 
 
 The idle rich of every part of the empire go alternately 
 to Sou-Tcheou-Fou and Nankin. In these two cities 
 they pass their days in the ateliers of painters, or the 
 closets of savants, who, like us, are possessed with a 
 mania for gossiping ; go to applaud the actors of renown, 
 and wind up the evening in the company of poets and 
 courtezans. The Kiang Nan is to a certain extent the 
 Italy of China, where the great business of life is love 
 and poetry. Parents bring up their daughters to profit 
 by their charms. Sometimes they sell them to rich 
 mandarins, sometimes they turn them loose into the 
 world, with their pretty faces and their talents, through 
 which they become nearly the gayest women in the em- 
 pire, always followed by a troop of lovers with full purses. 
 The women of Nankin are not only the handsomest, but 
 also the most elegant women in China. 
 
 At Canton, the mandarin Pan-se-tchen had two doves 
 of Nankin in his harem. They were about seventeen 
 years of age, of slight and graceful figures, like that of a 
 young girl of thirteen ; their features were childishly del- 
 icate, and they resembled those dolls which the artists 
 of our journeaux de modes give as specimens of French 
 ladies. Their long, black, silken eyelashes, which seemed 
 drawn towards the temples, almost concealed their small 
 sparkling black eyes, while their narrow mouth was like 
 a line drawn with carmine. One had her feet compressed, 
 the other wore hers in their natural state ; and beautiful 
 
220 THE IKSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 they were : with such feet as those one ought to walk 
 without shoes, or put on slippers of glass ! These young 
 girls wore round their heads a narrow band of black sat- 
 in, adorned with pearls, garnets, and emeralds. They 
 were crowned with flowers of lan-hoa, which emitted a 
 most penetrating odor ; and their hair, which was com- 
 pletely surrounded with this fragrant garland, terminated 
 in a top-knot. Their faces were as white as milk : in 
 China ladies paint whitCy and these were so completely 
 white-washed that they positively resembled the fantastic 
 figures which cover those screens and fans in which ap- 
 pear a swarm of young flying girls— the voluptuous vis- 
 ions of the artists of the Kingdom of Flowers. The girls 
 had been very carefully educated. They made verses, 
 which they sang, and accompanied themselves on the 
 kin^ a sort of primitive lyre with eight silken strings, 
 which vibrate softly on a long sounding board of ebony 
 inlaid with ivory. This is the piano of the Celestial 
 Empire ; a modest instrument, differing widely from that 
 noisy machine which is often so overpowering in our sa- 
 loons at the touch of the most delicate fingers. 
 
 Such were the young Nankin girls whom we saw, and 
 those travellers who have had the privilege of penetrating 
 the Elysium of China give descriptions which accord with 
 ours. All the canals of the artistic city are covered with 
 elegant boats, steered by females, and in the centre of 
 these is a pavilion securely closed. This is the habita- 
 tion of young girls similar to those we have just described. 
 All the furniture of these floating boudoirs is made of 
 
IXSURGKNTS AT KIANG-NAN. 221 
 
 wood, black and polished as marble, inlaid with silver or 
 ivory. Porcelain seats and cane couches are distributed 
 about the superb cabin. The Chinese have a decided 
 taste for aquatic amusements, and never feel their en- 
 joyment complete unless they are afloat. Hence these 
 luxurious boats are inhabited day and night by persons 
 who eat, drink, smoke, and sleep in them. For people of 
 inferior opulence accommodation of less magnificence is 
 provided ; but no one is really poor in this soil, which is 
 always productive — under that glorious sky which is all 
 radiant with light — or along those canals which flow 
 beneath the shade of the bamboo, and are perfumed by 
 the olea fragrans. 
 
 Hitherto the insurgents have made numerous recruits 
 on their route ; now they have reached the wealthy Ki- 
 ang-Nan, they will gain adherents, but no more accom- 
 plices. Revolutionary attempts, whether for good or evil, 
 have this unfortunate privilege, that they attract all kinds 
 of desperate characters who expect that a change will 
 bring some improvement to their condition ; while on the 
 other hand, in those favored countries where comfort is 
 generally diff'used, an insurrectionary army seldom gains 
 many followers. Hence the rebels, though they probably 
 command the sympathy of the masses, must henceforth 
 only reckon on the eflfective force of their troops, and 
 will have to combat with energy not only the Pekin sol- 
 diers who are sent against them, but also the enervating 
 influence of the focus which they have reached. 
 
 We shall now pass in review the events which have 
 
222 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 taken place during the last months of the present year. 
 The first document which we read in the Moniteur of 
 Pekin is an imperial decree relative to the death of Siao- 
 tchao-kouei, who took the title of Si-wang, o-r King of 
 the West. According to the report of one of the gene- 
 rals, the rebel chief had been killed by the explosion of 
 a cannon, and the Emperor ordered that his corps should 
 undergo a retrospective punishment. In the same decree 
 the magnanimous sovereign informs his subjects that sev- 
 eral unfortunate prisoners have had their hearts torn out 
 alive, as ofi'erings to the manes of the warriors who died 
 fighting in defence of the Imperial power. We give this 
 decree entire, remarking that there is about it a tone of 
 barbarity which is not likely to enlist the sympathies of 
 civilized countries in favor of the despot of Pekin. Such 
 decrees can only be dictated by the ravings of impotent 
 rage :— 
 
 " It seems, according to the report of Tchang-leang-ki, 
 that the rebel Siao-tchao-kouei has been killed by an ex- 
 plosion. This man, considered one of the most eminent 
 and audacious among the rebels, had taken the title of 
 King of the West. When, some time ago, Lo-ou and 
 some others were made prisoners, they said that the 
 rebel in question had been killed by the explosion of a 
 cannon at Tchang-Cha, and that his body was buried at 
 Lao-Loung-Tan. On this information his body was dug 
 up, and its identity being established, it was cut into 
 pieces to serve for an example. Lo-ou and his compan- 
 ions, to the number of six, had their hearts torn out, still 
 
SANGUINARY DECREE. 223 
 
 palpitating, and these were offered to the manes of the 
 officers and the soldiers who died in the battle. 
 
 '■ The rebels Houng-sieou-tsuen and others, who have 
 carried disorder into the provinces of the Kouang-Si and 
 the Hou-Kouang, are filling up the measure of their 
 guilt. Besides the aforesaid Siao-tchao-kouei, one Wei- 
 tching. another famous chief of the insurgents, has come 
 to a premature end at Tching-Tcheou, through the agen- 
 cy of invisible beings. Another, named Che-ta-kai was 
 killed by our soldiers in his flight to Ho-Se ; and, ac- 
 cording to the testimony of the rebels, Houng-yun-chan 
 has vanished, without any one knowing whither he has 
 gone. None are left now but Houng-sieou-tsuen, Yang- 
 sieou-tsing, and a few others, who trouble the province 
 of the Hou-Pe. Those who are forced to follow them 
 are mere flocks of birds in the train of a few conspira- 
 tors. 
 
 " The chief officers of the army, and the governors of 
 provinces, are hereby enjoined to publish proclamations 
 in order to engage the troops, the villagers, the magis- 
 trates, the nobles, and the people, to combine their efforts 
 for the extermination of this impure race. As for those 
 who have been forced against their will to follow the 
 rebels, it is decreed that if they seize some of these male- 
 factors, and bring them to our camp, they shall be not 
 only pardoned, but liberally rewarded. At the present 
 moment the grand army is assembled togetlier like a 
 mass of clouds collected from all parts for the destruc- 
 tion of the rebels. These miserable wretches have filled 
 
224 THE IXSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 up the measure of their wickedness ; they are hated alike 
 by gods and men, and cannot long escape the punishment 
 they deserve. Respect this." 
 
 This document is followed by another, redolent of re- 
 trospective humanity. Young Hien-foung, in his letters 
 of pardon, declares that the officers who fled before the 
 enemy at the battle of Yo-TcheoUj having died of a mor- 
 tal sickness, he pardons their crime ! But there are 
 other documents betraying the uneasiness with which the 
 omnipotent Emperor is now visited. He distributes 
 throughout the empire prayers addressed to Heaven ; 
 and these acts of contrition plainly show the anguish of 
 the Court of Pekin. It is in the following terms that 
 Hien-foung implores the Supreme Being : — 
 
 " Filled with dread and apprehension, I humbly en- 
 treat Heaven to pardon my oflfences, and to spare my un- 
 happy people. May all the officers of the court and the 
 provinces awaken the better feelings of their hearts, and 
 devise the best means of averting from the people the 
 calamities by which they are now afflicted. - The students 
 and the people of every locality should also unite their 
 efforts to check the enemy and speedily destroy these 
 monstrous rebels. They will thus enjoy endless peace 
 and prosperity under the benignant protection of Heaven, 
 while we and our officers shall be equally animated with 
 feelings of respect and gratitude. We desire that the 
 Board of Rites and the high authorities of each province 
 shall engrave this decree and publish it on yellow paper, 
 
INCITEMKNT TO ASSASSINATION. 225 
 
 that our intentions may be known throughout the 
 world." 
 
 This public confession — this official " met culpcL " — is 
 not sufficient to solace the heart of the monarch ; he de- 
 clares to all his subjects that he will pass a night at the 
 altar of Heaven. But, as if he doubted the protection 
 of the gods he invokes, he avails himself of this occasion 
 to preach treachery, and advise murder in the interest of 
 his throne : — 
 
 " On the seventh of the second moon (March 21st), I, 
 the Emperor, shall pass the night at the altar of Heaven, 
 and shall pray with fervor for the peace of my subjects, 
 who, from the commencement of the rebellion to the 
 present time, tave endured heavy calamities in the prov- 
 inces of Kouang-Si, Hou-Nan, and Hou-Pe. I am also 
 in deep affliction on account of the thousands of people 
 who perished in the city of Ou-Tchang ; and I most bit- 
 terly reproach my officers, who, instead of preventing 
 these calamities by efficient measures, took flight as soon 
 as the rebels made their appearance. 
 
 " In the time of the Emperor Kia-king there was a re- 
 bellion in the Hou-Kouang, which lasted many years ; 
 but the people did not flee: the courageous villagers 
 united and defended themselves. Would it not be bet- 
 ter now to give money to the brave villagers, to prevail 
 upon them to assemble in arms, than to take away what 
 they have already got ? 
 
 '• Those who follow the rebels do not act from their 
 own free will. If they return to us, we must receive 
 JO* 
 
226 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 them well, for they are my* subjects. All the millions 
 that have been lavished, — have they not been expended 
 to save my people ? Wait till my troops have surround- 
 ed and destroyed the rebels ; and then assuredly, you 
 will have tranquillity. If any of those who follow the 
 rebels, kills their chief, he shall not only be pardoned but 
 liberally rewarded. 
 
 " I have frequently reproached myself, and I have 
 prayed to Heaven to pardon my sins, to save my people, 
 and not to let them suffer any more on my account. 
 May all future calamities fall upon my head alone." 
 
 Hien-foung, however, understands the danger of his 
 position. He feels that what is most hated in him is his 
 Tartar origin, and he makes some attempt to obtain par- 
 don for this fault. Scarcely do the soldiers of " Kirin" 
 and of "Love " set foot on the Chinese territory, than he 
 addresses them with severity, recommending them to ob- 
 serve the strictest discipline, to be moderate in their de- 
 mands, to respect property, and to treat as brothers the 
 inhabitants of the provinces through which they have to 
 pass. However, the antipathies of race are stronger than 
 Imperial proclamations ; and hence the Imperial troops 
 take no heed of their master's recommendations. The 
 official Gazette of Pekin severely blames the General 
 Foung-chen, commander of the troops of Kirin, who has 
 behaved in China as though it were a conquered country. 
 He levied contributions on his route ; made extraordi- 
 
 * This transition from the plural to the singular is not unfre- 
 quent in the Imperial documents. — J. 0. 
 
PERILOUS POSITION OF THE EMPEROR. 227 
 
 nary demands for horses, carriages, and provisions ; and 
 — unlucky symptom ! — delayed his march for several 
 days, on the plea of sudden indisposition. The Empe- 
 ror, by degrading this ofl&cer, appeals anew to concord 
 and good feeling ; but this fresh exhortation will be no 
 more eflScacious than the last. 
 
 The troops of " Kirin" and of '' Love" form a portion 
 of those soldiers of the eight banners who once inspired 
 tb« Chinese with so much terror. These regiments 
 "were at that time valiant hordes led by intrepid chiefs, 
 as sober and as much inured to fatigue as the camels 
 of their vast deserts. It is to be feared that they are 
 now enervated by the effeminate habits of China. In 
 the orders given to those select corps, we read with sur- 
 prise that, after every day's march, two days of rest are 
 allowed. Can it be that at this urgent moment, when 
 perhaps the destinies of the Tartar dynasty may depend 
 on a forced march, it is necessary to economize the 
 strength of the soldiers ? Hien-foung is exposed to two 
 dangers equally formidable, — the hatred of the Chinese 
 nation, and abandonment by his natural defenders, if 
 these should feci dissatisfied. 
 
 There is one thing which the Emperor does not econo- 
 mize at all, — that is the blood of his generals. The un- 
 fortunate Siu has been beheaded ; he has been punished 
 for not being- a man of genius : for not having been able, 
 with cowardly soldiers — the dregs of the garrisons — to 
 form, at a moment's notice, troops equal in valor to those 
 who took the Smala or copquered the Punjaub. The 
 
228 THE IXSURRECTION IX OIIIXA. 
 
 unlucky omen of Canton proved to be a providential 
 warning. We ought never to laugh at those poor ani- 
 mals which are shut up in a tiger's cage, for sooner or 
 later the terrible beast kills his companion, — often with- 
 out anger, and because the natural instinct to kill has 
 been awakened within him. Sai-chang-ha has also been 
 condemned to death; only his misery is prolonged for 
 several months, the Emperor having ordered that the 
 execution shall be deferred till after the autumn assizes. 
 This order proceeds from a very ancient custom. All 
 executions in China take place in the autumn months, ex- 
 cept those on account of political crimes ; for in such 
 cases all seasons are alike. An elaborate philosophical 
 discussion, not altogether foreign to our subject, would 
 be required to explain the motive of this Chinese ar- 
 rangement. 
 
 Thus, in the last extremity, the acts of the Emperor 
 may be reduced to these heads : — prayers and supplica- 
 tions addressed to old deities, deaf and powerless ; con- 
 demnations, executions, and constant appeals to the 
 basest passions — to treachery and murder. 
 
 While Hien-foung is thus perpetually losing ground, 
 slipping back into the ruts of the past, and giving way to 
 fury and dejection by turns, the insurgents pursue their 
 determined course with that calmness and perseverance 
 which are the surest signs of strength. They publish 
 new proclamations, in which they depict the hateful ra- 
 pacity of the mandarins, the sufferings of the people, and 
 the imbecility of the young monarch, a captive in the 
 
PROCLAMATIOX OF THE INSURGENTS. 229 
 
 midst of eunuchs, women, and courtiers. In one of these 
 compositions, which are full of spirit and enthusiasm, 
 they make an appeal to old patriotic sentiments, and urge 
 their fellow-countrymen to throw of the foreign yoke, and 
 restore the national dynasty. This manifesto is followed 
 by another of still greater importance. The rebels endea- 
 vor to inspire the different interests with confidence, and to 
 repudiate all connection with those plunderers who in 
 every revolution seem to start from the earth, that they 
 may fish in troubled waters, under the shelter of a cock- 
 ade or a flag. This document is too important, and con- 
 tains too much valuable information as to the real char- 
 acter of the insurrection, to be withheld from our read- 
 ers: — 
 
 " Lieou, the chief who founds the dynasty, and tran- 
 quillizes remote districts, having been specially charged to 
 promulgate peace in the Kiang-Nan, publishes the fol- 
 lowing proclamation : — 
 
 ''An Imperial order having charged Greueral Yang 
 and myself to console the people and to punish the guilty, 
 we find that our cause spreads in every direction with the 
 utmost rapidity, and with irresistible power. But while 
 we have beheaded greedy magistrates and corrupt officers, 
 we have done no harm to honest people. It is neverthe- 
 less to be regretted that before the arrival of our troops, 
 the smugglersof salt, and the malefactors of every district, 
 took advantage of the occasion to commit acts of plunder 
 and violation. Our General-in-Chief has already sent an 
 especial messenger to look out for these robbers, to seize 
 
230 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 them and behead more than a thousand of them, in order 
 to give example to the rest. 
 
 " Having learned that a great number of these ma- 
 rauders are still dispersed about the country in the 
 Kiang-Nan, and that they plunder the citizens who retired 
 with their property into the farms and villages situated 
 at a distance from the towns, we have, consequently, dis- 
 patched a large number of disciplined troops, that they 
 may inquire at every place where our army is expected, 
 whether any depredations are committed there, and like- 
 wise ascertain the names of all individuals guilty of such 
 crimes. When the chief town of the district is taken, 
 the accuracy of these reports will be tested, and if the 
 crimes are proved, the inhabitants of the guilty villages 
 will be utterly exterminated, without distinction of age 
 or sex. The feelings of clemency with which I, the Com- 
 missioner, am penetrated, will not allow me to put any 
 one to death without due warning. For this reason, I 
 publish this proclamation beforehand, wishing that every 
 one may duly regulate his actions, and resist the prompt- 
 ings of his cupidity, unless he would be exterminated like 
 the inhabitants of the two villages to the west and the 
 north of Ou-Hou. As for you, inhabitants of the towns, 
 you ought' not to leave your towns in disorder, so as to 
 run the risk of being plundered. When our army ar- 
 rives, you have only to write on your doors the word 
 ' Obedient,' and if any one of our soldiers causes you an- 
 noyance, he shall be immediately beheaded, as an example 
 to the others. 
 
DISCIPLINE IN THE INSURGENT CAMP. 231 
 
 " Issued in the second moon of the fourth year of 
 Tien-te. 
 
 Human actions resemble each other in every country ; 
 and in spite of the distance which separates us from Chi- 
 na, several of our readers will smile at finding in the 
 above proclamation some striking points of coincidence 
 with certain acts of our revolutionary episodes. The 
 protection specially promised to all who will write •' Obe- 
 dient" on their gates, and the anticipatory sentence of 
 death passed beforehand against robbers, forcibly recall 
 to our minds an epoch too recent for its memory to be 
 effaced. However, the peculiarity of the document is 
 the proof it affords of the inexorable discipline which 
 reigns in the camp of the insurgents ; for, in the records 
 of the Chinese army, the repression of certain excesses is 
 a_ybiijg unknown. The commanding oflGicer says to the 
 soldier, " Tremble and obey," and he does, in effect, 
 tremble and obey ; but only on condition that his vices 
 and depredations shall be winked at. A Chinese army 
 on a campaign treats friends and enemies with most perfect 
 impartiality, plundering all alike. 
 
 If the repression of the depredations of the Chinese 
 army is to date from the era of the feudatory kings and 
 the Emperor Tien-te, they will have deserved well of 
 their country by this act alone. But this is not the only 
 reform the Pretender hopes to accomplish ; while he 
 bides his time to effect radical changes, he comes forward 
 aa the restorer of the ancient good faith and administra- 
 tive probity — as the inexorable judge of corrupt and cor- 
 
232 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 rupting mandarins. To a certain extent, he gives guar- 
 antees of administrative probity already. When a district 
 is occupied by the insurgent army, those who supply 
 the troops are paid with debentures, which will be duly 
 honored by Tien-te, when he has taken the public treas- 
 ury. Moreover the revolutionary chiefs have paid par- 
 ticular attention to the dangers to which weak and de- 
 fenceless creatures are exposed. They no sooner arrive 
 at a town than they erect house* of refuge for young fe- 
 males, and write over the door this very positive notice : 
 " This place is sacred to young girls ; whoever has the 
 audacity to cross the threshold with any evil purpose will 
 be beheaded." 
 
 However, in our eyes, these are not the most significant 
 portions of the insurrection. Of late the agents of Tien- 
 te have circulated a document to which we especially 
 direct the attention of our readers : — 
 
 " The object of this proclamation is to call upon you 
 all to expel the Mantchous at once, wherever they are 
 found, and to await the establishment of our court at 
 Nankin, where those who pass their examinations with 
 credit will receive degrees proportionate to their merit. 
 Let the barbarians of other countries remain at a dis- 
 tance for awhile, until, after the due submission of the 
 empire, we publish a proclamation respecting commerce. 
 As for the stupid priests of Buddha, and the jugglers of 
 Tao-se, they must all be put down, and their temples and 
 monasteries must be demolished, as well as those of all 
 other corrupt sects. 
 
REFORMS INTENDED BY THE REBELS. 233 
 
 " Let every one tremble and obey !" 
 
 Every phase of this remarkable document has a poli- 
 tical value, the import of which we must define. First, 
 these intelligent rebels would have it known that they 
 are not brutal destroyers ; they set forth the elements 
 of their new organization, and they announce that, to re- 
 cruit their administrative force, they will open public 
 examinations, at which every one shall be classed accord- 
 ing to his merits. In the second sentence, they advise 
 the Europeans to adopt the principle of non-intervention, 
 and to keep apart from a contest in which they have no 
 interest at stake. Lastly, they address the " stupid 
 priests of Buddha," the "jugglers of Tao-se," and the 
 other " corrupt sects," to inform them that their temples 
 will be demolished, and their religion suppressed. 
 
 Who, then, is the author of this curious proclamation? 
 Is he a disciple of Confucius, or a member of the Chinese 
 Union of GutzlafiF. It is impossible just now to obtain 
 any certain information on this point, and we must re- 
 main in a state of uncertainty as to what is meant by 
 " other corrupt sects." 
 
 All that we can ascertain is that the insurgents, with 
 regard to certain points, are sure to keep their word ; 
 and unless we are greatly mistaken, one of the classic 
 " wonders " which we were taught to admire on hearsay 
 in the days of oar childhood, is falling beneath the ham* 
 mer of the iconoclasts. The Buddhist temples of China 
 suffer in their turn from an eruption of the barbarians ; 
 the rationalistic sans culottes of the Celestial Empire lay 
 
234 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 their hands on the works of art which a poetic and fertile 
 superstition raised from the earth. These glorious mon- 
 uments, and among them the porcelain tower of Nankin, 
 are already tottering on a base undermined by rigid re- 
 formers. We might say that all nations throughout the 
 world undertake to confirm this melancholy truth, that 
 the victories of ideas are purchased by the heaviest sacri- 
 fices — by the destruction of the most remarkable chefs 
 d'cEUvre of the human intellect. Man knows only one 
 method of fighting against the past, namely, by over- 
 throwing those harmless stones that have been raised by 
 the inspiration of the idea against which he contends. 
 As the threats of the insurgents are likely to become 
 matters of fact, let us cast a glance at the pagoda of 
 Nankin — that relic of the past, whose elegant fabric will 
 probably soon scatter its fragments over the ground. 
 This beautiful monument has been described to us in 
 these terms by one who has seen it with his own eyes, 
 and touched it with his own hands : — 
 
 " The tower of Nankin is the magnificent complement 
 of the pagoda Pao-Ngan-Se. It is of an octagonal form, 
 and not less than seventy metres* in height. At a dis- 
 tance it appears entirely white, but on approaching it we 
 can discern the variety of colors and gilding with which 
 it is covered, A large pedestal of rough hewn marble is 
 the base of the monument, round which it forms a broad 
 landing-place, which is reached by some ten steps. The 
 
 * A metre is equal to an English yard. 
 
PORCELAIN TOWER OF NANKIN. 235 
 
 large hall, which serves as the ground floor to the tem- 
 ple, is about a dozen or fiften metres in depth, and about 
 eight metres in height. Above this hall rise successively 
 nine floors, each seven metres high, and separated from 
 each other by a series of roofs or cornices, which project 
 to the extent of a metre, and form those angles curved 
 upwards, which characterize Chinese architecture. An 
 incommodious staircase inside the edifice leads to its 
 summit, and on every floor is a room of less diameter 
 than that below it. The bulk of the monument is of 
 common brick, and its thickness is four metres at the 
 base, and two and a half at the summit. The outside 
 of the walls is covered over with plates of common white 
 porcelain, joined perfectly together. In the lower floors 
 the porcelian is merely adorned by a few stamped orna- 
 ments, of no great depth ; but in the upper floors are 
 seen a number of niches, in which are placed statuettes 
 and idols, apparently gilded. In the middle of the hall 
 on each floor is an altar, dedicated to Buddha. The 
 spire which surmounts the tower is ten metres high. It 
 is composed of a strong stem, round which a broad spiral 
 piece of iron is twisted, and terminates in a large ball, 
 which is said to be of solid gold. The height and pecu- 
 liar brightness of this tower cause Nankin to be recog- 
 nized at a great distance ; and it has served as a beacon 
 *o the first English and French ships-of-war that ascend- 
 1 the Yang-Tze-Kiang." 
 
 When we reflect that the men who thus loudly and de- 
 liberately proclaim their intention to attack this noble 
 
236 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 work — to overthrow a monument which is famed through- 
 out the whole world, and which generations admire by 
 instinct — are not barbarians, reason is astounded at an- 
 omalies presented by the human mind. Indeed, not only 
 are the destroyers not barbarians, but there are savants 
 among them who pride themselves on their reputation as 
 men of taste. When, as conquerors, the rebels entered 
 this city of Nankin, which they have probably unpoetized 
 by the destruction of its " wonder," they wished to prove 
 themselves worthy to inhabit the Athens of the " Flow- 
 ery Land," and they posted on the walls of this city of 
 art and letters a proclamation in verse to dissipate the 
 fears of the inhabitants. This pompous production would 
 be ridiculous enough in France, but in China it proves 
 that the insurgents are not without tact and taste. 
 Those who aspire to reign by their literary accomplish- 
 ments, and to establish a court in the most learned city 
 of the empire, are bound to prove that they themselves 
 are learned, and can appreciate the delicacies of lan- 
 guage and the refinements of art. 
 
 Ye people, this announcement is to set your minds at rest, 
 
 And hinder you from fleeing to the East and to the West. 
 
 The hearths and altars of the Mings — that dynasty subHme — 
 
 Have been usurped by Mantchou hordes until the present time. 
 
 But now we hurl the Tartars down, and raise the Chinese throne, 
 
 The greedy crew of magistrates shall perish every one. 
 
 Our deeds are surely virtuous, when Heaven we obey, 
 
 So do not, O ye people, to vain alarms give way. 
 
 Since first our mighty force began to penetrate the land, 
 
 Upon the honest citizen we ne'er have laid a hand. 
 
 The ashes of our ancestors ai'e in your neighborhood, 
 
REPORTS OP CRUELTY. 237 
 
 And urged by their example we protect the just and good. 
 Against the robbers of the place all due precautions take, 
 And do not waste your courage for the vile oppressor's sake. 
 At Houang-Tcheou and at Han-Yang many valiant warriors fell. 
 Because the hardy peasants for their tyrants fought too well. 
 But though a hundred millions should oppose us in our course, 
 As dust by wind is scattered, we shall dissipate their force. 
 When the Kiang-Nan and the Chang-Toung shall at last submissive 
 
 be, 
 You shall all enjoy the blessings of a long tranquillity. 
 To these few words of warning you will now attention pay, 
 Nor be by disobedience nor by terror led astray. 
 
 We do not know any of the details connected with the 
 taking of Nankin. The only ascertained fact is, the oc- 
 cupation of the city. At Chang-Hai, however, some 
 dark rumors have been spread. It is said that the in- 
 surgents assembled together four hundred Tartar women 
 in a public building, on the pretence of marrying them to 
 some Chinese, and then roasted them alive by setting the 
 building on fire. It is also affirmed that the Mantchou 
 officials have been subjected to the most dreadful tor- 
 tures. We doubt the truth of these reports, and think 
 they are only calumnies invented by the mandarins, in 
 the hope of awaking in the hearts of foreigners feelings 
 unfavorable to the insurgents. 
 
 The Imperial functionaries now remain isolated in the 
 midst of the people ; they feel that they have lost all 
 hold on the sympathies of the nation, and they seek to 
 prolong their existence by means of European interven- 
 tion. For this purpose the Tao-Tai of Chang-Hai has 
 invented and ciroolated this proclamation ; which, it is 
 
238 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 affirmed, was posted against the walls of Sou-Tcheou- 
 Fou. 
 
 " Lo, commander of the land and sea forces, and the' 
 . . . . . I 
 
 general charged with the pacification of the Eastern dis- 
 tricts and the subjugation of the Mantchous, and Hou- 
 ang, commissary-general and member of the council of 
 war, publish together this proclamation : — 
 
 "On the 22nd of this moon (21st March), our Em- 
 peror established the seat of his government at Nankin, 
 having exterminated the Mantchou robbers, without 
 leaving so much as a dog or a fowl. The Chinese of- 
 ficers, Lou-kien-yng (Governor of the city) and his ad- 
 herents, having made their submission, our Emperor has 
 not done any injury to a single individual of the people. 
 In a few days our grand army will be at Sou-Tcheou, 
 Soung-Kiang, Tchang-Tcheou, and Tchen-Kiang. The 
 inhabitants of these districts should be aware that our 
 superior officers, who are deeply versed in astrology, 
 have ascertained that the Great Bear is now in its apo- 
 gee over Kiang-Nan, and that the star Venus is at the 
 altitude of Soung-Kiang The ignoble foreigners of 
 Chang-Hai are not worthy to be regarded as men ; and 
 it is difficult to affirm that there will be no fighting even 
 at Chang-Hai. The inhabitants of Tchang-Tcheou and 
 of TchaugKiang have nothing to fear; but the honest 
 folks of Sou-Tcheou and Soung-Kiang (the districts in 
 which Chang-Hai is situated) will retire a few hundred 
 li into the country, if they desire to be safe. The sub- 
 jects of the preceding dynasty are the children of the 
 
TREACHERY OF THE MANDARINS. 289 
 
 new Emperor ; we. therefore, ought to give them timely 
 warning to take care of themselves. When our Emperor 
 has definitely established his government, we shall pub- 
 lish a special proclamation to recall the people to their 
 homes, and to urge them to resume their usual occupa- 
 tions, as well as their studies for the literary examina- 
 tions. Let every one impress these orders on his mind. 
 
 " Published in the fourth year of Tien-te, on the 24th 
 of the third moon (2nd April)." 
 
 The foreign residents, who have long been acquainted 
 with Chinese duplicity, perceived at once that this pro- 
 duction was a forgery, and the treacherous act did not 
 lure them into any imprudent manifestations. The 
 Chinese, however, are consummate masters in the Punio 
 war of lying and slander. They spread a second net for 
 the barbarians ; and this time obtained at least the ap- 
 pearance of success. 
 
 The mandarins are convinced that, if the Christiana 
 remain calm spectators of the combat, the Tartar dynasty 
 will fall. They have, therefore, long sought to compro- 
 mise the foreigners in the eyes of the insurgents ; and 
 now, with the aid of commercial cupidity, they have par- 
 tially obtained their end. We have already said that 
 Tao-Tai of Chang- Hai had enrolled under the yellow 
 flag some lorchas of Macao, and had purchased a vessel 
 of an American firm. This vessel is an old receiving- 
 ship, called the Science, and belongs to the firm of Rus- 
 sell, who have not sold but let it to the Tartar agent, at 
 the monstrous rate of 50,000 piasters per month. When 
 
240 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 this old vessel sailed up the Yang-Tze-Kiang toward Nan- 
 ; kin, the emissaries of the Tao-Tai gave the rebels to un- 
 derstand that the foreign residents were lending their as- 
 sistance to the Imperial authorities. There was, at 
 once, a great commotion in the insurgent camp ; menaces 
 were uttered against the foreigners, and the insurgents 
 swore they would be revenged for this abandonment of a 
 neutral policy — the only policy suitable to foreigners. 
 
 Unfortunately, an unlucky coincidence increased the 
 fear of the insurrectionary army ; and, to a certain extent, 
 justified its exasperation. Mr. Marshall, the American 
 plenipotentiary, prompted by an inopportune curiosity, 
 took it into his head to sail up the river in the Susque- 
 hanna steamer. The rebels, perceiving the long streaks 
 of smoke issuing from the funnel of the American steamer, 
 fell into a violent rage ; they seized, it is said, the Gov- 
 ernor of Nankin, whom they had spared hitherto, behead- 
 ed him, set his head on a bamboo, and planted this hor- 
 rible trophy on the ramparts of the city, as a bloody de- 
 fiance to the barbarians. 
 
 This crime was the only result of the unlucky expedi- 
 tion of Colonel Marshall, who returned to Chang-Hai, 
 saying, that he had been obliged to turn back on account 
 of the Susquehanna drawing too much water. The for- 
 eign residents, on receiving this intelligence, dreaded the 
 consequences of the expedition of the Science ; but it was 
 ascertained that this unfortunate vessel had run aground 
 off Tchen-Kiang-Fou, and had been abandoned by the 
 crew. 
 
BOLD UNDERTAKING OF MR. MEADOWS. 241 
 
 Under these difficult circumstances, a man of great 
 courage and resolution offered to proceed to the camp of 
 the insurgents, and ask the chiefs how they were disposed 
 towards the Christian nations. Mr. Meadows, the inter- 
 preter of the English consulate, set off alone on the 9th 
 of April ; intending either to go to Sou-Tcheou-Fou, or 
 by way of the Imperial canal to visit the generals of 
 Tien-te at Nankin. This act of devotion on the part of 
 Mr.' Meadows is one of the most interesting episodes of 
 the insurrection. Hereafter, we shall certainly have an 
 account of his interview with the insurgents ; but while 
 we are awaiting the result of his courageous undertaking, 
 we may state that there is not a man worthy of the name, 
 who ought not to offer up prayers for the safety of the 
 brave English interpreter. 
 
 In the meanwhile great uneasiness is felt at Chang- 
 Hai. These complications plunge the foreign residents 
 inte a state of the most cruel difficulty ; but far from 
 being cast down, the heroes of this industrial community 
 unite together for the common safety, and mith that tact 
 which is the characteristic of men of superior race, they 
 dextrously avail themselves of every circumstance to se- 
 cure the future safety of their little colony. For this put- 
 pose they surround their factories with a wall of defence, 
 around which they dig a deep moat, and mark out a line 
 of fortification ; thus shielding the territory of the Chris- 
 tian nations from all danger of a sudden attack. Cer- 
 tainly, a noble spectacle is presented to the world by this 
 
 little group of merchants, who isolated amid a crowd of 
 11 
 
242 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 enemies, rely only upon their own energy to defend them- 
 selves. 
 
 Although all interest is now chiefly centred in the 
 eastern extremity of the empire, we receive letters from 
 Canton, Macao, and Hong-Kong, which are full of curious 
 details. Our correspondents are unanimous in blaming 
 the imprudent conduct of the American plenipotentiary, 
 the speculation of the firm of Russell, and even the ex- 
 pedition of the Portuguese mercenaries. They think 
 that these individual acts will be productive of harm to 
 foreigners ; and that Tien-te will be revenged on all the 
 residents for the faults and impolitic cupidity of a few. 
 Moreover, our correspondents, who but a few months 
 ago described the insurrectionary movement as a mere 
 act of bravado of no importance, have suddenly changed 
 their opinion. Tien-te is now, in their eyes, the chief of 
 a national revolution, which nothing can restrain. 
 
 The Kouang-Si, which was supposed to have been 
 freed from the rebels, has once more fallen into their 
 power: and in the Kouang-Toung, the department of 
 Kouei-Tcheou, and the city of Lei-Tcheou-Fou, opposite 
 Hai-Nan, are occupied by their troops. While these 
 things are going on at the gates of Canton, the populatiou 
 of this large city loudly proclaims its sympathy with the 
 new dynasty ; and prays with all its might for the over- 
 throw of the Mantchous. These sentiments are so pop- 
 ular in this province, that the magistrate of Ho-Ping- 
 Hein, and a colonel of the Imperial troops, have been 
 assassinated by the people, because they attempted to op- 
 
POPULARITY OF THE INSURRECTION. 243 
 
 pose the departure of a convoy with ammunition for the 
 insurgents. In all the great cities hatred against the 
 Tartars is openly displayed under the very eyes of the 
 mandarins. The young men of fashion join the opposition 
 by cutting oflF the tail, and adopting the costume of the 
 time of the Mings. In fact, the revolutionary impetus 
 is so strong, that even those of our friends who are least 
 favorable to the insurgent cause, begin to regard the 
 overthrow of the throne of Hien-foung as an established 
 fact. 
 
CHAPTEE XYII. 
 
 state of parties in China — Is Tien-te the legitimate descendant of the Mings ?- 
 Prophetic rebuses. 
 
 The preceding pages were written when the Hong 
 Kong journals of the 22d of April reached us. One 
 of the Anglo-Chinese papers states, that on the departure 
 of the schooner lonia^ from Chang-Hai", on the 12th of 
 April, there was a current report in that city that the 
 Imperial troops had driven the insurgents out of Nankin. 
 Notwithstanding the authority of the journal which con- 
 tains this intelligence, we do not believe it is correct. 
 The reasons for our disbelief are these : the number of 
 the paper which contains the details of the defeat of 
 Tien-te's generals, also tells us that the Tao-Tai of 
 Chang-Hai has published a proclamation to inspire the 
 people of his district with fresh courage. In this ojQacial 
 document he said that General Kouan-young was at Tan- 
 Yang, and that he expected, on the 12th of April, to fall 
 upon the rebels, and make short work with them. 
 
 On the other hand, according to the letters received 
 from the camp of the united kings, it was asserted that 
 
RUMOR OF A DEFEAT OF THE REBELS. 246 
 
 the Tartar troops had invested the new conquest of the 
 insurgents, and that a general action was to take place on 
 the above date. The correspondent of the China Mail^ 
 while furnishing us with this intelligence, explains a Chi- 
 nese custom which does infinite honor to the chivalrous 
 feeling of this people, but of which we did not suppose it 
 capable. A general action does not often take place in 
 China, excepting a rencontre has been agreed upon by 
 the belligerent parties. 
 
 Now, if the attack on Nankin took place on the 12th 
 of April, the result of the battle could not possibly have 
 been known on the same day at Chang-Ha'i, which is 
 eighty leagues distant from that celebrated city. In 
 China, electric telegraphs are not as yet known, and even 
 carrier pigeons are not employed in the Imperial service. 
 It is just possible that the battle may have taken place 
 before the day in question, but even in that case we do 
 not believe that the victory of the Imperialists has been 
 BO complete as is asserted. The affairs of the Pretender 
 are now in such a prosperous way, that the success of his 
 cause has nothing to fear from the loss of a battle. It 
 would require a series of unprecedented reverses to ruin 
 his hopes. 
 
 The insurrectionary army comprises two elements, 
 which cannot be annihilated by the mere turn of a die ; 
 one is the personal character of the soldiers ; the other is 
 the spirit by which it is animated. The Tartar soldiers 
 cannot destroy the former at a blow ; while the spirit and 
 intelligence of the rebels make them superior to the 
 
246 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 principles upon which the power of Hien-foung is based. 
 Tien-te has recruited his partisans among the most in- 
 trepid and turbulent population of the empire, and a con- 
 siderable number of the officers in command are from 
 Canton. These formed a portion, for the most part, of 
 the intrepid and undisciplined bands which, during the 
 opium war signalized themselves by their hatred against 
 the " barbarians," and who once dared, almost unarmed, 
 to attack the English soldiers in front ; rushing upon a 
 battalion with such fury, that they forced it to form it- 
 self into a square, and even then they precipitated them- 
 selves on this living wall, bristling with steel, determined, 
 if possible, to break it. But at this moment a miracle 
 took place like those which were seen by the Homeric 
 heroes ; a thick cloud enveloped the two armies, and the 
 combatants, thus become invisible, ceased to destroy each 
 other. On the following day, when the storm had passed 
 over, the Chinese proceeded en masse towards the point 
 which the English had occupied the evening before ; but 
 the latter had changed their position during the night. 
 The guerillas, therefore, finding no enemy to fight, re- 
 mained in the full conviction that their valor had fright- 
 ened away the English ; and, since that time they have 
 incessantly celebrated this great feat of arms in the lan- 
 guage of the gods, and also of the barracks. 
 
 However, the chiefs have picked up some notions of 
 the European art of war, and are perfectly capable of re- 
 sisting, not only the best troops of the empire, but also 
 the Tartar troops. Nor is this the only advantage on 
 
THE TRIAD SOCIETY. 247 
 
 the side of Tien-te's soldiers. Not only is their military 
 education superior to that of the tigers^ but they have also 
 been prepared by a gradual and somewhat traditional in- 
 itiation, for the work they are now performing. To 
 make ourselves understood, we must revert to the secret 
 societies of China ; and as in such cases we prefer rely- 
 ing on a competent authority, we borrow from the former 
 Governor of Hong Kong, Sir John Davis, what he has 
 written on the subject : — * 
 
 '• The fraternities which are most dreaded by the 
 Government of China, are those secret associations, un- 
 der various names, which combine for purposes either re- 
 ligious or political, or perhaps both together. Of the 
 first description, the sect of the ' Water-lily ' (a sacred 
 plant), and that of the ' Incense-burners,' are both de- 
 nounced in the seventh section of the Shing-yu ; and with 
 them is confounded the Roman Catholic worship, under 
 the same prohibition. The present weak state of the 
 Government renders it particularly jealous of all secret 
 societies, as well as cruel and unrelenting in punishing 
 their leaders. But the chief object of its dread and per- 
 secution is the Triad Society, of which some description 
 was given in 1823, by Dr. Milne. The name seems to 
 imply that when Heaven, Earth, and Man, combine to 
 favor them, they shall succeed in subverting the Tartar 
 dynasty. 
 
 " In October, 1828, a paper, of which the following is 
 
 ♦ " The Caiinese," vol il p. 14.— J. O. 
 
248 THE INSURRECTIOX IN CHINA. 
 
 an exact translation, was found in the Protestant burial- 
 ground at Macao, by a gentleman in the company's ser- 
 vice, who, understanding the meaning of it, sent the pro- 
 duction immediately to the mandarin of the district, with 
 whom he happened to be acquainted, and who entreated 
 that the matter might not be made public, as he should 
 be severely punished for the mere discovery of such a 
 seditious paper within his district : — 
 
 " * Vast was the central nation — ^flourishing the heavenly dy- 
 nasty, 
 
 A thousand regions sent tribute — ten thousand nations did 
 homage, 
 
 But the Tartars obtained it by fraud, and this grudge can now 
 be assuaged. 
 
 Enlist soldiers, procure horses— display aloft the flowery stand- 
 ard; 
 
 Raise troops and seize weapons — let us exterminate the Maa- 
 tchou race.' 
 
 " Dr. Milne's account of the Triad Society^ whose na- 
 ture and objects he took some pains to investigate, is so 
 curious as to deserve particular notice. The name of 
 this association means ' The society of the Three united,' 
 that is of Heaven, Earth, and Man ; which, according to 
 the imperfect notions and expressions of Chinese philoso^ 
 phy, imply the three departments of nature. There is a 
 well-known Chinese cyclopaedia, arranged under these 
 three heads. In the reign of Kia-king, about the com 
 mencement of the present century, the Triad Society, 
 under another name, spread itself rapidly through the 
 provinces, and had nearly succeeded in overturning the 
 
t 
 
 THE TRIAD SOCIETY. 249 
 
 Government. In 1803 its machinations were frustrated, 
 and the principal leaders seized and put to death ; the 
 official reports stating to the Emperor that ' not a single 
 member of this rebellious fraternity was left alive.' But 
 the fact was otherwise, for they still existed, and with a 
 view to secresy, adopted the name which they at present 
 bear. 
 
 " The objects of the association appear at first to have 
 been allied to something like Freemasonry, and to have 
 aimed simply at mutual aid and assistance ; but, as the 
 numbers increased, their views degenerated from the 
 laudable ends of reciprocal benefit to violence and rob- 
 bery, the overthrow of government, and the acquisition 
 of political power by the expulsion of the Tartar dynasty. 
 In foreign countries, as at Batavia, Singapore, and Ma- 
 lacca, the real or pretended branches of the association 
 exist, and their objects are mutual defence, as well as 
 plunder and other dishonesty. They engage to defend 
 each other from the attacks of police-officers, and to as- 
 sist members of their society in escaping from justice. 
 If any one feels himself injured, the others take part in 
 his quarrel, and help him to revenge himself. Still, the 
 professed design is merely benevolent, as appears from 
 their motto, which is a distich, with this meaning : 
 
 •"The blessings mutually share, 
 The woe reciprocally bear.' 
 
 " The management of the combination is vested in 
 three persons, who arc denominated ko, elder brethreoj 
 11* 
 
260 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 in the same manner that Freemasons style each other 
 ' brother.' Of their internal discipline Dr. Milne could 
 obtain little information. The society's regulations are 
 said to be written for greater security on cloth, which in 
 any emergency may be thrown into a well or otherwise 
 concealed for a time. 
 
 '• The ceremony of initiation is said to take place at 
 night. The oath of secresy is taken before an idol, and 
 a sum of money given to support the general expense. 
 There is likewise a ceremony called ' Kouo-Kiao,' ' pass- 
 ing the bridge,' which bridge is formed of swords, either 
 laid between two tables, or else set upon the hilts, and 
 meeting at the points in the form of an arch. The per- 
 sons who receive the oath take it under the bridge, and 
 the yeko^ or chief brother, reads the articles of the oath, 
 to each of which an affirmative response is given by the 
 new member ; after which he cuts off the head of a cock, 
 which is the usual form of a Chinese oath, intimating, 
 ' Thus perish all who divulge the secret.' Some of the 
 marks by which they make themselves known to each 
 other consist of mystical numbers, of which the chief is 
 the number three. Certain motions of the fingers consti- 
 tute a class of signs. To discover if one of the fraternity 
 is in company, a brother will take up a tea-cup, by its 
 cover, in a particular way with three fingers, and this will 
 be answered by a corresponding sign. They have a com- 
 mon seal,* consisting of a pentagonal figure, in which 
 
 * This is curiously rendered by MM. Gallery and Yvan, — " Us 
 ont un dieu" <fec. In their version of the above extract, which is 
 
CEREMONIALS OF THE TRIAD SOCIETY. 251 
 
 are ihscrlbeJ certaiu characters in a sense understood 
 onlj by the initiated. 
 
 " Except in their dangerous or dishonest principles, the 
 San-ho hoei bear a considerable resemblance to the Soci- 
 ety of Freemasons. They even pretend to carry their 
 origin back to remote antiquity, under another name. 
 The members swear at their initiation to be fraternal and 
 benevolent, which corresponds with the engagement of 
 the freemasons. Another point of resemblance is in the 
 ceremonies of initiation, in the oath, and the solemnity 
 of its administration. These are so striking as to merit 
 the attention of such as deem the history of Freemasonry 
 worthy of investigation. Dr. Milne goes on to observe 
 that the signs, particularly the use of the fingers, as far 
 as is known or conjectured, appear to bear a resemblance. 
 ' Some have affirmed.' says he. ' that the great secret of 
 Freemasonry consists in the words liberty and equality^ 
 and if so, certainly the term Hiong-ti (brethren) of the 
 Triad Society may be explained as implying the same 
 idea.' " 
 
 Sir John Davis might have added that the forms used 
 by the society of the United Three have to some extent 
 penetrated the ordinary habits of life. Thus at Malacca, 
 Singapore, and Java, when a European has a transaction 
 with the Chinese, and suspects their integrity, he obliges 
 them to make their contract while he cuts off the head 
 
 here reproduced from the book itself, the expressions with which 
 Sir J. T. Davia vituperates the rebels, are generally softened. — 
 J. O. 
 
252 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 of a cock in their presence. There is no instance that an 
 oath made in this form was ever violated. 
 
 Now, the armies of Tien-te are almost wholly composed 
 of members of the three associations of which Sir John 
 Davis gives us an account ; and which are now united by 
 a common hatred against the Tartar dynasty. Never- 
 theless their opposition would have remained latent for 
 ages, if two circumstances had not led to a violent out- 
 burst of their feelings. 
 
 When the English commenced their expedition against 
 China, the Government attempted to kindle the popular 
 passions, and create a national movement fatal to foreign- 
 ers. For this purpose it encouraged popular assemblies, 
 sent hired orators into the chief towns on the coast, who 
 preached the holy league with a vigor worthy of our own 
 barbarous times. The success of this expedient sur- 
 passed the hopes of its projectors ; the people swore to 
 defend the empire in its integrity, and shouted aloud for 
 arms ; and China had her armed clubs, and her author- 
 ized democratic meetings, without anything of the kind 
 being suspected in Europe. 
 
 However, British valor soon calmed this eflfervesence. 
 The " fire-ships " and the '■ blazing gourds " (bombs) made 
 the enthusiastic populace think more coolly, and they 
 stopped prudently at home. However, when the war 
 was over, the popular assemblies resumed their sittings, 
 and the Government orators were succeeded by numerous 
 speakers of an opposite tendency. These, in fervid dis- 
 courses, accused the ruling power of negligence and stu- 
 
253 
 
 pidity ; and the very men who would have taken the 
 whole merit of a victory to themselves, did not hesitate 
 to throw all the responsibility of a defeat upon the Em- 
 peror. The fanatics of the secret societies, who had dex- 
 terously placed themselves at the head of these assem- 
 blies, took advantage of the national humiliation to 
 awaken the sentiments of hatred that the people had 
 cherished for centuries against the foreign dynasty, and 
 preached the expulsion of the Mantchous. 
 " Even at that time, the Court of Pekin would willingly 
 have suppressed the commotion it had caused ; but it hes- 
 itated — the clubs had terrified it. 
 
 Something, however, was still wanting to the enemies 
 of the Mantchous to enable theni to excite the masses : 
 hatred against a dynasty is not always sufficient to pro- 
 duce a revolution. The want was supplied by the con- 
 querors. The Chinese " men of letters " at Canton, who 
 had hitherto cared but little for the social organization 
 of the "West, wished now to be initiated into the manners 
 and customs of their conquerors. For this purpose they 
 made themselves acquainted with the Protestant minis- 
 ters, whom they had hitherto neglected ; and it was about 
 this time that Gutzlaff formed his celebrated Chinese 
 Union. From this time a certain number of disciples of 
 Confucius became adherents of the Anglo-Saxon Chang- 
 tl Being thus members of the great Christian family, 
 they entered anew the Chinese catacombs ; but they 
 were now armed cap-d-pie to wage a double war against 
 the authority of the Tartars. 
 
254 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 While writing this history, we are often asked whether 
 Tien-te is really a descendant of the Mings. We can' 
 not give a direct answer to that question, but in default 
 of exact data we will state what is the general feeling 
 of the Chinese on the subject. They do not care to 
 have a royal legitimacy like the legitimacy of a private 
 family. It is right that the heir of a merchant should 
 be the son of his ostensible father, but in a more exalted 
 sphere there is no such obligation. The heir of a dy- 
 nasty is only so far legitimate that he continues the 
 work of his ancestors, and represents the ideas, princi- 
 ples, and feelings, which animated his race. 
 
 If Tien-te restore political probity, if he free his coun- 
 try from rapacious mandarins, if he establish liberty, if 
 he secure the rights of all, he will prove himself the 
 legitimate descendant of the great dynasty of the Mings ; 
 but if he do not realize these expectations — if, when he 
 ascends the throne, he appear as a mere roi faineant — 
 posterity will deny his legitimacy. 
 
 At the present moment, however, the Chinese Pre- 
 tender is the representative of progress ; he appears as a 
 reformer, lamenting abuses, and inspiring hope in those 
 that suffer, and confidence in the rich and learned. His 
 auxiliaries, the five feudatory kings, who are all enlight- 
 ened persons, being at the same time disciples of Confu- 
 cius, and Protestants or Deists, fight against barbarism 
 with the sword, and attack the superstitions of Buddh- 
 ism, proclaiming a pui-er morality and 4;he doctrine of 
 the Unity of God. Hien-foung, on the other hand, does 
 
CRUELTY OF THE MANDARINS. 266 
 
 not at all understand the change that has taken place in 
 the mind of his people, and he fights against his adversa- 
 ries, the innovators, with the weapon of judicial punish- 
 ment. His ministers, who are ignorant and false, and 
 his generals, who are cowardly and rapacious, deceive 
 him without compunction. They propose no useful 
 measures, but to revive the dejected spirits of their 
 young master, they impudently tell him of the pretended 
 miracles that have been worked in favor of his cause. 
 
 Another misfortune of Hien-foung consists in this : 
 that he gives evidence of those bad feelings — of that old 
 leaven of barbarism — which is natural to the Chinese, 
 and which is still fermenting in the bosoms of his agents. 
 We, who have personally known these fat smiling man- 
 darins, lovers of pleasure and good cheer, were at first 
 inclined to believe that, in accordance with the funda- 
 mental axiom of their philosophy, they were born kind 
 and humane. We certainly saw them deal a few cuts 
 with the bamboo as they went along ; but we did not 
 think they could have used without compunction the axe 
 of the executioner. But the public places, transformed 
 into shambles, where a hundred heads are lopped o£f 
 daily — men locked up in cages, like wild beasts, and 
 wretched victims whose hearts are torn out alive — have 
 greatly changed our opinion, and have inspired us with a 
 profound horror for a government that can order such 
 atrocities. Certainly, the cause of Hien-foung may still 
 prove triumphant, but our natural feelings seem to desire 
 a contrary result ; and we seem to comply with a senti- 
 
256 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 ment of humanity when we predict the downfall of the 
 Tartar dynasty. 
 
 We may add that, in England, every one who has 
 any relation with China is of opinion that the dynasty 
 of the Mings is approaching its termination. In France 
 M. X. Kaymond, one of our travelling companions, 
 proves by some articles in the Journal des Debats^ 
 which are, in many respects, very remarkable, that Hien- 
 foung cannot resist the torrent by which he is carried 
 away. In China, the Rev. Dr. Macgowan, a man of 
 superior mind, a skilful physician, and an assiduous stu- 
 dent of the Chinese language, has written a book, enti- 
 tled, " The Expiring Dynasty and the Rising Dynasty in 
 China." If these predictions are not realized, many 
 superior minds will have shared the same erroneous 
 view ; but it appears more likely they will be fulfilled, 
 for justice is generally triumphant in the end. 
 
 Revolutions in China are not accomplished at once. 
 Hence, from all that we can learn, the final triumph of 
 Tien-te, or of Hien-foung, will not be attained without 
 many vicissitudes. But the opinion most prevalent in 
 China is that the insurgents will triumph ; and we would 
 add, that this opinion is the result of the sympathy felt 
 for their cause. 
 
 We shall now end our labors by transcribing a letter 
 which we have received from Macao by the last mail. 
 This letter is from a very sensible and serious man. He 
 is not only a scholar such as we have in the west, but a 
 " man of letters," who might aspire to the degree of 
 
LETTER FROM MACAO. 2o7 
 
 Sieou-tsai. He is, in fact, one of those remarkable indi- 
 viduals who are only found in Macao, and who, while 
 they belong to two races, are equally respected by the 
 yellow and the white. This letter, therefore, may be 
 received with perfect confidence ; — the author sees affairs 
 from a disinterested and unprejudiced point of view, and 
 consequently sees them well. As for the little anecdote 
 which closes this narrative, we can only say, that the 
 book of which our friend speaks really exists, and that 
 we have had a copy in our own hands. 
 
 ''Macao, April 22, 1853. 
 
 "A great political and religious epoch has arrived for 
 China, and we may fairly say, that a small spark has 
 kindled a great flame. Half a dozen barefooted vaga- 
 bonds of obscure origin, and moved by personal interest 
 alone, formed a league of which the Government at first 
 took no notice. Their number perpetually increased, 
 and they gained partisans after the manner of ancient 
 Rome. By degrees, although they seemed to be mere 
 adventures, they became revolutiouists, then patriots, and 
 ultimately heroes, proclaiming nothing else than the 
 foundation of another dynasty. Their armies have crossed 
 the broad Chinese empire from west to east, sweeping 
 every obstacle before them. They are now masters of 
 Nankin, which they intend to make the seat of the new 
 government, because this city was the residence of the 
 ancient dynasty of the Mings, of which the new Emperor 
 professes to be the legitimate descendant. 
 
258 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 " Nothing can resist this overwhelming torrent ; there 
 has not been a single battle in which the Imperialists 
 have not been defeated. 
 
 " The intention of the insurgents is to march against 
 Pekin ; and it is possible that now while I am writing, 
 that city is in their power. In their official documents, 
 the revolutionary chiefs protest that they have two ob- 
 jects in view : the expulsion of the Tartars, and the de- 
 struction of pagodas and bonzes, to replace them with 
 temples and ministers of the true Grod. Nor have they 
 confined themselves to mere promises. They have al- 
 ready razed all the pagodas on their passage, and have 
 put to death a great number of bonzes and bonzesses. 
 
 " These events make a deep impression here, and it is 
 generally one of satisfaction ; for it is believed that the 
 triumph of Tien-te would be that of the Christian in- 
 fluence also. 
 
 " With you, sceptical nations as you are, revolutionary 
 epochs are epochs of enthusiasm, of absolute faith, during 
 which the imagination contemplates the marvellous : it is 
 the same thing in China. At the present moment every 
 one desires to penetrate the future. Magicians are con- 
 sulted, cabalistic books are turned over, and prophecies 
 are commented upon, that we may learn what destiny 
 Heaven has in store for us. I must tell you an anecdote 
 connected with this subject, which has made a deep im- 
 pression upon me, and with which I would have you ac- 
 quainted in all its details. 
 
 " Yesterday, when we had received the news of the 
 
▲ CHARACTERISTIC ANECDOTE. 259 
 
 tating of Nankin, I took a walk in the Praya Manduco, 
 meditating on this important event. I was on the sea 
 shore, watching the motions of the waves, when I saw 
 passing near me the physician Lo-se, whom you know. 
 His countenance wore a melancholy expression, and he 
 was so deeply absorbed in thought that he walked regard- 
 less of the shelter of his fan. I went up to him, and 
 casting a glance at the long tail which hung majestically 
 dewn his back, I said jestingly — 
 
 " ' That is a useless ornament, friend Lo-se ; you must 
 now cut oflf that elegant superfluity.' 
 
 " To ray great surprise, the doctor exhibited no horror 
 at my remark, which a little while ago would have shocked 
 him terribly, but looked at me with an expression of re- 
 signation, and without uttering a word. 
 
 " ' What is the matter V said I. 
 
 " * Nothing,' was the laconic answer. Then, after a few 
 moments' silence, he added : ' Could you spare me a few 
 moments V 
 
 " ' Certainly.' 
 
 " ' Then come home with me.' 
 
 " Without saying a word, we proceeded to his father's 
 store. On reaching the threshold of the shop, Lo-se, 
 like a well-educated Chinese, tchintchina (bowed his 
 head) before the small idol placed to the left of the en- 
 trance, and we went up to the first floor. Here my con- 
 ductor closely examined the apartment, and then closed 
 the door. After these preliminaries, he stooped down at 
 a small alcove, took an old dilapidated chest from under 
 
260 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 his bed, and drew out of it a book, yellow with age, and 
 half eaten by worms. 
 
 " ' What is that ? ' I asked, eagerly. 
 
 " ' This,' he replied, in a solemn tone, ' is the future.' 
 
 " ' The deuce ! ' I exclaimed. ' Did it cost you 
 much V 
 
 '•A serious Chinese is a rarity; but a mournful Chinese 
 is a perfect phenomenon : judge then of my astonishment, 
 when the doctor said to m.e in a dismal voice — 
 
 " ' It has cost me nothing yet ; but it may cost me my 
 life. Better would it have been, perhaps, if the white 
 ants had devoured the relic. This book is the Book of 
 Prognostics. It was composed by a soothsayer during 
 the Mongol dynasty of the Yuens. The penalty of death 
 is attached to its ownership ; for it contains, in an allego- 
 rical form, the future history of our country.' Turning 
 over a few leaves, Lo-se then added : ' You see these 
 three pages ; they relate to the succession to the throne.' 
 
 " I turned over the book, — which contained a few 
 figures, not colored, and possessing very little interest as 
 works of art — even Chinese art, — and handed it back to 
 Lo-se, without making any remark whatever. 
 
 " ' Well,' said he, ' what do you think of it V 
 
 " ' I can say nothing about it,' I replied ' for I under- 
 stand nothing.' 
 
 " ' How is that? It is very plain.' 
 
 " ' Possibly ; but it will be plainer still when you have 
 explained to me what these figures mean.' 
 
 " ' Such an explanation would be almost high treason,' 
 
A CHARACTERISTIC ANECDOTE. 261 
 
 cried Lo-se : 'no matter : begin with the first page, and 
 tell me what you see.' 
 
 '• ' I see a very bad print, representing a cavalier riding 
 under the gate of a city.' 
 
 " ' Good ! Proceed.' 
 
 " ' I see, on the second page, a junk filled with peo- 
 ple.' 
 
 " ' Right, — go on.' 
 ' " ' I now see a very ugly bonze, placed on all fours, on 
 a very lean bufifalo.' 
 
 '• ' Right again ; do you understand now V 
 
 '• ' Indeed I do not.' I exclaimed with impatience. 
 
 " ' Well, then listen to me,' said the doctor, approach- 
 ing me, and almost whispering into my ear. ' I have 
 told you that these three pages relate to the fall of dy- 
 nasties, and the succession to the throne. The horse- 
 man passing under the gate represents the character 
 Tchen, which is composed of men, a door, and ma, a 
 horse. Now Tohen was the name of the first person 
 who rose against the Mongols, and who was the cause 
 that the Mings succeeded them. If the Mongols had 
 read this book, and put to death every body named 
 Tchen, they would have been still on the throne.' 
 
 " ' But that would have been a violent measure,' said I. 
 
 " ' Not a word,' said Lo-se, angrily, ' An old junk, 
 filled with people, is called in China, MantcJieoti, which 
 is the name of the Tartars, who overthrew tlie Mings. 
 As for the last allegory, it is as transparent as the 
 waters of the Blue River in autumn.' 
 
262 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 " ' Transparent though it be, I can see nothing but a 
 bonze lying upon a buflfalo.' 
 
 •' ' Good : that is the name of those who will expel the 
 Mantchous. The bonze represents the god Fo ; the po- 
 sition on all-fours is called tan^ and a buffalo is called 
 si. Altogether that makes Fo-lan-si. The Fo-lan-si will 
 expel the Tartars.' 
 
 " ' What ! the French f I exclaimed, laughing. 
 
 " ' Yes — ^yes,' replied Lo-se, ' the Fo-lan-si ; it is writ- 
 ten thus.' 
 
 " Now, my friend, these are Chinese rebuses. Com- 
 municate this prediction to your countrymen, it may 
 stimulate them anew to the path of victory and conquest. 
 
 "Nay ; my opinion, my friend, is that it is the spirit 
 of Christianity which will overthrow Hien-foung. This 
 spirit has been chiefly diffused by the Fo-lan-si through 
 China ; and again the oracle will prove right." 
 
SUPLEMENTARY CHAPTER * 
 
 BY THE TEANSLATOB. 
 
 Kr George Bonham's proceedings— Interview of Mr. Meadows with the insur- 
 gent chiefs at Nankin— Sir George Bonham's account— Religious ideas of 
 the Insurgent*— "The Trlmetrical Classic"— Mr. Meadows' account of the in- 
 surgents and their chief— Capture of Amoy. 
 
 The narrative of MM. Gallery and Yvan ends, pro- 
 perly speaking, with the sixteenth chapter. The report 
 mentioned in the seventeenth chapter, that the insur- 
 gents had been beaten out of Nankin, by the Imperial 
 forces, proves fallacious, and thus the opinion of the 
 French authors is confirmed. 
 
 The departure of Mr. Meadows, on the 9th of April, 
 which MM. Gallery and Yvan term, " one of the most 
 interesting episodes of the insurrection," but the result 
 of which was unknown at the time when they concluded 
 their narrative, did not lead in the first instance to any 
 
 • The authorities for the facts in this " Supplementary Chap- 
 ter" are the local journals, private commercial letters, and above 
 all, the Parliamentary " Papers respecting the Oivil War in 
 China," printed in August 1853. — J. O. 
 
264 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 important result. He reached Sou-Tcheou on the 10th, 
 Tchang-Tcheou, on the Grand Canal, on the 13th, and 
 Tan-Yang on the 14th; but when at the latter place, 
 he found the canal so shallow, that he could proceed no 
 further, and therefore returned to Chang Hai (Shang- 
 hae). 
 
 The foreign residents at Chang-Hai were much tran- 
 quillized by the arrival of her Majesty's steamship Hermes, 
 on the 21st of March, with Sir George Bonham, the Brit- 
 ish Plenipotentiary, who visited the place to ascertain 
 how far the accounts connected with the progress of the 
 rebellion were to be relied upon, and to determine 
 whether interference on the part of the English would be 
 justifiable. This fact seems to have escaped the atten- 
 tion of MM. Callery and Yvan. 
 
 After a short stay at Chang-Hai, Sir George Bonham, 
 acting on the information brought back by Mr. Meadows, 
 proceeded, in company with that gentleman, up the Yang- 
 Tze-Kiang in the Hermes. On the morning of the 26th 
 of April, he arrived off Tchen-Kiang-Fou, which was in 
 the possession of the insurgents, and the forts and junks 
 at anchor opened fire upon the steamer. The fire was 
 not returned ; but a note was despatched to the city, to 
 the effect that the English maintain a neutral position, 
 and merely desired to obtain information. In the mean- 
 while two schooners directed by the Tao-tai", and some 
 twenty-five lorckas. all under the Chinese flag, availed 
 themselves of the presence of the Hermes to make an at- 
 tack on Tchen-Kiang ; the fight was continued while the 
 
INTERVIEW WITH THE INSURGENTS. 266 
 
 steamer proceeded to Nankin, which she reached on the 
 following day. 
 
 At Nankin, the Hermes was again fired upon, and 
 again a note was sent, which caused the firing to stop. 
 Mr. Meadows, who went on shore, was taken to a public 
 office, and there held a conversation for some time with 
 two insurgent ^' princes," of which the following is his 
 official report : — 
 
 _*• About an hour or two after the Hernus dropped 
 anchor at Nankin on the 27th of April, 1853, I, in con- 
 formity with instructions, landed, accompanied by Lieu- 
 tenant Spratt, and requested to be conducted to the 
 highest authority to whom immediate access could be ob- 
 tained. After about half an hour's walk, led by one or 
 two volunteer guides, and surrounded by numbers of the 
 insurgent troops, we were stopped in front of a house in 
 the northern suburb. Our attendants here ranged them- 
 selves in two rows, forming an avenue of ten or fifteen 
 yards in length from the door of the house to ourselves. 
 Two persons clothed in yellow silk gowns and hoods then 
 appeared at the threshold, and the soldiers about called 
 \n me to kneel. This I refused to do, but advanced, 
 and uncovering told the two persons that I had been 
 sent by Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary to make inquiries 
 and arrangements respecting a meeting between him and 
 the chief authorities at Nankin. As they retreated into 
 the house without giving any reply, while the summons 
 to kneel was being continued and Mr. Spratt was called 
 
 on by words and gestures to lay aside his sword, I, after 
 1-2 
 
266 THE INSURRKOTTOX IX CHINA. 
 
 recommending that gentleman to disregard the requisi- 
 tion, deemed it advisable to follow the chiefs without 
 awaiting invitation. I accordingly entered the house," 
 and, advancing to the spot where they had seated them- 
 selves on the only two chairs within sight, again informed 
 them of the purpose for which I had come. Before I 
 had well finished I heard scuffling and angry shouting at 
 the door behind me, and the chiefs crying out ' Ta I' 
 ' Beat !' two or three of their armed followers commenced 
 beating the man who had been most prominent in guid- 
 ing us there. One of the chiefs, whom I subsequently 
 ascertained to be known as the Northern Prince, then 
 asked if I worshipped ' God the Heavenly Father V I 
 replied that the English had done so for 800 or 900 
 years. On this he exchanged a glance of consultation 
 with his companion (the Assistant Prince), and then or- 
 dered seats to be brought. After I and my companion 
 had seated ourselves, a conversation of considerable length 
 ensued between myself and the Northern Prince, the first 
 in rank of the two ; the other, the Assistant Prince, list- 
 ening and observing attentively, but saying nothing to 
 me directly, and only making a short remark when look- 
 ed to or addressed by his superordinate. The conversa- 
 tion on my part was turned chiefly on the number and 
 relative rank of the insurgent chiefs, and on the circum- 
 stances under which they would be prepared to meet Sir 
 George Bonham ; but I also explained, as authorized, the 
 simple object of his visit, viz., to notify the desire of the 
 British Government to remain perfectly neutral in the 
 
INTERVIEW WITH THE INSURGENTS. 267 
 
 struggle between them and the Mantchous, and to learn 
 their feelings towards us, and their intentions in the event 
 of their forces advancing on Shanghae. I explained to 
 him that we had no concern with the square-rigged ves- 
 sels, lorchas, and other craft, that had followed the 
 Hermes into Chin-Keang ; also that the proclamations 
 of the Mantchou oflficials, stating that they had engaged 
 the services of a number of foreign steamers, were false, 
 in "SO far as British vessels were included ; and that 
 though we could not prevent the sale of English craft, 
 private property, more than the sale of manufactures 
 generally, such craft, after sale, were not entitled to the 
 use of the national colors. 
 
 " To all this the Northern prince listened, but made 
 little or no rejoinder ; the conversation in so far as di- 
 rected by him, consisting mainly of inquiries as to our re- 
 ligious beliefs, and expositions of their own. Ho stated 
 that as children and worshippers of one God we were all 
 brethren ; and after receiving my assurance that such had 
 long been our views also, inquired if I knew the ' Heav- 
 enly Rules' (Teen teaon). 1 replied that I was most likely 
 acquainted with them, though unable to recognize them 
 under that name, and, after a moment's thought, asked 
 if they were ten in number. He answered eagerly in the 
 affirmative. I then began repeating the substance of the 
 first of the Ten Commandments, but had not proceeded 
 far before he laid his hand on my shoulder in a friendly 
 way, and exclaimed, ' The same as ourselves ! the same 
 as ourselves !' while the simply observant expression on 
 
268 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 the face of his companion disappeared before one of sat- 
 isfaction, as the two exchanged glances. He then stated, 
 Tvith reference to my previous inquiry as to their feelings 
 and intentions towards the British, that not merely might 
 peace exist between us, but that we might be intimate 
 friends. He added, we might now, at Nankin, land and 
 walk about where we pleased. He spoke repeatedly of 
 a foreigner at Canton, whom he named Lo Ho Sun, as 
 being a ' good man.' He described this person as one 
 who cured the sick without remuneration, and as having 
 been recently home for a short period (Dr. Hobson, med- 
 ical missionary ?). He recurred again and again, with an 
 appearance of much gratitude, to the circumstance that 
 he and his companions in arms had enjoyed the special 
 protection and aid of God, without which they could 
 never have been able to do what they had done against 
 superior numbers and resources ; and alluding to our de- 
 claration of neutrality and non-assistance to the Man- 
 tchous, said, with a quiet air of thorough conviction, ' It 
 would be wrong for you to help them ; and, what is more, 
 it would be of no use. Our Heavenly Father helps us, 
 and no one can fight with Him.' 
 
 "With respect to the proposed meeting, he pointed to 
 one of his officers standing near, and said the latter would 
 come on the following day to guide any who might choose 
 to come to an interview. I replied that such an arrange- 
 ment might do very well for myself and others, but that 
 Sir George Bonham was an officer of high rank in her 
 Britannic Majesty's service, and could certainly not pro- 
 
INTERVIEW WITH THE INSURGENTS. 269 
 
 ceed to any meeting unless it were previously settled 
 where, by whom, and how he was to be received. ' How- 
 ever high his rank may be,' was the reply, ' he cannot be 
 so high as the persons in whose presence you are now 
 sitting.' And I could obtain nothing more definite than 
 that the reception would take place in a ' yamun' in the 
 city, and that we should have no cause to take objections 
 to the station of the personages met. I said I should 
 iftake my report to his Excellency accordingly, but could 
 not answer for his landing. In reply to my inquiries re- 
 specting the Taeping Wang, the Prince of Peace, the 
 Northern Prince explained in writing that he was the 
 ' True Lord' or Sovereign ; that the ' Lord of China is 
 the Lord of the whole world ; he is the second Son of 
 God, and all the people in the whole world must obey 
 and follow him.' As I read this without remark, he said, 
 looking at me interrogatively, ' The true Lord is not 
 merely the Lord of China ; he is not only our Lord, he is 
 your Lord also.' As I still made no remark, but merely 
 kept looking at him, he did not think fit to insist on an 
 answer, and, after awhile, turned his head, and began 
 talking of other matters. His conversation gave great 
 reason to conclude, that though his religious beliefs were 
 derived from the writings, or it might even be the teach- 
 ings of foreigners, still he was quite ignorant of the re- 
 lative positions of foreign countries, and had probably got 
 most of his notions of international dealings from the 
 Chinese records of periods when the territory of the 
 present empire was divided into several states." 
 
2*70 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Having informed the Princes in writing that any in- 
 jury to the British property at Chang-Hai would be re- 
 sented, Sir George Bonham left Nankin. As the Hermes 
 passed Tchen-Kiang-Fou, she was again fired upon by 
 the insurgents in that city, and, on this occasion, she re- 
 turned the fire. An apology now arrived from the chiefs, 
 who attributed the fire to a mistake on the part of the 
 officer in charge of the batteries, and the Hermes returned 
 to Chang-Hai in safety. 
 
 Sir George Bonham's account of the insurgents at 
 Nankin is as follows : — 
 
 " I found the insurgents had established a kind of gov- 
 ernment at Nankin, consisting, in the first place, of Tae- 
 ping, the Sovereign Ruler, who is supposed by the be- 
 lievers of the new sect (if such do really exist) to hold 
 the position or rank, either spiritually or in a corporeal 
 sense, of younger brother of Our Saviour. There was 
 little attempt at mystery as to Taeping's origin on the 
 part of the insurgents, — it was admitted by several par- 
 ties that he was a literary graduate of the Canton prov- 
 ince, who, being disappointed in his literary honors, took 
 to what the Chinese are in the habit of calling ' strange 
 doctrine ;' that is, he studied the missionary tracts, copies 
 of which were procured, there can be little doubt, from 
 the late Dr. Gutzlaff's Union. Taeping and his small nu- 
 cleus of adherents then embarked in this insurrection, 
 and, after three years' perseverance and general success, 
 they ended by capturing Nankin and Chin-Keang, where 
 we found them in full force. Under this sovereign Ruler 
 
SIR GEORGE BONHAm's ACCOUNT. 2*71 
 
 are the five Princes above alluded to, first and second 
 minister, and a host of so-called mandarins — most of whom 
 are Cantonese. I should not estimate their force of real 
 fighting men at less than 25.000 ; though I believe that 
 of the original number who started from Kouang-Si, not 
 more than 7,000 are now with Taeping." 
 
 On the whole, the result of Sir George Bonham's ex- 
 pedition is confirmatory of MM. Gallery and Y van's 
 oj)inion that the insurgents are in reality favorably dis- 
 posed towards the Europeans ; and that all reports to 
 the contrary have been devised by interested mandarins. 
 A difiiculty, however, lies in the notion that the chief 
 of China is chief of all the rest of the world ; and that 
 this notion is not lightly entertained by the insurgents is 
 evident from the following document, sent by them to Sir 
 George Bonham, during his stay ofi" Nankin : — 
 
 " We, Prince of the East, Yang, the Honae teacher, 
 and the Master who rescues from calamity (an ecclesias- 
 tical title), Principal Minister of State, and Generalissi- 
 mo ; and 
 
 " Prince of the West, Seaou, Assistant Minister of 
 State, and also Generalissimo, both subjects of the Celes- 
 tial dynasty, now under the sway of Taeping, truly com- 
 missioned by Heaven to rule, hereby issue a decree to the 
 distant English, who have long recogniized the duty of 
 worshipping Heaven (God), and who have recently come 
 loto the views of our royal master, especially enjoining 
 apoQ them to set their minds at rest, and harbor no un- 
 worthy suspicions. 
 
272 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 " The Heavenly Father, the Supreme Lord, the Great 
 God, in the beginning created heaven and earth, land and 
 sea, men and things, in six days ; from that time to this 
 the whole world has been one family, and all within the 
 four seas brethren ; how can there exist, then, any differ- 
 ence between man and man ; or how any distinction be- 
 tween principal and secondary birth? But from the 
 time that the human race has been influenced by the de- 
 moniacal agency which has entered into the heart of man, 
 they have ceased to acknowledge the great benevolence 
 of God, the Heavenly Father in giving and sustaining 
 life, and ceased to appreciate the infinite merit of the ex- 
 piatory sacrifice made by Jesus, our Celestial Elder 
 Brother, and have, with lumps of clay, wood, and stone, 
 practised perversity in the world. Hence it is that the 
 Tartar hordes and Elfin Huns so fraudulently robbed us 
 of our Celestial territory (China.) But, happily, Our 
 Heavenly Father and Celestial Elder Brother have from 
 an early date displayed their miraculous power amongst 
 you English, and you have long acknowledged the duty 
 of worshipping God the Heavenly Father, and Jesus our 
 Celestial Brother, so that the truth has been preserved 
 entire, and the Gospel maintained. Happily, too, the 
 Celestial Father, the Supreme Lord and great God, has 
 now of His infinite mercy sent a heavenly messenger to 
 convey our royal master, the Heavenly King, up into 
 heaven, and has personally endowed him with power to 
 sweep away from the thirty-three heavens demoniacal in- 
 fluences of every kind, and expel them thence into this 
 
RELIGIOUS IDEAS OF THE INSXJRGENTS. 2*73 
 
 lower world. And, beyond all, happy ifc is that the 
 Heavenly Father and Great God displayed His infinite 
 mercy and compassion in coming down into this our 
 world in the third month of the year Mowshin (1848), 
 and that Jesus, our Celestial Elder Brother, the Saviour 
 of the world, likewise manifested equal favor and grace 
 in descending to earth during the ninth month of the 
 same year ; where, for these six years past, they have 
 marvellously guided the aflfairs of men, mightily exhibited 
 their wondrous power, and put forth innumerable miracu- 
 lous proofs, exterminating a vast number of imps and 
 demons, and aiding our Celestial Sovereign in assuming 
 the control of the whole empire. 
 
 " But now that you distant English ' have not deemed 
 myriads of miles too far to come,' and acknowledge our 
 sovereignty, not only are the soldiers and officers of our 
 Celestial dynasty delighted and gratified thereby, but 
 even in high heaven itself our Celestial Father and Elder 
 Brother will also admire this manifestation of your fidel- 
 ity and truth. We therefore issue this special decree, 
 permitting you, the English chief, to lead your brethren 
 out or in, backwards or forwards, in full accordance with 
 your own will or wish, whether to aid us in exterminating 
 our impish foes, or to carry on your commercial opera- 
 tions as usual ; and it is our earnest hope that you will, 
 with us, earn the merit of diligently serving our royal 
 master, and, with us, recompense the goodness of the Fa- 
 ther of Spirits. 
 
 "Wherefore we promulgate this new decree of (our 
 12* 
 
2*74 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Sovereign) Taeping for the information of you English, 
 so that all the human race may learn to worship our 
 Heavenly Father and Celestial Elder Brother, and that 
 all may know that, wherever our royal master is, there 
 men unite in congratulating him on having obtained the 
 decree to rule. 
 
 " A special decree, for the information of all men, given 
 (under our seals) this 26th day of the 3d month of the 
 year Kweihaou (1st May 1853), under the reign of the 
 Celestial dynasty of Taeping. 
 
 " Note. — The authority from which this document em- 
 anates has established a new calendar, making the year 
 to consist of 366 days, divided into twelve months of 
 thirty and thirty-one days. Their present year com- 
 menced on the 4th February 1853, their second month 
 on the 7th March, and their third month on the 6th 
 April." 
 
 It is needless to state that this claim to supremacy 
 on the part of the Chinese is rejected in the most express 
 terms by Sir Greorge Bonham. 
 
 From the information obtained by means of this ex- 
 pedition, it will be found that the narrative of MM. 
 Callery and Yvan requires correction in a few par- 
 ticulars. 
 
 In the first place they treat the religious production 
 which they give in Chapter XIV. as a spurious piece of 
 " Methodism." Now it turns out that this proclamation 
 is a shorter version of a religious pamphlet, entitled 
 (from the circumstance that each line contains three 
 
"the trimetbical classic." 2^5 
 
 words) the " Trimetrical Classic," which was one of a 
 set of twelve pamphlets obtained by Sir George Bonham, 
 and given by him to the Rev. Dr. Medhurst for super- 
 vision and translation. About the authenticity of this 
 " classic," there seems to be no doubt whatever, and its 
 ^ Methodism," or, as we should say, its puritanical tone, 
 is even more decided than that of the shorter version 
 published in the French book. The pamphlet is suffi- 
 ciently important, and sufficiently diflFerent from the 
 shorter proclamation, to be given here entire. 
 
 The great Gtod 
 
 Made heaven and earth ; 
 
 Both land and sea 
 
 And all things therein. 
 
 In Bix days, 
 
 He made the whole : 
 
 Man, the lord of all, 
 
 Was endowed with glory and honor. 
 
 Every seventh day worship, 
 
 In acknowledgment of heaven's fiavor : 
 
 Let all under heaven 
 
 Keep their hearts in reverence. 
 
 It is said that in former times, 
 
 A foreign nation was commanded. 
 
 To honor Gtod; 
 
 The nation's name was Israel 
 
 Their twelve tribes 
 
 Removed into Egypt ; 
 
 "Where God favored them. 
 
 And their posterity increased. 
 
 Then a king arose. 
 
 Into whose heart the devil entered; 
 
 He envied their prosperity, 
 
 Aod inflicted pain and misery. 
 
276 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Ordering the daughters to be preseryed. 
 
 But not allowing the sons to live ; 
 
 Their bondage was severe, 
 
 And very difficult to bear, 
 
 The great God 
 
 Viewed them with pity, 
 
 And commanded Moses 
 
 To return to his family. 
 
 He commanded Aaron 
 
 To go and meet Moses ; 
 
 When both addressed the King, 
 
 And wrought divers miracles. 
 
 The King hardened his heart. 
 
 And would not let them go ; 
 
 Wherefore God was angry, 
 
 And sent lice and locusts. 
 
 He also sent flies, 
 
 Together with frogs. 
 
 Which entered their palaces, 
 
 And crept into their ovens. 
 
 When the King still refused, 
 
 The river was turned to blood ; 
 
 And the water became bitter 
 
 Throughout all Egypt. 
 
 God sent boils and blains, 
 
 With pestilence and murrain; 
 
 He also sent hail, 
 
 Which was very grievous. 
 
 The King still refusing. 
 
 He slew their first born ; 
 
 When the king of Egypt 
 
 Had no resource; 
 
 But let them go 
 
 Out of his land. 
 
 The great God 
 
 Upheld and sustained them, 
 
 By day in a cloud, 
 
 By night in a pillar of fire. 
 
 The great God 
 
211 
 
 Himself saved them. 
 
 The King hardened his heart, 
 
 And led his armies in pvirsuit : 
 
 But God was angry 
 
 And displayed his majesty. 
 
 Arrived at the Red Sea, 
 
 The waters were spread abroad : 
 
 The people of Israel 
 
 Were very much afraid. 
 
 The pursuers overtook them, 
 
 But God stayed their course; 
 
 He himself fought for them. 
 
 And the people had no trouble. 
 
 He caused the Red Sea 
 
 With its waters to divide ; 
 
 To stand up as a wall, 
 
 That they might pass between. 
 
 The people of Israel 
 
 Marched with a steady step, 
 
 As though on dry ground, 
 
 And thus saved their lives. 
 
 fhe pursuers attempted to cross, 
 
 Their wheels were taken oflF; 
 
 When the waters closed upon them, 
 
 And they were all drowned. 
 
 The great God 
 
 Displayed his power, 
 
 And the people of Israel 
 
 Were all preserved. 
 
 When they came to the desert, 
 
 They had nothing to eat, 
 
 But the great God 
 
 Bade them not be afraid. 
 
 He sent down manna. 
 
 For each man a pint ; 
 
 It was as sweet as honey, 
 
 And satisfied their appetites. 
 
 The people lusted much. 
 
 And wished to eat flesh, 
 
278 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 When quails were sent, 
 By the million of bushels, 
 At the mount Sinai, 
 Miracles were displayed ; 
 And Moses was commanded 
 To make tables of stone. 
 The great God 
 Gave his celestial commands, 
 Amounting to ten precepts, 
 The breach of which would not be forgiven. 
 He himself wrote them, 
 And gave them to Moses ; 
 The celestial law 
 
 Cannot be altered. • 
 
 In after ages, 
 
 It was sometimes disobeyed, 
 Through the devil's temptations, 
 _When men fell into misery. 
 But the great God, 
 Out of pity to mankind. 
 Sent his first born son 
 To come down into the world. 
 His name is Jesus, 
 The Lord and Saviour of men, 
 "Who redeems them from sin. 
 By the endurance of extreme misery. 
 ^~ Upon the cross, 
 
 They nailed his body ; 
 
 Where he shed his precious blood, 
 
 To save all mankind. 
 
 Three days after his death 
 
 He rose from the dead : 
 
 And during forty days 
 
 He discoursed on heavenly things. 
 
 When he was about to ascend, 
 
 He commanded his disciples 
 
 To communicate his Gospel, 
 
 And proclaim his revealed will 
 
 Those who believe will be saved. 
 
**THE TRIMETRICAL CLASSIC." 2Y0' 
 
 And ascend up to heaven ; 
 
 But tliose who do not believe, 
 
 Will be the first to be condemned. 
 
 Throughout the whole world 
 
 There is only one God (Shang-te) ; 
 
 The great liord and Ruler, 
 ^Without a second. 
 
 The Chinese in early ages 
 
 Were i-egarded by God ; 
 
 T(^ether with foreign states, 
 
 They walked in one way. 
 
 From the time of Pwau-koo 
 
 Down to the three dynasties 
 
 They honored God, 
 
 As history records. 
 
 Thang of the Shang dynasty 
 
 And Wan of the Chow 
 
 Honored God 
 
 With the intentest feeling. 
 
 The inscription on Thang's bathing-tub 
 
 Inculcated daily renovation of mind : 
 
 And God commanded him 
 
 To assume the government of the empire. 
 
 Wan was very respectful. 
 
 And intelligently served God ; 
 
 So that the people who submitted to him 
 
 Were two out of every three. 
 
 When Tein obtained the empire, 
 
 He was infatuated with the genii. 
 
 And the nation has been deluded by the devil, 
 
 For the last two thousand years, 
 "^Seuen and Woo, of the Han dynasty. 
 
 Both followed this example ; 
 
 So that the mad rebellion increased, 
 
 In imitation of Tsin's misrule. 
 
 When Woo arrived at old age 
 
 He repented of his folly. 
 
 And lamented that from his youth up. 
 
 He had always followed the wrong road. 
 
280 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Ming, of the Haa dynasty, 
 Welcomed the institutions of Buddha, 
 And set up temples and monasteries, 
 To the great injury of the country. 
 But Hwuy, of the Sung dynasty. 
 Was still more mad and infatuated. 
 For he changed the name of Shang-te (God) 
 Into that of Yuh-hwang (the pearly emperor), 
 But the great God 
 Is the supreme Lord 
 Over all the world, 
 The great Father in Heaven. 
 His name is most honorable. 
 To be handed down through distant ages : 
 Who was this Hwuy, 
 That he dared to alter it ? 
 It was meet that this same Hwuy 
 Should be taken by the Tartars ; 
 And together with his son 
 Perish in the northern desert. 
 From Hwuy, of the Sung dynasty, 
 Fp to the present day, 
 " For these seven hundred years, 
 
 Men have sunk deeper and deeper in error. 
 
 With the doctrine of God 
 
 They have not been acquainted ; 
 
 While the King of Hades 
 
 Has deluded them to the utmost, 
 
 The great God displays 
 
 Liberality deep as the sea : 
 
 But the devil has injured man 
 
 In a most outrageous manner. 
 
 God is therefore displeased. 
 
 And has sent his Son 
 
 With orders to come down into the world. 
 
 Having first studied the classics. 
 
 In the Ting-yew year (1837) 
 
 He was received up into heaven, 
 
 Where the aflfaira of heaven 
 
281 
 
 Were clearly pointed out to him. 
 
 The great God 
 
 Personally instructed him, 
 
 Gave him codes and documents 
 
 And communicated to him the true doctrine. 
 
 Grod also gave him a seal, 
 
 And conferred upon him a sword, 
 
 Connected with authority. 
 
 And majesty irresistible. 
 
 He bade him, together with his elder brother, 
 
 Namely Jesus, 
 
 To drive away impish fiends, 
 
 "With the co-operation of angels. 
 
 There was one who looked on with envy, 
 
 Namely, the king of Hades ; 
 
 "Who displayed much malignity, 
 
 And acted like a devilish serpent. 
 
 But the great God, 
 
 "With a high hand. 
 
 Instructed his Son 
 
 To subdue this fiend ; 
 
 And having conquered him. 
 
 To show him no favor. 
 
 And in spite of his envious eye, 
 
 He damped all his courage. 
 
 Having overcome the fiend, 
 
 He returned to heaven, 
 
 "Where the great God 
 
 Gave him great authority. 
 
 The celestial mother was kind, 
 
 And exceedingly gracious. 
 
 Beautiful and noble in the extreme, 
 
 Far beyond all compare. 
 
 The celestial elder brother's wife 
 
 "Was virtuous, and very considerate, 
 
 Constantly exhorting the elder brother, 
 
 To do things deliberately. 
 
 The great God, 
 
 Out of love to mankind, 
 
282 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Again commisaioned his Son 
 
 To come down into the world ; 
 
 And when he sent him down, 
 
 He charged him not to be afraid. 
 
 I am with you, said he. 
 
 To superintend everything 
 
 In the Mow-shin year (1848). 
 
 The Son was troubled and distressed, 
 
 When the great God 
 
 Appeared on his behalf. 
 
 Bringing Jesus with him 
 
 They both came down into the -world ; 
 
 Where he instructed his Son 
 
 How to sustain the weight of government. 
 
 God has set up his Son 
 
 To endure forever. 
 
 To defeat corrupt machinations, 
 
 And to display majesty and authority. 
 
 Also to judge the world, 
 
 To divide the righteous from the wicked ; 
 
 And consign them to the misery of hell, 
 
 Or bestow on them the joys of heaven. 
 
 Heaven manages everything, 
 
 Heaven sustains the whole : 
 
 Let all beneath the sky 
 
 Come and acknowledge the new monarch. 
 
 Little children, 
 
 Worship God, 
 
 Keep his commandments, 
 
 And do not disobey. 
 
 Let your minds be refined, 
 
 And be not depraved ; 
 
 The great God 
 
 Constantly surveys you. 
 
 You must refine yourselves well, 
 
 And not be depraved. 
 
 Vice willingly practised 
 
 Is the first step to misery. 
 
 To ensure a good end, 
 
288 
 
 You must make a good beginning ; 
 
 An error of a Imir's breadth 
 
 May lead to a discrepancy of 1,000 le. 
 
 Be careful about little things, 
 
 And watch the minute springs of action I 
 
 The great God 
 
 Is not to be deceived. 
 
 Little children, 
 
 Arouse your energies, 
 
 The laws of high Heaven 
 
 Admit not of infraction. 
 
 Upon the good blessings descend, 
 
 And miseries on the wicked ; 
 
 Those who obey Heaven are preserved, 
 
 And those who disobey perish. 
 
 The great God 
 
 Is a spiritual Father ; 
 
 All things whatever 
 
 Depend on him. 
 
 The great God 
 
 Is the Father of our spirits ; 
 
 Those who devoutly serve him 
 
 Will obtain blessings. 
 
 Those who obey the fathers of their flesh 
 
 "Will enjoy longevity ; 
 
 Those who requite their parents 
 
 Will certainly obtain happiness. 
 
 Do not practise lewdness, 
 
 Nor any uncleanness ; 
 
 Do not tell lies ; 
 
 Do not kill and slay ; 
 
 Do not steal ; 
 
 Do not covet ; 
 
 The great God 
 
 Will strictly carry out his laws. 
 
 Those who obey Heaven's commands 
 
 Will enjoy celestial happiness ; 
 
 Those who are grateful for divine favors 
 
 Will reoeive divine support 
 
284 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 Heaven blesses the good, 
 
 And curses the bad ; 
 
 Little children, 
 
 Maintain correct conduct. 
 
 The correct are men, 
 
 The corrupt are imps. 
 
 Little children, 
 
 Seek to avoid disgrace. 
 
 God loves the upright, 
 
 And he hates the vicious ; 
 
 Little children. 
 
 Be careful to avoid error. 
 
 The great God 
 
 Sees every thing. 
 
 If you wish to enjoy happiness, 
 
 Refine and correct yourselves. 
 
 The above document gives no reason to suppose that 
 the insurgents are otherwise than orthodox Confucians, 
 with a superstructure of spurious Christianity. While 
 Buddhism is stigmatized, not a word is uttered against 
 the ancient Chinese philosopher ; and the Emperor Tsin, 
 from whom the reign of diabolical delusions is dated, is 
 the same Emperor who is infamous in Chinese tradition 
 for his attempted destruction of the works of Confucius. 
 The supposition that the insurgents are still Confucians 
 reconciles the " Trimetrical Classic," with the production 
 contained in MM. Callery and Yvans's fourteenth chap-, 
 ter, in which the neglect of those who have studied Con- 
 fucius and Mencius is cited as one of the grievances suf- 
 fered under Tartar rule, and illustrations are borrowed 
 from one of the " five classical books."* 
 
 * A remark of Sir J. T. Davis may be aptly cited here :— 
 " Whatever the other opinions or faith of a Chinese may be, he 
 
MR. MEADoWs ACCOUNT. 285 
 
 We may also surmise from the information now before 
 us, that MM. Gallery and Yvan have been led to as- 
 cribe too much importance to the power of Tien-te. Not 
 only does it seem to be ascertained that Tien-te died 
 some time ago, but also that the present chief, the " King 
 Pacificator," is the Chinese " Messiah," mentioned in the 
 " Trimetrical Classic." Now^ if we refer to the confes- 
 Bion of Tien-te at the time of his supposed execution, 
 \rfiich is contained in Chapter X., we find that Houng- 
 siu-tsiuen, afterwards called Tai-ping (King Pacificator) 
 is mentioned as the leading intellect of the enterprise, 
 and even as an object of jealousy to Tien-te. This doc- 
 ument is treated by MM. Callery and Yvan as a forgery, 
 but at all events the forger seems to have been well ac- 
 quainted with the relative position of the rebel chiefs, so 
 completely does the " confession " harmonize with the 
 importance given to Tai-ping in the '• Trimetrical 
 Classic." 
 
 At the same time it must be admitted that a new diffi- 
 culty arises ; from the following details communicated 
 by Mr. Meadows, in a letter to Mr. Alcock, consul at 
 Chang-Hai, but for the authenticity of which he does not 
 vouch : — 
 
 " The person of whom we hear as claiming the Irape- 
 
 takes good care to treat Confucius with respect 
 
 As Confucianism is rather a philosophy than a religion, it can 
 scarcely be said to come into direct cuUision with religious per- 
 Buaaions. Tlie Catholics got on very well until they meddled 
 with the civil and social institutions of China," — The Chinese^ 
 ii. 45. 
 
286 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 rial throne under the title of Tien-te, died some time 
 back. His surname was Choo, that of the Mings, the 
 last Chinese dynasty, of whom he declared himself a de- 
 scendant. His son, a youth of two or three-and-twenty, 
 is now the acknowledged head of the insurrectionary 
 movement, claiming the throne under the title of Tae- 
 ping. He is assisted by a number of able counsellors, 
 chiefly literary gentry, who found their legitimate path 
 to distinction barred by the mal-administration of the 
 Mantchous, and also ex-mandarins who had conceived 
 themselves unfairly deprived of their rank. Among the 
 latter is an ex-prefect of Chang-chow, a department in 
 the north of this province, who had been degraded and 
 banished to Kouang-Si. The insurgent army is divided 
 into five grand corps, each distinguished by an uniform 
 of a different color (said to be blue, green, red, black, and 
 white). The head-dress in all cases is that of the Ming 
 dynasty, i. e., the hair is allowed to grow to the length of 
 two or three inches over the whole head, but no queue or 
 tail retained at the back. The men receive a fixed pay, 
 said not to be very high, but to be issued with a punctu- 
 ality quite unknown in the Mantchou armies. A strict 
 discipline is maintained, and all informants concur as to 
 the circumstance that officers rigidly carry out in battle the 
 military rule of cutting down all who fly, or who hesitate to 
 advance to the attack. In two or three cities where the 
 inhabitants turned out to resist their entrance, they put • 
 every living being to the sword, man, woman, and child ; 
 but in other oases, where deputations of elders have 
 
I 
 
 MR. MEADOWS'S ACCOUNT. 287 
 
 waited on the leaders to render submission, the troops 
 have not been allowed to enter. It is said that great 
 numbers of the landed proprietors have made submission 
 as the insurgent army has advanced northward, by get- 
 ting their title-deeds re-indorsed to them in the name of 
 the new dynasty, on payment of a fee to the civil branch 
 of the administration." 
 
 This statement of the youth of Tai-ping, and that he 
 is the son of Tien-te, seems not only at variance with his 
 supremacy in the " Trimetrical Classic," but also with the 
 description of him by MM. Gallery and Yvan, who, in 
 Chapter XIV., describe him as a man of forty, consider- 
 able older than Tien-te. 
 
 However, as we have said, this sonship of Tai-ping is 
 one of the facts for which Mr, Meadows does not vouch. 
 If we set it aside, the fair inference would be that Tai- 
 ping was the prime mover of the enterprise throughout, 
 and Tien-te was a kind of roi faineant in the hands of a 
 despotic " mayor of the palace." 
 
 In their opinion of the magnitude and importance of 
 the rebellion, MM. Callery and Yvan have proved them- 
 selves admirably correct ; and it should be borne in mind 
 that they formed that opinion when the progress of the 
 insurgents had bat just commenced, and when every ef- 
 fort was made to suppress the truth. The insurgents, or 
 as the Anglo-Chinese papers now call them, the " patri- 
 ots," have not only retained possession of Nankin, but on 
 the 18th of May, captured Amoy, one of the five ports 
 opened to foreigners, under the treaty of Nankin. This, 
 
288 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 which was their first operation under the eyes of Europe- 
 ans, is thus described in a letter from an eminent com- 
 mercial firm at Amoy, dated the 19th of May : — 
 
 " On the 14th instant the authorities notified the Eng- 
 lish Consul of the near approach of some 3,500 rebels, 
 who on that day, it became known, had invested Hai- 
 Teng, a walled town, about twelve miles up the Chang- 
 Chow river, and beheaded the chief mandarin of the place. 
 Various rumors as to the direction which the rebels would 
 take went about, and it appeared most probable that they 
 would go to Chang-Chow, and not come here at once, 
 where they might fear the opposition of foreign vessels. 
 On the 1 5th, the opium store-ships were, at the request 
 of the English Consul, moved into the inner harbor, to 
 be in readiness to protect more effectually the residents, 
 some of whom sent their valuables on board ; yet many 
 were loth to believe that the rebels would come, while 
 some even doubted the existence of any organized rebel 
 force in this neighborhood, supposing the men spoken of 
 to be bands of thieves, of whom large numbers are al- 
 ways on the river. On the evening of the 17th it was 
 suddenly reported that during the night 2,000 to 3,000 
 rebels would arrive ; the shops were all closed earlier 
 than usual, and the Hai-knawn and Hai-fung, it was 
 afterwards found out. with their dependents, left their 
 offices. 
 
 " That such a force could be conveyed down the river 
 80 expeditiously appeared incredible, and few, if any. be- 
 lieved the landing would take place ; and at the same 
 
CAPTURE OF AMOY BY THE REBELS. 289 
 
 time it was said that the Taow-kai, who has been at Chin- 
 Chow for some weeks, would arrive during the night with 
 1,000 men, and that if he reached first, the entry of the 
 rebels into the city would be frustrated ; and probably? 
 as the Taow-kai is very popular with the natives, a com- 
 promise would have been come to. Much anxiety p:e- 
 vailed all night ; every one in the town seemed to be 
 awake. Till half past four a. m. of the 1 8th all remained 
 -quiet, but about that time large numbers of boats of all 
 descriptions and sizes, bearing red flags and filled with 
 men, were descried approaching each extremity of the 
 town. The Chinese admiral got his fleet under weigh, 
 and kept up an ineffective fire on the boats ; but, whether 
 owing to the want of wind or inclination, the junks kept a 
 good distance off"; so the landing of the rebels was almost 
 unopposed. The first boats could scarcely have reached 
 the shore, when it became evident that nearly all the 
 wharf coolies, boatmen, policemen, and laborers of Amoy 
 belonged to the rebel army, and only waited the arrival 
 of the leader to appear as such. The public offices in 
 the suburbs were immediately broken open and sacked — 
 one or two of them were burned ; but this dangeroup way 
 of destroying them was not. we are happy to say, em- 
 ployed, save in the outskirts. The destruction of the 
 Custom-house, from its proximity to the foreign hongs, 
 was a scene of interest to the inhabitants of the latter ; 
 and the systematic manner in which the Custom-house 
 and the residence of its shroffs were sacked, without the 
 Blightest injury being offered to any of the neighboring 
 
 13 
 
290 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 houses, attracted much notice ; the work being performed 
 by men apparently of the lowest order, armed with knives, 
 spears and matchlocks, and whose appearance would jus- 
 tify the belief that they were an infuriated mob let loose 
 for the purpose of destroying the town ; yet they carefully 
 avoided any injury to private houses, showing that some 
 most efficient system of control is kept up by the society. 
 The Taow-tae did not arrive, and though the city con- 
 tinued to hold out, the natives never seemed to doubt 
 its submission to the rebels ; it appears, besides, many 
 members of the society were introduced previously into^ 
 the city ; the garrison had nearly all joined the society, 
 and only waited a favorable occasion to open the gates 
 and admit the rebel force. A slack desultory fire was 
 kept up till about noon, when it became quiet Proba- 
 bly, fatigue and hunger dictated the propriety of a short 
 truce. An hour or two later the garrison opened the 
 gates and allowed the rebels to enter unmolested, joining 
 with them, so that the mandarins were quite helpless ; 
 but no desire to capture them seems to have existed ; 
 for, while the four gates were thrown open, and only by 
 three did the rebels enter, the fourth being left pur- 
 posely to facilitate the escape of any who wished — a priv- 
 ilege they all availed themselves of. About this time 
 the Admiral, with most of his junks, retreated round the 
 island to sea, and has not since returned. Several of the 
 junks he left behind have been burned. The rebels from 
 the main land continued to pour in in large numbers, 
 while thousands of the inhabitants joined their band, all 
 
CAPTORS OF AMOr. 291 
 
 armed, and every party carrying a flag. Shortly after it 
 was known that the rebels were in possession of the cita- 
 del, a party of foreigners proceeded thither to see how 
 matters were being conducted. After being admitted 
 into the city, they were allowed to visit the different 
 public buildings without the slightest molestation ; and 
 while in the city, the chief of the rebel force promised 
 them to send a guard to protect the foreign hongs against 
 plunder, which it was feared they would be much exposed 
 to at night. The streets both inside and outside the 
 walls, are literally crowded with rebels, but no sign what- 
 ever appears of injury to a single private house. A large 
 body of rebels patrolled the streets lasti^night, and today 
 everything appears quiet ; most of the shops in this neigh- 
 borhood are open, and confidence appears returning 
 among the natives, while the foreigners are at a loss to 
 account for the quiet and orderly manner in which the 
 rebels conduct themselves." 
 
 An opinion seems to be entertained that the rebels of 
 Amoy have nothing whatever to do with the victors of 
 Nankin, but are a distinct body of malcontents, who, stimu- 
 lated by private motives, have got up a minor insur- 
 rection of their own. Where events are so very recent, 
 and where so much obscurity prevails, it is impossible to 
 determine how far such an opinion may be correct. But 
 we remind our readers of the theory advanced by MM. 
 Gallery and Yvan that the insurrection in the provinces 
 to the immediate east of the Kouang-Si, was not a mere 
 progress of one body of insurgents, but a manifestation of 
 
292 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 the insurgent spirit in a fresh place. Although the cap- 
 tors of Amoy may not be the same persons as the victors 
 of Nankin, and although considerable disagreement may 
 have arisen among them, it by no means follows, that 
 they do not represent that general history of the Tartar 
 dynasty, which seems likely to unite the most various 
 populations under one head. 
 
POSTSCEIPT. 
 
 Proceedings of the insurgents at Amoy, Nankin, and Chin-kiang-foo— State of 
 Pekin— Visit of Mr. Taylor to tlie rebel camp — Latest advices. 
 
 While the last pages were passing through the press, 
 the China mail brought intelligence of the state of the in- 
 surrection, which affords information confirmatory of the 
 strict discipline and energetic determination of the insur- 
 gents, and showing their continued success. 
 
 With regard to the capture of Amoy by the rebels, the 
 Times correspondent writes : — 
 
 " I mentioned in my last that Amoy had fallen into 
 the hands of the insurgents, and that the conduct of the 
 captors had been so orderly that trade was expected to 
 be immediately resumed ; rumors, however, arose of se- 
 rious dissensions among the rebel chiefs regarding the fu- 
 ture government of the place, and much anxiety was felt 
 respecting the ulterior measures of the insurgents. The 
 arrival, however, on the 24th of May, of her Majesty's 
 steamers Hermes and Rattler restored confidence to the 
 foreign community, and the departure of the unsuccessful 
 candidate for the governorship, with his immediate fol* 
 lowers, terminated the dissensions in the rebel camp. 
 Exaggerated reports of these disagreements had, however, 
 inspired the Imperialist admiral, then off the coast, with 
 
294 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 the hope of recovering possession of the place. Accord- 
 ingly, on the 29th of May, he appeared in the harbor 
 with a fleet, stated by the lowest accounts at nineteeii, 
 and in the highest at thirty junks. He immediately 
 landed 1,000 men, who marched steadily towards the cita- 
 del for two miles, when the rebels made a rush and 
 drove them back to their boats, with a loss of about 
 twenty or thirty killed, and from twenty-five to fifty pris- 
 oners. Next day the rebels began trying the prisoners 
 with great formality. They were exceedingly civil to 
 the Europeans, placing chairs for all who liked to attend. 
 All the Tartars taken were immediately beheaded, the 
 insurgents making no secret of their intention of utterly 
 exterminating the whole race ; but the Chinese soldiers, 
 being generally pressed men, were usually acquitted. It 
 is stated that the rebels are under excellent apparent 
 self-control, and that plunder is certain death to the of- 
 fender. They are now rather short of funds, but are ar- 
 ranging a plan of government, and propose a scale of taxa- 
 tion much more moderate than the former tarifi"." 
 
 The insurrection is making steady progress, and the 
 popular hatred of mandarins appears to be universal. 
 
 " Chang-chow and Tang-wang have both succumbed to 
 the insurgents, though not without severe loss to the lat- 
 ter. At Tang-wa the inhabitants en masse^ though sanc- 
 tioning the ejectment of the mandarins, have refused to 
 allow the insurgents to have anything to do with the gov- 
 ernment, and have proceeded to declare themselves free 
 and iodependant burgesses, who could govern for them- 
 selves. 
 
 " Some months ago, when the Governor-General Siu, 
 in command of the main body of the Imperial forces, was 
 defeated, and fled from the rebels, he excused his failure 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 295 
 
 and acconntcd for the rapid progress of the enemy by 
 attributing both to the ' extraordinary ferocity of the re- 
 bels, and to their skill in springing mines.' The follow- 
 ing particulars of the capture of Nankin appear to con- 
 firm both these representations : — 
 
 "' On the 8th of March they (the rebels) appeared be- 
 fore Nankin, and on the 19th of that month sprung a 
 mine under the wall near the northern angle, which ef- 
 fected a breach of about twenty or thirty yards in extent. 
 They immediately stormed by this, meeting with only a 
 sTigiit resistance from some Shan-tung and Kwei-chow 
 (<Jl>inese) troops who attempted to defend it, and, pro- 
 ceeding to the southern quarter, entered the inner city 
 there situated, which in the time of the Mings was, and 
 now is again, called the Imperial City, but which under 
 the Ta-tsing dynasty has been occupied by the hereditary 
 garrison of Tartar bannermen and their families.' 
 
 " The strength of the paid portion of this force is stated 
 in the ' Imperial army regulations' at 5,106 men, but it is 
 known that, including volunteers or expectants belonging* 
 to the families of the bannermen, the number of able- 
 bodied men was fully 7,000 or 8,000 ; and that the total 
 number, of all ages and both sexes, could not have been 
 less than from 20,000 to 30,000. It was expected that 
 these Mantchous would fight desperately in self-defence. 
 They were well armed and trained, and they well knew 
 that the ' Heavenly Prince' had openly declared that the 
 first duty of his mission was the utter extermination not 
 only of themselves, but also of their women and children ; 
 yet they did not strike a single blow in self-defence — 
 they threw themselves on their faces, and imploring mercy 
 in the most abject terms, submitted to be butchered like 
 60 many sheep. Only 100 escaped out of a population 
 
296 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 of more than 20,000 ; the rest, men, women, and children, 
 were put to the sword. 
 
 " On the 31st of March, early in the morning, the in- 
 surgent fleet of river-craft sent down from Nankin ap- 
 proached Chin-kiang. Only the Macao lorchas despatched 
 up the river by the Shanghai intendant attempted resist- 
 ance, the rest of the Imperial fleet flying in dismay at 
 the sight of the enormous number of vessels moving 
 against them. The lorchas were also soon forced to re- 
 treat, and were pursued as far as Silver Island. From 
 this the insurgents returned to Chin-kiang, which they 
 occupied unresisted, the garrison, among them 400 North- 
 ern Mantchous, having fled without firing a shot. The 
 families of the resident Tartars, warned by the fate of 
 their compatriots at Nankin, all evacuated the place to 
 the number of 20,000 ; only a few hundreds were caught 
 and slain in the surrounding villages. On the following 
 day, the 1st of April, the insurgents occupied Kwa-chow 
 and the large city of Yang-chow on the northern bank of 
 the Yang-tze, in like manner, without resistance. A long 
 battery of three miles of guns that lined the river bank 
 fell into their hands. Not one had been discharged 
 against them. 
 
 " The son of the Taoutie at Shanghai is at Canton or- 
 ganizing a fleet of armed fishing boats, with which to pro- 
 ceed to the Yang-tse-kiang to attempt the recovery of 
 Chin-kiang-foo and the possession of the grand canal. A 
 considerable force of Imperialist troops is collecting be- 
 tween Shanghai and Nankin, and some have been dressed 
 and equipped like our sepoys, in order to impress the in- 
 surgents with the belief that the English are supporting 
 the Mantchous." 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 897 
 
 The North China Herald gives the following account 
 of the state of affairs in the Northern capital : — 
 
 " The exhausted state of the Imperialist military chest 
 is fully confirmed by the edicts and memorials of the 
 PeJcin Gazettes^ and by private letters from Pekin. A 
 memorial of one of the boards states that upwards of 
 20,000.000 of taels of silver have been expended in these 
 military operations ; and we know that before they com- 
 menced the State funds had not recovered from the drain 
 caused by the English indemnity. The Central Govern- 
 ment has now been compelled to pay in notes, which, as 
 they represent nothing but the emptiness of the Imperial 
 Treasury, have no value in the market. In consequence 
 of their issue, about 100 of the private banking establish- 
 ments, whose notes (for sums as low as 100 cash) form 
 the circulating medium in Pekin, closed in a single day, 
 causing immediate embarrassment and distress among 
 the lower classes, whose position had already become 
 straitened from the high price of grain. 
 
 '• Our readers are aware that the population of Pekin 
 (comprising a paid stationary garrison of about 100,000 
 Mantchous and their families) are mainly dependent on 
 the supplies sent annually from the fertile low lands on 
 both sides of the Yang-tse ; as far as the Yellow River 
 on the North, and the Bay of Hangchow on the South. 
 These supplies used to be despatched by the Grand Canal 
 in the months of March, April, and May, being in each 
 case the contributions from the crops of the preceding 
 year. During the last two or three years a portion has 
 been sent by sea, and last year a thousand junks cleared 
 seaward from the port of Shang-Hai. This year none 
 has been sent by canal, and the whole supply furnished 
 by the above-mentioned region was that contained in some 
 13» 
 
298 THE INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 200 vessels, which left this port about a month ago, form- 
 ing probably not one fifteenth of what will be required. 
 
 " We have noticed above the extreme pressure for 
 money at Pekin. It appears, from the Gazettes^ to be 
 driving the Government to perfectly suicidal measures. 
 The properties of the former minister, Sae-shang-ah, and 
 of the Imperial Commissioner Seu-kwang-tsin, have been 
 confiscated — their sons, mandarins in Pekin, previously 
 degraded and thrown into prison to prevent their ab- 
 stracting any portion. As both of these ofl&cers had been 
 brought prisoners to Pekin, and the former had been al- 
 ready tried and condemned to death for inefl&ciency, these 
 proceedings had in them nothing unusual. But the same 
 fate has befallen the property and family of Luh-keen- 
 yiug, who fell at his post in Nankin. The death of an 
 officer at his post, by the hand of the enemy, has hitherto 
 been held to obliterate all faults. The rule has been to 
 confer posthumous honors on the deceased, and rewards 
 on his family. Now unsuccessful devotion has been 
 visited in the same manner as early and flp^rant derelic- 
 tion of duty. Besides the above transpcdon, heavy loans 
 have been exacted from some wealtliy families, those of 
 Muh-chang-ah, Keying, and other former ministers, 
 amounting to a partial confiscation of their property. 
 
 The Times correspondent at Hong Kong, writes on 
 the 7th July :— 
 
 " The main body of the insurgents still remain at Nan- 
 kin, Chin-kiang-foo, and on the northern banks of the 
 Yang-tse-Kiang. They had taken Tai-piang-foo, a city 
 of great strength to the westward of Nankin. No move- 
 ment had been made northward, or in the direction of 
 Soochow and Shanghai. The Imperial foreign fleet had 
 returned to Woosung. 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 299 
 
 '• Mr. Taylor, the American missionary, had returned 
 to Shanghai from visiting the insurgent General Loo at 
 Chin-kiang-foo, who forwarded him on to Nankin on his 
 expressing a wish to go there. The tents of the Impe- 
 rial troops were distinctly seen from the walls of that 
 city. 
 
 " From all communication hitherto held with the in- 
 surgents they seem friendly to foreigners." 
 
 " The following is a letter addressed by General Loo 
 to foreigners, and given to Mr. Taylor : — 
 
 " ' Loo, the Fifth Arranger of the Forces attached to 
 the palace of the celestial dynasty of Tai-ping who re- 
 ceived the command of Heaven to rule the empire, com- 
 municates the following information to all his English 
 brethren : — On the first day of the fifth moon (June the 
 5th) a brother belonging to your honorable nation, 
 named Charles Taylor, brought hither a number of books, 
 which have been received in order. Seeing that the 
 above-named individual is a fellow-worshipper of God 
 (Shang-te), he is, therefore, acknowledged as a brother ; 
 the books, likewise, which he has brought agree substan- 
 tially with our own, so that it appears we follow one and 
 the same road. Formerly, however, when a ship belong- 
 ing to your honorable nation came hither (the Hermes), 
 she was followed by a fleet of impish vessels belonging to 
 the false Tartars : now, also, when a boat from your hon- 
 orable nation comes among us, the impish vessels of the 
 Tartars again follow in its wake. Considering that your 
 honorable jiation is celebrated for its truth and fidelity, 
 we, your younger brothers, do not harbor any suspicions. 
 At present both Heaven and men favor our design, 
 and this is just the time for setting up the Chinese and 
 abolishing the Tartar rule. We suppose that you, gentle- 
 
800 TUB INSURRECTION IN CHINA. 
 
 men, are well acquainted with the signs of the times, so 
 that we need not enlarge on that subject ; but, while we, 
 on our parts, do not prohibit commercial intercourse, we 
 merely observe that since the two parties are now engaged 
 in warfare, the going to and fro is accompanied with incon- 
 venience ; and judging from the present aspect of aflfairs, 
 we should deem it better to wait a few months until we 
 have thoroughly destroyed the Tartars, when, perhaps, 
 the subjects of your honorable nation could go and come 
 without being involved in the tricks of these false Tar- 
 tars. Would it not in your estimation also be preferable ? 
 We take advantage of the opportunity to send you this 
 communication for your intelligent inspection, and hope 
 that every blessing may attend you. We also send a 
 number of our own books, which please to circulate 
 among you." 
 
 " Our dates from Foo-chow-foo reach to the 24th ult. 
 The city of Yan-ping-foo, not far distant, had been be- 
 sieged and was supposed to have fallen, and all communica- 
 tion with the interior was stopped by the rebels. Great 
 commotion exists at Foo-chow-foo, which seemed ready 
 for an outbreak ; but the Tartar garrison were deter- 
 mined to make a stand on the approach of the rebel 
 force. The inhabitants continued to move from the city 
 with their property. A timely supply of rice from For- 
 mosa had relieved the distress. 
 
 " Our advices from Amoy are to the 2d inst. The 
 Imperialists still held Chang-chow and Tang-wa, where 
 there had been constant fighting, with much slaughter. 
 The insurgents held Amoy, and continued to extort 
 money from the native merchants. Trade was entirely 
 stopped. 
 
 "At Canton good order is still maintained by the 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 301 
 
 vigilance and stringent measures of the authorities. Re- 
 cent accounts from the interior mention that a large 
 rebel force had moved into Kiang-tsi, and were pushing 
 their way fast to the south. This would cause interrup- 
 tion to transit from the tea districts, if confirmed." 
 
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