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OW WE GOT TO PEKIN. ^' 



A NAERATIYE OF 



THE CAMPAIGN IN CHINA OF 1860. 



BY 

THE REV. R. J.L. M'GHEE, 

CRAPLAnC TO THB FOBCBfl, AM) TO HO EXOELLKXCY THE MXBOL OW CARLISLE. 



WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 




LONDON: 

RICHARD BENTLEY, 
)Pii)U9|ft in edriiiavfi to mn ifttaietts. 

1862. 



[The Author merva the right of Tramlation.] 



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DEDICATED, 

BT PEBMTSSIOK, 

TO 

HIS EXCELLENCY 

THE EAEL OF CAELISLE, 

BY HIS FAITHFUL AND 

GBATEFUL SERVANT, 

THE AUTHOR. 



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PEEFACE. 



Haying had the good fortune to seire with the 
head-quarters of the expeditionary force in China 
throughout the whole of the late Campaign, and 
to be present upon every occasion of interest ; and 
having kept such notes as a man can keep in a 
bell-tent, or without any tent, in the hot weather in 
China^ I may be excused for saying that I have had 
as good opportunities of observation, and of record- 
ing what I saw, as most men in the force. I have 
been repeatedly asked by Mends to publish some 
account of the campaign, and I do so with some 
hesitation of my ability to do justice to the sub- 
ject, not being a military man. 

The following pages were written before I was 
aware that Colonel Wolseley had published his work, 
or I should never have attempted what he had 

a 2 



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vi PRBPACB. 

undertaken; but my narrative was written under 
the belief that no connected account of the expe- 
dition was in contemplation, and on my return 
home I had not the resolution to commit my book 
to the flames. 

I have felt it to be in better taste not to bring 
before the public any especial mention of the work- 
ing of my own department during the war ; not that 
I do not entertain a full sense of its great importance, 
or that I am not disposed duly to " magnify mine 
office ;" but because anything that might savour of 
egotism is to be avoided by all, and especially by 
one who at all events ought to be a teacher. I say 
this, because some persons might expect from me a 
work of a character not so secular. 

I have been truly glad to give praise when, in my 
opinion, it was deserved, and have endeavoured to 
be silent if I may have seen cause for censure, 
leaving the task of fault-findmg to others to whom it 
may be more grateful than it is to me, being quite 
aware that a hasty or ill-formed judgment may be, 
and often is, very unjust, and if promulgated may 
inflict a wound and an injury which it may never 
be possible to repair or to heal No doubt the 
censorious are a useful class of people ; I have no 



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PREFACE. vii 

ambition, however, to share either their pleasures or 
their toils. 

K I should, therefore, have given any oflTence to 
any person by anything which is here related, I can 
truly plead as my apology that it was utterly unin- 
tentionaL 

My narrative has been written without much 
arrangement or plan; in part, because for this 
purpose moments were taken from days of anxious 
occupation, when I was obliged to be contented to 
put down the recoUections that came unbidden at 
such times; and all who have been in China can 
testify that the climate often renders it necessary 
to do as you can, rather than as you would 



Dublin, 

June, 1862. 



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CONTENTS. 



CHAPTEB I. 

TAQM 

From Home to China— Leaving Home— Maltar— Cairo— The 
Bed Sea and its Fmits — ^Aden— Galle— Pasaengers— The 
French — ^Penang* — Singapore— Arrival at Hong Kong 1 



CHAPTER II. 

HongEong— Hospitality of the Troops^Head Qnarters— Kow- 
loong — ^Bndeness of a Naval Officer— Probyn's and Fane's 
Horse— Tent pegging— ' Siwhan * — The Military Train— 
The CooHe Corps — Eegimental Transport— The * Happy 
Valley * — The Cemetery and the Bace Course — Jardine's 
Warehouses — ^*Poke Fnllom' — ^Admiral Hope— Sir Hope 
Grant . . . .16 

CHAPTER III. 

The Loss of the Transport 'Assistance'— Shanghai— The Na- 
tive Boat—* Chow Chow* Water— The Church Mission— 
The Native Town— Jesuit College — ^Pigeon English— The 
American Mission and Miss Fay— Religion in China . 3 

CHAPTER rv. 

Leave Shanghai— Chusan— Our Allies— Pootoo— Beauty of the 
Scenery- Buddhist Temples— Hong Kong- Talienwhan— 
The Fleet— The Scenery— Heat and Droughir-Difflculty 
in procuring Country Produce— Confusion amongst the 
Supplies— The Shooting of the Neighbourhood— Our Ride 
from Victoria Bay to Odin Bay — The Soldier's best 
Friend— Hand Bay— Hangkow- The Chief Mandarin . 48 



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X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER V. 

PAQB 

Weighed Anchor for Pekin— Landing— Our Bivouac— Cock- 
roach Broth — Colonel AnBon — ^Arrived at Petang— Land- 
ing— Tea— Petang^Colonel Bobs— The Military Train— 
Difficulty of Transport . .71 

CHAPTEB YI. 

Reconnaissance — ^Leave Petang — The Cavalry — ^Advanoe of the 
Allied Forces — The Tartars desert their Camp— The 
Second Division— The Tartars charge our Guns- The 
Tartar Soldier's Hnt— Prisoners— Lines on Moyse's Death 
—Chinese Documents— Chinese Policy — Results of the 
Expedition . . . . . .92 

CHAPTER VII. 

Preparations — Trench Digging — Attack on Tankoo — Aim- 
strong Guns — ^Floods in the Camp — Bridge over the Peiho 
— Dead Animals— Reconnaissance — Breakfast among the 
Grapes— Deserted Works— Mr. Parkes, C.B.— Skirmishing 
— ^Ruined House — Takoo Forts — ^Disposition of our Guns 
—Explosions — Storming the Forts — ^Numbers of Killed . 110 

CHAPTEB VIIL 

Recovery of Guns taken in 1859— The Wounded— Surrender 
of the South Forts— Favourable Weather— Wet Tents 
—Camp Dinners— Crimean Steaks— Grumblers at Home 
— ^A dead Horse ...... 131 

CHAPTER rX. 

Gardens— " Great Kings"— Up the Peiho — Diplomacy— Ad- 
vance on Pekin— Transport— A Morning's March— A 
Bantam Cock — ^Hooseewoo— Grapes— Advance from Hoo- 
woo — Chinese Treachery — Walker^s Escape — Our Sur- 
prise—Proposed Camping Ground— Battle of Chankei^ 
whan— Probyn's Charge — ^A narrow Escape . 144 

CHAPTER X. 

Burning Camps— Chaagkeawhan— Looting— Suicides— House 
of Refuge— The Field of Battle— Home-like Scenery- 
Coolies -Mickey King— Packing Baggage — ^Advance of 
the Tartars— Useless Squares— Charge of the King^s Dra- 
goon Guards — Irregulars — Camp and Village burnt — ^An 
Armstrong Shell .164 



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CONTENTS. xi 

CHAPTER XI. 

PAO« 

Palechow — Standing Camp — Meears. Parkeaand Looh — Marble 
Tomb— Market— Camp ShareB— Sick and Woimded—Ulti- 
matom — Depdt — Mahometan Moaqne — Major Brown's 
Horses — ^Biyonac — Brick Ejlns — Skirmishing— Pekin— 
Oar lost Allies — Oar Cayalry missing — Head-Qaarter 
Temple . ...... 183 

CHAPTER Xn. 

Colonel Wolseley finds the French and Caralry— How they 
came to be lost— Lord Elgin and Sir Hope Grant visit the 
Sommer Palace — ^Entrance— Hall of Aadience— Groonds 
—French Looting— The Palace— Fnrs and Embroidery— 
Corios and Silk— Gardens and Sommer-hoasea— Art and 
Katnre— Interior of Temple— Golden Idols — ^A Chinese 
Sammer-hoose— Famitore of Sommer-hoose— Gardens- 
Chinese Plunderers ...... 201 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Preparations for an Assaalt — ^Flan of oar Position — Colonel 
Mann's Anxiety to make a Breach — John Chinaman gives 
in— Chinese Treachery — Return of Messrs. Parkes and 
Loch—" The wild Jastice of Revenge"— Boalby, a pnblic 
Loss — Chinese Perfidy — ^Kindness of Russian Embassy— 
The Russian Burial-ground- Funeral of Messrs. Anderson, 
De Norman, Boulby, and Private Phipps— Crud Treachery 
of the Emperor— Burning of the Imperial Palace — Burn- 
ing of Temple— Antiquity of Chinese Art— A Residence 
with its Temples — Gardens — Curios— Halt of Troops — 
More Burning— Reflections^-Retum to Pekin— A neces- 
sary Sacrifice — ^The Days of the Present Dynasty numbered 
— Success of the American Mission . .217 

CHAPTER XrV. 

The Auction— Discovery of the Treasury — ^Priza Money — In- 
cidents of the Auction— Scarcity of Money— Anting Gate 
— ^London and Pekin— The Walls of Pekin— Butchers' 
Shops — "Chow-Chow" Shops— Coal-yards — Curiosity of 
People— Importance of John Chinaman — ^Description of 
Town— Tartar Town— Furs and Skins— Shops— Bargain- 
ing— John Bull— Puzzling John Chinaman — The Temple 
of the Earth— The Temple of Heaven .292 



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xu CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XV. 

FAQK 

Signing of the Conrention — ^Treaty of Tien-Tsin— Severity 
the best Policy— Wintering lie Army — The Difficulty 
solved — The French retire firom Pekin— Lamah Temple— 
The Troops march for Palechow — ^Peiho River — Lady 
Grant— Head-Qnarter Staff— Efficiency of the Staff— Gar- 
rison at Tien-Tsin — Tien-Tsin— Severity of the Winter — 
Conveyance of Mails most defective— Regularity of French 
Mails 308 

, CHAPTER XVL 

Sledges —Horse Marines— Game — Rations— Anecdotes— The 
Sick — ^The Hospital— Home Memories — The Morals of the 
Army — The private Soldier— Confectioners — The Auction 
— damping the Feet— Chinese Ladies— Begs;ar8 — Charity 
of British Troops— The Irishman and the Coolies— Pointed 
Arguments—" Englishe ** and <' Flenishe **— '' Poke Bene " 
— A Jeweller — Horses and Races— Paper Hunta— Read- 
ing Room — ** Samsho "—Occupation and Amusement- 
Tartar General . .319 

CHAPTER XVII. 

The Ice breaks up— Unhealthiness of the Climate— Brown's 
Stories— A Pair of Ducks— Policy of the Pekin Court- 
Home Policy— Prudence — Campaigning— China open to 
Trade— "The War Party"— Lord Elgin— The Hospital 
at Tien-Tsin— Missionary Work . . .352 



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HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



OHAPTEBI. 

Prom Home to Chma— Leaving Home— Malta— Cairo — ^The Bed Sea 
and its Fruits— Aden — GktUe— Pasaengeis — ^The French — ^Penang 
— Singapore— Arrival at Hong Koi^ 

DuRiNO the last Caffi*e war, some compames of the 
second battalion of the Sixtieth Rifles, and a squad- 
ron of the Twelfth Lancers, were sent up the coun- 
try on an expedition without tents or ba^age, and 
a hard time they had of it It was during the wet 
season, and one day in a pour of rain, when the men 
were trying in vain to light their cooking-fires, the 
following dialogue was oyeriieard between two Light 
Dragoons. 

^The Sergeant-major's words has come true; he 
says to me the day I volunteered fix)m my old regi- 
ment, the Fifth Dragoon Guards, he says to me, as I 
was leaving the gate of PortobeUo barracks, in Dub- 
lin, * Jinkins,* he says, *this is the worst day's work 
as ever you done in the whole course of your life ;' 
and so it was, I wish I was back again." 

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2 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

" Yes,*' was the reply from his comrade. " They 
say in my troop as Fm a bad *un, and I know any 
how as I'm a great blackguard, but there's one thing 
as is a balm to my conscience, and that is, that Tm 
not a volunteer^ 

I can enter into the feelings of the Light Dragoon 
as to volunteering. It is a great point when you 
find yourself where you would rather not be, if you 
are able to console yourself with the recollection that 
** you are not a volunteer." If you are ordered any- 
where, then it is your duty to go, and to take what- 
ever comes, and make the best of it ; the path of 
duty is in the long run always the best, but if a 
man volunteers his services, he takes the responsi- 
bility of his fortunes upon his own shoulders. 

During the winter of 1859-60, 1 was sitting one 
evening reading, with a companion, by a comfortable 
fire, in my quarters at home, feeling very well con- 
tented with the world at large and with my own lot, 
though not without my share of the ordinary trials of 
life, when the post arrived ; I opened one letter, the 
handwriting of which I knew well as that of a good 
and firm fi*iend, when, to my dismay, I discovered 
in the first few lines that I was to join the Chinese 
expedition (then being organized at Hong Kong) 
by the Overland route. 

K a shell had fallen at my feet through the roo^ 
I could hardly have been more startled. ^^ China for 
me," I said, holding up the letter ; my companion 



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LEAVING HOME. 3 

shnt his book and looked up, scarcely less startled 
than I was ; neither of us spoke for some minutes ; 
what a crowd of thoughts and feelings rushed through 
my mind and heart ! I have not forgotten them yet 
I felt at once that it was the path of duty for me 
that I should without hesitation accept the appoint- 
ment I had " taken the shilling,** and was under 
orders ; and I felt a confidence which is worth a 
world of human hopes, and overrules all human fears, 
that the unseen Hand which had guided me in many 
a difficulty, and had steered my fi^ail bark through 
more than one troubled sea, was still at the hehn ; 
I bowed my head and said, " Thy will be done.'* 
And I felt at peace, though sore troubled. 

My hardest task was to make light of the matter, to 
treat it rather as a good joke, a pleasant trip, and so 
forth, in order to prevent others firom exhibiting any 
signs of sorrow, which would have been difficult to 
bear. I had some weeks before me yet ere I was to 
start ; I often wished that the time had come, much 
as I dreaded its arrival 

Like all days, whether good or evil, it came at 
last, and not long afterwards I found myself on board 
the * Valetta,' at Marseilles, and steaming into the 
Gulf of Lyons, where it was rough enough to 
make most of the passengers very unhappy ; but as 
sea-sickness is one of those evils fix)m which I am 
exempt, I had not that additional iU to bear, not that 
I should have cared in the least about it I felt too 

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4 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

much alone and broken-hearted to think of any lesser 
ilL I had a major, a Scotohman^ in the same cabin 
with me, a very good fellow, though a little " cran- 
key,** as the weather got hot (for we stuck to- 
gether all through to Galle). In three days we 
arrived at Malta late in the evening; it was dark, 
and as the anchor was dropped, I heard a well- 
known friendly voice call out, "Halloa, M'Ghee, 
where are you ? " " Here I am, where are you ? '* 
" Here, I've got a boat, come along/' My friend 
had seen my name down as to be expected in 
the * Yaletta,' and, like a good warm-hearted fellow, 
had come off to meet me. We rowed across tha 
harbour to the house of another military friend, who 
was stationed at Malta, and it seemed to look home- 
like to meet with those from whom I had parted not 
many months before, at the station where we had 
been quartered together ; but such must military life 
always be. You are constantly losing your friends, 
by other means besides the ordinary casualties of this 
world; still they are not lost altogether, they are 
sown over every quarter of the globe, and turn up 
sometimes when least expected, and most wanted. 
Four hours saw us out of Malta harbour, on our 
way to Alexandria ; we just missed a heavy storm, 
in which the sister-ship to ours (the * Yectis ') left 
Alexandria, although no pilot would venture to bring 
her out, so much for the enterprise of her com- 
mander (his brother commanded the * Yaletta ') ; 



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CAIBO. 5 

and she weathered it safely, although her stem was 
90 mucli damaged that she was obliged to stop at 
Malta for repairs. At Alexandria it was hot, al- 
though but a few days before we had left France, 
bound in a most severe frost; at Cairo, where we 
were detained two days, it was hotter stiU. Our 
delay arose from a storm in the Bed Sea, so violent 
that our ship could not receive the mails and pas- 
sengers until it had abated. Of course I was not 
sorry for the detention, which gave me an oppor^ 
tunity of seeing something of the first Eastern city 
which I had ever entered. You need not fear, how- 
ever, my readers, that I am going to inflict upon you 
a description of Cairo, or any details of the Overland 
route. Everyone has read a dozen better than I could 
write ; everyone haa seen poor Albert Smith's * China;* 
and twenty per cent of the readers of a book of this 
sort, have had their personal experience of the journey. 
Two things however did surprise me very much at 
Cairo, one was how such very small donkeys, with 
such very thin legs, could carry such large men, six- 
teen stone weight ; and the other was how several 
young people going out to India to join the Queen's 
service there, could make such great asses of them- 
selves, as they did at Cairo and elsewhere ; foi^etting 
that they were expected, in the service, to try, if 
possible, and appear like gentlemen, if they were 
not really so. But these were what they call in 
India " Competition Wallahs." 



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6 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

Having been joined by the "Southampton lot," 
we found a large party when we embarked at Suez ; 
but I think that the two streams from Marseilles and 
Southampton, although confluent from Suez to Galle, 
never thoroi^hly commingled their waters ; the Mar- 
seilles folk considering themselves the faster of the 
two, and haviQg the latest papers, and the last bit 
of club gossip, swaggered a little, while the South- 
ampton people did not appear to see this, and on the 
other hand looked down upon those who had shirked 
the Bay of Biscay as not having done the thing 
thoroughly. 

I do not intend to iosinuate, however, that there 
was any bad feeling on board, £ar from it^ all was 
harmony, except indeed that there was some love, 
which whether it afterwards reproduced as a lasting 
fruit that harmony from whence it first sprang, I am 
not prepared to say; let us hope that it did. If 
contrasts agree, it must have been all right, the Mr 
one was so exceeding feir, her hair was a fiery red 
(I don't say that I at all dislike the colour myself 
particularly as for a year and a half I have seen 
nothing but the black-haired houris of China), but it 
was red, — ^the most merciful man in the world could 
not hint at auburn, and then she had such a pro- 
fusion of it that it added depth to the colour, which 
was so warm, that you felt the Red Sea was no place 
for her; her skin had paid that penalty which Mr 
skins must pay, — ^it was fi^ckled, and looked like a 



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THB RED SBA. 7 

diamond edition of a very much &ded leopard 1 
Then she was (what the Easterns like so mach) very 
&ty rather shorty and some people said ^ dnmpy.'' 

But the ^he," who and what was he? He was a 
parson, and, as I haye said, a perfect contrast to the 
lady, — ^tall and thin, very thin ; his hair, if he had had 
any, would have been black, as you could teU by 
the ^fringe" which surrounded his head; his &ce 
managed to raise about two dozen straggling hairs, 
near the ears^ and they looked yery weak, as if the 
soil did not agree with them. 

How their loyes b^an I am not prepared to say, 
unless it was tiiat they sat next each other at table, 
^propinquity again;" the first I heard of it was 
one morning on deck, when a lady told me, all in 
a titter, that ^^Mr. Billing and Miss Co(»ng were ab- 
solutely engaged 1 " And true enough, eyer after they 
sat on two stools side by side all day (I hope those 
stools haye not become repentant since), and the 
session was prolonged until a late hour at night, 
only intermpted by the break&st tiffin and dinner- 
bells ; their thoughts must haye been yery pleasant, 
as they neyer seemed to speak to each other ; she 
appeared to be engaged in contemplating the state of 
the timbers of the ship's deck, and he that of the 
horizon. This was all a week's work in the Red Sea. 
Most pe(^le would haye thought it too hot for any ac- 
tiye occupation, but Master Cupid appears to hold most 
micontroUed sway oyer human hearts and destinies. 



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8 HOW WB GOT TO PEKIN. 

when the diyinities which presided in old times over 
other employments have been beaten from the field 
by the force of circumstances, or else are asleep. If 
idleness be ^^ the mother of mischief'' as the proverb 
says, mischief and love must be brothers. 

Aden appeared to me more like the eyil part of 
Hades, as one's imagination pamts it, than any other 
place. Its sterile rocks evidently of volcanic forma- 
tion, and those innumerable black boys, like imps of 
darkness, tormenting donkeys, in whose bodies might 
be supposed to reside the spirits of departed " fools," 
and the sultry heat &voured the idea. The only 
difficulty was that the said little demons could bathe 
and dive for ever in the clear green water, which 
ought by rights to have been a sea of fire. Every- 
one landed of course, and everyone came on board 
again, and everyone was very hot, and no one was at 
all sea-sick, and the captain was very polite, and the 
ladies no doubt were all very agreeable, but the only 
one (the wife of one of the most gallant officers who 
serves the Queen, she was on her way to India with 
her husband) who could have charmed away my evil 
humours fell sick at Suez, and we saw her no more 
till she came like a ghost from her cabin at Gkdle. 

The sea, I should add, was as polished as the Cap- 
tain, and the breeze, what there was of it, as agree- 
able as the ladies, and so we arrived at Qalle. 

One day at Galle I found quite enoi^h, more par^ 
ticularly as at night I was placed near some ^^ com- 



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GALLE. 9 

petition waUahs^** who were anything in the world 
bnt gentlemen ; besides Galle is very hot and stifling, 
aad at sea you sometimes have a breeze. I was in- 
doced to go to an hotel by a gentleman, who repre-^ 
sented himself as ^ the only white man in Galle who 
kept an hoteV' a^id he was certainly most polite and 
considerate, and qnite a ^^ jolly companion " to those 
who liked that sort of thing, singing songs and telling 
stories after dinner ; but if fortonate enough to retom 
home, I think I should try the ^^ Old Mansion-house," 
as more suitable to steady, quiet folks. I and my 
Scotch m^yor, and several others of our party, drove 
out to ^^ do " the cinnamon gardens and the ^ Wank 
WaUah," some seven miles from the town, and were 
amply repaid by the scenery. This was my first 
introduction to tropical life ; and all that I had read 
of it^ and the pictures and illustrations which I had 
seen, fiuled to give any adequate idea of its luxuri- 
ance, its deep colouring, and the load of varied vege- 
table life under which the teeming soil must groan as 
it produces it Towering above all are seen the tail 
cocoa-nut trees, laden with fruity and standing close, 
as their stem is branchless: nndemeath, a matted 
jungle of spice trees and flowering shrubs, rich in 
varied colours as in fragrance ; and on the ground 
rank grasses, which looked like a green-grounded 
carpet closely worked in an endless pattern of various 
coloured flowers, all in harmony, because all the work 
of Qod. But you must pay the penalty of such luxu- 



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10 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

nance in nature, by living in a climate unfriendly to 
European life. For my part I prefer home. 

We were followed in our up-hill drive by 'numbers 
of boys, offering flowers for sale, and gems of various 
sorts (of glass) ; what an unchanging feature ^^ the 
boys '* are in every country and clime I To these 
pretended stones they gave the various names of 
beryl, topaz, cats'-eyes, &c., &c ; they were folded up 
very neatly in white papers, and looked very pretty. 
My friend the Major was looking at a paper contain- 
ing fifteen or twenty, for which the undressed urdiin 
asked fifteen dollars ; perceiving that the Major did 
not bite, he came down to seven dollars, when, to get 
rid of him, the canny Scot offered him a rupee, which, 
to his intense disgust, was accepted. I rejoiced to 
see Sandy the knowing overreached by the nigger 1 

We reached our destination, a smnmer-house sup- 
plied with finit, &C., and we especially enjoyed the 
pines, which though cheap were anything but nasty, 
loitered away an hour or two, and drove back again. 

Next day we embarked in a much smaller steamer, 
which was to take us on to Hong Kong ; but our 
party was greatly diminished, as the larger number of 
the passengers were bound for Madras and Calcutta. 

I was deprived of my old chum " the Major,** but 
his place was very well supplied by a young captain, 
an aide-de-camp (now, I think, brevet-major); almost 
all the passengers were military men about to join 
the expedition, and several of them as good people 



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PASSENQEBa 11 

as yoa could meet anywhere. We had also some 
Russian and some French officers on board, one of 
the former, a naval captain and aide-de-camp to the 
Grand Duke Constantine, was one of the most plea- 
sant and gentlemanlike men I ever met 

The "Gktuls" were peculiar, one was a young 
officer, a captain ; the other, an older man going out 
as diief in his own department They had both come 
from Marseilles, and although not what is ordinarily 
termed sea-sichj they were extremely sick at sea ^i 
intervals during the voyage. It was evident to the 
most casual observer that neither of these gentlemen 
had been accustomed to the abundant luxuries of the 
Peninsular and Oriental steamers ; they went in, like 
men, at everything, round the table and back again ; 
the junior carrying on the war with two plates at 
once, while the senior was contented with one, well 
filled and frequently replenished. Then came bilious 
attacks, loss of appetite, starvation, recovery, reple- 
tion, and so on. We soon learned what a dangerous 
thing it was to make inquiry for the coloners health. 
" Ah 1 man Colonely comment se vort-il ce matin ; fes- 
ph'e que vousvous portez mieuxV* " Ah I mais non^je 
vous remerde^je suis bien malade ; regardez la langue ^ 
(and instantly his tongue was thrust into your &ce), 
^ahjC est bien sale, nest-cepasf* I could not help think- 
ing that his manners were the most unpleasant of the 
two. Fortunately for the rest of the passengers these 
gentlemen never used the bath-room, so that there 



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12 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

were two less on the morning's list Bnt the national 
polish of the French is a world-wide proverb 1 We 
had several Parsee merchants from Bombay, bomid 
for Hong Kong, and very nice fellows they were, par- 
ticularly polite to Englishmen, whose role in India 
they praised loadly, and I believe honestly ; and we 
had also some Jews from Calcutta, very much to be 
liked as intelligent and gentlemanlike companions ; 
and both Jews and Parsees exhibited at least a re- 
spect for our religion by asking permission to attend 
our Sunday morning service. We had altogether 
representatives of fifteen nations on board, including 
a Dutchman, who was rather disagreeable. 

The captain and ship's officers were not only at- 
tentive and polite, as I have invariably found them 
in the Peninsular and Oriental service, with one soli- 
tary exception, but several of them were of femilies 
and connections such as you would expect to find 
rather in the royal navy than in the merchant ser^ 
vice ; but the Company pays well, and makes liberal 
provisions of various kinds for its servants, and, as a 
natural result, it gets an excellent class of man as 
officers ; you meet some, of course, of the " rough and 
read/* sort, but these are good sailors. 

A few hours at that most picturesque spot, Penang, 
served to break the monotony of the voyage ; the 
hotel was not much of a place, and we did not stay 
there very long, but drove up to the water&ll, under- 
neath which was a narrow basin where everyone 



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PENANG. 13 

bathed, and where two officers were very nearly 
drowned ; one who could not swim well having got 
hold of another and palled him down. I formed the 
exception, partly for fear of a very hot sun and partly 
because the place was small, and I am not overfond 
of a public bath. The scenery well repaid the drive, 
it was more picturesque than Ceylon, because the 
foliage was not so dense, and therefore you could see 
more. Here, too, I was first introduced to a gentle- 
man whose acquaintance I was destined to cultivate 
for some time, ^^Mr. John Chinaman/' Penang is 
quite a colony of Chinese, they are much more nume- 
rous than the Malay population ; they build liouses 
after their own manner, and occupy miles of streets, 
planted with rows of trees which form the most deli- 
cious shade. I spent some hours in driving to vari- 
ous bungalows in search of an officer belonging to 
the native raiment stationed there, but having been 
misdirected by the Madras soldiers and imposed upon 
by the driver of the carriage, who declared that he 
knew " the officer Sahib and his bungalow,*' I was 
warned by a gon fix)m the steamer to retom and left 
Penang without seeing my Mend. 

Days wore on in their dull monotony, and Singa- 
pore was next hailed as a break in the voyage, where 
we spent twenty-four hours. We made an inconti- 
nent rash to the hotel, and called for ice in such a 
manner as they only can who have been stewed 
for a fortnight until they are thoroughly done, and 



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; 



14 HOW WB GOT TO PEKIN. 

have not tasted liquid below eighty d^rees ; we ate 
lumps of ice, and drank sherry-cobblers ; we iced our 
heads and hands and then felt, as Mark Tapley says, 
"quite equal to having our boots took off." We 
supped and slept on shore, and were very well taken 
care of by " Madame Esperanza.** I was awakened 
early in the morning by the sound of horses' feet, and 
a staff-officer who occupied the same room jumped up, 
and opening the jalousies called out to the equestrian 
(without waiting to see who it was), " Get inside, sir, 
get inside, youll be much safer in an inside place and 
with the window up," when, as he leaned out of the 
window, what was his dismay to discover that he had 
been " chaffing " his own general 1 Notwithstanding 
that the tigers in the woods round Singapore feast upon 
one Chinaman per diem, destroying three hundred 
and sixty-five on an average every year, still the 
Celestials fer outnumber everyone else, and are a 
source of uneasiness to the European mercantile popu 
lation ; they have a separate town, fiill of business 
and industry, the streets are wide and the houses 
good, and it has quite the Anglo-Chinese air which 
the native part of the town of Victoria, at Hong 
Kong, has. 

On board again, some of us having got a private 
supply of ice — shame on the Peninsular and Oriental 
Company— and as many mangosteins as we could 
procure, a most delicious little fimit which grows in 
perfection at Singapore, the trees yielding three crops 



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ARBIVAL AT HONG KONG. 15 

in the year; five more days, and we reach Hong 
Kong, the weather fine all through. As we rounded 
the " green island '* into Hong Kong harbour, I was 
much struck with the similarity of the scenery to 
that in more than one part of another green island at 
home ; the same form of mountain, the same granite 
rocks and short herbage, recalled painfully and vividly 
a "lough'' where I had spent many a happy day. 



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16 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



CHAPTER II. 

Hang Kong— Hoapitality of the Troops— Head-Quarters— Kowloong— 
Badeness of a Naval OflBoer— Probyn's and Fane's Horse— Tent 
pegging— «Siwhan'— The Military Train— The Coolie Corps- 
Regimental Transport— The 'Happy Valley'— The Cemetery 
and the Race Course— Jardine's Warehouses— * Poke Pullom'— 
Admiral Hope— Sir Hope Grant 

As we steamed up the harbour the town of Victoria 
came in view, stretching along the foot of a moun- 
tain for a distance of more than four miles, if you 
begin at the Chinese town and measure up to Jar- 
dine's at East Point; then there are terraces rising 
over each other up the steep hill-side, and villa resi- 
dences large and small standing in well laid out com- 
pounds, and built in the best English style. 

About halfway down the town, but high on the 
hiU, stands Qovemment House, a handsome building ; 
the bishop's residence lower down, to which is at- 
tached a Chinese college, is marked by its small round 
tower. The barracks are of course low down, in a 
most hot and unhealthy position, and the Commander- 
in-Chief 's house above the barrack, but still not well 
placed. Then the great mercantile establishments 
are chiefly near the water, close to the main wharf; 
on the left is Dent's house, and most kind and hos- 



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^ 



THF ,%'.•:•■.'/ Y'-.i-^K 

PUBLIC LIBRARY 



A8T0R, LENOX AND 
TfLDEN FOUNDATIONS. 



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STAJILET, HONO KOXO. 



To foot Pci4fe 17. 



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VICTORIA. 17 

pitable people they are, while Jardine's is fer away 
at the extreme end of the town, and is equally noted 
for good offices to those who are fortunate enough to 
be introduced ; the club-house, a convenient building, 
feces the Post-office in the centre of the town, in the 
Queen's Road ; as you land at " Pittar's Wharf" and 
walk up the short distance from the water to Queen is 
Road, the right leads you towards the Chinese town, 
the left to the barrack and the English quarter; but 
the chief &mily residences are on the side of the hill, 
which is all tastefoUy planted. 

I must say that there are few more picturesque or 
prettier places than the much-abused Hong Kong; 
it has many of the beauties of Naples upon a smaller 
scale, and were not the town so situated that no 
breath of air can reach it during the hot season, I 
do not think that the climate would be so fatal as it 
is said to be. It appears now to be felt both by the 
Government and the residents that ^^ something must 
be done,'* so we have got Kowloong, but more of this 
anon. I cannot bring myself, as some people do, to 
hate the place; true, I never lived there for any 
length of time, but it is so pretty that it is hard not 
to like it; perhaps the hearty reception which I 
met with from several people whom I had never seen 
before, and the continued kindness of these new 
friends lent charms to the place in my eyes which 
were not its own ; I can well believe that it did. I 
did not know a soul when I landed but two, — one, a 
field officer in " the Royals," whom I had known in 

c 



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18 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. ( 

another batallion, and the other, a staff-ofGicer, Frank 
Grant, of the 5th Lancers ; yet I soon was put up, 
and had several most hospitable invitations. As to 
"the Royals," their hospitalities were a proverb, 
the officers of every regiment that arrived (and they 
were pouring in pretty quickly) were invited, and 
made honorary members of the Royals' mess, besides 
artillery, engineers, and everyone else, so that how 
they managed to live at their own mess was a mystery 
to me, but it is just the character of the Old Corps. 

The troops were quartered in five places, — ^the 
Royals and a Madras regiment at Victoria. At Stan- 
ley barracks, about seven miles across the island, the 
second battalion of the Sixtieth Royal Rifles. At 
Deep Water Bay, about halfway between Victoria 
and Stanley, on the right, Desborough's and Govan's 
Batteries and the King's Dragoon Guards. At 
Siwan, the Military Train. And the remainder of 
the forces, at Kowloong. The General Order of the 
28th April announced the distribution of the expedi- 
tionary force. 

•* Head Quarters, Hong Kong, April 18, 1860. 

** GXMEBAL ObdBBS. 

" The foUowing will be the distribution of the Expeditiooaiy Foroe 
to take effect from this date : — 

FIRST DIVISION. 
Major-General Sir J. Michel, "K.C.B. 

Brevet lieutenant-Colonel Elkington, 6ih Foot^ Aide-de-Gamp. 
Captain Green, 77th, Deputy- Assistant Adjutant-General. 
Lieutenant Allgood, Bengal Army, Deputy- Assistant Quartermas- 
ter-General. 
Royal Artillery, Desboiough's Battery, Barry's Battery ( Annstrong). 
Royal Engineers, 18th, Fisher^s Company. 



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GENERAL ORDERS. 19 

1st Brigade. 

Ck>loiiel Staveley, G.B., with rank of Brigadier. 

Captain R. Brooke, 60th Royal Rifles, Brigade-liajor. 

let The Royal Regiment^ 2nd Battali(»i, 31st Regiment, Loodiana 

Regiment. 

2nd BsiGAnE. 
Gcdonel Sntton, with rank of Brigadier. 
Captain B. von Straabenzee, 9th Foot, Brigade-Major. 
2nd Queen's Regiment 2nd Battalion, 60th Royal Rifles 2nd Bat- 

talioQ, 15th Ponjaab Native Infieuitiy. 

SECOND DIVISION. 

Major-General Sir R. Napier, E.C.B. 

Oaptain H. F. Brooke, 48th Regiment, Aide-de-Camp. 

Brevet-Major W. Ghreathead, Bengal Engineers^ Aide-de-Camp Ex- 
tra. 

Brevet-Major M. Dillon, Rifle Brigade, Depnty-Assistant Adju- 
tant-General 

Captain W. Hanmer, 87th Regiment, Deputy-Assistant Quarter- 
master-Generat 

ROTAL AbTXLLEBY. 

Mowbray's Battery, Govan's Battery. 
Royal Engmeers, 23id, Graham's Company. 

3rd Bbioadx. 
Colonel Jephson, with rank of Brigadier. 
Brevet-Major Honourable R. Baillie Hamilton, Brigade-Major. 
3rd Regiment, the Buffii Ist Battalion, 44th Regiment, 8th Pun- 
jaub Native InfiEuitiy. 

4th Bbiqadb.' 

Colonel Reeves, with rank of Brigadier. 
Brevet-Major M. Walker, Y.C, 3rd Regiment, Brigade-Major. 
67th Regiment, 99th Regiment, 11th Punjaub Native Infantry, 
19th Punjaub Native Infantry. 

Cavalby Bbigadb. 

Lieutenant-Colonel PatUe, with rank of Brigadier. 
Lieutenant-Colonel B. Walker, 2nd Dragoon Guards, Assistant 

QuartermA8ter-G(enera1. 
1st King's Dragoon Guards, 2 Squadrons. 
Probyn's Horse, Fane's Horse. 
Royal Artillery, Milward's Battery (Armstrong). 

2 



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i 

I 

20 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

ARTILLERY RESERVE. 

Rotton's, Beddingfield*s,andPeimycuick'8 Batteries, Royal Artillery. 
2 Batteries, Madras Artillery. 

ENGINEER RESERVE. 

Head-Quarters and one-half of 8th, Papillon's Company. 
Royal Engineers, 2 Companies, Madras Sappers. 

(Signed) ** By Order, 

•• FREDERICK STEPHENSON, 

" Deputy Adjtitani'Qenerail,** 

Far the larger portion of the army was encamped 
at Kowloong, which is on the main land opposite the 
town of Victoria, abont a mile-and-a-half across the 
harbour, and although there was no shade, and the 
sun had full power on the tents, still there was a breeze 
at some time of the day, which was refreshing, and 
there were comparatively few men laid up. 

Kowloong was quite the fashionable resort of the 
inhabitants of Victoria. There had never been seen 
in China anything like the number of troops en- 
camped there, and every afternoon private boats and 
sanpans were in requisition to bring over visitors to 
see " the pretty soldiers.'* A curious scene occurred 
at the landing place one evening, which illustrates 
what little gods, or rather great gods, naval people 
think themselves to be; and how much a man 
who is in many respects a gentleman, and ought to 
be one altogether, may forget himself when he 
permits the pride of office to puff him up. 

A gentleman was bringing his wife over to Kow- 
loong one afternoon, and a naval officer of rank, I 



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THE " IBREGULARa- 21 

shall not otherwise designate him, was approaching 
the landing place at the same time, overtaking the 
private boat of the civilian. The civilian landed 
first, handed his wife to the shore, and walked np the 
beach. What was his surprise, however, to hear 
himself accosted in the following style, " Who are 
you, sir ; do you know who I am, sir ; how dare you 
land before me, sir ; why did you not wait till I had 
landed, sir P** and more to the same effect This to 
a man (with a lady on his arm), who could not 
have seen that any person was overtaking him, as 
he was steering his own boat The gentleman, 
for here there was really but one, was too much 
of a gentleman to answer such sea&ring language 
as it deserved. 

Probyn's Horse and Fane's Horse were the objects 
of greatest attraction, although the Armstrong guns 
excited a good deal of attention. I never saw any- 
thing more gay, and yet thorougihly soldierlike, than 
those two Irregular Regiments. Probyn's regiment 
had been embodied much longer than the other, and 
yet Fane's fellows were just as well drilled and in as 
good order, although they had only been raised for 
service in China. The light grey tunic and that 
most handsome of head-dresses, the turban (Probyn's 
blue. Fane's red), set off the men to the best advan- 
tage, and some of them were not only handsome but 
noble-looking fellows on horseback, — ^for they did not 
seem as if they were ever intended to walk, — ^their 
1^ were not good and required the large boot to 



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22 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. / 

hide them. They were armed with pistols, carbiney 
lance, and sword ; until I became accustomed to them 
I could not help speculating as to what sort of people 
they really were, they looked ahnost knightly, when 
tilting with the lance, yet there was clearly a dash of 
the freebooter about them, so that one was reminded 
of Byron's criticism on William of Deloraine, " not 
quite a robber, yet but half a knight." Of the 
officers commanding both these regiments there was 
but one opinion in China, as there had been but one 
in India, — ^that they were two of the finest fellows in 
the service, and you could hardly avoid finding it out 
by looking at them. 

Probyn, tall but not slight, with a fine manly 
figure, a head of almost classic beauty, and a counte- 
nance in which gentle softness of character was so 
blended with manly firmness, that you could not say 
which had the advantage ; and when you knew him 
and spoke to him, the charm of his manner was not 
to be resisted ; but if you want to see him to advan- 
tage look at him mounted on that exquisite arab, the 
chesnut, which, small as he is, has got such shapes 
and breeding that he bounds along under his rider 
with perfect ease, while his master yields to every 
motion with such grace that horse and man seem 
one. 

Fane is not so tall, his heavy moustache and 
beard almost hide the lower part of his face, and 
give him a very soldierly aspect, while a bright blue 
eye shines out above, fiiU of intelligence and kind- 



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PANE AND WATSON. 23 

aessy and of humour too. I have heard that Walter 
Fane is considered one of the handsomest men in 
India, and I can well believe it ; he is an accom- 
plished musician and draughtsman, a most agreeable 
companion, and the efficiency of his newly-trained 
corps throughout the campaign proves him to be, 
what he has long been known to be in India, a first- 
rate cavalry officer. He and Watson of the Irregular 
Horse are both a standing reproach to our system. 
They are both subalterns in their own regiments, 
and therefore cannot get (according to the rules of 
red tape) any reward for their services, until they 
shall have become regimental captains. They have 
been both selected for important cavalry commands ; 
Watson and Probyn won each their Victoria Cross 
in the same campaign^ Watson then being senior, 
Imt Probyn having become a captain, received his 
brevet, while Watson has got nothing but that 
bronze cross, which he so well merits. Why is it, 
when the late Charles Nasmyth, of Silistria, was 
taken fix)m the Bombay Horse Artillery as a subal- 
tern, and made a substantive major at home, with a 
staff appointment (all of which he richly deserved), 
that such men as Fane and Watson are left for years 
unrewarded, while men of no comparative worth are 
getting over their heads, and are thus acquiring 
claims for command which the best men ought to 
have if the good of the service was really kept in 
view. They are both men who look rather to earn 
promotion than to reap it ; there are hundreds who. 



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24 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. [ 

with half their claims would have wrung from the 
Horse Guards rewards which have been so honestly 
earned, but are still withheld. 

The junior oflBcers of both these regiments were 
evidently well up to their work, and about as nice a 
set of fellows as you could meet with in the army, — 
and there was not a lady in Victoria, who did not 
turn out to see the " tent-peeing," and other exercises 
which were as novel as they were interesting. But 
to describe the tent-pegging to the uninitiated. A 
tent-peg is hammered into the ground, and the object 
is to fiasten your lance in it so firmly, as you ride 
past at full speed, that you shall carry it off, and a 
very difficult feat it is to accomplish ; it is no easy 
matter to strike the peg at all, and if you do, the 
shock is so great as to carry your lance round, as 
you must ride at it with yoUr lance trailed and 
grasped about the centre, leaning well over to the 
right, and unless you are very expert, a stunning 
blow on the head or a dislocated wrist are likely to 
prove your rashness, rather than your skill ; in spite 
of these dangers ten or twenty officers and sowars 
enter the lists ; Probyn leads off, hits the peg but 
does not draw it up ; half-a-dozen sowars follow, some 
miss it, some touch and splinter it; one fellow's horse 
runs clean away with him, knocks over half-a-dozen 
Chinamen, and is lost in a cloud of dust ; at last 
an old Sikh rides at it like the wind, shouting his 
war-cry, and hauls the peg aloft on the point of his 
lance. Again the officers take up the game, and 



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TENT-PEGGING. 25 



prove in the long ran their superior skill in the use 
of their weapons; this superiority in such exer- 
cises is a most valuable adjunct to the officers who 
have the command of such troops, as it gives them a 
personal weight and influence with their men, which 
tends alike to secure subordination and to inspire 
confidence in their leaders in the hour of danger. If 
we ever should be involved in war anywhere in the 
regions of Egypt or Syria (which is not impossible), 
I am certain that such troops as those two regiments 
would do most efficient service, and probably be 
more than a match for any cavahy that we should 
have to encounter, while their transit from India 
would be an easy matter. 

But we must leave the tentrpegging and the ladies, 
reluctant though we be, and there are some ladies at 
Victoria who would grace in every way any society 
at home, to take a glance at some of the preparations 
being made to spend that nice little sum of how 
many millions ! 

I ride out to "Siwhan," some six miles east of 
Victoria, where there is a tumble-down barrack, 
buUt as a ^* sanatory station," only that it was found 
to be a few degrees more &tal than the barrack at 
Victoria, and therefore has been disused ; now the 
First Battalion Military Train, just arrived from 
Aldershott, are quartered there. All round the bar- 
rack and in the valley are hundreds of ponies from 
Manilla and Amoy, and bullocks fix)m India and 
Amoy. The handsome little bullocks are too &t for 



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26 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

work, and many of them dying of rapid internal dis- 
ease, and the ponies as wretchedly thin as they well 
can be. I find that all these animals have been 
bought for baggagers, but that there are no men to 
look after them, the small number of Europeans in 
the battalion (a large percentage bemg laid up from 
overwork, I saw one man on the road that day 
struck down by the sun, he was dead the next) was 
perfectly inadequate to even feed and water the 
animals under their charge, and they had no aid 
except that of a few Manilla men and Madrases 
whom they had picked up at Hong Kong. There 
was no proper provision made for feeding these ani- 
mals, and in consequence the larger portion of their 
food was trampled upon, and they were living and 
dying the most unserviceable-looking beasts I ever 
saw. I am not an ardent admirer of that Corps, nor 
of the officer whom I saw in command at Siwhan, 
but I hope that I like &ir play better than most 
things, and I maintain that it is not &ir or just to 
say that the Military Train "broke down" during 
the campaign, when they never had a chance of 
doing anything else. It was utterly impossible, 
undermanned and overstocked as they were, that 
they should not break down, and therefore let the 
right horse or horses, whoever they may be, be 
saddled in this case. But if you give one man the 
work of twenty, you must not blame him if it is not 
done ; yet this was the chief reason why the Mili- 
tary Train broke down ; there was also a lengthened 



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MILITARY TRAIN. 27 



oontest between the Train and the Commissariat as 
to whether the latter was to command the former or 
not. I do not pretend to decide npon the rights of 
the question, but until it was settled, of course there 
was much conftision. 

Then there was the Chinese Coolie corps, organ- 
ized very well by Major Temple, and officered fix)m 
regiments, Qs. 6d staff-pay being held out as an 
inducement to officers to leave their own regiments 
and undertake the dirty work of looking after 
Chinese Coolies, The Military Train received a 
considerable addition to its officers in the same way, 
but I look upon this system of providing extra 
officers for that Corps as very defective, and for 
more than one reason ; the best men will prefer to 
remain in their regiments, and wiU be kept there, 
and in the transport service, when there is so much 
peculiar and unpleasant work to be done, and the 
glory is of such a quiet character, that it does not 
stimulate men to extra exertion, it is hardly to be 
expected that volunteers who have no interest in 
that branch of the service, and who desire chiefly 
ds. 6d. per diem, will take much trouble to learn 
their duties, or use the same exertions to fulfil them, 
as officers who have the credit of their corps to sup- 
port ; and thus there are a number of men put to 
discharge most important duties, which they do not 
particularly care about learning or performing, and 
men wonder that the scheme does not succeed. 

With the Coolie corps it was different, it was 



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28 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

) 

entirely a new thing ; there was no other way of start- 
ing it, and its duties, though laborious, were of a much 
less complicate(^ nature than those of the transport ser- 
vice. That body requires a thorough reorganizatfon ; 
it is useless as it at present exists, for active service, 
and we should either do away with it and trust to 
luck, as we did in the Crimea, and largely too in 
China, or else reorganize it upon an efficient scale ; at 
present every guinea that it costs is thrown away. 
For the cavalry I am certain that a system of regi- 
mental transport would be found to answer very 
well ; light and strong carts could always be horsed 
and driven by animals and men not quite fitted for 
other duties, and even if this were not practicable 
for the heavier baggage of the Dragoons, what a 
deliverance it would be if some of those stones' 
weight of blankets and kit which bring our " light " 
Dragoon up to twenty or twenty-one stone in the 
saddle, were transferred to light carts which could 
always be up with their regiment Let anyone say 
if it would not be worth a trial to relieve our troop- 
horses of four or even two or one stone each. A 
man who rides fourteen stone to hounds must pay 
a good price for a good horse, and does not use him 
more than three times a fortnight for six months, 
that is, about six-and-thirty days' work in the year ; 
while a troop-horse, which costs 30/. or 40/., is required 
to carry half as much again, and to do it day after 
day ; and on service to work harder than a hunter. 
No fox-hunter would risk his neck thus, nor ought 



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MILITARY TRAIN. 29 

those vastly important duties, which belong to the 
cavalry, to be risked any longer ; the changes which 
have been made in modem warfere, the great range 
and accuracy of both guns and rifles, demand that 
we should have some really light horse, who could 
move with speed and endure fiitigue, which no 
baggage animal, as our present Light Dragoon trooper 
is, can do. ff there must be some men condemned 
to ride twenty-one stone, have it so, and let their 
duties be such as men riding that weight can per- 
form. Often have I seen, and sighed to see, such 
horses as those in the old Third Light Dragoons and 
the Fifth Eoyal bish Lancers condemned to be beasts 
of burthen; those highly-bred wiry horses of the 
newly raised Fifth, better than which money could 
not have purchased in the United Kingdom, if they 
were only put to carry what they are equal to carry 
well, what work could they not do 1 Often have I 
watched the regiment with mingled pain and plear 
sure, drilling so beautifully, but under such difficul- 
ties as it appeared to me, and wished that I could 
only feshion it according to my own ideas. 

Out in the direction of " Siwhan," that barrack 
where the Military Train was quartered, is one of 
the drives which the inhabitants of Victoria rejoice 
in. At the southern end of the town you descend 
a gentle slope, the road on both sides tastefully 
planted, and before you on the right lies the " Happy 
Valley," running up into a narrow gorge in the 
mountains, down which a clear stream of sparkling 



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30 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

water rushes. A curious place this " Happy Valley : " 
to look at, it is charming, and the stranger exclaims, 
" How lovely I how I should like to live here ! " 
Would you ? Look at that handsome villa at the 
head of the "Valley,** and halfway up the hill 
you can see, if you put up your glass, that it is de- 
serted and going to ruin; not a soul in it The 
builder thought as you think, and built that nice 
house for himself, but he died there ; and the next 
occupant and the next shared the same fiite; so 
"Happy Valley" was no more used as building 
ground. 

But these people had not &r to go to their last 
resting-place, for the cemetery is in " Happy Val- 
ley," and a sad thing it is to walk through it, and to 
see how many of England's sons have been doomed 
to leave their bones fiar away on a foreign shore ; 
cut off in the midst of manhood and of vigour, com- 
pelled by the stem necessities of the service to a 
clime so unfriendly to European Ufe. The polite 
circumlocution used at Victoria for that hated verb 
to die^ has thus become, " to go to Happy Valley." 
" Did you see how ill Thompson looked to-day, he 
has been getting worse and worse for some time 
past; if he doesn't get home sharp, he'll go to 
* Happy VaUey.'" 

The wall of the cemetery bounds the Hong Kong 
Eace-course, and the Grand Stand, which is the scene 
of so much gaieiy during the race week, is just out 
side its gate ; one cannot help wishing that it was 



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HAPPY VALLEY. 31 

somewhere else, aad although there is no fear that 
the slumbers of the departed will be disturbed by the 
shoat that "Blue wins," stiU it is scarcely decorous 
that Jollity and Death should have their temples so 
dose together. The race week at Hong Kong is the 
week of the year, and keen is the contest for the 
great races which is carried on by the leading mer- 
chants at Victoria. No expense is spared to procure 
good horses, the best arabs are brought from India, 
and good second or third-rate horses are brought out 
from England at great expense and risk, and strings 
of them are daily seen at exercise, proving how John 
BuU carries his national tastes with him wherever 
he goes, nor grudges to spend the dollars which are 
earned at Hong Kong, truly " in the sweat of his 
fece,** in the gratification of thenu We may well 
hope that as the racing there must be altogether in 
the hands of gentlemen^ it is free from those evils 
which disgrace the turf so much at home. One 
year one great ** House " wins, a fresh horse from 
England is the victor; but before next February 
another " House " has got out another horse, which 
proves himself better, and the next year a " dark 
animal " comes down from Shanghai (where the same 
sport is carried on), perhaps a " Waler," and beats 
them both. Far be it from me to say that such ex- 
citement, when honest, is unlawful or unhealthy, or 
to wish its promoters anything but success, so long as 
they run &ir, and don't gamble. 
Leaving then the beauteous but deceptive " Happy 



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32 • HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. j 

Valley" on our right, with its cemetery and rac^ 
course and wooded mountains beyond, we arrive at 
the handsome house and warehouses of Jardine and 
Co^ which lie to the left of the road, between it and 
the east-end of the harbour. These gentlemen 
have their own pier and village for their workmen, 
and their own guard of Indian troops, all armed and 
drilled and walking sentry, in regular military style, 
and very necessary they are, as the pirates and rob- 
bers in China are very daring, and the plunder of 
"Jardine's" would be a rich bait to their cupidit}^ 
and a descent upon this extreme end of the town in 
their fast-sailing junks would be by no means im- 
practicable ; while the island is filled with the very 
worst characters in the south, many of whom have 
made it their abode, in order to escape fix)m justice 
threatened by their own magistrates on the main 
land. Thus, in the native town at the other end of 
Victoria, you see the roofe of the houses covered 
with large stones as weapons of defence against 
robbers, who fi*equently make night attacks on their 
countrymen in spite of a numerous Indian police. 
One of these occurred during my short stay there, 
in which several lives were lost, and the robbers all 
got oflF. 

The road winds along the margin of the strait, for 
about two miles beyond this, and if there is anything 
of a northern breeze here, you will meet the rank, 
beauty, and feshion of Victoria taking their evening 
drive or ride, in carriages of aU sorts, from the Lon- 



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RIDING PARTIES. 33 

don britscha of the Governor, down to the buggy or 
waggon of the storekeeper. I^ on the other hand, the 
wind is south, you must go out in the opposite di- 
rection on a new road towards * Poke FuUom,' made 
under the able directions of the Hon. G. Cleverly, 
the Government surveyor, to whom Victoria owes 
aU its present beauty and convenience. This road 
is much higher, being cut in the mountain side, 
and from it you look down the granite cliflfe upon 
the deep still water beneath. There is Mrs. M. 
taking her evening ride ; how well she looks, how 
gracefully she sits her horse, and her figure is seen 
to advantage in the plain riding-dress. That cunning 
old fox. Colonel ^ her namesake, is riding be- 
side her. 

But what a contrast comes down the roadl 
Another " party" riding, and another Mrs. M., a mili- 
tary " party " this time, bumping along fiill canter, well 
out of the saddle every step, and down again with a 
thump that you hear twenty yards oflF; well forward 
and hanging on to the near side of the pony, I can- 
not say that she sits^ without an abuse of terms, nor 
yet can I call the arrangement between her and the 
horse riding. Yet somehow they get along, to the 
no small amusement of all beholders. I suppose that 
if no one made themselves ridiculous there would be 
too little fpr the world to laugh at This place, which 
bears the name of Poke FuUom, is in my opinion 
much the most desirable part of the island *of Hong 
Kong : it is near the south-west extremity of the 

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34 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

island, high above the sea, and open to every brea^ 
of the southern monsoon which blows in the hot 
season, and between three and four miles from the 
town. One house alone has been as yet built there, 
which is chiefly used for picnic parties, as it would 
be unsafe to live there unless there were a number of 
residents, who could afford each other mutual pro- 
tection. I cannot but think that if the wealthy in- 
habitants would build here, and abandon the town 
except for business hours during the hot months, 
that the health of the colony would improve by a 
large percentage. I always felt the better for an 
afternoon's ride there, as there was a freshness in the 
air which I did not find in any other part of the 
island. 

I would be glad, as I have said before, to think 
as well as possible of Hong Kong, — ^it has great 
natural beauties; the path to Stanley Barracks, 
which runs from the head of the Happy Valley 
across the mountains, is fiill of beauty, and resembles 
the highlands of Scotland and Ireland; were it more 
planted its charms would be multiplied tenfold, and 
by the increase of the few deer which it still holds, 
it would become a noble forest The hills are green 
and afford good pasture in many places, the valleys 
are watered with the purest streams, while the granite 
rocks give boldness and grandeur to the scene. I 
wish Hong Kong was not in China. But for good or 
ill we mtist soon leave it for the north, as everything 
is now nearly ready, and the troops already named 



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THE ADMIRAL AND' THE GENERAL. 35 



for the expeditionary force are being embarked. 
Admiral Hope has made all the naval arrangements 
^th great skill, and has brought to bear all his 
energies of mind and body (and both are undoubtedly 
of a high order) upon his work : he looks into every 
detail himself^ and goes through as much work as 
would kill most men six times over. Doubtless he 
is determined that, as &r as he can, there shall be no 
fidlure this time : and fix)m what I have seen of him 
I should say that he was one to whom, if Eng- 
land's navy ever wants a Commander^in-Chiei^ the 
honour of the country might be safely committed. 
It is from no feeling of personal liking that I have 
come to this conclusion ; true, I have been introduced 
to him, but he makes it a point never even to return 
the salute of a military officer ; and this in so marked 
a manner, that we soon learned never to salute him. 
He is a tall and large man, of commanding appear- 
ance and a handsome &ce ; and as brave a sailor as 
ever trod the deck. 

Sir Hope Grant looks quite the cavalry soldier ; 
his figure rather tall and slight in form, active and 
well-knit, and he sits that grey Arab pony, his 
&vourite and a perfect picture, with the ease and 
grace of a finished horseman ; his bit is severe, but 
his hand is light, and the little horse moves with 
fuU confidence. The General seems about fifty years 
of age, but as firesh and fiill of work as a man of 
thirty. His fece usually wears a pleasant expression, 
and his manners are easy and affable ; but there is 

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36 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



a look about his mouth which suggests to you thatt 
his lips are often compressed, and seems to show au 
under-current of stronger feelings than those which 
usually appear on the surface. His high principle 
and kindness of heart are only really known to those 
who have been intimately acquainted with him ; and 
I have seldom, if ever, met a man who had in the 
same degree the art of attaching to himself those 
who had served under him. His successful career 
in India is too vividly before the public mind, that 
I need speak of it. It is no mean praise to say 
that he shines in private as in public life, and hia 
face never wears a happier expression than when, 
after his day of toil, he solaces himself with his 
violoncello, of which he is a perfect master, and 
draws forth from it sounds which, if you have a soul 
for music, will float for many a day in the ear of 
your memory, especially if you hear him play some 
of his own compositions His courteous treatment 
of all, and the total absence of anything like self- 
assertion in his manner, could not but be fiivourably 
contrasted with the demeanour of the other chief. 



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I 



THE LOSS OF THE TRANSPORT 'ASSISTANCE.' 37 



CHAPTER ni. 

The Loss of the Transport ' Assistance ' — Shanghai — The Native Boat — 
' Chow Chow ' Water— The Church Mission— The Native Town- 
Jesuit College — Pigeon English — The American Mission and Miss 
Fay — Religion in China. 

Everybody has been embarked and shipped off, 
and that without any accident but one, the loss of the 
screw transport * Assistance ;' she was run upon a 
rock near the shore, between Yictoria and Deep 
Water Bay at the back of the island. The rock was 
unknown, and her captain was, I believe, acquitted of 
all blame. No lives were lost, but she sank very 
rapidly with all her stores ; and a number of the 
Hong Kong coolies whom she was to cany to the 
north, and who had received an advance of pay, 
took the opportunity of bolting in the confusion when 
they landed. So on Monday, the 11th of June, the 
Commander-in-Chief and the staff left Hong Kong, 
having seen everyone else off; the northern mon- 
soon was still blowing, and so strong was it as to 
cause part of the transport fleet to anchor for some 
days, unable to beat up against it ; the south mon- 
soon is in theory supposed to blow from April to 
September or October, but north of Hong Kong I 



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) 



38 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. I 

do not myself believe in it. Some of our force hajs 
been already established in the north at Chusan'; 
the General had left Hong Kong on a fonner expe- 
dition on the 31st of March in the screw steam- 
clipper *Oranada,' which was taken up fix)m the 
Peninsular and Oriental Company for his use during 
the campaign (and on board of which I sailed), 
and arrived at Shanghai on the 6th of April. Not a 
very interesting place this said Shanghai except 
to those gentlemen who are engaged in making the 
" almighty *' dollar. The settlement is built upon the 
left bank of the Woosung river, about eight miles 
from its confluence with the Yangtse-kiang, into 
which it flows from the south. And above the Euro- 
pean settlement, on the same side of the river, lies 
the ancient Chinese city of Shanghai. 

There is a sharp bend in the river, at which a 
small river, crossed by a wooden bridge, enters it on 
the left side ; here lies the American quarter. Next, 
and above it, comes the English with the ambas- 
sador's residence, a plain house standing in a mode- 
rate-sized compound, poorly planted, and with very 
yellow grass growing on it, discoloured for want of 
draining ; then along the Bund at the river-side come 
the British merchants' residences. Dent's and Jardine's, 
of course, and all the rest ; then Prance, and Prussia, 
and Bussia fly their flags at their several consulates, 
and numbers of boat-piers are run out into the river. 
The native boat, or " sanpan," here differs from that 
at Hong Eong. Here it is propelled by a large scuU 

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I 



THE NATIVE BOAT. 39 

firom the stem, which works with very little friction 
on the Tounded head of an iron pin, fitting into an 
iron cup imbedded in the oar ; while at Hong Kong 
oars are nsed, and women row the boats as frequently 
as men ; here men only work in the sanpns. These 
she-sailors at Hong Kong live in their boats, and 
iheir children are reared there from their birth. 
While the mother pulls her oar, "the baby" sits 
beside her at the edge of the boat, so near the water 
that you feel a little nervous lest he should topple 
over into " the briny ;" but not he, he is a knowing 
little fellow. I have seen one a year old or so, who 
could hardly stand, get up, steady himself by the 
oar, and begin to row along with his mother, facing 
her, he leaning forward as she pulled ; and then when 
his exertions had somewhat &.tigued him, proceed to 
refresh himself from that source with which Nature 
had provided him, and lie down to sleep, while the 
boat was going at full speed all the time. 

Woe to the unlucky wretch who falls into the river 
at Shanghai. The sudden bend of the stream, the 
river or creek which meets it, and the strong tide, 
combine to cause a number of rapid and contrary 
currents and under-currents, known in China as 
"Chow Chow water," and it is generally certain and 
sudden death even to the best swimmer, — ^he never 
rises. A somewhat ludicrous story is told in China 
upon this subject : — ^A lady, with her husband and a 
little boy, her son, was landing in a boat at Ningpo ; 
while on board ship she had heard of this " Chow Chow 



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40 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



water/' and learned of course to dread it, and it haip- 
pened unfortonately that by some means the boat 
was upset, and the whole party immersed in the 
water, which luckily was not " Chowchow." This fitct, 
however, she did not know ; her dress kept her afloat, 
but she exclaimed at once, " Oh my leg, my leg T 
(she was not a Yankee) " that dreadful Chow Chow 
water, it has got a hold of my leg, I feel it puUing me 
down ; oh my leg, my leg ! " When what was her sur- 
prise, to find almost in a moment the Chow Chow water 
creeping up and up, and at last emerging beside her in 
the shape of her own little boy, who had caught as he 
was coming to the surface at the first thing he came 
across, as drowning little boys will ; and as the whole 
party escaped with a ducking, the accident turned 
into a rather good joke. If it had happened at Shan- 
ghai, the result would most probably have been very 
different. Add to the danger of the water, that the 
sanpans (or three-plank boats, as their name signifies, 
one for the flat bottom and one for each side) are 
very easily upset, and you will find that boating at 
Shanghai is neither safe or pleasant I myself am 
quite of the opinion of the old gentleman who de- 
clared that " he had never seen Si, pleasure boat in all 
his life." 

The American and European settlements have a 
frontage of about a mile-and-a-half on the river, and 
the depth is about half-armile; roads run through 
all this at right angles, they are tastefully planted, 
and the houses stand in compounds, planted also, and 



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THE CHURCH MISSION. 41 

there are numerous "stores" where you can buy 
everything you can want, but no man will open his 
month under " a dollar/' if it is only for a needle and 
thread or a piece of twine. You must pay fix)m three 
to six times the price of every article at home, for 
people will not live in China unless they are well 
paid for it, and I am not surprised. 

There is an English church, for which as a build- 
ing I cannot say much ; I believe there is a crack 
in it somewhere, and I am not sorry, as they will 
have to build another. The singing and music are 
excellent, and the service in every way well per- 
formed by the colonial chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Hob- 
son. His wife takes an equal interest with him in 
the Church Missionary School for the natives, and 
everything else that is good, and I feel certain 
that it is not owing to any want of either skill or 
zeal on their part that the mission is not in a more 
flourishing condition when compared to either the 
Jesuit or American. The former is about seven 
miles from Shanghai, and little as I like the folk, 
it is, I must admit, most creditable to them. The 
French priests are shaved and dressed like Chinese, 
and of course speak the language well, and they 
had some seventy youths under instruction when 
I visited the place; some of ihem were baptized 
converts and others were catechumens, some being 
simply instructed in Chinese literature, of which the 
priests were tolerable masters; the chapel, dormi- 
tories, refectory, and school-rooms were all dean and 



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42 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. . 

in character. The students seemed happy and cheer- 
ful, and were instructed in various arts, such as 
modelling in clay, sculpture, wood-carving on our 
designs, painting, and music, and you left the pbce 
with the impression that the work was well done, 
little as you might like the doers of it, who were 
nevertheless as civil and obliging as could be ; but 
one loses some of one's religious animosities living in 
a heathen land. Our good Q^neral even, who has 
aU the instinctive horror of " holy water " whi(^ a 
strictly religious Scotchman is likely to have, could 
not refuse to use the " aspersorium "at the fimeral of 
the French officers at Pekin, and to sprinkle the 
coffins of the departed with his own hand. Talking 
of " holy water," it froze so hard at Tientsin in the 
winter of '60-61, that the Roman Catholic chaplain 
to the forces there complained that the holy water 
froze while he was saying mass, and became of no 
use, and applied to t^e Deputy- Assistant-Quarter^ 
master-Gkneral for a stove to keep it in a fluid state. 
I could not help telling him, when he related the 
circumstance to me, that I thought if he had tried 
the " holy ice " it would have been something new, 
and perhaps might prove itself just as efficacious. 
This Jesuit College at Shanghai has, I have heard, 
been since visited by the rebels, and several of the 
priests put to death ; whether this was done in the 
zeal of these people as Iconoclausts or not I have not 
heard. 
The country round Shanghai is a dead level of 



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THE NATIVE TOWN. 48 

rich land and highly cultiyated, though the crops 
are not dean, I mean not free from weeds ; one is 
painfully reminded by the stench which pervades 
every field that they are very unclean in another 
sense, owing to the free and constant use of liquid ma- 
nure by the &nners. I visited the Roman Catholic 
cathedral in the native town near the river, and 
examined all the pictures, but I could not see the 
Blessed Yirgin with small feet, and I believe that 
such a picture does not exist there. 

The native town lies higher up the river than the 
settlement and on the same side. It is walled, sur- 
rounded by a wet ditch, and there are some wall 
pieces, in very indiflferent order ; here and there were 
a good many heads of Chinamen hanging up in bask- 
ets near the gates as a warning to other evil-doers : 
it is not a hundred years since the same thiug was 
done at home. As the rebels had taken and plun- 
dered the place some years before, I was prepared to 
find it in not a very flourishing condition, but I was 
not prepared for the abominations which I encoun- 
tered in the form of evil smells and sights; the attempt 
to describe them would be useless, and could I bring 
them before you it would only be to make you as 
sick as I was myself and I don't see the use of that 
Plenty of tobacco smoke was the only antidote, and 
perhaps that is one reason why the Chinese them- 
selves smoke so constantly ; I wish some philanthro- 
pist would introduce the use of peat, charcoal, or some 
equally good deodoriser into the country. 



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44 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. , 

There was a goard of imperial soldiers at each 
gate ; they were civil enough, and I examined their 
arms which were of a wretched description, — old 
rusty matchlocks, spears, very hannless swords and 
gingaJs ; these last were the most formidable of their 
weapons. The gingal is like a large duck-gun, — 
there is a tripodal stand for it, and two men are 
required to manage it and carry it The man who 
fires it is invariably knocked down by the recoil, 
but it carries a very long distance and throws one 
or more large balls. The natives at Shanghai are 
very confident that we shall be beaten away from 
the Takoo forts, so also are the Canton and Hong 
Kong people; one guild of Chinese merchants at 
the former place is said to have oflfered to back 
their opinion to the amount of ten thousand dol- 
lars ; and when reminded that we had taken Canton, 
their answer was, " Ah I that Mongo too muche top- 
side, no all same Canton man,** which translated from 
" pigeon *' into real English means, that the Mongo- 
lian soldier of the north was not like the Canton 
soldier. 

This pigeon English which you find spoken at 
every port in China, I may as well explain for the 
benefit of the unlearned, means business English, or 
English in which business is transacted between the 
European and the native, as " pigeon" is the nearest 
approach which a Chinaman can make to the word 
" business." I have tried them over and over again 
and I never could get one to pronounce the word 



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THE AMERICAN MISSION AND MISS FAY. 45 

bnsmess ; the pronunciations and idioms of " pigeon*' 
are peculiar, you must generally add an **ey" to 
words ending in a consonant, and in enumerating it 
is necessary not to speak of one, two, &c^ but you 
must say " one piecey,'* as, " my wantchey two piecey 
coolieman, makey carry four piecey boxey." Some 
classical scholar undertook to translate " My name is 
Norval** into pigeon, something in this wise : — *^ My 
calley Norvaley, topside that Grampian mountey my 
&ther bringey sheep makey catchey chowchow, he 
too muchey likey that dollar, no wantchy my go for 
makey that soldierman,'' &c* I feel inclined to sus- 
pect that a good deal of our Chinese is much of the 
same character. 

I was much pleased with the American Mission 
schools which I saw at Shanghai, especially those 
conducted by. Miss Fay (I hope I spell the lady's 
name correctly); I never met anyone more fitted 
for the position which she holds. Her thorough ac- 
quaintance with the subject, whatever it may be, helps 
to give an ease and force to her instructions which 
fecilitates the process of learning very much, and it 
was quite a treat to hear her first class of boys demon- 
strating a difficult problem of Euclid in excellent 
EnglisL Then the girls learn amongst other things 
music, and sing both sacred and pro&ne songs very 
swe&Qjy accompanied by one of their own number 
on an harmonium. The Chinese classics Miss Fay 
has made herself so &r mistress o^ that one of her 
pu{Hls had been successfiil in the Chinese competi- 



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46 HOW WB OCT TO PBBIN. 

tive examinations, and had become a mandarin, and 
was then fix)m his knowledge of English attached to 
Sankolinsin, the great Tartar Commander-in-Chief^ 
as a sort of military secretary, which illustrates the 
lady's acquaintance with the writings of Confucius 
and Menchius. Nor was the most important of all 
knowledge, that of God and the Saviour of mankind, 
neglected, while of course nothing in the shape of 
coercion was used ; but there is fer less of opposition 
in the Chinese mind to the truths of Christianity than 
in that of any other nation. 

The Chinaman is very intelligent and is not parti- 
cularly devoted to any form of religion, except the 
honour rendered to ancestors, and that can hardly be 
called a worship. Buddhism is most wide spread, that 
came to China from the west, Mahometanism also, and 
both are therefore foreign to the soil ; but then the 
teacher of true religion has to contend against a gross 
materialism and devotion to this life, which is perhaps 
as great a foe to practical Christianity as the most de- 
termined bigotry in any form of heathenism. In the 
one case you have a soil to till in which the seed- 
weeds and root-weeds are so numerous and so rank, 
that the good seed has hardly a chance in contending 
with them for its possession ; pluck them out as you 
will, they grow again and again, and nothing but a 
perfect fallow appears to promise a crop in the dis- 
tant future ; but in the other case yon have a ground 
unoccupied indeed, but it is because it is such a hard, 
stiff, unyielding clay that it will not produce even 



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RELIGION IN CHINA. 47 

weeds of itseli^ and those few that grow have little 
root John Chinaman is not at all of a religions torn 
of mind, he very seldom goes to " Chin-chin,*' or pays 
his respects to his peculiar divinity, while to the 
goods, pleasures, and profits of this life he pays an 
nnremitting devotion. 

I remember finding a handsome little shrine in a 
Chinese house where I paid a visit at Shanghai, and 
on inquuy I found that it was sacred to the " god of 
wealth," and the owner told me with hearty laughter 
that "he worshipped him very much;** I believed 
him. We have constantly occupied their temples, 
and they never seemed to care mudi about it, and 
only in some cases took the trouble to remove their 
deities ; not that we generally disturbed their very 
ugly images, although I have seen a statue of Con- 
fucius at Canton forced to smoke a very short clay 
pipe, which he did not seem to like; that was in 
the quarters of the gallant 87th, who were, by-the- 
by, greatly disgusted that they did not form a part of 
the expeditionary force, having been hurried off fix>m 
India at a moment's notice, on the promise of active 
service ; that Eagle which they so gallantly won, and 
wear, was supposed by some of us to have stood now 
in their way, as it mi^t not be a pleasing reminis- 
cence for our allies. I am happy for their sakes that 
they have gone to a better place than North China^ 
dear old Ireland. 



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48 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Leave Shanghai — Chusan — Our Allies — Pootoo — Beauty of the Scenery 
— ^Buddhist Temples — Hong Kong — Talenwhan — The Fleet — 
The Scenery — Heat and Drought — Difficulty in procuring Country 
Produce. — Confusion amongst the Supplies — The Shooting of the 
Neighbourhood — Our Ride from Victoria Bay to Odin Bay — The 
Soldier's best Friend— Hand Bay— Hangkow — The Chief Man- 
darin. 

On Wednesday, the 18th of April, we left Shanghai 
in the * Granada' and anchored down the river at the 
"Ru^eds," and the next day reached "Kintang," 
which was the rendezvous for the Chusan expedition. 
We found that the 67th regiment had already ar- 
rived, also the ^Adventure,' with some marines and 
artillery. On Friday the 99 th arrived, and early on 
Saturday morning the little fleet set sail for Chusan, 
led by Admiral Jones in the *Imperieuse.' The 
Chusan group are pretty and for the most part fer- 
tile islands, and at about eleven o'clock the Admiral 
dropped anchor opposite the town of Ting-hai, in an 
excellent harbour, but the tide is so strong that it is 
sometimes difficult to manage small boats. Mr.Parkes, 
C.B., went on shore and brought off the two chief man- 
darins, civil and military, to the * Granada,' when Sir 
H. Grant had an interview with them, explained his 



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CHUSAN. 49 

views as to the occupation of the island and de- 
maaded the sorrender of some guns which were 
mounted in a fort commanding the harbour, giving 
assurance that the property of the inhabitants should 
be respected, which was most scrupulously adhered 
to. To all this the mandarins readily consented, and 
on Sunday morning early Sir H. Grant landed with 
his staff, and spent the day in fixing upon quarters 
for the troops. Although Chusan did not prove itself 
as &tal to our men as during the former occupation, 
it was by no means a healthy station. The town 
lies in a large plain some miles in extent, which is 
surrounded by hills except upon the seaboard. Nu- 
merous springs and streams are used to irrigate this 
plain, so that it is one sheet of water in which rank 
crops of paddy are grown, and, as it might have been 
expected, fever was the result But the importance 
of the position, as a key to the north of China and 
as a dep6t for the commissariat, rendered it impera- 
tive that the allies should occupy it 

The inhabitants welcomed the English most cor- 
dially as old Mends, and as you walked through the 
town or in the country round they invited you into 
their houses in the most Mendly manner, and some- 
times treated you to a few words of English, which 
must have been bottled up for many a year. Our 
allies did not meet with the same welcome ; the na- 
tives did not understand why the French had come, 
nor were the Gauls at all so considerate in their 
mercantile arrangements as were our people ; in fiujt, 



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i 



50 HOW WB GOT TO PEKIN. 



trade between them and the Chinese was anything 
but/r^, for is it not contrary to all principles of free 
trade that the buyer should fix the price? Their 
little playful ways with the natives here and else- 
where led John Chinaman to form the opinion "Flen- 
ishe, No good," which has often been expressed to me 
in the strictest confidence. I need not say how en- 
tirely I differ of course, from my fi'iend John Chinar 
man in this opinion. So friendly were the people that 
Lady Grant ventured to land on Monday morning, 
and walked for a considerable distance round the hills 
which overlook the town ; the country people were 
very curious with respect to her ladyship's dress, but 
quite polite withal ; they invited us to sit down in 
their houses, and begged of her to take off her gloves, 
admiring very much the whiteness of her hands : these 
were the " ladies " who took such liberties, nor did 
the frankness and condescension of her manners please 
them less than her personal appearance. 

On Monday afternoon the ^Grranada* left Chusan 
and dropped anchor for the night among the islands, 
and starting at daybreak, on Tuesday arrived at about 
9 A.M. at the sacred island of Pootoo, the General 
being anxious to inspect it, with a view of convert- 
ing the place into a Sanatorium, which it would have 
been very desirable to establish in case of a length- 
ened occupation of the north of China, or indeed 
should a large force remain in any part of the coun- 
try. I myself cannot but feel convinced however 
that for the Ehiropean there can be no Sanatorium 



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POOTOO. 51 

in these seas ; a man may preserve his health perhaps 
for years as a dvilian, not being exposed in that case 
to the vicissitades of the climate as the soldier is, 
and living all the time in an excellent house, sur- 
ronnded by every comfort and luxury which money 
can procure, but if he once becomes really ill then 
nothing but hrnne can save his life. Pootoo is about 
two miles-and-arhalf long by an average of one mile 
in breadth. It is occupied entirely by temples, in 
and around which about a thousand Buddhist priests 
reside^ — ecclesiastics by no means dignified, but on 
the contrary very, very dirty. I had forgotten in writ- 
ing the above the memorable exception of St. Simon 
Stylites and some others, in whom the dirt went far 
to constitute the saintship; there is a prejudice at 
home now, however, in favour of soap and water. 
From the landing-place you walk along a flagged 
road which ascends with an easy incline; ancient 
temples on your left near the shore, and noble trees 
casting a pleasant shade aroimd them ; while on every 
side magnificent camellias, twenty and thirty feet 
hi^ are to be seen glistening with their wax-like 
blossoms to the top. Azalias innumerable of hum- 
bler growth, and wild flowers of various hues form a 
rich carpet of surpassing beauty that springs beneath 
your feet And there is a "forget-me-not," — ^yes, 
here in China as at home it flourishes, and calls up 
many a memory and some that never, sleep. 

As you advance towards the centre of the island 
the treed are less frequent, and rills of sweet fresh 

E 2 



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52 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

water cross your path towards the shore, and then 
you descend through a rich grove to a hollow, or 
little valley ; and here the scene is as enchanting aa 
can well be imagined, and more, far more so, than 
my ineloquent pen can paint You pass under a 
massive old rectangular gateway of stone, tall and 
imposing, and carved all over in every conceivable 
fimtastic form ; time has mellowed the deep and bold 
tracery, but not eflEa/ced it anywhere ; it seems just 
ripe now, and you feel as if it had been keeping 
for hundreds of years until you came to see it in per- 
fection. Then there is a large pond to your left, 
crossed by two marble bridges of the true China 
pattern, which (vulgar thought I) reminds you of that 
old dinner-set, the longest thing you can remember. 
I am not quite sure that if it was one o'clock you 
would not fancy that you smelt that frequent roast 
mutton of olden days. What a happy young fellow 
you were then, you did not have to come to China 
to look for your mutton I Sacred fish swim lazily 
and secure in the pond, and sacred birds dream list- 
lessly upon its surfece ; your ecclesiastic, upon a good 
old foundation, has an easy time of it And here 
rests the great central temple of the island, evidently 
of remote antiquity. Descriptions of Buddhist tem- 
ples you have all read often, if you have never seen 
one; the sombre light, the always-burning incense, 
the triple Buddha, past, present, and future, of vast 
size and rich gilding, and here numbers of other 
shrines with their varied images, some of them of 



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BUDDHIST TEMPLES. 53 

colossal stature, and one which catches your eye and 
fixes your attention. " The Queen of Heaven " with 
the infant in her arms, the resemblance to another 
so-called " Queen of Heaven," is startling ; who is the 
borrower and who the lender? Did not Israel say 
of old to the Prophet, " As for the word that thou 
hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we 
will not hearken unto thee. But we wiU certainly 
do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own 
mouth, to bum incense unto the Queen of Heaven, 
and to pour out drink-offerings unto her as we have 
done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes 
in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, 
for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well 
and saw no evil. But since we left off to bum 
incense to the Queen of Heaven, and to pour out 
drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things 
and have been consumed by the sword and by the 
femine.'* Materialism is very ancient, but that grafted 
upon Christianity is not the oldest; I wish Rome 
would be honest and return it, it does not belong 
to her. 

This group of temples covers a number of acres ; a 
street of poor houses where priests live branches off 
from it, and there are some shops where cheap and 
small wares are sold, and picture-maps of the Sacred 
Island, and of the world, which is an elongated 
parallelogram ; the Celestial Empire covers nearly the 
whole of it, but it has a nice little border all round, 
where the various nations of Barbarians live, each 



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54 HOW WB GOT TO PBKIN. 

having asmall square patch in the border; there is a 
printed description of each nation in few words, its 
name and chief produce, which it is represented as 
bringing to China as tribute. Some of these nations 
I had never heard of, nor did I recognize as flatter- 
ing the slight mention made of us. I could not help 
saying to myself, " Never mind, we'll see who is to 
pay tribute this time." Again you ascend, the 
flagged road conducts you along the side of a hill 
and towards its summit, the sea on the right; in 
front is another temple, very small, half-a-mile from 
the central group ; it is perched on the top of a cliflF 
covered with flowering shrubs and overhangs the 
sea, which, deep and blue, rolls against the perpen- 
dicular rock hundreds of feet below. 

The island stretches something like a mile beyond 
this spot, which commands a view of a fertile valley 
to the left front, bordered on the right by a sandy 
beach, and at its &r end another rich grove of deep- 
green trees, between whose tops and branches you can 
discern the many-coloured roofs of another cluster of 
temples. Yes, if there is a sanatorium in the Chma 
seas, it is Pootoo. I can imagine the wounded or 
fever-stricken soldier lying half the day upon its 
grassy banks and inhaling the fresh sea-breeze, and 
imagining himself (for what cannot &ncy do ?), if he 
turned away his gaze from its distinctive features, 
at home. Oh sweet, oh healing thought, all ills that 
have not yet touched the life, can you not cure 
them! 



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TALIBNWHAN. 56 

But Pootoo has its drawback, or it would be more 
than terrestrial ; it has no harbour, nor is the anchoiv 
age very good; ships would be exposed to the foil 
sweep of both monsoons, not to speak of typhoons ; 
and although soil, and climate, and beauty, (a very 
good thing for sick people as for those in health) and 
position all recommiBuded it, it never was made a sana- 
tory station, whether on account of the anchorage, or 
because " Bono Franjais " did not like us to go there 
without him, and would not go himself or for both 
reasons combined I am not prepared to say* The 
barren rod&s and mountains of the China coast were 
repast in three days, its turbulent and muddy waters 
ploughed ; and on Friday evening, the 29th of April, 
the * Granada' felt her way down the north, or 
Lyeemoon Channel and re-entered the harbour of 
Hong Kong, while the lights from the hundreds of 
ships resting on its still waters, and those from the 
town and from the hill, as they shone in the clear 
air, looked from the distance like the stars in a little 
firmament. 

On Tuesday night, the 26th June, we arrived in 
the * Granada ' at Talienwhan (the bay or harbour of 
Talien), and steamed slowly in. The Admiral had 
already arrived, and guided by his " bright particular 
star," for he, of course, had a light or lights where no 
one else dared to carry them, — ^though where it is I 
cannot tell you, the officer in command of the ship 
knew, and that is always enough for me when at sea. 
We dropped anchor in " Victoria Bay." Talienwhan 



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56 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

is a large bay, some twenty miles long or deep, by 
about nine miles wide. It may be described in the 
words of Virgil, if my memory does not fell me : — 

'* Est in secessn longo locus : insula portum 
Efficit objectu laterum, quibus omnia ab alto 
FningituT, inque sinus sdndit sese iinda reductos." 

The Island is there, doubtless, in the centre of the 
harbour's mouth, but I can hardly say that " omnis 
unda frangitur," as there is sometimes a swell inside. 
Sad would have been our fate if we had dispensed 
with the anchor as in the bay Virgil speaks of; there 
was no " atrum nemus imminet umbra *' for us there ; 
as to the " nympharum domus," there was only one 
nymph in the whole fleet, and she was not a classical 
one. It was a fine sight as you went on deck in the 
morning to look round on that large fleet of trans- 
ports and men-of-war and merchantmen of different 
nations, — ^American, Dutch, French, and English, all 
hired by our Government to convey our troops and 
stores; and then they had all arrived without a 
casualty, either in small fleets, or dropping in by 
two or three at a time, and now you might count 
them by hundreds. 

The General knew that the French would not be 
ready for some weeks (we were quite jw^pared), so 
the troops were to be disembarked and encamped. 
We occupied three stations in different parts of this 
large harbour. Victoria Bay, farthest of the three 
from the entrance, and about eight or nine miles from 
the point most remote from the mouth, affords excel- 



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THE SCENERY. 67 

lent anchorage. Here the First Division was landed 
and pitched their tents close to the shore, on fields 
of growing maize. Sir John Michel was in com- 
mand, and thronghont this campaign maintained the 
character which he had previously so well earned 
both at the Cape and in India, as a first-rate officer, 
both in cantonments and on service. The Royal 
Engineers were very busy in sinking wells and 
making reservoirs in the natoral watercourses with 
which the place abounds, but these beds of streams 
were now dry and water was not very plentiful; 
still the men managed to get enough. This camp 
lay on the left as you come up the harbour. On 
the opposite side, or right fix)m the entrance and 
nearer to it, lay "Hand Bay," where the Second 
Division was encamped ; the ground was more undu- 
lating and picturesque. And nearer stiU to the 
harbour mouth and on the same side was "Odin 
Bay," the most sheltered anchorage of all, with an 
abundance of water ; this was given to the cavalry 
and artillery as their station, than which nothing 
could be more suitable. 

The general character of the scenery is of this sort. 
The hills are abrupt and rocky on both sides of the 
bay for a considerable distance, sheltering nothing but 
blue pigeons and huge owls ; as the bay recedes they 
gradually lose their steep sides, and slope gently for 
a mile or more to the water's edge, affording a good 
belt of arable land at the foot, and pasture for sheep 
to the top. These hiUs are intersected by numerous 



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58 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

and deep ravines, which give unmistakable signs of 
being very heavily flooded at times, but they are now 
quite dry ; though when the " wet season " occurs in 
tJie north of China I have yet to learn, as I have had 
personal experience of it from June to May, and 
I never saw yet two days' rain in succession, nor yet 
one whole day's rain even during that period, while 
I have known weeks and months when not a drop 
has fallen. Of dust storms I know too mudi, but 
as to rain, when you have not seen it for many weary 
weeks, and the very marrow of your bones is parched 
up, and your sMn has become like a very old shoe, 
through the aridity of the atmosphere; when the 
paper cracks and peels off the wall, and the best 
made, seasoned, iron-bound box will crack, and your 
hair, cut short, splits ; then how you do sigh if only 
for one shower, a few drops how gratefuL They must 
get rain at some time at Talienwhan, but when, I 
know not, and I fancy it is uncertain, as when the 
country people at " Wahiway," which is in the neigh- 
bourhood, were asked when it would rain, they burst 
out laughing and inquired " how they could be ex- 
pected to teU that? they could teU when it had 
rained last, but who could tell when it would rain 
again." 

For the last six or seven miles the bay narrows 
and shoals considerably, and there are several miles 
of arable land on each side between it and the hills, 
studded with villages, which are all planted and 
shaded with trees, while in the distance, seen as you 



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DIFFICULTY IN PROCURING COUNTRY PRODUCE. 59 

look up towards the far end of the harbour, some 
fifteen or twenty miles ofl^ rises a chain of very 
respectable-looking mountains. Three or four miles 
from the First Division camp and further inknd, a 
station was subsequently formed for the military 
train. 

The country people upon our first approach, had 
removed their femilies and their stock fix)m every 
village within four or five miles of the shore ; but 
the men themselves in general remained, apparently 
not fearing any personal injury from us. At Victoria 
Bay, the camp of the First Division, it was impos- 
sible to procxu:e a supply of country produce of any 
kind. Occasionally, indeed, some villager firom a 
distance would drop in with a few eggs or fowls, and 
he was seized upon and his basket bou^t up in a 
moment The soldiers had their salt rations of course, 
but the soldier is not a good cook and cannot get on 
so well upon "junk " as the sailor. The heat of the 
sun was very trying, although generally tempered by 
a searbreeze, and the result was that there was a good 
deal of dysentery and diarrhoea among the men, 
and several deaths occurred. The Second Division 
at Hand Bay was rather more fortunate ; there was a 
much greater extent of country under cultivation on 
their side of the harbour, and they succeeded in pro- 
curing a proportion of fi:esh provisions, fowls, sheep, 
and vegetables. But the best market was at the 
cavalry camp at Odin Bay, but even there it was 
necessary to be early in the market if you were 



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60 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

anxious for a supply. The officers shared the same' 
&te as the men. Many regiments had large sup- 
plies of preserved meats, and plenty of beer and wine 
cm hoard ship^ but as usual in such cases, that which 
was most wanted could not be procured, and the case 
was too often similar to that memorable one in the 
Crimea, when the medicines were discovered to have 
been placed beneath the shot and shelL Thus the 
officers were obliged to do without all the supplies 
which they had brought on from India, and some 
regiments eventually got but a percentage of their 
stores, for when they were landed afterwards at 
Takoo, quantities of them were put on shore by Jack 
Tar, below high-water mark, — cases, containing all 
sorts of property, uniform, winter-clothes, wines, beer, 
pickles, preserves, were floated out to sea and were 
never heard of again, while the confusion consequent 
upon such a scene afforded a sort of opportunity for 
plunder, and the British sailor was not slow to avail 
himself of it. I was informed that he might have 
been seen seated amidst a chaos of cases, burst open, 
diving first into one, then into another ; up came a 
bottle of champagne (he had had a few already) ; he 
looked at it for a moment " I say, Bill, here's more 

of that champagne again (flinging away the 

flask in disgust) ; I wonder where there's some more 
brandy, that's the stuff, lads." I cannot say where 
the whole blame of this disgraceful proceeding rested, 
but there must have been something very defective 
in the arrangements between the two services as to 



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THE SHOOTING OF THE NEiaHBOURHOOD. 61 

the landing of these stores, or it could not have 
occurred. 

The weather was, on the whole, as fine as could 
be expected ; we had some showers, a storm or two 
of short duration, in one of which many of the tents 
of the First Division were blown down in the night ; 
while every one, especially the unhappy ones who 
were left tentless, was blinded and choked by dust, 
for the soil, a peculiarly fine, sandy loam, rose with 
the wind in an impalpable powder, and penetrated 
wherever the air reached. Drill, which is not exactly 
a pastime, was the only occurrence which diversi- 
fied the monotony of the existence of the army for 
six weeks at this most dull place ; there was, indeed, 
one hare in the neighbourhood of Victoria Bay, and 
she afforded much sport, as thoi^h always to be 
found, no one could shoot her ; I am certain that 
many a hungry gaze was fixed upon her as she 
cantered up the hill, both barrels having been fired 
in vain, salt junk is not good for a constancy. It 
was not considered safe to go fiir beyond the precincts 
of the camp except armed, and with a tolerably strong 
party. Some naval people were near getting into 
trouble upon one occasion; they went some distance 
up the harbour beyond Victoria Bay, to a village, 
where it was asserted by the villagers that they had 
been guilty of some outrage and shot one of the peo- 
ple ; they were however surrounded, disarmed, their 
hands tied, and they were marched back to their 
boats ; the arms were afterwards delivered up ; and 



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62 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

if they were the aggressors, as it would appear that 
they were, they escaped much better than they de- 
served. 

CoL Anson, A.D,C., and I rode one day from 
Victoria Bay all round the harbour to Odin Bay, 
the cavalry station, and a very pleasant ride it was. 
Our friends took a kind adieu of us the night before 
we started, and told us that the first inquiry they 
would make at Pekin would be for us, as there could 
not be a doubt that we should be captured by the 
natives, and sent there in cages, unless indeed we 
were rash enough to show fight, in which case we 
would have our heads cut off, and they would go to 
Pekin in our stead. We were undeterred, however, 
by their " chaff."* We both wanted to go to Odin 
Bay, and we felt that a ride would do us all the 
good in the world, having been shut up on shipboard 
so long (" in prison with a chance of being drowned"), 
and there was a shade of adventure in the ride which 
made it pleasant, as we should travel in an enemy's 
country, by unknown paths where no European had 
ever been before. 

Having taken some provisions in our saddle-bags 
and wallets for ourselves, and some grain for our 
horses, and being well armed, we left the camp at Vic- 
toria Bay at six o'clock in the morning. The day was 
delightfully fine, although of course the sun was hot ; 
but our heads were well defended by white felt hel- 
mets and large "puggeries," and (no less important 
matter) our loins and livers by ample " cumberbunds." 



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.OUR RIDE. 63 

A " puggery/* I must tell you, is a piece of cotton or 
silk of any colour (white is the best), some yards long, 
which is wrapped round the hat or cap to protect the 
head from the powerful rays of the sun; and a ^^ cum- 
berbund" is ditto ditto, but longer of course, wrapped 
round the waist Thus accoutred, we wound our way 
for some miles along the border of the harbour until 
we reached its extremity inland, when we turned it 
to our right, and here we were a little perplexed ; to 
keep along the shore would be to lengthen our ride 
very much, which must under any circumstances ex- 
ceed forty miles, and in many places this road would 
not be practicable, as the cliflfe were precipitous and 
not to be ridden over ; we must therefore strike in- 
land, but we did not like to venture too far into the 
country, as the natives had reported to the consular 
interpreters attached to the army that there was a 
walled town, some few miles in that direction, gar- 
risoned by Tartar troops, infantry and cavahy, and 
we had no ambition to fall into the hands of theise 
Philistines ; we determined therefore to march across 
country, on a lofty peak which rises behind Odin 
Bay, Sampson's Peak, and not to go through villages 
except when we could not avoid it The country was 
quite unenclosed, and hilly with patches of cultivation. 
For some miles after we had tamed the end of the 
harbour, the only obstacles which we encountered 
were deep watercourses, now dry, through which, at 
some season or other, torrents must rush from the 
hills, as their sides and beds bear unmistakable signs 



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64 HOW WE GOT TO.PBKIN. 

of the feet Our resolution about avoiding villages 
was soon tried, for as we turned the side of the hill we 
found below and in our front a large village, and we 
soon perceived that we had been seen, by^ the com- 
motion which took place ; the house-doors were shut, 
and the men, collected in groups of ten or twenty, 
watched us intently. The gulleys ah'eady spoken of 
prevented us from keeping on the hill-side and leav- 
ing the village on our left; and to pass it on the 
right it would have been necessary to turn about and 
make a considerable circuit, which would have be- 
trayed our suspicions to the inhabitants, and this we 
were too proud to do ; so we turned our horses' heads 
down the hill and maxle for the houses. The first 
group we came to we pulled up and saluting after the 
fashion of the country, that is, by each man shaking 
his own hand ; we asked for some water, keeping our 
eyes open all the time, lest our country friends should 
attempt any assault upon us. Our request was com- 
plied with, with great alacrity and good humour, and 
we soon saw that there was nothing but a friendly 
feeling towards us ; the ice-cold water, too, from the 
shaded well was delicious after a three hours' ride in a 
hot morning sun. We soon became excellent friends 
with the country folks ; the group became a crowd, 
and even some children stole quietly near us, evi- 
dently having a great amount of fear to overcome. 
Gardens, as usual, were attached to their houses, and 
here we saw and smelt the fragrant, the delicious 
onion, the soldier's best friend (when campaigning), 



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THE SOLDIER'S BEST FRIEND. G5 

not indeed when at home, he enjoys other sweets 
which forbid its use. " Hulloa," I called out, "Anson, 
thim's scallions," thinking of a story I had heard of, 
as haying happened at the Curragh camp. One of the 
staflF there, who was rather a " bahaudoor,*' walked 
down to the market one morning, and seeing a large 
bunch of green vegetables lying at a vegetable stall, 
gave it a kick with his foot, and asked, "Ah I whoaat's 
tharaat?" "Thim's scallions, captain," replied the 
native woman. " Scallions " I rejoined the dragoon, 
" whoaat are scallions ? " " Oh thin be dad, captain," 
said she, " they're an article that if you were afther 
atin a fishtfull iv thim, you wouldn't have the face 
to be after goin to kiss your mistress." As we, 
however (worse luck for us), had no little chances of 
that sort in prospect, we made signs for some glori- 
ous little green onions that were growing over the 
wall ; off went the natives and produced a bundle of 
them, which we divided, and tied to the dees of our 
saddles, rejoicing in the prospect of this addition to 
our breakfast In order to impress the native mind 
with the purity and honesty of our intentions, I in- 
sisted upon the owner of the garden paying himself 
for -our "scallions" out of a string of cash, and I 
indulged myself by giving the rest among the chil- 
dren in the crowd. 

Thus we took leave of the friendly villagers and 
resumed our ride ; a few miles brought us to another 
cluster of houses, and as we saw that the only chance 
of shade and water was among the abodes of the 

p 



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66 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

natives, and nature began to clamour for break&st, 
we determined to halt in the village and feed our- 
selves and our horses ; so riding up the main street, 
we pulled up under a friendly tree and asked for 
" sueah," pointing to our cattle. " Ah I sueah, sueah," 
was the friendly reply, and soon the horses' heads 
were buried in the buckets of delicious, cold, spring 
water ; a crowd of course collected round us, and we 
at once displayed our confidence in the natives aad our 
determination to make ourselves at home, by taking 
the bits out of our horses* mouths, producing our 
grain-bags and slacking our girths. Then having 
taken care of our good steeds, we sat down on a wall, 
the centre of an admiring throng, pulled out our 
bread and meat and began to feed. Curiosity soon 
began to display itself on the part of the natives; 
ihey tasted our sherry, but liked some brandy from 
A.'s flask better, especially one old fellow with one 
eye, who would have got drunk on the spot if he had 
had a chance ; then our food, too, they appeared to 
approve of, and our tobacco was quite popular ; our 
dress, arms, and saddlery, everything, in short, was 
minutely inspected, and they readily comprehended 
the five-shot revolver ; the native who was looking 
at it dropping his arms and opening his mouth, as if 
dead, as he pointed to each chamber of the breach. 

At length we bade farewell to our numerous fiiends 
and started once more on our journey, nor did we 
call another halt until we reached the welcome camp 
of the Second Division at Hand Bay, and having been 



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HAND BAT. 67 

hospitably entertained by the General, Sir R. Napier, 
we accomplished our last five miles to Odin Bay, and 
pat up for the night with our Mends at the cavalry 
camp. This was by far the most picturesque of our 
stations at Talienwhan, The bay was nearly land- 
locked, and some of the hills around it were almost 
ambitious enough to be called mountains, the slopes 
leading to their bases undulated in various directions, 
which- gave a most pleasantly regular irregularity to 
the landscape, while you could take in, almost at one 
view, from some points, the camp of every regiment 
of cavalry and each battery of artillery, with the 
tents of a wing of the old 99 th about the centre ; 
while a most diminutive temple, with gods in a ruin- 
ous condition, on the sea-shore, marked the head- 
quarters of General Crofton, 

Those splendid horses picketed by the tents 
added much to the beauty of the scene ; and some- 
how the cavalry soldier is generally a clean, smart, 
well gotrup man, and on this campaign, whenever 
and wherever the King's Dragoon Guards turned 
out, whether on parade or in the field, every strap 
and bit and buckle was as bright, neat, and cor- 
rect, as it would have been at a general inspec- 
tion at home ; and the turn-out of our artillery was 
equally good. The troops here were also, as I 
have said before, much better oflf for fi^sh provisions. 
General Crofton, R. A., who commanded at Odin Bay, 
had established a very successful market, and many 
a cock and hen was to be seen tethered in the rear 

F 2 



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68 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

of the tents, not that they were destined to remain 
there very long, being required to relieve from duty, 
salt junk, gone on leave of absence after a long and 
arduous (for the eater) service. If I recollect right, 
however, Desborough's battery went so fer as to keep 
a pet cock, which I and others looked upon as a great 
and extravagant indulgence of feelings not at aU war- 
ranted under the circumstances. If he (the cock) had 
been over at the First Division camp, at Victoria Bay, 
his life would not have been worth five minutes' pur- 
chase, whereas here he strutted about quite safe among 
the oflScers' tents. 

This walled town, Hangkow I believe it was 
called, and of whose garrison we had heard such re- 
ports, was to be the subject of a reconnaissance on the 
day after our arrival ; the reserve of the army was to 
be left at Odin Bay, batteries were erected on com- 
manding positions so as to fortify the place fix)m at- 
tack either by sea or land, and it was deemed ex- 
pedient that we should know the truth as to the 
Tartar force which was reported to occupy Hang- 
kow, that we might not have an enemy in any 
force behind us when we advanced against the Takoo 
Forts. Having procured fresh horses, we started at 
about nine a.m., with a party of Fane's Horse, for 
this place some ten or twelve miles off, having ascer- 
tained the whereabouts of the town. Our appear- 
ance, as we cantered along through villages and past 
farm-houses, caused no small sensation, but when we 
stopped occasionally to make some inquiry or to get 



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THE CHIEP MANDARIN. 69 

a drink of water, the people were all civility. An 
hour-and-arhalf s riding brought us in view of the 
town, when Fane called a halt, and the ground gave 
us a good view of the place. We could see that 
there were a number of guns on the fece of the wall 
next to us, and there was a great excitement created 
in the suburbs by our sudden appearance, as the people 
hurried towards the town, and the walls were soon alive 
with civilians, and some soldiers among them; we 
announced our peaceable intentions by the consular 
interpreter, who accompanied the reconnaissance, and 
riding on to the town, sent a message to request an 
interview with the chief Mandarin. On our arrival 
we found the gate shut> The ditch had been lately 
deepened and widened, and the messenger returned 
to the top of the gate to report that the chief Man- 
darin was not in the town but outside, and that if we 
retired into the suburb, he could be sent for, and 
would no doubt meet us there. 

This we knew to be a Msehood, and returned 
an answer pretty much to that effect Another 
messenger speedily arrived, requesting us to re- 
tire to a temple about half-a-mile off in the plain, 
and assuring us that the Mandarin would meet 
us there at once. We rode over to the temple 
and waited there for half-an-hour, but no one came. 
It appeared to have been used as a barrack, for 
there were a number of targets lying about which 
had been recently used for "ball practice," and 
some other warlike matAnel. Wearied of waiting, 



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70 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

we returned to the town and met "the swell** 
coming round the wall, having evidently made his 
exit by another gate. He drove up in " a cart and 
pair," a mule leading a pony tandem, but yet not 
very sporting-looking, attended by a couple of outr 
riders, and a crowd of the inhabitants amounting to 
about 2000. 

They were all very peaceable and very curious, 
the consular interpreter extracted all the information 
which was required from the greasy-looking old 
gentleman who, although dressed in sky-blue satin, 
seemed ignorant of soap and water. He said that 
there were no troops in the town except the ordi- 
nary force necessary to protect the inhabitants from 
pirates, &c., &c. ; and having received friendly assur- 
ances from us, and a cordial invitation to trade in 
country produce, accompanied by a hint that the 
safety of the town and adjacent country might de- 
pend upon the liberality with which supplies were 
sent into the market at Odin Bay; he took his 
leave, and expressed his intention of paying his 
respects to General Crofton next day. The next 
day accordingly brought him over to camp, and 
mutual exchange of presents having taken place be- 
tween him and the General, most amicable relations 
were established, and the result was a marked im- 
provement in the Odin Bay market 



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GENERAL MONTAUBAN. 71 



CHAPTER V. 

Weighed Anchor for Pekin — Landing — Onr Biyotiao— Cockroaoh Bioth 
— Colonel Anson — ^Arrived at Petang — ^Landing — Tea— Petang^ 
Colonel Ross— The Military Train— Difficulty of Transport 

Each Division was reviewed by Sir H. Grant; and 
every regiment was found to be in excellent order ; 
the Commander-in-Chief of the French, having arrived 
from Chee Foo, was present at the inspection of the 
cavalry and artillery, and expressed himself as well 
he mighty astonished at the neatness and precision with 
which both arms of the service turned out Every- 
body was weary of " Talienwhan/' and we began to 
fear that winter would overtake us before we should 
reach Pekin, and that we should not "get home 
this autumn,*' which appeared to be the grand desire 
of everybody ; and anything but blessing was poured 
upon the heads of our allies who were not ready, and 
had thus detained us a month. " Why doesn't the 
General go on without them,'* cries the enthusiastic 
Ensign. " We don't want them ; I wish they were all 
at home. What's the use of keeping us in this stupid 
place to please old Montauban ? Why, we'd have been 
at Pekin before now if we hadn't been stuck here, 
doing nothing." Such was the feeling of our youth ; 



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72 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

aad at last Thursday, the 26th of July, arrived, and 
with just enough breeze and no more, our gallant 
fleet weighed anchor, and set sail for the rendezvous, 
about twenty miles south of the Peiho. Never did I 
witness a more imposing sight, — ships of every build 
and tonnage, under canvas and steam, spread over 
the water as fitr as the eye could reach ; half across 
the world from Old England, bearing her gallant 
sons to chastise a treacherous and haughty power, 
an expedition self-contained and independent of all 
contingencies, with stores of every kind ready and 
at hand, and wanting nothing which human foresight 
could provide, human skill procure, or English gold 
could buy. Far off to the south-west, the smoke of the 
French steamers was to be seen as their fleet steered 
to- the same point, and next day, the English first, 
and then the French, anchored at the rendezvous. 

Early on the 30th the fleet sailed some miles 
further inshore and anchored at about ten miles 
from the Peiho forts and twelve from Petang, where 
we were destined to land. It had been proposed at 
first that the Allied forces should take different 
sides of the Peiho river, the British landing to the 
north, the French to the south, and that thus a com- 
bined attack should be made on the forts north and 
south at the same time ; but when Major Fisher, R J}., 
had completed his valuable surveys of the coast, 
this plan was found to be impracticable, but he 
gave us the cheerM intelligence that the Petang 
river was open, unbarred and unstaked, and that 



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WEIGHED ANCHOR. 73 

both the forts which defended its entrance were open 
in the rear, and therefore to be thus taken. I do 
not know any oflScer employed upon this expedition 
to whom its good fort;une is more to be attributed 
than to Major Fisher, E.E., or anyone who performed 
as great an amount of hard work and with equal 
success. The weather was not propitious on the 
31st, the sea was too rough for the launches to be 
towed inshore, and so the landing was put off till 
next day; we hailed a heavy Ml of rain on the 
morning of the 1st of August, as a good omen, it 
" beat down the sea ; ** and at about eleven we left the 
fleet, the gunboats towing the launches filled with 
men. I think I counted fifteen of those most useful 
little vessels, equally valuable to fight as for their 
present employment. The Force consisted of the 
Second Brigade of the First Division, which com- 
prised three regiments, the 2nd (Queen's), the 
2nd Battalion 60th Bifles, and the 15th Punjaub 
Infeiitry, together with some Eoyal Artillery with 
rocket tubes, and a company of Sappers. The 
French had an equal force, making in all about 5000 
men. We crossed the bar of the Petang river all 
ri^t, and anchored within less than a mile of the 
nearest Fort, which is on the right or south bank of 
the river, the other Fort lying half-a-mile fiirther up 
on the opposite side. Here we remained a weary 
two hours, waiting until the tide should rise to its 
highest in order ttiat, if possible, the men n%ht land 
dry. In this hope the Admiral was disappointed, and 



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74 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN, 

about four o'clock the signal was given to land. We 
had all been ordered to bring the invariable " three 
days' cooked rations ; " mine consisted of some ham 
sandwiches, a flask of sherry, and a tin water-bottle 
filled ; these I consigned to my Madras boy whom 
I managed to smu^le on shore. Those three days' 
cooked rations are a delusion, as we all learned after- 
wards, as it is absurd to suppose that meat carried in 
a haversack, by the side of a marching soldier, could 
keep for twenty-four hours in China. 

The French landed a short time before us. The 
signal to land had been made, but a delay was 
ordered by the Admiral when he perceived that the 
water on the bank was too shoal to permit the boats 
to get near the shore, and by this means our Allies, 
who heeded it not, got the start of us by a few 
minutes. Soon, however, we followed, and jumped 
into the water nearly up to our middle, with a very 
soft bottom of sticky mud. I pulled ofl^ my long 
boots and socks, retaining however my " shorts," and 
having waded some hundreds of yards in water and 
mud, I had about a mile of mud alone, before I 
reached dry ground. Here the troops were halted 
for a short time and formed, the French on the left 
and we on the right, next the forts and the town of 
Petang, which is built on the right bank of the river. 
I could not help casting a glance now and then at the 
Fort next us (we were within easy range of it), ex- 
pecting to see that puff of smoke, which would tell 
that the war had indeed begun. 



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LANDING. 75 

We presented a rather ludicrous appearance that 
evening as we halted on firm ground One officer 
with a knife scraping the tenacious mud fi*om his 
feet and legs before he put on his stockings and 
boots; another, less wise, trying the effect of a 
fine cambric pocketrhandkerchief; while a third 
found a small pool of water as large as a slop-basin, 
and enjoyed a ^^glcnious wash/' One brigadier, a 
most enei^tic officer, had taken the precaution 
to remove not only his boots but his " what-shall- 
I-call-them,'' and enjoying the advantage of a very 
short shirt and a jacket, it was not a sight one 
saw everyday ; when thus in " undress ** he ordered 
the men to ^^come to attention and shoulder," and 
marched at their head as boldly as if he had been 
attired with the most scrupulous care. 

During this halt on terra firma^ we saw a number 
of horsemen riding along a bund, or causeway, some 
three-quarters of a mile off on our left fix)nt; they 
came out of the town over a bridge and rode off in 
the direction of the Peiho ; this was our first sight of 
the &r-£uned Tartar cavalry, which like a whirlwind 
wa^ to sweep us fixnn the &ce of the earth t By the 
time we reached the bund it was getting dark ; it was 
pretty evident that no resistance was to be offered to 
us here, and for obvious reasons it was determined 
that we should not enter the town that night : so it 
was a dear case of bivooac 

This was the first great mistake which the Tartar 
generals made in this campaign. If they had op- 



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76 HOW WE GfOT TO PEKIN. 

posed us in force at our landing, they might have 
damaged us very seriously, if not driven us back. 
They had cover for any number of men and guns 
behind the causeway which stretched out from the 
town, and up to which we must advance. The right- 
hand Fort commanded us from the moment we landed^ 
their cavahy could have manoeuvred on the last 
half-mile of ground over which we had to march ; we 
had not a horse with us. The French had some ten 
or twenty Spahis mounted on Japan ponies, and a 
couple of things like popguns on wheels, while we had 
not so much as a bush to shelter us, and had they 
been aware of our movements, which they might 
have been, and taken advantage of their strong posi- 
tion, ihey might have done us more harm than they 
were able to do in the whole of the rest of the cam- 
paign ; we should have had nothing to oppose them 
but the bayonet, as they had almost perfect shelter 
from our rifles. 

But no, with their extraordinary ideas, they be- 
lieved that we were, according to the rules of war, 
hound to go du-ect at the Peiho forts, and there- 
fore they did not oppose us at Petang; althou^ 
they had to a certain extent contemplated our 
landing there, and knew that we had surveyed the 
•coast, they chose rather to trust to the natural 
difficulties which presented themselves, than to arti- 
ficial defences. A like train of reasoning led them 
afterwards to complain that it was ^^ extremely un- 
fair " that we should have brought cavalry in this 



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BIVOUAC. 77 

expedition, because we never had brought any to 
China in any previous war. So much for the morals, 
with the arts of logic and war combined, taught 
by Confucius, Menchius, and Sangkolinsin. 

Night was coming on, nothing was in sight but 
a dreary waste of mud. No friendly tope of trees 
offered its shade from the harmfid rays of a full moon, 
which, as in the country in which the Psalmist David 
lived, " smite thee by night," producing effects often 
worse than those of a noonday sun. 

Some of us had a blanket, some a waterproof sheet, 
all had enough to eat, but alas I we had little or no 
water, that first and last of requisites for human life, 
water. I could not help reflecting, as I sat down I 
parched with the day's heat, and weary of doing that 
most tiresome of all things, nothing^ how often I had 
walked along the bank of some sparkling brook, and 
never dreamed how precious was the living water 
that flowed so abundantly at my feet, nor deigned to 
stoop and drink and thank QoA for it. What would 
I not then give for just one draught of it I How pre- 
cious, yet how abundant had it been I Now its true 
value was made known and felt because we had 
it not These things, I thought, are emblematic. 
Reader, can you read what my thoughts pointed to ? 

After some time, two energetic young oflScers of 
the staff volunteered to return to the boats and en- 
deavour to get some water, and we patiently awaited 
their return. Sir H. Grant had gone away in the 
dusk, and readied the Bund along which the troops 



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78 HOW WB GOT TO PEKIN. 

were lying. On each side of it was a most offensive 
ditch of water, which had, as an Irish soldier 
pointedly remarked, a "Ho-goo off of it that was 
able to knock you down, so it was," Some distance 
from this we sat down, or lay down, and had recourse 
to the solace of the cheroot and pipe. 

As I lay a thinking, I heard the cheery voices of a 
party of blue jackets approaching us. "I say, Jack," 
said one, " this ere breaker's precious heavy now, but 
Tm blowed if it won't be light enough soon." Quickly 
I jumped to my feet, and ran, tin tot in hand, to 
where I heard the sound. My tot was soon filled, 
and, without waiting for my nose to do its duty as 
sentry, and challenge and pass the friendly water into 
the gate which lay below it, I drained the tot to the 
bottom at a draught ; when, oh, horror of horrors ! 
how my interior rebelled, very nearly mutinied, when 
I found I had drunk a very strong infusion of what I 
most abhor in the world, cochrociches I 

This breaker had lain empty in the gunboat's hold, 
their abode, their banqueting-hall, ball-room, dwell- 
ing place, or castle. Jack, in his hurry to give those 
" soldiers " a drink, had filled it with water, drowned 
all their cares and joys, and churned all the contents 
up into strong cockroach-broth, and — I had drunk 
it I But after the first nausea had subsided, I said 
to myself, " It was water at all events," and walked 
back to my blanket much more slowly than I had left 
it In another hour Wolsely and Wilmot returned 
with a limited supply of the pure element, and we sat 



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WOODEN GUNS. 79 

down as cheerily as possible to our supper, and soon 
after I fell asleep. Meantime the gnard of the 2nd 
60th Eifles, which had been mounted at the gate 
leading into the town, had ascertained that the place 
was deserted ; this information was conveyed to Sir 
H. Grant : and Mr. Parkes, ever foremost when work 
was to be done or risk met, volunteered to enter 
the town alone and examine the fort. 

He went eventually accompanied by Captain Wil- 
liams of the 1st Eoyals, Deputy- Assistant Quarter- 
Master-General, and one or two of the 2nd 60th ; 
they made their way to the fort, which they found 
to be deserted, and having received information 
that the place was mined, and that explosive mar 
terials had been buried in various places in the fort, 
which were so disposed that they would blow up 
when pressed upon by a man's weight, they re- 
turned to head-quarters, satisfied with some flags as 
trophies, and the information that all the guns had 
been removed fix)m the fort except some wooden 
" dummies,'' hooped with iron. 

At about one o'clock the Tartars made a recon- 
noissance right up to the Bund ; it was impossible 
for us to ascertain their force. They were first dis- 
covered advancing cautiously along the hard mud 
by a sentry of the 2nd 60th, who soon gave them 
the contents of his rifle ; this aroused other soldiers 
of the same regiment, and they, following his ex- 
ample, the Tarters soon retired, leaving, however, 
proofe, which were found next morning, that they 



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80 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

had not got oS scatheless, as a dead horse was found 
and the accoutrements and arms of several soldiers, 
whose bodies had been removed dead or wounded. 

At about three o'clock in the morning I was 
wakened by Anson, who was returning from the 
ships, having landed one of the Commander-in- 
Chiefs chargers and his own. A hard night's work 
he had of it, having traversed back and forwards 
several times that weary, wet, and sticky mud, two 
or three miles, first on one duty then on another, 
but as active, gay, uncomplaining, and untired as a 
thorough soldier should be, and I know no man to 
whom that title more truly belongs than to him. It 
was no easy matter to land highly-bred Arab horses 
i^esh from shipboard in that horrid mud, where they 
sank up to their hocks at every step ; but he brought 
them up all right, and being wakened by his cheery 
voice, I and Mr. Boulby, who woke at the same 
time, got up, and agreed to go on with him about 
a mile fiirther, to where Sir H. Grant was, beyond 
the bivouac of the 60th Rifles, who were nearest to 
the town and on the Bund. 

Knowing that I had to cross a deep, muddy, 
and stirddng ditch (I may as well begin boldly and 
use the word at once, as there is no other in the 
language of any use while we remain at Petang), 
I followed the example of my friend the Briga- 
dier, and started in my jacket and shirt, carrying 
the rest of my gear. We blundered along in the 
dark, and at length reached the ditch, which sepa- 



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COLONEL ANSOK 81 

rated the flat mud from the raised causeway ; I made 
a bold plunge and floundered through up to my 
hips in water and filth, but Anson had a hard time 
in pulling through with his chargers. Indian syces 
are not of much use in a difficulty of that sort, he 
had to do everything himself, and with a great deal 
of floundering and strolling the frightened animals 
were got across. 

We had to pick our way along the Bund, among 
the weary soldiers still asleep and lying in every at- 
titude, and sometimes were obliged to disturb one 
or two to make way for the horses. Having reached 
our destination we lay down, Anson to sleep, I, only 
to think how very bad the smell was ! But where 
were the Tartars? where the fiunous Sankolinsin 
all this time ? Not at Petang, at all events, for 
we remained undisturbed until daybreak, got up, 
and thanks to Anson's powers as a commissariat 
officer (for he presided over all the General's ar- 
rangements in that department) and to Sir H. 
Grant's hospitality, we had a capital breakfast of 
cold meat of all sorts, and claret-and-water to wash it 
down with^ which, after all the yet unslacked thirst 
of the night before, was very grateful. It had been 
arranged on the previous night that the Commanders- 
in-Chief of both armies should proceed into the town 
at 5.30 to take possession of it, and at the hour 
named we marched through the town and up to the 
fort The town was divided in rather an irregular 
manner between us and the French, " bono Francy," 

o 



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82 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

as usual, not having the worst of it You perceive 
that he is not modest, and always claims at the least 
his right, and that is a great way of getting through 
the world. 

The Fort we found to be a very strong place, with 
embrasures for twelve guns. There were two Cava- 
liers joined by a Curtain, the former from 30 to 40 
feet high, the latter about 15. It was built of mud 
and straw, and finished with great care, and would 
have stood a vast amount of pounding. It was sur- 
rounded by a wide and deep ditch, crossed by a bridge 
in the rear, which opened on the town. Some Sap- 
pers set to work and dug up the infernal machines, 
which had been laid as traps for us. They consisted 
of shells filled with powder and bullets, four or five 
shells in ea^h machine ; these were to be ignited by 
fuses, set on fire by a flint and steel. The aflEeur was 
carefully covered over by a thick mat, and the earth 
so well laid down over it that the most cunning eye 
could not detect any diiBference between it and the 
surrounding clay. A slight weight pressmg on the sur- 
fiwje was supposed to set oflf a spring, which would 
strike the flint and steel, ignite the fose, and blow 
up the unfortunate invaders ; but the fiiendly natives 
saved us from this mischance. 

Having inspected this Fort, and admired the 
wooden guns, the question arose, " what is to be 
done next?'* I bethought me of a certain tea- 
shop which I had seen open in the town, not &r 
off, and I had a dim vision of a wash in the dis- 



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TEA. 38 

tance. I communicated my ideas to two or three 
of our party, and, among others, to Lord R. G., who 
had joined the expedition at Talienwhan as an 
amateur. So, bringing our towels, we returned to 
the town, and soon found the tea-shop, where we 
were most politely received; and one of the first 
things I saw was that roller of cord or twine above 
my head, which I used to see long ago when I was a 
little boy at the grocer's shop at Oswestry, when I 
drove in fix)m the country with my mother, and which 
I could not help coveting, although I am sure I was 
well taught at the time. Yes, that roller of twine 
there it was — ^I heard just the same sound from it — 
that first attracted my attention, and then I saw the 
whole scene of my childhood in a moment : the &it, 
black pony, and the phaeton, and my own little 
seat that no one else could sit in, and Benjamin the 
groom following on horseback, and the old * Cross 
Keys' where the pony used to be fed — ^I wonder is 
the * Cross Keys' there yet ! I saw all in a moment. 
I wonder were all boys as covetous of twine as I was 
at that age, or was I a sinner above others ? I did not 
want the roller of twine now, I did not covet it the 
least ; I could not help saying to myself, " Yes, but 
there are other things, and forbidden too, that you do 
covet, why don't you think of them as of the twine ? 
you will by-and-by." 

We asked for tea, which is something like " char" 
or " tzar ;" and as some of us had a long leaway to 
pull up in the drinking line, after the previous night 

o 2 



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84 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

of droughty the number of bowls of tea consumed 
was feibulous. I felt myself just like the old lady 
in * Pickwick,' at the temperance tea-party, whom 
Mr, Weller declared to be "a swellin wisably be- 
fore his eyes/* This tea, remember, had none of the 
seductions of sugar or milk about it, but then it was 
not strong, nor was it good. You never do get good 
tea in China; it seems a paradox, but so it is. If you 
ask me why, I am sure I cannot tell you. I had 
heard so before I came out, but I could not believe 
it; now I do. Having laved the inner man, we 
began to look about for something in the tub way, 
and in the back-yard of our host's premises we found 
some large earthenware crocks of clear water, cold 
and fresh. I don't think I ever enjoyed a tub more, 
after the weary day and night it was most refreshing. 
Nor would our friend accept of any payment for a long 
time, until at last we forced half-a-doUar upon him. 

The day was occupied in taking up houses for the 
troops, and sending away the unfortunate owners ; 
and it was a pitifol sight to seem them goii^ away, 
and forced, by the suddenness of their exodus, to 
leave their little properties behind them, none of 
which they ever saw again. The furniture was used 
for fiiel, the holes and puddles in the streets filled with 
broken crockery, and all their stores of grain were 
of course seized upon by the commissariat Sir H. 
Grant, with the personal and head-quarter staff, occu- 
pied the fort, which was little better than a bivouac 
until some heavy rain obliged the use of tents. Pro- 



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PETANG. 86 

byii*s HoTse were there too, and some few artillery. 
Everyone else was housed in the town ; but the fort 
had this advantage, that it was comparatively free 
from the stench of the streets. During the eleven 
weary days that we occupied Petang, it rained heavily 
several times, and then the mud was fearful along 
the quay and through the streets. 

But Petang, the vilest place in the world, deserves, 
from its superlative infamy, a more full description. 
It is built upon the right bank of the river to 
which it gives its name, and extends along it for 
about a mile from the fort, which bounds it to 
seaward. Like all small towns in China, the streets 
are narrow, and sunk below the level of the doors 
of the houses from six inches to two or even three 
feet One or two of the principal thoroughfitres 
are partially flagged, but in a rude manner. Into 
these sunken streets .the draiuage of the houses 
often flows, and is thus conveyed to an open 
ditch, which separates a large portion of the town 
into two nearly equal parts, and vents freely every 
compound of villanous smell that human nostril 
ever was doomed to inhale. An old Irish cook- 
maid, who lived with a mistress of a warm temper, 
durii^ one of the visits of the cholera to that country, 
was asked if she was much afraid of " the sickness," 
she replied, " Troth^ and I am ; and why wouldn't I 
be affeared of it But glory be to the Blessed Virgin, 
shure I say two prayers agm it every day and three 
agin the mistress.*' And if anyone were to compose 



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86 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

a Chinese Litany, I should propose that there were a 
special clause inserted "agin Petang/* To walk 
through it for two days after rain was impossible 
except in long boots, to ride or walk dangerous, as 
it was very slippery ; and if you had once &llen in 
that mud you must lose your self-respect for a long 
time, if not for ever. 

The gun-boats came up the river early on the morn- 
ing of the 2nd, and threw a few shells into the fort 
on the other side, dislodging some stray Tartars; 
and in the course of the day the * Grranada,* with 
Lord Elgin and his staff on board, and the * Coro- 
mandel,' were moored in the river oflP the town. 
Then, 'indeed, a busy scene began. Most active pre- 
parations were made for the landing of stores, am- 
munition, artillery, cavalry, and infimtry ; and every 
credit is due to the Quarter-Master-General's depart- 
ment, as well as to the naval authorities, for their 
unwearied diligence, zeal, and skill in this most ardu- 
ous and trying work. 

The blue-jackets were to be seen toiling from day- 
light till dark, erecting landing-stages on the muddy 
banks of the river, while, all by himself, you saw 
some tiny middy, who looked more like a toy sailor 
than a real one, issuing orders in a would-be hoarse, 
gruflf voic« (a dead fedlure by-the-by, the voice, I 
mean, not the middy), to some eight or ten sturdy 
fellows over whom he presided, and was answered 
by the cheery " Aye, aye, sir," of the British tar. 
Towering above the rest, like Homer's hero, you 



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quartbbmastee-general; 87 

might see Colonel Boss, of the QuartermasteivGene- 
ral's department, stalking up and down the bank, 
careless alike of burning sun or drenching rain, 
watching and directing the landing of everything 
and everybody ; one moment you see his head above 
the crowd ; you look away for an instant, he is gone ; 
where? It was only a tumble in the treacherous 
mud of the river. Never mind, he is up and at it 
again; don't laugh; ah! there you go down your- 
self and serves you right for laughing at other people. 
Again ; you meet, amidst all the bustle and jostling 
and mud of the quay, elbowing his way among 
sailors, Sikhs, coolies, bullocks, mules, horses, ponies, 
stores, and soldiers, ever with a cheerM smile, 
a pleasant and kind word for every one, and a 
kindness that was not hollow or treacherous, but sin- 
cere. Colonel M^Kenzie, Quartermaster-Gteneral of the 
army in China ; if there was a joke to be made under 
the most adverse circumstances he would make it, or 
a bright side to any dark picture, he would show it 
to you. "Well, M*Kenzie, what are you doing 
out in such weather as this ; it is impossible to do 
anything in this rain?" "Well, I don't exactly 
know what Tm going to do" (with a slight accent 
from " over the border," just what you would not 
know) ; " all I know is that I'm at present engaged 
in *(^)ening up the trade with China,' and it's very 
dirty work." Williams, too, of the Royals, was sure 
to be about somewhere ; you will most probably find 
him looking after the horses (he is safe to be on 



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88 HOW WK GOT TO PEKIN. 

horseback) ; and if there is a hard day's work to be 
done you conld not easUy find so good a man to do 
it. While Wolseley, where is he ? Oh, he is making 
a reconnoissance perhaps, if he can get half-a-dozen 
Sikhs (I believe he would just as soon go by him- 
self), or making drawings of the country to guide 
the Commander-in-Chief in his plans. 

In the course of ten days every one was landed, 
and all the stores and ammunition requisite for pre- 
sent use, and the hours were anxiously counted by 
every one until we should march out of Petang, and 
advance against the forts of Takoo, or as the natives 
call it Hi Takoo (Takoo on the sea). The cavalry 
had been disembarked in admirable order ; the deck of 
a gun-boat being filled fix>m a transport, she steamed 
over the bar and up the river, and the horses walked 
out of her on one of the landing-stages. The poor 
beasts, however, would hardly drink the half salt-water 
of the river even at the lowest ebb, and in a short time 
this must have told severely upon them, so that hours 
even were of importance. The artillery got on shore 
fitmously, guns and all ; and it was a sight to see the 
drivers threading their way through the narrow and 
tortuous streets, the horses up to their hocks in mud, 
and slipping into one hole deeper than another until 
they reached their quarters. 

But the unlucky corps was the Military Train. 
Burthened with hundreds of animals, many, nay, 
most of them, vicious and unbroken, with very 
few Europeans, some Manillamen and Indian Syces, 



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DIFFICULTY OF TRANSPORT. 89 

none of whom will ever do more than they can 
possibly help, while not one soldier, and very few 
of the officers, knew one word of any language but 
their own except ^*Jow" and "Jelde;'* and yet 
this mass of incongraous materials thrown together 
was supposed to be capable of righting itself at 
once, and by some unknown and inexplicable pro^ 
cess of internal self-regulation, to step forth an 
organized body and perform the transport of the 
army. As reasonable would it be to take some 
brass, some gold, some steel, some china, and a 
few diamonds, with a small file or two, a pair of 
pinchers, a magnifying-glass, and a man, shake^them 
up in a bag for five minutes, and expect to find a 
patent lever-watch, jewelled in eight holes, sustaining 
power, compensating-balance, and all the rest of it 

The majority of the animals were Manilla and 
Japan ponies. The former, I have said already, were 
landed at Hong Kong, in wretched condition, never 
had recovered themselves, and arrived at Fetang all 
but useless. The Japan ponies were larger, stronger, 
and very vicious. The only quiet one I saw was 
bought by Staff-Surgeon Home, V.C., and he died 
very soon after. I believe the brute knew his lat- 
ter end was coming, or else he felt too " seedy'* to 
show vice. These also were landed in a most miser- 
able state, dying by scores, and filling the air with 
a most pestilential stench, as their carcases lay all 
round the town and on the banks of the river, bloated 
and bursting with the damp heat and the powerful 



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90 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

rays of a vertical sun. The only eflScient animals 
were the Bombay moles and the Indian bullocks, 
and these kept their health and did their work well 
throughout the campaign, but they were oomparar 
tively few in number. The others for the most part 
gradually melted away; and when the memorable 
sale took place at Tien-Tsin at the close of the cam. 
paign, when Indian Arabs were a drug at ten pounds 
the dozen, few, if any, of the Japan or Manilla ponies 
appeared. 

The Coolie corps was very efficient and admi- 
rably organized by Major Temple, of the Indian 
service, but quite unequal by themselves to accom- 
plish the transport work. What was to be done? 
Why, in point of fiwjt, for staff and regiments 
there was little or no transport; every man his 
own transport was the order of the day. Some of 
us had the honorary distinction of having two 
coolies told off for our use, but it was purely hon- 
orary, and the coolies were " mythical,** or paper 
coolies you might call them, for they were some- 
how always wanted and you never had them. 
Sixty or seventy pounds of baggage you were allowed, 
but that came to mean the clothes on your back, and 
the contents of your saddle-bags or wallets, if you 
were fortunate enough to be a mounted officer. 
Many officers had bought private baggage-animals 
for themselves at TaJienwhan, and for these they 
were allowed to draw forage at the usual rate. I 
remember at Talienwhan it was very amusing to 



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SMALL BAQGAGEBS. 91 

see two or three fine young fellows, who would look 
very well rolling down St. James's or standing on 
the steps of " the Rag,** who could tell you the odds 
on the Derby to a nicety, and the winners for the 
last twenty years, and always had their regular 
studs in India, and when at home, a horse or two 
and a trap. You know whom I mean. It was very 
amusing to see one of them driving a little donkey 
before him, by a long string, into camp ; he had 
bought it for eight or ten dollars some four or five 
miles off in a village, to carry his baggage, and he 
was now bringing it home ; he looked rather " sheep- 
ish** when he met you, but still tried to carry it off 
with a swagger, but it wouldn't do. 



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92 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



CHAPTER VI. 

JReoonnoiflsanoe — Leave Petang — ^The Cavalry — Advance of tbe Allied 
Forces — The Tartars desert their Camp — The Second Division — 
The Tartars charge our Guns — The Tartar Soldier's Hut— Pri- 
soners — Lines on Moyse's Death — Chinese Documents — Chinese 
Policy — Results of the Expedition. 

A Reconnoissance was made on the 3rd ; the force 
consisted of about 2000 men, half French and half 
English; we had no artillery, the French having 
some small guns. Our men were from the 2nd 
Queen's, 60th Rifles, and 15th Punjaub Regiment, 
commanded by Brigadier Sutton. They marched 
out about daylight along the causeway, and met the 
Tartars about three miles from the town. The 
French being in front received their fire first, and 
threw out skirmishers on the right, brought up their 
guns, shelled the Tartars, and drove them back very 
soon. When we came to the end of the causeway 
the mud was tolerably dry, and we advanced, with 
the French on the right The enemy stood again 
at some houses, and fired upon us from them, endea- 
vouring at the same time to outflank our force with 
a numerous body of cavalry. From this position 



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LEAVE PETANG. 93 

they were again driven by the French guns. We 
immediately advanced, with skirmishers in front, 
until we came to a large entrenched camp, and here 
we kept up a game of " long bowls" at each other, 
which did very little harm on either side, while we 
waited for orders as to the storming of this position 
from head-quarters. The Generals decided that all 
that was requisite had been done, and (although 
some of Desborough's guns had arrived) sent the 
troops home, as it would have been no use to take 
the place without occupying it, and for this we were 
not prepared. Major Greathed got hit in the leg hy 
a 'spent ball, and a few of our men were slightly 
wounded, also a few of the French ; and Anson was 
near losing his charger, as a gingall-ball went between 
his legs. 

It was a pitiable sight to see the &milies that 
were turned out, and others, alarmed for their own 
safety, moving off meekly and uncomplainingly with 
their bundles of clothes and bedding, the women 
walking, or rather tottering (no Chinawoman can 
walk), along in strings or rows, led generally by the 
eldest — ^the grandmother, then the mother, and last 
the younger ones, and the feither perhaps carrying 
his infant. Poor people I they went up the river in 
boats or sanpans, Paterfemilias often up to his mid- 
dle pushing the boat before him. 

At length we left Petang. The morning was fine. 
Sunday, the 12th. ** Why march on Sunday?" some 
one remarks ; " why not on Saturday or Monday ; 



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94 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

a day could make no great difference?*' It did, 
however, make a difference, as the mud would bear 
on Sunday, it would not on Saturday, and to get 
out of the stench of Petang twenty-four hours 
sooner was a very important matter for the health 
of the men. Sir H. Grant, being a pious man, 
would not, according to his judgment, willingly 
desecrate the Sabbath, but I believe it has been 
his fortune somehow to have a good many Sunday 
fights in India, and we had in this campaign three 
or four Sundays that were very un-Sunday like. 
I can myself quite imagine the day of the week 
being forgotten, and it requires no small effort while 
campaigning to keep holy the Sabbath day; in- 
deed, it is sometimes impossible to do so. How- 
ever, it happened that on Sunday we took Chusan, 
on Sunday we marched from Petang, on Sunday we 
marched from Tien-Tsin, and on Sunday first went 
to the Ewenming Ewen; a feiir proportion of Sunday- 
work for a short campaign. 

As we marched out of the town on to the Bund 
which was to lead us in the direction of the Peiho, 
we felt that the work was indeed beginning, and 
experienced all the excitement consequent upon that 
feeling. It had been highly amusing for many 
days before to watch the armourers in Probyn's 
and Fane's regiments, grinding, grinding, grinding by 
day and night at their tulwars and lances ; to see 
the grim smile of pleasure which would light up the 
face of the Sikh when he tried the edge of the blade 



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NATIVE OFriCKB: PAKK's HORSE. 



2b faxx Page 94. 



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[thk nh:v^ yo'^^k 
[PUBLIC LIBRA rr^' 



A8T0R, LENO^ *Nt. 



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THE CAVALRY. 95 

upon his hand and found it keen as a razor, the amo* 
rous glance which he would cast upon it as he con- 
signed it to its sheath and gave it a loving pat. Some- 
times it was the look which told of many a deed of 
blood done in former days as the flash of the large, 
dark eye, bright still as in youth, lit up the grizzled 
brow, and almost shone off the white moustache and 
beard ; and sometimes it was the blush of hope ^ some 
as yet untried and youthful warrior saw before him 
the path to that feme and renown which his ancients 
had earned since the earliest records of their race, 
and which he had sworn should be his also; for 
you must know that the sowars in these irregular 
regiments are men of some standing and position 
among their own people ; fighting is their only legi- 
timate profession ; it is their walk of life, they are 
bom to it, and in it they die. 

And right well did our cavalry look that Sunday 
morning as they turned off the Bund to the right 
along with the Second Division, and the Armstrong 
guns which were intended to oppose the large ca- 
valry force which was known to be encamped there. 
Probyn's and Fane's regiments I could never say, 
throughout the campaign, to which, if called upon to 
decide the question, I should give the palm, any 
more than I could tell which of the two command- 
ing officers was the finer soldier or the better fellow. 
The horses, however, looked a little tucked up that 
morning, and no wonder ; and so did the dear, good, 
old, stout, and solid King's Dragoon Guards, in spite 



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96 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

of all the care bestowed upon them, and there was 
no lack of that by officers and men ; but then you 
know, as it was remarked afterwards very judi- 
ciously, the " King's Dragoon Guards were not used 
to be fed upon birdrseed and salt-water j^ and so they 
had not thriven upon it 

We waited for nearly an hour, fix)m about a 
quarter-past six to a quarter-past seven, until the 
Second Division, with the Armstrong guns, under 
Sir E. Napier, and the Brigade of Cavalry, com- 
manded by Brigadier Pattle, had filed off to the 
right over a narrow pass made for them of planks 
and straw over the soft mud near the Bund until 
they reached the harder ground, some 150 yards 
off. When they were feirly started, the First 
Division marched on, commanded by Su* J. Michel, 
and accompanied by the General Commanding-in- 
Chief, the personal and head-quarter staff. This 
weary Bund reached some four miles fix)m the town ; 
but as all things human have an end, so we found 
its end at last, and a rather moist end it was, for it 
terminated in a salt swamp, in which the Boyals and 
31st, who were thrown out as skirmishers, found 
themselves sometimes nearly up to their middle. 
The rest of the troops, more fortunate, were able to 
pick their ground and keep themselves compara- 
tively dry. 

After about a mile's march, feeling our way, we 
came in sight of an earthwork, defended by the 
Tartars. Flags of all sorts and colours waved 



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^••r 



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\„.4^t-'>J -*1 



CHARGK MF FAMES HORSE. 



T\i foot Page 97. 



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ADVAKCB OP THE ALLIES. 97 

above it» and we could see the enemy in some force 
behind the work. The French moved up on our 
left) and our gons and their rockets were brought into 
action. The Tartars replied firom gingalls, but with- 
out effect, and in a short time the work was de- 
serted, and we moved on, the Tartars having re- 
treated upon another large earthwork about a mile 
further off. From this also we soon dislodged them, 
although they made a better stand of it. Here one 
of the gunners of Desborough Battery had his thigh 
broken by a gingall-balL I was about twenty yards 
behind the guns, and just in this poor fellow's line, 
and as he fell before me I heard a splash, about the 
same distance to the rear, another ball having fidlen 
in a pool of water behind me. I should have been 
right glad at the moment to have been out of range, 
but soon one's personal feelings became absorbed in 
the laj^r interests of the day. 

We could now both see and hear that the Second 
Division and the cavalry had become engaged about 
a mile off on our right, but they must wait We 
pushed on, and found that our guns had told on some 
of the Tartars in the work, and as we entered we 
found their camp had been evacuated. The tents were 
pitched inside a strong crenelated wall, with a ditch 
outside, and they had left in great haste, deserting all 
their little properties of pipes and " cash" and clothes, 
bows and arrows, swords, matchlocks, ammunition, 
and half-cooked food, glad to escape on any terms. 
They fled towards Tankoo, along a raised cause- 

H 



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98 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

way, and we treated them to a few shells and some 
rockets as they cantered along. Of their numbers I 
could form no estimate. 

We marched on through the village of Sinho, 
which was deserted except by some few old people 
and by the pigs, and halted on a dry plain near a 
creek of the Peiho, and close to some gardens, on 
the right rear of the village. 

The French pushed on along a raised causeway 
to Tankoo, in the direction of the Peiho Forts, 
supported by the 60th Eifles and 15th Punjaub 
Infantry. Our Allies found the fire so hot, however, 
and the Chinese guns so well laid along the cause- 
way, that they retired upon Sinho, and bivouacked 
in fix)nt of the village. 

The Second Division under General Napier, as I 
said, took ground to the right of the Bund some half 
mile from the town of Petang. Attached to it, were 
Milward's Armstrong Battery, and Sterling's, with 
the whole of our cavalry under Brigadier Pattle. The 
ground was not so hard as it had been expected, and 
the guns and wagons soon got into difficulties in the 
mud. But what will not the British soldier do when 
he works with a will : the horses might sink to their 
hocks, and the guns to the axle, but there were 
stout ropes and stout sinews and good hearts enough 
to puU them through by main strength, and it was 
done, although it was considered more prudent to 
dispense with some of the wagons, and they were 
sent back. 



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THE SECOND DIVISION. 99 

Nor did the cavalry escape in marching through 
the same country. Twenty or twenty-one stone is 
too much weight for a horse to carry in deep ground, 
especially if he is expected to catch a retreating enemy 
afterwards, and this the King's Dragoon Guards 
found to their cost The Irregulars, of course, had 
the advantage of lighter weights. Except videttes, 
which retired on our advance, no enemy was seen 
until the troops had arrived within rather more than 
a mile of the town of Sinho, where the Tartar cavalry 
swarmed out of their camps in large numbers, and 
presented a strong fix>nt of more than a mile in 
length. Three of Milward's guns were in the centre 
of our line and three more on our left ; the cavalry 
on the right with Sterling's guns, and the Buflfe 
skirmishing in front When Milward had got the 
range, which he soon did, every shot took effect, 
and in about a quarter of an hour, which was as 
long as any troops could be expected to stand before 
such a fire, the Tartars moved right and left with 
the manifest intention of outflanking us both ways. 

Their right wing, however, met the deadly Arm- 
strong again upon our left, and this time it did 
not take ten minutes to give them enough of it 
Their left encountered Sterling's guns, with like 
effect Still, however, they did not resign the day ; 
and 'finding the fire of Sterling's guns so intoler- 
able, they formed the bold, but rash, resolution of 
capturing them, and a hundred Tartars rushed 
down upon Sterling, who had only twenty-five of 

H 2 



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100 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

Fane's Horse with him. Had the Tartars been more 
numerous it might have been an awkward affia^ir, 
and as it was the odds were pretty heavy against 
our Sikhs. But this was just the thing for McGregor, 
who commanded this little handful of Irregulars; 
here was a chance : he charged thiem home, and was 
in the act of spearing his man when he was shot 
down by a Tartar, hit in the face and body, but the 
sowars gave a good account of them, and soon made 
the enemy repent of their rashness. 

Meantime, Probyn and Fane, as well as the Bang's 
Dragoon Guards, whose horses had all suflFered severely 
in their struggles through the mud, were drawing 
nearer and nearer to the enemy, saving their horses 
for the final charge. Fane was one of the first to 
catch them, and quick as thought his spear flashed 
through one Tartar as he fled, and more anon. Probyn 
had a most exciting race along a causeway after one 
fellow ; they were well matched in point of speed, 
and the Tartar kept on the near side of the cause- 
way, so that Probyn could not get at him ; at last 
he lifted his horse alongside and made his thrust, 
but the lance only went through the Tartar's clothes, 
he dodged it so cleverly, and Probyn could not 
catch him agatou Anderson, of the Irregulars, got sur- 
rounded by a large body of the enemy's cavalry, and 
but that he defended himself with the greatest cou- 
rage and[ coolness, ably seconded by the half-dozen 
sowars who were with him, must have been victim- 
ized. Probyn came to. his relief and dispersed his as- 



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THE SECOND DIVISION. 101 

saflants. No troops coald have behaved better than 
our cavahy; and it is only to be regretted that 
their horses were not more fresh, as they could 
then have done much more execution. The Tar- 
tars showed great steadiness, and when our in&ntry 
formed the invariable square, came on boldly, 
believing, as we afterwards learned, that our men 
had surrendered, and that the front-rank men, who 
were kneeling, were actually performing "kowtow'* 
in token of submissioiu They soon discovered their 
mistake by the noise of the volley which followed. 

It was to be regretted that Sir E. Napier did not, 
as Lord Clyde did with a much more formidable foe in 
his front, form line, and give his infantry a chance of 
making the Enfield rifle tell upon the Tartar cavalry. 
As the action covered a large space of country it was 
not easy to estimate the loss of the enemy ; our own 
consisted of three officers of the Irregulars wounded, 
two sowars killed, and ten or twelve wounded, with 
one of the King's Dragoon Guards, three or four of 
the Eoyal Artillery, and as many of the infantry. 
For days afterwards some of the Tartars were found 
wounded, and some presented most frightful sights, 
as the sun had told upon their wounds ; that they 
were all cared for I need not say. Many a month 
afterwards I saw some of them in hospital, and they 
had gotten an evident partiality for bitter beer. It 
is curious how easily some tastes are acquired. One 
poor fellow was found lying wounded in a ditch, and 
beside him his faithful dog and no less &ithful horse, 



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102 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

which had both remained with him aad watched over 
him for several days. 

After a while the Second Division and the cavalry 
arrived at Sinho, marching in by the rear of the vil- 
lage, and very much done up they seemed, having 
had much the hardest part of the day, most marching 
and most fighting. Bight gkd was I, as I saw some 
poor fellow, pale and exhausted by the heat and 
feitigue, to be able to give him a drink of brandy- 
and-water or sherry from my flask, as I had an extra 
supply with me in my wallets for the purpose, and 
several cheaply-earned and hearty blessings did I 
thus receive. 

It was still early in the day, about one P.M., and 
I wandered into a mud hutment which had been 
vacated that morning by the Tartar cavalry force, 
which had gone out to meet the Second Division. 
Everything was there as the poor fellows had left it, 
none of them ever to return to claim their little pro- 
perties, and many of them, sent by the spears of Fane 
and Probyn to the abodes of Orcus, or wherever the 
place is that Tartars go to. Various and curious 
were the contents of these soldiers* huts. The 
Commander-in-Chief had a very nice hut, and very 
clean ; and he had tea and all sorts of luxuries. 
The common soldier had plenty of grain for self 
and horse; and in every hut there were strips of 
meat drying in the sun, confirming what the Chi- 
nese had told us at Petang, that these Tartars 
lived on raw meat and ^^ stank*' (the Chinese said) 



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PRISONERS. 103 

"worse than you do yourselves" — ^aot very com- 
plimentary to us, the most tubbing nation in the 
world. 

Having seized some grain to feed my horse I lay 
about, as did every one else, until it was time to 
think of settling for the night We had no tents or 
blankets. I got a goat's-skin from one of the Tartar 
soldiers' huts, and this helped to fend off some of the 
dew which was very heavy, so that when we got up 
in the morning our clothes were so wet that we could 
wring the water out of them. We found large stacks 
of forage on the ground and plenty of com in the 
town for the horses. 

We lost a small party, consisting of a non-com- 
missioned officer of the 44th, a private of the Buflfe, 
and eight or ten Hong Kong coolies on this day, and 
on this wise. They were bringing some commissariat- 
stores to the front, and amongst the rest some rum. 
Whether they had a supply of spirits of their own, 
or put a " leak" into the keg, I cannot say, but the 
soldiers both got drunk, lost their way, stumbled 
upon a party of Tartars, and were taken prisoners 
(after showing some fight), with the exception of one 
coolie who managed to escape. We felt certain that 
they would be murdered, and that if the Europeans 
had any chance of escape, the Chinamen had none, as 
the authorities would naturally be exasperated against 
their own countrymen. In a few days, much to 
our surprise, the 44th man and all the coolies were 
sent in, but poor Moyse of the Buffs was missing. 



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104 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

The 44th soldier gave a very uncertain acooimt of 
the whole matter, drawing largely upon his Irish 
imagination. He said that they had been brou^t 
before the " Gineral," and that Moyse was ordered 
to " kowtow/* and upon his refusal to do so was put 
to death ; that he had then been forced down, and 
had his &ce rubbed in the dust He added that he 
and the " Serjeant-major'* were great friends, and 
gave details of conversations ^hich he had held with 
the " Serjeant-major f and when asked how he came 
to understand all this, not knowing the language, his 
truly Irish reply was, ^^ Ah I sure, thim fellahs has no 
saycrits like us/* One thing, however, was clear that 
poor Moyse had lost his life in a chivalrous spirit; 
and I do not scruple to reprint some lines, which must 
have been already published at home, although I have 
only seen them in manuscript sent from England. 

LINES ON MOYSE*S DEATH. 

Laui nighty among his fellow roughs 

He jestedy quaffed, and swore ; 
A drunken priyate of the Bufis 

Who never looked before. 
To-day^ beneath the foeman's frown 

He stands in Elgin's place, 
Ambassador from Britain's Crown, 

And type of all her race. 

Poor, reckless, mde, lowborn, untaught^ 

Bewildered, and alone ; 
A heart with English instinct fraught 

He yet can call his own ; 
Aye, tear his body limb from limb. 

Bring cord, or axe, or flame ; 
He only knows that not through Aim 

Shall England come to shame, 



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LINES ON THE DEATH OF PBIYATE MOTSE. 106 

F^ * Kentish hop-groandB roimd bim seem'd 

Like dreams to oome and go ; 
Bright leagaes of cherry blossoms gleamed 

One sheet of living snow. 
The smoke above his father's door 

In grey soft eddies hung, 
Must he then watch it rise no mora 

Doom'd by himself so young P 

Tes, honour calls I with strength like steek 

He puts the vision by ; 
Let duskey Indians whine and kneel, 

An English lad must die. 
And thus with eye that would not shrink. 

With knee to man unbent^ 
Unfaltering on its dreadful brink 

To his red grave he went. 

Yain mightiest fleets of iron framed, 

Tain those allHsbatt*ring guns ; 
Unless proud England keep untamed 

The strong heart of her sons. 
80 let his name through Europe ring 

A man of mean estate. 
Who died as firm as Sparta's king. 

Because his soul was great. 

CHINESE DOCUMENTS. 

A number of docoments of some interest were 
fomid at the quarters of the Tartar chief. One was 
a memorandmn from the Conncil of State addressed 
to Sankolinsin and the local Viceroy Hang Foo, in 
which the English and French ambassadors are 
denounced as ^^intractable' and ^^ rebellious ;' and are 
likewise designated by name as being ^^inseparable 
in dishonesty, sanguinary, and treacherous by nature," 
&c^ &c. ; and in which also our army is stated to 
amount to 30,000 men, and Sankolinsin's attention 

* Bufby 01 West Kent Regiment. 



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106 HOW WB OCT TO PEKIN. 

is drawn to our sarveys which had been made of the 
coast of Petang. 

The reply of Hang-Foo and Sankolinsin is troly 
characteristic of Chinese cunning. They say that 
the ground near Petang is all flat, and overflowed 
by the sea, and that we shall find it difficult to land; 
and that, should we effect a landing, there are cavahy 
and infantry sufficient to prevent us firom advancing 
on the Forts. 

The Russians are to be sent to Pekin if caught 
lurking in the neighbourhood. But it is said that if 
we were really increasing our forces to avenge our 
defeat last year, we would not have allowed the 
slightest rumour of our intentions to get abroad at 
Shanghai Our army is sometimes stated to be 
25,000, sometimes 30,000, and that contractors have 
undertaken at Shan^iai to supply us with bread and 
beef " This undisguised exhibition of courage, this 
reckless publicity would not have been the game 
even of the greatest fools, but they are not the 
greatest fools. The cunning of war is this: when 
one is going to surprise an enemy 10,000 le off, the 
mouth should be gagged and the drums muffled; the 
sally should be made when he is not expecting it, 
the attack, when he is off his guard. Who would 
give him notice beforehand, so as to enable him to be 
in readiness ? They want to sue for peace, but do 
not choose to be the first to speak of it ; this is per 
fectly plain. Besides, as to the violence of their 
language, these Barbarians, for the last twenty years, 



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* CHINESB DOCUMENTS. 107 

have been feeding up tiieir pride; and it is not to be 
e:xpected that in one day they will bring down their 
heads, and lay back their ears, and wag their tails 
and ask for mercy. In their conunnnications» there- 
fore, it was inevitable that they should continue to 
use language that was extravagant and rebellious. 
Should they stUl persist in their desire to take re- 
venge for their chastisement at Takoo, then, of course, 
they must go to Takoo, and fight it out" 

We discovered also by another document that 
one thousand taek was oflFered by the Glovemor-Gtene- 
ral of the Province for the Barbarian chiefe, alive 
or dead, and especially for Lord Elgin ; one hundred 
for an inferior, and five for each common soldier. 

We learn much that is important from these docu** 
ments. The thorough fidsehood of their system of in- 
ternational dealing ; that they considered our ^ ulti- 
matum" to be a lie, because they thought it was not 
wise or prudent to speak the truth ; that we were not 
going to take the Forts^ because we gave them notice 
that we would do so. How, I would ask, are we ever 
to have diplomatic relations with a Government of 
this sort, until we have taught them by some such 
severe lesson as they have learned in this campaign, 
that we do intend what we say, and that we will 
punish treachery upon their part with severity ? 

Again: we learn, that with all the cringing of their 
officials and their politeness to us, they still preserve 
that idea amongst themselves that they are our rulers^ 
and that we are ^^ r^lsJ" How can we trade upon 



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108 HOW WBGOTTO PEKm.* 

safe or equal terms with a nation which holds this 
view of our relative positions, unta we have taught 
them that we are at least their equals, and (if we chose) 
could be their masters ? They are, no doubt, a rea- 
soning people ; but they start from Mae premises, 
that the Emperor of Chma is Emperor of the world, 
and that all nations are " tributaries to him.** These 
&lse premises must be beaten down, must be proved 
by our strong arm to be fietlse in fact before it can be 
possible that we should meet on terms of equality. 
Until this is done all treaties are vain ; they cannot 
be held binding by those who regard us as " rebels.** 
All trade upon equal or just terms is impossible ; 
They naturally consider that they have a right to 
dictate terms of commerce to their vassals when they 
have the power. The lives and properties of Euro- 
peans must be alike unsafe in China while this doc- 
trine holds; and the barbarism of their mode of 
war&re is made sufficiently plain from the offer of 
*^ head-money" for the allies, from Lord Elgin down 
to the private soldier. 

Let the Expedition be said to be expensive : it is 
so, doubtless ; undesirable in some respects ; so it is : 
but it is simply a question whether we are to allow 
the British nation to be insulted both in word and 
by deed by any nation on earth, and especially in 
the East ; and whether we are to have trade with 
China upon a solid basis, not liable to be interrupted 
by every petty accident, even by the temper or 
caprice of some third-class Mandarin. 



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RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION. 109 

Holding, as I do, strongly, that England's dignity 
has never been acknowledged in China, but that 
both, in the persons of her subjects and her offi- 
cials, she has been subjected to a series of insults — 
or, rather, one continued insult— «ince the day our 
first ship reached the China coasts — ^insult which 
never was submitted to from any other nation, and 
which none other ever dared to offer to us, I hold 
fhis Expedition to have been an absolute necessity. 
And believing, as I do, that the people of England are 
not prepared to give up the China trade, in order to 
gratify the pride of a few insolent old men, — ^for the 
people of China receive us with open arms, and if 
they had a voice would welcome us from north to 
south. And knowing that Civilization and Christ- 
ianity can reach the people only through the medium 
of western commerce, I believe the Expedition of 
1860 to have been unavoidable, and that we are 
entitled to look for the best results from it — ^to our- 
selves, to China, and to the great cause of Christ- 
ianity and Civilization — ^if only our policy be carried 
our with firmness and unyielding resolution, and that 
we never shrink from that self-assertion which is 
most necessary in dealing with the Chinese. 



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110 HOW WE OCT TO PEKIN. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Pleparations— Trencb Big^g — Attack on Tankoo — ^Armatrong Guns 
— ^Floods in the Camp^Bridge over the Peiho — Dead Animals — Re- 
connoissanoe — Breakfast among the Grapes — ^Deserted Works — 
Mr. Parkes, O.B»— Skirmishing — Ruined House— Takoo Forts— 
Disposition of onr Guns— Explosions — Storming the Forts — ^Nunx- 
bers of Killed. 

Wb fonnd some hundreds of women and children in 
some large junks in a creek, where they had been 
left by their natural protectors ; Sir H. Grant im- 
jnediately placed a guard over them, until they were 
removed, in a few days' time. 

There is a causeway leading from the village of 
Sinho to Tankoo, a large and strong work, about 
three miles distant ; the ground on the left of this 
causeway is a perfect swamp ; on the right it is oo 
casionally flooded either by high tides or heavy rain. 
This causeway may be said to run parallel to the 
river, which is distant from it about a mile-and-ar 
half, the intermediate ground being intersected by 
numerous ditches and water-courses. Through Tan- 
koo alone could we reach the Forts, unless, as Greneral 
Montauban desired, we had crossed the river and 
attacked the south Forts first ; but this plan was not 
deemed the best by Sir H. Grant ; and therefore, on 



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TRENCH DIGGINa 111 

the 13th, the sappers were hard at work making 
bridges over the dykes in the plain between the 
causeway and the Peiho, as we were to attack the 
place on the next day, and across this ground our 
troops must advance. At eight o'clock on the even* 
ing of the 13th, the 60th Rifles and 31st were 
ordered out to protect a working party of Madras 
Sappers, under Colonel Mann, R.B,, who were to dig 
a trench for riflemen about 500 yards fix)m the wall 
of Tankoo. 

They soon lost their way in the dark, and missed 
the bridges which had been made in the morning, 
and were obliged to stru^le through the wet ditches 
as well as they could, and after some hours wan- 
dering about found themselves near the wall, and 
dose to the river. The strictest silence was enjoined 
and observed ; but a watchful Chinaman in a junk 
discovered the Barbarians, gave the alarm, and some 
random shots were fired, and blue lights burned, 
which, whether they discovered us to the enemy or 
not, enabled Colonel Mann to see aU that he wanted, 
and to lay down his tape lines. No men work better 
than those Madras Sappers, and while the troops were 
lying silently around them, they made a trench which 
would hold about two companies in loose order, who 
could keep down the enemy's fire from the walL 
In the middle of the night a bang and a whiz was 

heard. "What is that* sir?" called out Colonel , 

as loud as he dared to speak, but very softly, to the 
officer commanding the company? No answer; he 



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112 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

listened, all was still, bat a gargling soand that might 
mean anything np to the death-rattle in a dying 
man's throat ^ What is that noise, Captain So-and- 
So; what is it, sir? '* **Noise, sir; it was my bottle 
of beer went off all by itself^ and IVe just had to 
drink it sir, that's alL" 

The work being done, the regiments got back to 
camp about four o'clock to turn out again at six, and 
having neither beds or blankets lay down in their 
wet clothes on the ground — such is the soldier's lot 
" Take my boots," said my friend V to his ser- 
vant^ " and grease them well, they're wet, and, d'ye 
hear me, broil that bit of bacon for break&st" He 
lay down, anticipating a nice soft pair of boots to 
march out in, and some broiled bacon to build up the 
inner man. But, by-and-by, a storm rages in his 
tent — ^his boots are brought in hard and dried up, 
like a chip, and the bacon cold and raw, or nearly 
so. " What did I tell you to do, you stupid Oaf? 
I told you to grease my boots and broil the bacon, 
and what have you done ? you've broiled my boots 
and greased the bacon — get away." 

Four companies of the 6th Bifles were turned out 
at half-past five, under CoL Bigaud, to support two 
of Barry's Armstrong guns, and two of Desborough's, 
which were placed below an angle of the river, to 
keep down the fire of a two-gun battery on the op* 
posite side, and which commanded our advance, and 
also to silence another battery in some junks at the 
very elbow of the river which. here tarns lather 



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ATTACK ON TANKOO. 113 

sharply to the south. The junks were soon in a 
blaze ; Captain Wills, with Mr. Philip Mayow, R.N., 
and a small party of blue jackets crossed the river 
under a heavy fire, very gallantly spiked the guns, 
seven in number, and got back again all right. 

Our order of advance was as follows: on the extreme 
left were Rotton's rocket tubes, then Govan*s and 
Milward's batteries, Desborougli*s and Barry's next, 
and on the extreme right Hicks*s (Madras) rocket 
tubes. Behiad them the First Brigade, the Royals, and 
Slst; then the Queen's, a wing of the 60th Rifles, 
and the 15th Punjaub Xnikntry ; the other wing of the 
60th having been withdrawn fix)m the bend of the 
river as the guns were moved, advanced in skirmishing 
order under command of Colonel Rigaud, in front of 
the artillery. At about 1000 yards we opened fire 
on Tankoo, which was briskly replied to ; and as the 
enemy got our range, we limbered up and advanced 
again, untQ as we neared the trench which had been 
made the night before. Sir H. Grant ordered Colonel 
Rigaud to send two companies of the 60th into it, 
and accordingly Captain Warren and Mr. Shaw 
advanced rapidly and sheltered their men, who 
picked oflf any of the enemy's gunners that showed 
themselves. Our guns were now advanced to within 
about 450 yards, and made splendid practice. I 
was standing close to Barry's battery, and it was at 
once a beautifiil and yet a fearful sight to see 
the precision of their fire as the shells struck 
the exact spot aimed at, and knocked the guns 

I 



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114 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

of the Tartars about their ears, amidst clouds of 
dust. 

In about twenty minutes the enemy's gans were 
silenced, and the wing of the 60th Eifles, which had 
been skirmishing in front all along, had been gradually 
creeping up to the ditch, forward was the word, and in 
they jumped, scrambling through the mud and water 
as best they might, up the opposite side, and into the 
Tankoo work at the angle where it rested on the 
river, and thus they were the first of the allied 
force in the place. 

The Royals and 31st followed rapidly, and some 
of our troops had formed and advanced before the 
French appeared inside. Our casualties were very 
few and not serious ; Sir John Michel lost his charger 
from a wound in the hind leg from a gin gall ball. 
Inside the work was a scene which no pen can describe; 
fifteen corpses lay stretched in every variety of ghastly 
attitude round one gun, at the angle next the river ; 
the men had clearly been working the gun by threes, 
and by threes had that fearfiil Armstrong shell sent 
them to their account ; it was indeed an awful sight ; 
limbs blown away, bodies literally burst asunder, one 
black and lived mass of blood and wounds ; I wonder 
how men could have been got to serve a gun as long 
as they did under such a fire. Nor was this a solitary 
instance, the same scene was repeated at every gun. 
I mention this one because I came upon it suddenly, 
and it certainly did strike me with horror, while at 
the same time I felt thankful that since there were 



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ARMSTRONG GUNS. 115 

such weapons in existence, they were in our hands, 
— oars, who would use them more to preserve the 
peace of the world than ever to make an aggressive 
or unjust war. 

And now John Chinaman sent in a flag of trace, 
to say that he really did not see why we should 
fight any more. A soldier of the Buffs, hearing 
of this, calls out to his comrade, " I say. Jack, did 
you hear as them fellars has sent in a flag of trace ?" 

** No ; what did they say ?" 

" Why, they says as they'd rather not fight any 
more at present; they finds it so very disagree- 
able." 

I have substituted the word very for another of 
two syllables, stronger, but not so fit for ears polite. 

The work at Tankoo was about two miles round, 
a sort of irregular square, one side resting on the 
river; it was a large hut barrack, the huts con- 
stracted of reeds and mud, and very comfortable : 
there were a good many houses also in the centre of 
the place, plenty of good water and grain, and a small 
Joss-house, which afterwards formed the Head-quar- 
ters. The First Division was marched back to camp, 
and the Second occupied the place ; we returned to 
break&st between twelve and one o'clock. And now 
the work of transport went on with ceaseless activity, 
and the Quarter-Master-General's department had 
no sinecure of it. The artillery waggons were em- 
ployed, as well as everything else available, to bring 
up stores and ammunition, and the siege guns had 

I 2 

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116 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

to be dragged along that weary eight miles fix)m 
Petang; the weather, however, was for the most 
part in om* &Your, as we had but one flood daring 
that week. 

I shall not easily forget that afternoon ; our camps, 
Head-quarters and all, were pitched on a fiat plain, 
intersected by ditches, and evidently liable to 
floods from the high tides. One evening — I had 
ridden that day into Petang on duty — as I re- 
turned I found the tide rising rapidly, and my 
horse wading up to his knees, where in the morning 
it had been dry. I fixed my anxious gaze in the 
direction of our tents, and lo ! they stood like little 
ships in the surrounding waters ; here was a pleasant 
prospect I one's little home invaded by the ruthless 
element, and aU the ditching and shovelling in the 
world could not keep it out, 

I rode off in the direction of the river to ascertain 
the state of the tide, and found that it was at the 
highest, and had, indeed, just begun to turn* I could 
not grumble when I saw the camps of the various 
regiments running with a fiood of water, and met the 
gallant 60th Kifles just returning from a weary march 
to Petang for their packs, to find their tents eighteen 
inches under water. Whether, if this had been fore- 
seen, it could have been prevented by any engineer- 
ing on our part, I cannot say ; as the tide fell, the 
water went away, and before night we had a foot 
of mud vice a foot and a half or two feet of water 
retired. 



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^ BRIDGE OF BOATS. 117 

A vast deal of laboar was expended in bringing 
up timber fix)m Petang to bridge the river to the south 
side about half-a-mile above our camp. I believe 
that this was done chiefly in deference to the views 
of our gallant allies, as they held the opinion very 
strongly all through, that the attack should be made 
upon the southern Forts in the first instance ; Sir H. 
Grant, considering that the northern Fort, which we 
eventually did assault^ was the key of the position, 
and which opinion the event certainly justified So 
strongly, however, did the Commanders-in-Chief 
dififer upon the matter, that when at length the 
attack was arranged, the French Gteneral-in-Chief 
consented under a protest 

But the bridge was to be built — a bridge of boats. 
Junks were seized on the river, but the timber to 
connect them had to be brought from Petang, and 
certainly the French showed themselves quite our 
equals at this sort of work, for although their trans- 
port was not as good as ours (as we had our artillery 
waggons at work), they made up in skill and energy 
for their other deficiencies. 

I had occasion to go mto Petang on duty several 
times during that week, which we spent at Sinho, 
and a more disagreeable ride I never undertook ; 
all along the road you passed on fix>m one sight and 
smell nearly as evil as it could be, to another worse. 
"Bono Francey*' had murdered all the pigs, but 
the villain was dainty, and he had cut off the back 
and hind-quarters, and left the rest to putrify in the 



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; 



118 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

sun ; this was all about the town, and round his V>wn 
camp, which lay on the Petang road. Here you 
passed every kind of transport animal in every state 
and stage of decomposition, and at both sides of the 
road, so that you could not escape. The wretched 
Manilla pony with his pack beside him, perhaps an 
officer's kit, or some commissariat stores ; the sturdy 
bullock broken down, and bloating in the sun. I 
was provided with bags of camphor in anticipation 
of such circumstances ; with one of them stuffed to 
my nose and mouth, I got through, and avoided 
the fate from which I have seen a strong man suffer, 
being Mrly taken off his horse by sheer sickness, 
from the abominations of that road. 

I had, however, one pleasant ride during that week. 
A cavalry reconnoissance was ordered in the di- 
rection of Tien-Tsm, along the left, or northern bank 
of the Peiho, with the double purpose of discovering 
the nature of the road, and seemg if the enemy were 
in force in that direction. I joined the party ; we 
started at about six A.M., a charming morning, not 
too hot at that hour, and rode across the plain, keep- 
ing the river on our left. We came to a sort of half- 
picket, half-farm house, in about five miles' riding, 
and getting on the roof surveyed the country round, 
but could see no sign of an enemy in any direction ; 
there were some people lurking about the house, 
who came forward after a little while from their 
hiding places, and were very obsequious in their 
conduct. We pushed on for about six miles m»e 



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RECONNOISSANCB. 1 19 

throagh the plain, rich in grass and com, and 
abounding with snipe and plover round the springs 
and ditches. I never saw so many of those birds 
anywhere before ; the snipe were constantly getting 
up in whisps of four, five, and six brace, and we 
then verged towards a village on the river, where 
we halted for breakfest 

We left our horses in charge of the dragoons under 
some trees, and proceeded into a garden, where we 
found the grateful shade of a most lovely arbour of 
vines; anything more luxuriant I never saw; the 
clusters of grapes surpassed, for size form and bloom, 
any that I had ever seen in Italy ; and the beautiful 
arbour, about seven feet high, into which the vines 
were trained, with all the rich clusters hanging fi^om 
the roo^ formed a break&st-room that a monarch 
might envy. One thing alone was wanting, the grapes 
" were sour ;" yet a week or ten days more and their 
taste will equal their beauty ; but now, alas ! they 
must remain untasted. Our ride, however, had created 
an appetite which made us very thankftd for the 
good things we had brought with us, even without 
the grapes; each produced a little store from his 
wallets — a tin of preserved meat, some ham-sand- 
wiches, some Yorkshire pie, and bread too, very 
good, baked in our field-ovens. Such was our fere ; 
and some sherry or brandy and cold water washed 
it down very gratefully. Water and seats and 
bowls the villagers gave us ; but tea is ei luxury in 
which these simple country folks do not indulge, in 



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120 HOW WE GOT rO PEKIN. 

this part of China ; so that my dear young or old 
lady, if I have the good fortune to be read by any 
sach, yon must not be surprised when you hear of 
the naughty soldiers drinking sherry or brandy-and- 
water " so early in the morning." Tea, the legiti- 
mate breakfast beverage, tea I say and repeat, 
though in China, was not to be had ; and Ming that, 
we were forced to content ourselves with the stronger 
beverage. 

The villagers were very civil, and most anxious 
to get everything for us ; and when we had rested 
ourselves, our men, and horses, we pushed on about 
four or five miles further, to a large village, where 
it was reported that a force of Tartar cavalry had 
been posted; we found, however, no signs of the 
enemy : the richest of the inhabitants had deserted 
the place, and the poorer sort crowded round us and 
** kowtowed*" They admired the large horses very 
much, and the Sikhs attracted great admiration fix>m 
their gaudy dress and martial appearance. The 
natives called them " the dark-coloured princes" — 
but we were all princes for that matter. Here we 
turned back again, having reconnoitred half the 
distance to Tien-Tsin. We kept rather more to the 
east on our march back, and came upon one or two 
strong entrenchments, which did not appear to have 
been ever occupied. Our ride home was hot, but 
very pleasant, and I felt I had enjoyed a delightful 
excursion. 

After the fall of Tankoo, flags of truce, with let- 



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MR. PARSES, C.B. 121 

ters for the ambassadors, were sent into camp at 
least every other day, and forwarded to Lord Elgin 
on board the ^Granada' at Petang, and to Baron 
Gtob at the fleet On the 18 th Lord Elgin sent 
his reply by Mr. Parkes, and Major Anson accom- 
panied him with a flag of trace. A messenger from 
Hang-Foo, the Governor of the province, met them 
shortly after they had left Tankoo; and after 
some parley, in which he refused to allow them to 
cross the river, and Mr. Parkes, with his usual de- 
termination, insisted upon seeing the Governor-Gen- 
eral, the messenger consented to carry back Mr. 
Parkes's " ultimatum," and soon returned with orders 
to usher them into the august presence. Hang-Foo 
received them very politely, was extremely anxious 
that hostilities should cease, and paraded a good 
many very dirty-looking soldiers, which, to a Euro- 
pean eye, did not present a very military appear^ 
ance. 

There is no man in China so fit to deal with 
the Chinese as Mr. Parkes. He sees through their 
double dealings (if any man can &thom their deceit) 
with an eagle glance; he is as plucky as a true 
British bulldog, and meets their treachery and false- 
hood by open, honest, straightforward boldness and 
determination, which bothers your thorough rogue 
more than anything else, as he imagines that you 
are playing the same game that he is. Mr. Parkes 
is thoroughly polite, but does not scrapie if he finds 
the highest official in the realm dealing &lsely, to 



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122 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

tell him so ; hence the mingled hatred and fear which 
his name inspires in the minds of all the governing 
powers in the country. He knows them, and they 
are quite aware that he does, and as conscious scoun- 
drels they hate him in proportion. The usual me- 
thods of " managing'* and " taming the fierceness of 
the Barbarians" are of no use with him ; he is " tho- 
roughly intractable." I much wish that every one 
of our oflScials in China were of the same stamp ; we 
should then have little more trouble with the country. 
The Tartars were evidently prepared for an attack 
on the south side of the river. The country there 
was one continued orchard for a depth of about two 
mUes from the river. Into this the French, having 
crossed the river, advanced, for the purpose of find- 
ing a good place for the bridge of boats; they 
marched up a road, and found themselves engaged 
with some skirmishers in the orchards which lined it ; 
these they drove in, and came upon an advanced post, 
strongly defended by a deep ditch and some guns, 
and occupied by a large number of troops. Thou^ 
only about 300 strong, they very gallantly out- 
flanked it^ and took it, and sent back, by an English 
staflf-officer who accompanied the reconnoissance 
(Captain Brabazon, B.A.), for some reinforcements, 
which were at once despatched; and as the Gaul 
found that an orchard full of finiit of all sorts, with 
the shade of lovely trees, was a much better 
place than a flooded plain, he stayed there, 
and he was quite right. A first-rate fellow at 



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RUINED HOUSE. 123 

campaigning is the Gktul; he beats the Briton at 
that 

There was a charming country residence close to this 
Tartar poet, and it was unfortunately burned I sup- 
pose that it had been occupied by troops, who had fired 
upon the French from it ; otherwise they would have 
spared it^ if for no other reason, for their own sakes. 
It was built in the same style that prevails in China, 
courtyard after courtyard, each opening into others, 
and the rooms on two, three, or four sides of them. 
In front was an open lawn, with fine timber, and 
fenced in by deep ditches and tall, thick hedges, 
which secured privacy, while the house was sur- 
rounded by the most exquisite gardens filled with 
plants and flowers trained in most &ntastic forms, 
and the courtyards were ornamented with flowering 
shrubs in pots. No damage had been done except by 
the fire ; and it was a melancholy sight to see a place, 
so lately no doubt an abode of ease, contentment, 
and luxurj^ with everything which art and nature 
combined could give to gratify the taste, reduced to 
ruins, and nothing of it left but blackened walls, and 
charred ends of what yesterday was costly furniture ; 
China vases split and blackened, and flowers, hitherto 
so jealously watched and tended like children, left to 
be trampled upon and to perish. What would be the 
feelings of the owners when they should again see 
the remains of their once peaceful home ? I thank 
God this was the only instance of this sort of destruc- 
tion which I saw in the campaign. 



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124 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

Cherish your soldiers, O, England I Don't for a 
moment imagine that you can dispense with your re- 
gular army. Arm, and drill too, ye gallant volunteers. 
You are fine fellows, I am sure, though I have not yet 
seen any of you. You pay the highest compliment that 
you can to the army, for your enrolment proves that 
you would all be soldiers if you could. But be well 
prepared : if ever England's foes should break through 
her wooden or her iron walls, there must be a wall 
of flesh and blood around her shores, which will be- 
come a wall of dead men, if need be, rather than that 
a tongue ^ould live to tell of England's shame, or 
that an eye of man should ever look upon her dis- 
honour. Trust not to professions of fiiendship and 
of peace, come they whence they may ; that which 
would be the basest felsehood and treachery in 
the man, is supposed to be but a venial diplomacy 
in the Monarch. England's safety and England's 
glory must never be risked ; she must rely (under 
God's providence) upon herself alone; and if any 
eagle is ever brought fipom the continent to her shores, 
it must meet with the same &te as the eagle which 
once left her shores for France. But I am wander- 
ing home, and there is yet many a weary mile and 
weary day between me and home. 

Now for the fiir-femed Takoo Forts. They are 
five in number, two upon the left, or north bank of 
the river, and three upon the south bank. The two 
upper Forts, north and south, are nearly opposite to 
each other. About three-quarters of a mile fiirther 



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TAKOO FOBTS. 125 

down lies the second north Fort, and below it, about 
400 yards upon the south bank, the one upon which 
our unsuccessful attack was made in 1859, and the 
fifth lies close to the mouth of the river upon the 
same side ; there is a strong &mily likeness among 
them all. 

Our attack was to be made upon the upper 
northern Fort, and it was on this wise. At day- 
light on the 19th Sir R. Napier, who was to com- 
mand the assault, marched out of Tankoo with the 
67th Eegunent, Milward's battery of Armstrong 
guns, the Boyal Engmeers, and Madras Sappers, for 
the purpose of making roads over the soft part of the 
mud, bridging the numerous canals, and throwing up 
eartliworks to protect our artillery, and no man could 
have been chosen more fitted for the task, being 
himself an engineer officer of great experience, and 
a tried and skilful general 

Our artillery was placed in two lines or ranks, one 
in firont of the other ; Major Pennycuick and Captain 
Bedmgfield commanded two batteries thrown up 600 
yards fix)m the Fort, one containing two 8-inch 
howitzers and two 9-pounders; the other, three 
8-inch mortars. In rear of them, and at about twice 
the distance on the left, were two of Govan's 
24-pound howitzers, three of Milward's Armstrongs, 
next an 8-inch gun of Major Botton's, and two of 
Barry's Armstrongs. The French had a few guns 
on our right next the river. 

Anxiously did I watch for daylight on the 21st, 



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126 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

tho day of the assault, bnt somehow I fell asleep 
just before dawn, and was awakened by the boom 
of the first gun which was fired. I started fix)m 
my bed, and caUed to my servant for a horse; a 
naval fiiend who was staying with me jumped up 
with equal speed, and we were soon on horseback 
and galloping in the direction of the Forts. We 
passed Lord Elgin, who had come up firom on board 
ship at the Petang river a day or two before, to 
witness the attack, riding by himself to the fix)nt. 

At Tankoo we were gratified by the opening 
of a battery right across the river upoa us ; this 
had been expected, and a couple of Barry's Arm- 
strong guns were brought to bear upon it One 
chief interest in this campaign has been to watch the 
first trial of the Armstrong guns, and I was soon 
down at the edge of the river at the south gate of 
Tankoo, watching our fire and that of the enemy ; 
as usual, the direction of the Chinese guns was good, 
but the elevation defective ; they sent their shot either 
short or over our heads, and during that morning not 
one shot came nearer than within twenty yards of 
our guns. Not so the Armstrong shells ; the first few 
were short, and burst in the water, but soon they got 
the range, and then you could see the dust fly, as 
the shell struck the battery, nor was it long until 
their fire was slackened, and they were eventually 
silent Mr. Hosier, R.A., is the oflScer who has the 
credit of that morning's work at Tankoo. 

The force engaged on the 21st consisted of the 



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EXPLOSIONS- 127 

artQlery already named, tlie 44th and 67th Regiments, 
Royal Marines, aboat 350 strong ; Major Graham's 
company of Royal Engineers, 200 Madras Sappers, 
and some small Madras guns. The French had 
about 1000 men, besides half-a-dozen rifled cannon. 
The ' Drake,' * Woodcock,' * Clown,' and * Janus,' gun- 
boats, were to attack the lower north Fort at the 
same time, and also four French gun-boats. 

At daylight on the 21st they marched out of 
Tankoo, and half-an-hour afterwards the French 
column moved off from the same place, to the right 
between us and the river, and almost as soon as 
we were visible, the enemy opened fire fix)m every 
gun which could be brought to bear upon the attack, 
not only fix>m the two northern and upper south Fort, 
but from several batteries along the river's edge near 
the village of Takoo, armed with heavy guns. 

Milward's Armstrongs were the first to open 
the ball upon our side, and in a short time every 
gun we had was in action, and a fearful storm of 
shot and shell was poured into the devoted Forts, 
while the Chinese mamtained their fire with deter- 
mination for more than two hours. A tremendous 
explosion took place in the upper north Fort at 
about six o'clock, occasioned by the blowing up of 
a magazine by one of our shells, and another soon 
after was exploded in the lower fort on the same 
side; the noise of these was such that the guns 
sounded like pop-guns, and I was assured by some 
oflKcers who were at Petang that day, which must 



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128 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

be six or eight miles off as the crow flies, that it 
shook the ground there like an earthquake, and 
made the dogs run round and round as if they were 
giddy. Still the Tartars stood to their guns bravely, 
although their fire was not destructive; our heavy 
guns in position were well sheltered, and our field 
artillery was not stationary, so that they could move 
before the enemy had got their range. 

The field guns had now advanced to within about 
500 yards of the Fort, and poured their fire on the gate- 
way which had been built up with earth and timber. 
Partially protected by this fire the 44th and 67th 
advanced close to the ditch, which the Engineers and 
Royal Marines were endeavouring to bridge with very 
nice-looking pontoons, which had doubtless been tried 
and answered admirably upon the Serpentine, but 
proved themselves of no use here, as being unweildy ; 
all the exertions of Major Graham and both the 
Sappers and Marines proved unavailing; both he 
and the oflScer commanding the Marines were 
wounded, and a large proportion of their men, before 
they desisted fi*om their vain attempts, and at last 
a plank was obliged to perform that important duty, 
but not before a number of both regiments had 
crossed by wading up to their necks and swinmung. 

A perfect storm of matchlock and gingall balls 
was poured fix)m the walls upon the storming and 
pontoon parties, together with arrows, spears, and 
shot, stinkpots, and lime-baskets, enough to have 
damped the courage of any troops except those 



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IT!'- N,-'V/ YO'^K 

PUBLIC LIBRARY 



AST OR, LENOX ANO 

TiLOtN POUNOMIQNS. 



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NUMBERS OP KILLED. 129 

engaged ; but neither the English or French ever 
gave way an inch or Mtered for a moment Ladder 
alter ladder was thrown back upon the assailants or 
dragged over the wall ; officers and men were thrust 
back wounded from the embrasures ; at length Mr« 
Rogers of the 44th managed to scramble through an 
embrasure, although wounded in the act^ at the same 
time as the French entered from the angle next the 
river. Colonel Knox, 67th, Mr. Burslem, Mr, 
Lenon, Mr. Chaplin, most of them wounded, were 
among the first in, whfle Captain Gregory, 44th 
(whose conduct was distinguished by coolness and 
courage throughout the assault). Colonel Mann, B.E., 
Mr. Prichard, R.E., Mr. Kempson, 99 th, aide-de- 
camp to Brigadier Reeves, and the Brigadier, 
(wounded in three or four places,) were equally fortu- 
nate. Mr. Chaplin, followed by Kempson, rushed 
up to the top of the cavalier to plant the 67th 
colours, which they succeeded in doing, although Mr. 
Chaplin was twice hit while carrying the colour, 
once in the leg and also in the arm. 

The scene inside the Fort is hardly to be described, 
the Tartars fighting still with desperation against 
fearfiil odds, even their wounded, shooting at our 
men as they passed, for numbers of both French and 
English were now inside. Colonel Anson and Colonel 
Mann cut down the drawbridge across the ditch, 
which the former with Captain Grant had swam on 
horseback, until their horses stuck, when they left 
them there and struck out on their own account 



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130 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

But while some fought thus desperately, others fled, 
but only to meet their fitte outside the Fort ; many 
were shot down and transfixed by the sharp bam- 
boo spikes which extended between the wall and the 
ditch for twenty or twenty-five feet in width, and 
lay there a fearful spectacle ; many were drowned 
endeavouring to cross the river, and the havoc which 
our fire had made, caused it to be a matter of 
wonder to everyone that they should have held out 
so long and so gallantly as they did. Their dead 
lay in heaps round their guns and scattered through 
the Fort, bearing witness to the excellence of our 
weapons, and the accuracy of our fire. 



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131 



CHAPTER Vm. 

Recovery of Gnns taken in 1859 — ^The Wounded— Surrender of the 
South Forte — Favourable Weather— Wet Tents — Camp DinneiB 
— Crimean Steaks — Grumblers at Home — A dead Horse. 

We fomid above forty guns in this one Fort, many of 
them of brass and of heavy metal. The cavalier 
mounted three, two large brass Chinese guns, and a 
32-pounder iron gun (English), taken fix)m the gun- 
boats last year. I witnessed an amusing scene 
shortly after the Fort was in our possession. Admiral 
Hope was looking over the place, and Sir H. Grant 
with him ; they arrived at the cavalier. " Ah," said 
Sir H., smiling good-humouredly, and patting the 
English 32-pounder, "look here, Admiral, one of 
your own guns ; very happy to have the pleasure of 
giving it back to you again." The reply was not 
"apropos," and showed that the subject was not 
relished. "Ah, what about the landing of those 
horses that have just arrived fix)m Japan." 

Our wounded were carried to Tankoo in doolies, 
where there was very good hospital accommodation 
ready for them. I saw one poor fellow, a sapper on 
the field, mortally wounded, having been shot through 

K 2 



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132 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

the body at the ditch. I knelt beside him and said 
such things as I deemed fit for a man in his state to 
hear, words of mercy and of comfort. He said, " Oh, 
don't talk to me about those things now, sir ; I am in 
such pain that I cannot listen to you." I could not help 
reflecting that of all men in the world a soldier should 
ever be prepared to meet his God. I was surprised 
to find a soldier of the 67th reading a small book inside 
the fort soon after it was stormed, and on inquiry I 
found that the man was reading the morning Psalms 
fix)m his prayer-book. The wounded Tartars were 
looked after by Surgeon Home, V.C, who was 
attached to head-quarters; and it was amusing 
and pleasant to see one poor fellow, not very badly 
hurt, sitting on a gun in the cavalier beside the 
General, and eating ham-sandwiches, and drinking 
claret and water from Captain Grant's hand. 

The Buffs and 8th Punjaub Native In&ntry had 
by this time arrived, and Colonel Wolseley having 
reported to Sir H. Grant that the ground between 
the two northern Forts was practicable for artillery, 
as he had just made a single-handed reconnoissance 
closeup to the lower one, and had been well " potted " 
at, and (more fortunate than he was at Bangoon 
and in the Crimea) not touched, an advance was 
ordered to be made against it Just at this moment, 
however, flags of truce were displayed, and the war- 
like banners on the Forts lowered ; upon Mr. Parkes 
inquiring fix)m an official who was sent to meet him 
and Major Sarel, whether they were prepared to 



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SURRENDER OF THE SOUTH FORTS. 133 

make an unconditional surrender of all the Forts at 
once, he received a very insolent reply, that having 
taken only one we had no right to the other 
four; that Lord Elgin might indeed pass up the 
river, but that if he wanted the other Forts " he 
must come and take them." Report said at the 
time that Mr. Parkes treated this gentleman to a 
box on the ear for his impudence. I do not vouch 
for the &ct at all, but I am sure I hope that it is 
true ; and I am certain that if he did, it served him 
very right 

A rapid advance was now made on the lower 
fort; not a shot was fired, and 2000 men sur- 
rendered themselves prisoners. They were quite 
right, as in addition to our own guns we had those 
of the upper fort, commanding them thoroughly and 
ready to blow them into the air, as also the two 
nearest on the south side. The prisoners were sent 
across the river, and again Mr. Parkes with Colonel 
Anson crossed to learn the intentions of the Chinese. 
After some difficulty, he found the Governor-General, 
who of course endeavoured to gull " the Barbarian." 
But no, that could not be done ; he said that he had 
not got possession of the Forts, and could not there- 
fore surrender them, but that he must refer the 
matter to the Commander-in-Chief, who unfortunately 
VX18 dead. Mr. Parkes, however, brought him to his 
senses by telling him that the Forts and the town 
and every one in them (as their batteries at the 
town had fired on us) would be undoubtedly blown 



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134 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

up next morning. He saw that Mr, Parkes was in 
earnest, and not to be done, so he at once signed 
the surrender, and the south Forts were that night 
occupied by French and British troops. 

Thus fell the Takoo Forte on August 21st, 1860, 
with a loss upon our part of only 200 oflScers and men 
killed and wounded, and on that of our gallant allies 
of 100 more, while that of the Tartars was estimated 
at 1800. Everyone was anxious to inspect that one, 
which had repulsed our brave tars and marines the 
year before, and those who could do so availed them- 
selves of the earliest opportunity. It was much more 
heavily armed than that which we had attacked, 
mounting twenty-five large brass Chinese guns — one 
68-pounder, three 32-pounders, three 24-pounder 
brass howitzers, and one ten-inch gun taken fix)m 
our gun-boate, besides a host of smaller guns, above 
200 in alL The ditch was twice as wide and twice 
as deep as that which we had to cross ; and, worst of 
all, the ground around it (with the exception of the 
causeway which was of course commanded), a 
thorough swamp. It was no wonder that our brave 
admiral, for brave he is and thoroughly determined 
he proved himself upon that occasion, found it im- 
pregnable, and that our marines were repulsed fit)m 
a place which three times their number could not 
have taken at any sacrifice of life. 

I must not omit to mention a feet which all felt much 
at the time, and which the Chinese as well as ourselves 
took notice of. The state of the mud round the north 



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FAVOUBABLE WEATHEB. 135 

f(xrt3 depended upon two things, the tides and the 
rain. During a high tide, the ditches were oveiv 
flowed and the ground swamped, so that the lightest 
guns could not cross it ; this was guarded against by 
choosing a time of low tides for the assault, but a 
heavy fell of rain (and it knows how to rain in 
China when it does come down) would produce a 
like effect For dry weather we were dependent 
upon the will of Proyidence, and we were fe,voured 
with it for some days before, so that the mud got 
hard and baked by the hot sun. But no sooner 
were our operations over, and the forts ours, than a 
tremendous storm of thunder and rain broke from 
the heavens. If it had come a few hours earlier, it 
would have rendered us perfectly helpless. " Ah," 
said the Chinese, " you took the Forts because the 
heavens were against us." I hope and believe that 
we were thankful for the aid which we received ; and 
it was certainly made very plain to us that we 
should have been unable to do anything had the 
weather been adverse, by the sudden change which 
took place in the state of the ground from one 
heavy shower. An Irish soldier, attached to me, de- 
scribed it in the hearing of a friend of mine after- 
wards to his servant, thus, — "And there was the 
master gallopin home like mad, to get out if the wet, 
and there was I, wid mee boots oflF and down to mee 
knees in mud every yard I'd travel." This tickled 
my friend Colonel R.*s fancy, who insists that when 
an Englishman (as he is) travels in a country of that 



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186 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

sort he ia up to lia knees in mud, not doum. I was 
not exactly " galloping like mad " either, for the road 
was too deep for that. 

A precious state we found our camp in when we 
returned ; my Madras boy, idle like most of his race, 
had neglected to shut my tent and clear the drain 
round it, so I found it full of water, a pleasant place 
to spend the evening in. I make it a rule, however, 
not to grumble about what I cannot help, and as our 
little party lay round the sides of another bell tent 
(the owner of which, our worthy mess manager, 
allowed us to dine there), at eight o'clock that even- 
ing, in every possible and impossible attitude, we soon 
forgot our little " d^sagr^ments,*' rejoiced to meet 
again all unhurt, although some of the party had 
been in the hottest of the fire. 

Those dinners in a campaign, what curious and 
uncertain things they are! Today, luxury, posi- 
tive luxury, fi-esh mutton, fowls, vegetables, per- 
haps a salad ; tomorrow, a piece of ration beef as 
hard and tough as the sole of your boot^ and some 
biscuit very fit companion for it ; but never mind, 
you get used to these things campaigning. We 
had a most cunning dish every day, it was a stew ; 
I never knew o» asked what was put into it, 
that would have been unwise. My impression, 
however, is that it had everything in it that could 
be got, and when the meat was " ration," the dis- 
guise which the stew gave it was so strong (ration 
meat requires a disguise sometimes), that you could 



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CRIMEAN BTEAKS. 137 

not reeoginze it We never were reduced to such 
an extremity in our " cuisine," as a friend of mine 
was in the Crimea during the hard winter there. 
He told me the story, thus — 

Two officers (whose names I do not mention as they 
are both alive and well now, and in command of two 
cavalry regunents, so I spare their feelings) came to 
his tent one evening on their return from the front, 
wet and weary, and received a cordial invitation to 
share his dinner, which no one gave with a better 
grace or warmer heart than he did, and gives still, 
I am glad to say, for a worthier fellow does not live ; 
he is now settled down quietly in the country, and 
" soldiers " no longer. He was known to have a good 
supply of whatever was to be had (as he was not 
fer from Balaclava), and a very clever Maltese pri- 
vate servant who was such a good cook that he 
could make the most of anything, so that it did not 
require much pressing to induce the two dragoons 
to stay. 

He went out to his servant's little hut to desire 
him to get dinner for three instead of for one, when, 
to his horror, he found that there was only some 
wretched morsel cooking for himself, which it would 
have been a mockery to place before his hungry 
guests, and that there was nothing more, not a tin 
of soup, or of meat of any sort, or a morsel that could 
be converted into food. 

He was determined that come what might his 
guests should be fed ; so he told his servant to go 



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138 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

first to this, then to that other friend, and so on ; 
and &iling all these, he cast him upon his own re- 
sources, giving him one strict injunction, not to return 
empty-handedj which order the man knew was not to 
be disobeyed with safety. In due time, and sooner 
than he expected, notice was given that the dinner 
was ready, and a good dish of steaming hot steaks 
appeared, which looked very well, and though not 
very fiit> were, in those days, by no means to be 
despised. Ample justice was done to them, and 
though the larder had been empty the cellar was not 
dry, so, when the second dish of the same appeared, 
the first having been washed down by liquor more 
welcome from its scarcity, the two dragoons felt that 
their host never had treated them better, and a very 
pleasant evening they had of it. 

At night, in his bed, something struck a suspicion 
into my friend's mind as to the origin of the steaks, 
and he could not get rid of the idea or sleep for 
thinking of it. There was something about the shape 
of the steaks, which struck him as peculiar, and he 
could not think of anything else. When daylight 
came he found his way to the road at a short dis- 
tance fix)m his tent, and then, oh, horror of horrors I 
his worst fears were confirmed : a horse which had 
dropped there on the previous afternoon (he had 
seen it) had been visited, and, being in tolerable 
condition, several long steaks had been cut fix)m his 
chine, the identical shape of those with which he had 
entertained his two fiiends the night before. Dis- 



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GRUMBLERS AT HOME. 139 

gnst and fiiry seized him. He rushed back to his 
tent, but the cunning Maltese had seen him, gaessed 
the cause of his haste and bolted, nor was he ever 
afterwards seen in our lines ; so much the better for 
him I should say. 

" Ye gentlemen of England, who live at home at 
ease,** who have your breakfests laid with all the 
n^tness and punctuality which the good manage- 
ment of your excellent wives secures to you, and 
who do not scruple to growl if the butter is either too 
hard or too soft, or the eggs laid yesterday, or the 
cutlets not quite tender, or the coffee not as hot as 
it might be. Ye who dine, dine at " the club,** just 
fency a club dinner I with that pint of " curious old 
do.** And better, fer better still, ye who are greeted 
on your return from your day*s work by a patter 
of little feet, with the accompaniment, " Papa, papa,** 
and the pleasant smile of that sweet fiice which 
robbed you of your peace of mind years ago, but 
has paid it all back again ten thousand-fold since 
(God bless all such good feces!) while one seizes 
your hat (you don*t like that, for a man respects 
his hat), another your gloves, another your stick, 
another your dust-coat, and bless me, they ding 
about you, and dance before you, as if you had 
been away for a month, yet you saw them all at 
breakfest. "You look tired, John; will you have 
a biscuit and a glass of wine, or will you wait till 
dinner ?*' " You 11 wait.** " Kate, my love, go and 
tell the cook to be punctual with dinner.** 



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140 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

little Johnny runs up to your dressing-room and 
is ready with the bootjack, and puts his tiny foot upon 
the toe of your boot, chattering all the while about 
Fan's pups ; one of them has both eyes open ; there's 
news for you! and tells you how Thompson, that 
keeps the livery-stable, his great, big cock flew over 
the wall at dinner-time, and went to beat " Charley,*' 
the bantam, and how Charley flew at him and he at 
Charley, " till I ran out with the hearth-brush, and 
gave him such a beating you never saw; wasn't 
he a nasty, cowardly bird to go and try and beat a 
little bird, and wasn't Charley plucky ? Only think, 
he tried to fly over the wall after Thompson's cock. 
I love Charley ; but I don't thmk the big cock will 
come here again ; I gave it him, I did ; didn't I 
serve him right, papa ? " 

You have washed your hands and &ce (Johnny 
had the towel ready for you) and changed your 
clothes. Do look pleasant and be cheerM ; things 
are not as square as they might be in the city, 
but don't you be sour, whatever you do ; be thankful 
for the goods you have, and bless your stars 
that you are not soldieriug at Takoo, or some 
equally agreeable place; and if the plates are not 
hot, and the gravy does " freeze," don't get savage, 
and tell your wife, "It's always the same." And 
when you lie dowQ in your comfortable bed, witii 
well-aired sheets and carpeted floor, think some- 
times of those, as well-born and delicately brought 
up as you, who are stretched on a wet rug, with 



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A DEAD HORSE. 141 

heavy boots on, and a foot deep of mud all round 
tiiem, with a close heat which causes an unwholesome 
damp steam that you could sit upon, and never 
grumble at your hard lot, or at the Army Estimates. 

From such a sleep as only the weary know, and 
in such an atmosphere, and fix)m such a couch as I 
have hinted at, I was awakened next morning after 
the fell of the Forts by a dusky vision of a soldier 
standing at the tent door, and thus addressing me. 

^ rd like to get that pony away, sir, as soon as I 
could.** 

I sat up, rubbed my eyes, and made a strong call 
upon my memory to try and find out the meaning of 
what he said. Whose pony did I borrow, thought I, 
that he wants to get rid of; but I could not recollect 
having anybody's animal in use except my own. 

" What are you talking about ? " I replied, sadly 
mystified as to what he could mean. 

" Nothing, sir ; only I was just sayin* that Td like 
to get that pony away as soon as I could ; only I'd like 
to take the shoes off iv him first, for sure it was 
only a couple of days ago I got him shod beyant at 
Captain Desborough's batthery." 

I began to think that I must be asleep, so I gave 
myself another shake. 

** What are you saying, man ; what are you talking 
about ? Sending away a pony and taking his shoes off^ 
I don't understand a word you say, nor do I think you 
know what you are talking about yourself. Whose 
pQny ; tohat pony do you want to send away ?'* 



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142 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

" Why, your pony, sir, that that other gintleman 
was ridin* yistherday; only I was saying Fd like 
to take his shoes off first ; for why wonld I lose them, 
and they so dear ?" 

Deeper and deeper stilL One of ns must be mad 
or drunk, I thought He wants to send away my 
bay cob, the pick of 200 ponies, and to take his 
shoes off that I was so particular about, as he never 
had been shod before. 

"Are you drunk?" I said, "or whatdo you mean? 
K you are sober, explain yourself; I don*t understand 
one word you say. So, if you cannot explain what 
you mean, go away." 

Touched by my insinuation as to his sobriety, he 
replied — " Why, thin, I am as sober as I was the day 
I was bom, sir ; and as to dhrink, long as I'm wid 
you, when did you ever see the sign of liquor on me ? 
and, indeed, if I wouldn't git hearty on the dirthy 
water, its little else I'd be in danger of drinkin' here. 
But sure your Rivirence can do as you like, and keep 
him as long as its plazin' to you. But I was only 
saying /'d like to get him away soon, for he'll begin 
to smell directly; isn't he swelled as big as two 
already ; shure didnt he die on me last night ? " 

Sorry as I was to lose my pony, one of the finest 
cobs I had ever seen, I confess that I burst out into 
a hearty fit of laughter till I shook again at the 
strange mode in which my Paddy had chosen to 
communicate the ^ sad intelligence." 

On inquiry I found that an officer's servant at 



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A DEAD HORSE. 143 

Tankoo, where my naval Mend had put up the cob 
the day before, had given him his fill of Indian com 
(and he was a glutton and very fiit), and then as 
much water as he chose, and the result was as might 
have been expected. He was one of the finest beasts 
I ever saw ; I had got him about ten days before, 
fix)m a lot of about 200 Tartar " remounts,** which 
Probyn*s or Fane's horse had captured in the plain 
on the 12 th. These animals, which the Chinese 
cavalry are mounted upon, are fix)m thirteen and a 
half to fourteen and a half hands high, well and 
strongly made, though not often handsome ; of great 
endurance, fest and very sure-footed. One which 
Probyn got, taken by one of his own sowars at 
Ghangkeawhan, a piebald, was about fifteen hands 
high, and by &r the handsomest horse I have seen 
in China. He was perfect. Probyn took him to 
India. 

From our damp campmg-ground at Sinho we were 
moved into Tankoo, which was a change for the 
better, inasmuch as anything almost is to be pre- 
ferred to a bell tent, and there we got into a house ; 
but the place was very dirty, and had an evil smell, 
and everyone rejoiced in the prospect of a speedy 
change of quarters to Tien-Tsin. 



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144 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Gaidens — "Great Kings" — Up the Peiho— Diplomacy — ^Advance on 
Pekin — ^Transport — ^A Morning's March — A Bantam Cock — Hooeee- 
woo— Grapes — ^Advance from Hooseewoo— Chinese Treachery — 
Walkei^s Escape — Our Surprise— Proposed Camping Ground — 
Battle of Changkeawhan — Probyn*s Charge — A narrow Escape. 

The country on the south bank of the river from the 
Forts, up beyond the bridge of boats, for a distance 
of some miles, was one continued garden and orchard ; 
vegetables of various sorts were cultivated with great 
care, sweet potatoes, bringalls, chillies were abun- 
dant, while above on standard trees hung peaches, 
nectarines, apples, and pears in the richest profrision* 
These fruits were just now ripe, and as the owners 
had deserted them, we paid our respects to them 
very diligently. The French were encamped in 
these gardens, and they certainly had much the best 
of it, as they had abundant shade, while our poor 
fellows were still on the arid plain. A few days 
after the capture of the forts a commission was sent 
round to ascertain the number of the guns taken, 
and to divide them with our allies. It was a busmess 
which occupied more than one day, and the officers 
were obliged to sleep on some straw in a joss-house, 



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UP THE PEIHO. 145 

and get provisions as they could. They had sent 
out by a native overnight to get any sort of the 
country produce that could be had, and these pro- 
visions were to be brought in next morning. So, as 
they lay in the straw very much tumbled, very 
unwashed, and looking anything on earth but their 
hestj about six o'clock a Chinaman thrusts his head 
into the room through a trap-door, and calls out in 
a most respectful tone in his native tongue, " Arise, 
O great kings, fish and fowl have arrived." When 
they were made aware of the Chinaman's addreSvS, 
the eflfect was irresistible. Feeling anything but 
royalj very dirty, and very mean, they could not 
but laugh at the idea of such mighty monarchs 
lying unwashed and uncombed on a couch of straw. 

But we were not destined to remain long at Tan- 
koo, and so much the better. Admiral Hope went up 
the river in a gun-boat to Tien-Tsin, and meeting with 
no enemy, the way was clear for Sir H. Grant and 
staflf, or rather a part of the staff, to proceed up the 
river on the 25th. The rest of the staflf followed in 
a few days. I shall not soon forget the kind hospi- 
tality which we met with from Captain on 

board the * Carthage.' We were to have brought our 
own provisions and received merely a passage from 
him, but he would not hear of such an arrangement ; 
be provided a most sumptuous repast for us on deck 
under a double awning, supplied abundance of 
champagne for those who liked it, and draught beer 
for those who preferred that, — ^an unheard-of 



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146 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

luxury in those days, — and above all, we had a 
snow-white table-cloth, a sort of thing to think of 
and hold on by, so that really upon the whole you 
felt quite incUned to pull up the gills of your shirt, if 
you had any, or at all events to go through the form 
of diving for them, like " Mr. Montague Tigg did ! ** 

The ^ Carthage ' was about as large a vessel as 
could navigate the Peiho, drawing about thirteen feet 
of water, but by good management she was brought 
up. We arrived next morning at Tien-Tsin (having 
anchored in the river at dark), took up our quarters 
in a temple near the river, and remained there until 
the 9th September. The interval was passed in in- 
glorious rest. It was beyond doubt the universal 
opinion at the Embassy that the war was at an end, 
. and of course the army took their view of politics 
from the diplomatic circle. The siege-train was to 
be embarked; the Royals were under orders for 
homsy and various dispositions of the army were 
announced, which all spoke peace, and which were 
made doubtless from representations received by 
Sir H. Grant from Lord Elgin. 

The question anxiously discussed at Tien-Tsin 
was this, who was to go to Pekin as the escort to 
Lord Elgin, for in that light alone the advance of 
a part of the army was viewed. It was said (and I 
believe not without foundation) that Lord Elgin 
(never backward to incur personal risk in any form) 
had determined to proceed to the capital with an 
escort of 1000 men, but, however this may be, it is 



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DIPLOMACY. 147 

certain that it was definitely arranged between 
the Ambassador and the Gonmmnder-in-Chief that 
an escort shonld proceed with Lord Elgin to Pekin, 
and I know that the arrangements were so &r 
matured as that the King's Dragoon Guards were 
named for that service as part of the force ; the 
French having no cavalry, were to have taken the 
horses from their guns, and had begun to train them 
to cavalry movements. Q-uns were not to form any 
part of this force. 

The Commissioners sent from Pekin to treat with 
Lord El^n stipulated that all our artillery should 
remain behind, as they said our guns were so formid- 
able that they would "disturb the minds of the 
inhabitants ** if they were brought northward. Sub- 
sequent events proved what fearful treachery the 
Chinese Government was then plotting against us, 
and how a good and gracious Providence was watch- 
ing over us to prevent us from felling into the snare. 
(" Draw me out of the net that they have laid 
privily for me.") On the 6th the Commissioners 
Kiuliang and Hang-Foo announced, through Mr. 
Parkes, C.B., when it could no longer be concealed, 
that they had exceeded their authority in the pre- 
liminary arrangements which they had made with 
reference to the signing of the Treaty, and that they 
could not vouch for their views being carried out by 
the Chinese Government 

Great was the surprise caused by this announce- 
ment, but in the army the feeling was in general one 

L 2 



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148 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

of satis&ction, expressed thus, " Hurrah I now we 
shall all go to Pekin !" And truly enough the ad- 
vanced part of the force marched out of Tien-Tsm on 
Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th September, 
and on Sunday night we all encamped at Pookow. 
Sir H. Grant and his staff having ridden out after 
divine service on Sunday. Lord Elgin accompanied 
the force, which consisted of the King's Dragoon 
Guards, Fane and Probyn, the 99th, Royal Marines, 
one Punjaub regiment, with Desborongh's, Barry's, 
and Sterling's guns. The country through which we 
marched on Sunday and Monday was fiat and unin- 
teresting, except the amount of interest which the 
soldier must ever feel in a country which he at one 
glance perceives is competent to supply him with 
any amount of fresh provisions, vegetables, and 
fruit 

I do not think that the everlasting " three days' 
cooked rations " were much relied upon during this 
journey. Fowls were to be had in any number for 
love or for money, and I imagine that the former 
generally ruled the market, as Scott says that it 
rules " the court, the camp, the grove." On Mon- 
day we encamped at Yangk-Tsun, close to the river, 
which ran upon our right, and we were obliged to 
remam there on Tuesday, because the drivers of a 
large number of country carts, which had been hired 
at Tien-TsiQ to convey the baggage and stores of 
Lord Elgin and Sir H. Grant, decamped in the 
night, taking their mules with them, but leaving be- 



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A MORNINGS MABCH. 149 

hind the carts, which they could not remove, as 
they were under sentries. 

Here was a difficulty. How was the army to pro- 
gress without these stores ? Parties were sent into 
the country to press all the animals and carriages 
they could find, and with some success ; but Colonel 
Anson walked quietly down to the river's bank, and 
seeing a string of boats passing by, jumped on board 
one of them and seized the whole number. John 
Chinaman yielded at once, was charmed at the sight 
of the ^ almighty dollar," and engaged himself body 
and boat to his country's foes, and aU the stores, 
&c^ &c^ not required for immediate use, were put 
on board the boats, and thus conveyed up the river 
under escort, and we were enabled to march the next 
morning. 

Out we turned at about five a.m., the usual cup of 
tea having been administered with the customary 
success, tents struck while you are drinking it, and 
the tea cup or tin tot put in your haversack or wal- 
let A ride of this sort in the early morning, before it 
gets too hot, is not without its enjoyment You 
start with your next neighbour, and when the con- 
versation begins to flag, drop your heel into your 
horse, and ride on along the line, and a varied pic- 
ture it presents ; with so many Indian troops as we 
had in China you gain something of an idea of an 
Indian campaign, but only something. There were 
the Punjaubees, and very fine fellows they are, taU 
and muscular, though small, very small, in the leg, 



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150 HOW WE GOT TO PKKTN 

and this small leg exaggerated by the tightest pos- 
sible cotton trowser, tighter than the skin, but some- 
how they can march on those limbs, and march well, 
even better than some of our own battalions. You 
certainly would not think so to look at them. Then 
Probyn*s Horse and Fane's Horse, that one is never 
tired of looking at and admiring, they seem to be 
such thorough soldiers, and a beau iddal of light 
cavalry ; you cannot help wishing that we had some 
light cavalry in our own army. 

Then there are any amount of camp followers, nig- 
gers of all sorts, carrying most awkward loads in a 
most ungainly manner; others driving the most 
wretched of Manilla ponies, ten to one he never gets 
to the end of the march. Happy is the man who has 
renounced all except private carriage, and puts his 
trust in two Tartar beasts, mules, ponies, either or 
both, and a snug country cart, got, obtained, bought 
{perhaps^ but not at all likely), still gotten however, 
and carrying his baggage, that man will be well off 
at the end of the day ; nor am I bold to say that 
when you are at war it is untenable in morals that 
you should impress private carriage. Our commis- 
sariat impressed every beast they could lay their 
hands on, took them bodily away fix)m the owners 
without leave or licence except fix)m the Commander^ 
in-Chief^ and if they had not taken them our army 
would never have got to Pekin. 

I recollect being greatly amused by a little bantam 
cock on that very march. He was tied by the l^s, 



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A BANTAM COCK. 161 

SO that he could not perch on the top of a mixed 
load of tent-poles and tin pots and more such fiimi- 
tore, and this load was on a pony's back ; his head 
was as often hanging down as in any other position, 
but by a yigorous flutter he sometimes got upright, 
and then he let off a succession of crows, dwelling 
on the final note, as much as to say that he felt him- 
self equal to any other cock in creation, and did not 
care one button for all the ills of life. 

I could not help admiring him, and thinking what 
a pattern little cock he was to bear all his troubles 
in such a triumphant spirit We encamped at Nant- 
sal-Tsun and marched next morning, Thursday, for 
Hooseewoo, a considerable town on the riyer; we 
did not take up quarters in the town, nor were our 
men permitted to enter it ; we camped outside, and 
some few of us got into temples, which was much 
pleasanter than being exposed to the sun in a bell 
tent 

Ceres is, I believe, the goddess, not exclusiyely of 
com, but of fruits, and therefore I would seek her 
inspiration to tell of the wondrous fruits which we 
found here. Bacchus presides especially oyer the 
grape, but his inspiration is of too spirituous a cha- 
racter, and here where I write at this present you 
might, if so ^^ dispoged,'' as Mrs. Gamp says, seek it 
in vain, as there is no wine to be had but ^^ Wink- 
ler's " stuff, which is as innocent of the grape as a 
lamb. Never did I see such an abundance of splen- 
did grapes in my life as at Hooseewoo. I went out 



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152 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

early in the morning before the sun was strong, and 
wandered into a garden near the town, taking a 
coolie, a basket, and some Chinese cash, which, as 
all the world knows, are the current cmn of the 
Empire, a round bit of brass about half-ar&rthing's 
weight, with a square hole in the centre by which 
they are strung in knots of a couple of hundred. 
You get about a thousand of them for a dollar. 

I saw a ^ little hut among the bushes," and found 
three or four men in it, and one old fellow who was 
evidently the master. They "chmchinned" very po- 
litely, and I showed them some cash to prove the 
honesty of my intentions, when they unlocked an- 
other door out of the hut which opened into such a 
grapery as I never saw before or since. It was an 
arbour composed completely of vines, so thick that 
the densest rays of the sun could not penetrate it ; 
about forty yards long by fifteen wide and fifteen or 
twenty feet high, and fix)m the roof and sides hung 
clusters of the finit, for size, bloom, beauty of form 
and flavour, surpassing anythmg I had ever seen. In 
a minute several of the finest bunches of different 
sorts were placed in a basket at my disposal, and I 
began to dispose of them pretty fest, — they were as 
cool as the night dews, and I am almost ashamed to 
reflect upon the quantity of them that I devoured. 
While feasting thus, I selected a very large basketftd 
of the finest clusters for our mess, somewhere about 
thirty or forty pounds weight, and I then went out 
into the garden and got another basket of vegetables 



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HOOSEBWOO. 153 

of various sorts (but I cannot praise the vegetables 
in the north of China), and then came the important 
question of payment ; these unsophisticated folks did 
not yet know that mighty question which John China- 
man so soon learns from the European ^^how much '* 
" combineno ; ** so I laid before the old gardener a 
quantity of cash and made signs to him to help him- 
self; he had previously weighed both the grapes and 
vegetables, and to my no small amazement he took 
about half-^rdollar's worth of cash for all that I was 
carrying away and all I had eaten, and seemed quite 
pleased with the bargain. I tell this story at length 
to show that there is one honest Chinaman in the 
Empire, as some people doubt it. 

Hooseewoo is rather a picturesque place. The 
town itself is, like all other towns of its class in China, 
poor and dirty, with nevertheless some good houses 
in it Lord Elgin had a very excellent house on the 
outskirts of the town ; but the ground in the neigh- 
bourhood is undulating and well planted, which was 
a great relief after the flat and monotonous country 
through which we had hitherto marched. Here we 
remained until Monday morning, and between the 
scenery around and everything else, we liked the 
place very welL Our delay was caused by the nego- 
tiations which were being carried on between the 
Chinese Government and the Plenipotentiary, also 
we waited the arrival of some more troops, and it 
was finally arranged between Mr. Parkes and the 
Prince of I, or Ai, that we were to encamp on a 



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154 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

place marked out by the Chinese authorities within 
three miles of Changkeawhan, six of Tmigchow, and 
fifteen of Pekin, and that fix)m thence the Ambassa- 
dor was to proceed to Pekin with an escort 

From this place (Hooseewoo), it was that, with a 
confidence unwarranted, as the eyent pioyed, and 
&tal, alas I to several Mr. Parkes and his party pro- 
ceeded to Tnngchow; but this event must not be 
anticipated 

On Monday the 17th we marched firom Hooseewoo 
to MatoWy where we encamped ; and next morning 
struck our tents before daylight to march, as we 
imagmed, to our permanent camp ; and so little did 
we anticipate anything in the way of fighting, 
that the customary revolver was put up. The 
French were marching in advance of us, and one of 
their staff came back in haste to inform us that the 
Tartars were in position in fix)nty some two or three 
miles off. Still, few believed that they could intend 
to oppose us, as the pacific assurances of ^^ the Prince 
of I " were of such a definite character. Our bag- 
gage was all parked at a village, supposed to be out 
of range, and we marched on to within about half-a- 
mile of the Tartar army ; but the General and the 
staff rode on to a mound within about 400 yards of 
the enemy's guns, fix)m which a good deal of their 
movements could be seen. 

A Mandarin, whether civil or military I do not 
know, came into our lines in a chair to say that all 
was right, and that we were to encamp where 



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CHINESE TREACHERY. 155 

we were. Now, I must relate how our position 
was complicated. Mr. Parkes had gone on from 
Hooseewoo, accompanied by Mr. Loch, secretary to 
Lord Elgin, Mr. De Norman, and Mr. Bonlby, the 
* Times' correspondent, whom a too great zeal, alas ! 
betrayed to a cruel &te. Poor feUow! Little I 
ihoaght, when he and I waded through the mud 
tc^ether at Petang, how fearful his end would be. 
They had a small cavalry escort, commanded by 
Mr. Anderson, Adjutant of Fane's Horse, — another 
victim of Chinese barbarity, an officer who was 
deeply regretted by all who knew him. Colonel 
Walker, of the Quarter-Master-Gteneral's department, 
was also sent on to examine and take up ground for 
our standing camp, and Mr. Thompson, Deputy- 
Commissary-GeneraL They arrived at Tungchow, 
and were put up and entertained by the authorities 
for two days ; and on the morning of the 18th rode 
out of Tungchow to meet us, as they supposed, at 
the camping-ground ; but when they had arrived at 
the fiu1;her side of the town of Changkeawhan, they 
were surprised to find a large Tartar army drawn up, 
with a number of guns, in position, behind a road, 
with a. small fordable river in their rear. 

Mr. Parkes determined immediately to return to 
Ttmgchow, and demand firom the Prince of I what 
the meaning of all this might be. Colonel Walker 
and Mr. Loch promised to await his return where 
they were. Colonel Walker was also accompanied 
by Mr. Thompson, of the Commissariat department. 



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156 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

He retained an escort of some three or four of the 
Bang's Dragoon Guards. Mr. Loch rode through 
into our ranks and reported the state of affitirs, 
announcing his intention of returning to meet Mr. 
Parkes ; and it was suggested that it might be use- 
ful if an officer of the Quarter-Master-General s de- 
partment were to go with him, as he might have an 
opportunity of observing the enemy's position. This 
was said in the hearing of poor Brabazon, of the 
artillery, and I rather think it was suggested to him 
to volunteer for the duty. Ever ready for service of 
this sort, and fiill of zeal in his profession, poor fellow, 
he started, alas ! never to return. 

Colonel Walker felt himself in a very precarious 
position ; and so also did one or two French officers 
who were within the Tartar lines. They were not 
exactly prisoners, but they felt that if they made a 
move in our direction they might be seized, as they 
were followed and watched. The rest of the party 
had not left Tungchow. 

With so many of our people in the enemy's power. 
Sir H. Grant felt that he could take no decided 
step ; but he was not kept long in suspense. The 
French had marched off to the right to turn the 
enemy's left, and with them a squadron of Fane's 
Horse, commanded by Mr. Catley, while we waited 
quietly in front of their guns, the Commander-in- 
Chief and staff, as I have said, on a mound within 400 
yards of them. The staff had, for the first and only 
time during the campaign, brought a small box of 



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WALKER'S ESCAPE. 157 

provisions with them, ready for use at any moment, 
imagining that it would be a long business getting 
up the standing camp, and about half-past nine we 
were quietly breakfesting, waiting the course of 
events, when, without a moment's notice of any 
sort, a heavy fire was opened on the right of the 
Tartar position, in front of which their own cavalry 
were swarming. 

"What are they firing at?*' we a^ed m amaze- 
ment ; there was no enemy in fix)nt of their right. 
" Fools, they are firing on their own cavalry,** as we 
saw two empty saddles, and the horses galloping for 
our lines. While we were speaking, however, a 
retreat was made by the General and staff ftx)m 
their elevated post ; and, as they reached the troops, 
the cause of the firing was explained. Colonel 
Walker and Mr. Thompson galloped up with three 
or four of the King's Dragoon Guards. They had 
escaped from the Tartars, and run the gauntlet of 
their fire fix)m large guns, gingalls, matchlocks, and 
everything that could be brought to bear on them, 
Mr. Thompson being slightly wounded by a spear, 
and one man and one horse shot, but not dan- 
gerously. 

Colonel Walker's story in brief was this. He had 
begun to feel more and more anxious about the fete 
of the five men with him, as he was of course bound 
to consult their safety, as well as his own; he 
observed active preparations for an attack going on 
in the Tartar lines, while there was a growing dis- 



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158 HOW WB GOT TO PBKIN. 

position to control his movem^its; once his sword 
was taken away, but returned to him again; at 
length a French officer, who belonged either to the 
Scientific Mission or to the Commissariat, and who 
had got into the same position as Colonel Walker, 
was roughly handled by the Tartars, and the back 
of his head laid open by a sword-cut Colonel 
Walker hastened to interfere on his behalf made 
signs that he was his Mend, and that they should 
desist from theur attack upon him; supported the 
French officer's head, as he was badly wounded, 
and spoke some words of comfort and encourage- 
ment to him. This appeared to bring matters to 
a crisis, as to Colonel Walker's own &te and 
that of his little party; he was surrounded, the 
scabbard of his sword tilted up and the sword 
snatched out, his legs were seized and a vigorous 
attempt made to unhorse him, and two minutes 
more would probably have made a vacancy in the 
lieutenant-Colonelcy of the Bays ; but it was not so 
to be ; his resolve was taken in a moment, and as 
promptly carried out ; he waved his hand to his men, 
and called to Mr. Thompson to follow him ; they 
rode through the lines, and forcing their way out to 
the fix)nt were obliged to cross the line of fire of 
some twenty guns in position before they could 
reach our army. While Colonel Walker was giving 
in few words his story to the Commander-in-Chief, 
a very heavy fire waa opened upon us, converging 
upon one place fix)m guns laid in such a manner 



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PROPOSED CAMPING GROUND. 159 

along nearly all their front as to command this spot ; 
some in front, and some raking the whole position 
from both flanks. 

Thisy know, O Englishmen, was the ground 
marked out by the Chinese for your army, where 
we were to have been encamped and butchered in 
cold blood, only that they were thrown off their 
guard by the attempt to detain Colonel Walker ; 
and we were not quite so foolish as to encamp with 
an army and sixty guns in position in our front, 
within ea£7 range. Colonel Walker had had a serious 
dispute with the Chinese authorities as to this very 
place ; he said that we must camp along the river, 
as water was necessary. " Yes," they replied, " but 
we will carry the water for you." But, no. Colonel 
Walker would not at all agree to any place that did 
not give us perfect command of our supplies ; they, 
on the other hand, would not give up the river, as, if 
they had, they must have lost the strong position in 
front of it, a raised road along which their guns were 
laid. 

Then, as they kept up till the last moment the 
pretence of peace, when asked what the meaning 
of that large cavalry force was which was gradually 
stealing away to our left, evidently to outflank us, 
cut off our baggage, and interrupt our coiumunica- 
tions. The answer was pat, " Oh I they are going 
to collect provisions for you in the cotmtry." And 
yet with all their villany they were shallow rogues ; 
it was easy to see through this trick. They thought^ 



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160 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

no doubt) that as we had been galled upon former 
occasions, so we would be now. 

Orders were now given to Desborough*s guns and 
Barry's Armstrongs, protected by the King's Dra- 
goon Guards, to open upon their artillery to the fronts 
while Sir John Michel took Sterling's light six- 
pounders to the left, along with some of Probyn's 
Horse and the Queen's, to prevent their cavalry 
from outflanking us on that side, or reaching our 
baggage, which was in the rear. The 99th were on 
the right centre, and the 16th Punjaub on the left. 
The Tartar cavalry was so numerous that it was im- 
possible to do more than guess at their numbers, and 
you may add to this, that they enjoyed the advan- 
tage of being partially covered by the tall millet 
which was as yet uncut on the ground which they 
occupied, whereas we were in the open, and our 
horses galled and lamed frequently by the strong 
stalks of that com sticking up everywhere, like 
pointed stakes, from two to three feet high ; and, as 
they had been all cut with a slope, they were very 
nasty things to ride through ; you were safer gallop- 
ing than at any other pace. 

The Tartars had with their cavalry some gingalls, 
carried between two horses, and trailing along the 
ground with its stand, a tripod ; one unlucky soldier 
whose duties required him to stand behind the piece, 
was invariably knocked over by its recoil; these 
falls we imagined to be the effect of our own fire, 
until seeing the men always jump up again, we 



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PROBYFS CHARGE. 161 

learned how it was ; with these and their matchlocks 
they kept up a smart fire, but did not do ns much 
damage, as in order to secure a long range they 
use great elevation ; the conseqaence is that the ball 
drq)s and does not ricochet, so that instead of 
sweeping over an immense space, as our more direct 
fire does, and catching anything within its range; 
the gingall ball will not touch you unless you are 
unfortunate enough to be on the spot where it drops. 
We opened fire upon them with our six-pounders, and 
no doubt astonished them not a little, as we could 
see by the dust that they were on the move ; and after 
a few rounds Probyn's Horse, who had, man and steed* 
been standing chafing and champing on the bit with 
impatience, were let go at them, and anything more 
brilliant or chivalrous I am at a loss to conceive. I 
saw it, and were I to witness another battle, I should 
say let me see such a sight once more. To be 
counted by tens, they sped like a thunderbolt against 
thousands of the enemy, and irresistible was the 
shock ; they went through and through them like a 
cannon shot through a deal board, charged back 
again, through them again, and then wheeling right 
and left, pursued 

It was a noble sight, the very thought of it 
makes the heart bound. Fast, very &st and strong 
are the Tartar horses, and well was their speed tried 
by Probyn's sowars ; dodging fellows are the Tartar 
soldiers, well trained as the Indian to stretch along 
this side of the horse or that, to avoid a shot, a cut, 

M 



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162 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

or a thrust, and ail their arts were tried that day, 
but by many tried in vain, as the ground showed as 
I rode over it after it had been swept by the little 
handful of irregulars. In every attitude of death 
they lay, and many unhorsed and wounded, who 
feigned death ; nor was it safe to go near these fel- 
lows, expecting no quarter, they would fire at you 
firom behind, if possible, and in this way several of 
our men were wounded. I had rather a narrow 
escape; I was sitting on my horse looking at a 
Tartar, a remarkably powerful man, stretched in 
death apparently at my feet, beside him lay a spear 
decorated with a very handsome flag, and as it 
happened, being quite unarmed (as no one expected 
when we marched in the morning that there was to 
be a fight), I contemplated arming myself for the 
remainder of the day with the lance of the prostrate 
enemy. 

But just as I was in the act of dismounting, my 
right foot out of the stirrup, the dead Tartar 
stretched out his hand, seized the lance, and with 
one movement sprang to his feet ; unarmed, I lost 
no time in placing three or four horses' lengths 
between myself and the Tartar, and it is difficult to 
say which of the two was more alarmed, for the 
Tartar bolted for a village at hand as &st as he could 
run, he was unwounded; having been simply un- 
horsed in the charge, he feigned death, but imagin- 
ing, no doubt, that I was dismounting to despatch 
him (having discovered the feint), he determined to 



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A KARBOW ESCAPE. 163 

fight fi)r it : whereas I, having nothing to figlit with 
(and very glad I am that I had no weapon), and seeing 
a dead man, as I imagmed, come to life, thought that 
a quick retreat was just the thing for the occasion. 
The poor fellow, however, was not destined to 
survive, another officer rode at him and shot him 
in the back with a revolver, he fell, and the officer 
drew his sword, but the undaunted Tartar sprang 
s^aJn to his feet, unhorsed the officer with his lance, 
and again fled ; but a sowar of Probyn's (orderly to 
Colonel M^Kenzie) gave him the fatal thrust. " Fm 
awful civil to that orderly of mine," said my friend. 
Colonel M*Kenzie, to me, " I have a great respect 
for the man since I saw the way he polished off 
that Tartar; he's the last man in the army I'd like 
to quarrel with ; I've a great respect for him, I assure 
ye. 

Probyn's Horse retorned, and no more was seen of 
the Tartar cavalry on that day, bnt in the distance. 



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164 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



CHAPTER X. 

Burning Camps— Gbangkeawhan — ^Looting-^Suioides— House of Re- 
fiige — ^The Field of Battle— Home-like Scenery — Coolies — Mickey 
King — ^Packing Baggage — Advance of the Tartars — ^Useless Squares 
— Charge of the King's Dragoon Guards — ^Irregulars — Camp and 
Village burnt — ^An Armstrong Shell. 

Meantime in the centre, our artillery having nearly 
silenced the enemy's guns, Sir H. Grant moved on 
with the 99th and 15th Punjaub Native In&ntry and 
turned the right flank of their position, without any 
very great loss to them ; and the rest of the day was 
occupied by us in burning several large camps, which 
lay to the left beyond the town of Changkeawhan, a 
range of about four miles ; while Probyn's Horse and 
the King's Dragoon Guards, with the six-pounders, 
were occupied in pursuing the distant dust of the 
Tartar cavalry, having spent several hours in endea- 
vouring to catch them, led by Sir John MicheL We 
could not perhaps safely have left them unwatched, 
as our baggage was still in the village in our rear, 
supposed to be out of range of the enemy's fire ; but 
those large Chinese guns carry a long way, for an 
officer of the Military Train, Captain GkK)dall, was 
knocked off his horse and badly wounded by a round 



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CHANGKEAWHAN. 165 

shot, and more than one private soldier also of the 
baggage guard. 

And here, knowing what we now know but did 
not imow then, it appears to be matter of regret that 
the cavaby and some of the guns were not pushed 
on to Tungchow, only eight miles from the scene of 
action, to invest or watch it, or blow in a gate and 
take it, as they might have done ; for then the lives 
of all the prisoners might have been saved ; there 
was nothing to prevent this, nothing at least when 
weighed against the safety of so many valuable lives, 
which were, alas I lost by this one day's delay ; but 
this did not occur to the Commander-in-Chief, or did 
not suit his plans. 

On the right the French, having turned the 
enemy's position, swept their whole left, and using 
their in&ntry more and their guns less, injflicted 
a more severe chastisement upon the Tartars, as 
the ground showed when we rode over it the 
day but one after. Lieutenant Cattley, with a 
squadron of Fane's Horse, having been attached to 
the French, highly distinguished himself. The Tar- 
tars could not stand against our Armstrong shells, 
and they had made a clean bolt of it before our in- 
fentry could catch them ; whereas with the French 
they fought more, and suffered more in proportion. 

About three miles from the scene of action lay the 
town of Changkeawhan. Through it the road to 
Tungchow lay, and by that road Sankolinsin retreated 
his beaten army of 30,000 men, minus killed and 



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166 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

wounded a eoBsiderable number; that he oonunanded 
in person we learned afterwards, and the amonnt of 
his force we learned also from a reliable source. Sir 
H. Grant had made an accurate calculation of the 
number of the enemy, as their own authorities sub- 
sequently gave that number. Changkeawhan is a 
large and straggling town, walled, with a river sur- 
rounding a large portion of it It contaixis, or rather 
did c(mtain many large warehouses and excellent 
houses, inhabited by wealthy people ; they had nearly 
all fled, and few remained but the poorer people^ and 
of course the ^^ budmashes ; '' it had also one mighty 
pawn-shop. Into this town we marched about 6 p jc, 
having been in the saddle since 5 a jc, a long day 
under a baking sun. The in&ntry were quartered 
in houses in the town, the cavalry and artillery were 
encamped just outside it 

This was the first place given up to the troops to 
plunder by the Commander-in-Chie^ and every one 
thought very justly, as a punishment to the Chinese 
for their treachery. The Indian troops, the Hong- 
Kong coolies, and the Indian camp-followers, showed 
their superiority to the British soldier in the practice 
of looting. The natives and Indians knew where to 
look for valuables, and would turn a house inside out 
while the soldier was thinking how he should get in. 
I did not hear of anything of real value being found, 
nor did the benefit which accrued to our force from 
their plunder equal the one-thousandth part of the 
punishment inflicted upon the Chinese by their losses. 



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SUICIDES. 167 

Some people imagined that tea of great value had 
been fomid in two warehouses in the town ; it was 
brick tea, I made some tea of it, but could not drink 
it, it was so bad. It was, however, all eventually left 
there whefa we were returning firom Pekin. Many 
of the women and young girls had been left behmd 
in the houses, and were found by our troops in the 
quarters which they occupied, and they were treated 
by our officers and men with the greatest considerar 
tion and kindness. Many had destroyed themselves ; 
one young girl flung herself from the stone bridge 
as the troops were marching over it, on to the dry 
part of the rive's bed, and died with one convulsive 
shudder. Several &milies of women were found 
wholly or partially poisoned by opium ; some we suo- 
ceeded in recovering, but many died. 

I took possession of a large house containing seve- 
ral courtyards surrounded by rooms, and from which 
the owner, a wise man, had not removed. He was 
promised protection, and a sentry placed on the door ; 
and here I collected all the &Qulies w]uch I could 
find in the town, and had them supplied with provi- 
sions during our stay. One fat lady, who had a 
young daughter and a crowd of about fifteen subor- 
dinate women, refused to move from her own house, 
where it was totally unsafe to leave her. Mr. 
Swinhoe, the interpreter, exhausted in vain all his 
eloquence upon her ; she said that " our hearts were 
not true," and " that she did not want to live.'' 
At length we lifted her into a cart, her daughter 



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168 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

followed, and the other women also, like sheep. But 
so inveterate was her distrost^ that she had very 
nearly succeeded in strangling her daughter before 
the cart reached the house of refiige ; the girl was at 
her last gasp. These poor people, however, soon 
found out that ^ our hearts were true,'' and that we 
intended nothing but kindness to them. Great con- 
sideration was shown by the old gentleman of the 
house towards his compulsory visitors, he supplied 
them with attendance, &c., &c. ; and the surgeon of 
the 2nd Queen's was most kind in his endeavours to 
recover those who had endeavoured to poison them- 
selves with opium, and succeeded in several cases. 

We remained at Changkeawhan untQ the morning 
of Friday the 21st The country round it was far 
from uninteresting, and each day of our stay I rode 
out for an hour or two in the afternoon ; on the 20th 
I rode over the ground of our engagement on the 
day but one before. Soon after we left the southern 
gate of the town we came upon the first traces of the 
battle, unhappy Tartars who had been wounded and 
come so fiu* in their retreat, but had dropped and 
died, unheeded and unburied; the sun had in that 
short time blackened them and swelled their corpses 
to a Mghtful size. As we went on, and came to 
their line of defence, we could not but admit that it 
was well chosen and very strong; a raised road, 
fourteen or sixteen feet wide and varying from six to 
eighteen feet in height, made an admirable parapet; 
through this they had cut embrasures, and their line 



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THE FIELD OF BATTLK 169 

of defence extended, I should say, for about a mile- 
and-a-half ; they had about sixty large guns in po- 
sition, besides a large number of smaller field- 
pieces on carriages, moveable by horses fix)m point to 
point as occaaon might require. 

Bound each gun were the bodies of the un- 
fortunate artillerymen in every attitude of fright- 
ful death, mangled first by our Armstrong shells, 
and rendered tenfold hideous by the effect of 
forty-eight hours of a Chinese climate, which ap- 
pears to possess a singular potency in putre- 
faction. The telling effect of our fire was more 
palpable as we came to their centre, where our guns 
first opened upon them, and where they made the 
longest stand; their breastworks of trees torn and 
shattered like grass by the Armstrongs, and those 
fittal fiagments dealing death wherever they touch, 
now tearing away the side of a head, so that you 
could hardly tell it was a head except fix>m its rela- 
tive position to the other members of the corpse ; 
now striking the body, and tearing a canal fix)m 
abdomen to shoulder as it burst upwards, exposing 
all the viscera ; again, a limb, and leaving nothing 
but a fine shred of skin at the &tal spot. It was a 
sight (though seen before) never to be forgotten, 
and one that while you gaze upon you say, Grod for- 
bid I should ever see such an one again. 

The enemy's left, which the French outflanked 
and took, was backed all along by villages, which 
rendered that part of the position stronger, and 



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170 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

while the gans were not so nomeronSy the ground 
upon the whole was more tenable, and that the 
Tartars had made a better fight was, as I said 
before, made evident by the greater number of 
killed Here you saw that the rifle and the bayonet 
had been brought into play ; a courtyard where 
a stand was made by the Tartars was strewn with 
dead, for whose wounds you would have to look 
till you saw the small dark spot. Beautiful these 
villages were, once so peaceful, now forsaken, blood- 
stained, blackened by fire ; the abodes once of rural 
happiness, now become charnel-houses. 

The country all round fix)m this to Pekin is 
thickly dotted with these very pretty villages ; and 
I cannot pay the Chinese a greater compliment than 
to say that they reminded me in a measure of SQme 
of your own most picturesque villages, my dear John 
Bull. Yes, / have been reminded of England in this 
part of China. The delusion was oh, how delightful t 
It is almost worth while goiag away to find out 
how much you love home. The dream passed 
away like a flash of lightning, but I blessed it as 
it shone out to lighten the darkness of my heart 
You required, as the " Marchioness '* says, to " make 
believe very much," and then it was delicious ; the 
orange-peel-and-water tasted quite like wine. There 
was the grateful shade of over-hanging trees, richly- 
cultivated gardens, and something very like the 
" hauhn" fences which you meet with in some of the 
Eastern counties round the &rmyards, and the wells 



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HOME-LIKB SCENERY. 171 

of delidoos cold, cold water which we have found 
everywhere since we left Hooseewoo; draw it up 
with the cord and bucket, and, if you are really 
thirsty, say if you ever drank anything more deli- 
cious ; go on another hundred yards and youll find 
another well, just as cool and as good 

You must not look at the houses, or you are unde- 
ceived at once ; not the comfortable red-brick cottage 
(I hate light-coloured bricks) with tiled rool No ; 
a mud-wall with a door in it, and inside the door a 
courtyard, and round that the dwelling-rooms. But 
now you find the whole place deserted, except per- 
haps by an old and decrepit nmn and woman, who 
" kowtow," expecting to be killed ; you " chinchin," 
and pat them on the back, and they are very much 
pleased. In the next courtyard you will probably 
find half-a-dozen blackened corpses; it has been 
occupied by the Tartar troops, and the French have 
attacked them, with the usual result; matchlocks 
and soldiers' caps, decorated with two tails of some 
animal of the martin kind, sticking out behind hori- 
zontally, strew the ground. War is an awfiil scourge. 
Treachery of the deepest dye was meditated against 
us, but it was mercifully fiiistrated. How did I join 
in my heart in those deeply-expressive words of our 
Liturgy every Sunday, "Strengthen her that she 
may vanquish and overcome all her enemies ;'* and 
not less in those that follow, " And finally after this 
life that she may attain everlasting joy and felicity 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 



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172 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

Back we ride in the evening to Changkeawlian, and 
find a very good dinner awaiting us, thanks to our 
" number one" mess president, who fed us as well as 
possible through the whole campaign ; a stem and 
sturdy fellow he vxis (and I hope is, and long will be), 
who, if he did not see his way clearly as to the car- 
riage of his supplies, would not hesitate to put us on 
** rations," and limit us with the most Spartan severity. 

At Changkeawhan I became a gentleman. Start 
not, gentle reader, you have not hitherto been read- 
ing the eflFosions of a fiill private, or a travelling 
gent I repeat, that here I became a gentleman, as 
to the conveyance of my baggage. The town was 
full of all sorts of things; and carts, mules, and 
ponies amongst the rest. I had hitherto been de- 
pendmg upon a pack-pony and two coolies (lazy 
fellows they were, except under the stem rale of the 
Coolie Corps), and my fellows had acquired so much 
property of their own of all sorts, that, what between 
cooking-pots, " chowchow," bedding, and loot of all 
kinds, they rather required, than gave assistance, in 
the general move. Eemember, I had my tent to 
carry as well as all other things required, besides 
sundry official matters. In vain I had remonstrated 
fi*om time to time with the soldier attached to me as 
to the increased, and ever increasing, "bundles'* 
which I saw each morning in the grey dawn beside 
my own baggage when mustered for the march. 
The answer I got was to this effect " It's the coo- 
lies, sir; and bad luck to them coolies I say, they're 



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PACKING BAGGAGE. 173 

the plague of my life. One of them*s sick, anyway 
hB says he is, and divil doubt him, I wouldn't won- 
der. Didn't I see him makin' a baste of himself 
with the little pig he cotch onbeknownst last night. 
No wonder he wouldn't be able to walk, let alone to 
carry his load this momin'. Here, coolie, you sick 
fella; d'ye hear me talkin' to you. I say, *you 
savey,' come talkee master; you get up do master 
pigeon, you savey." Here the coolie would grunt, 
and pretend to be very lame ; and I was obliged to 
put an additional load on my pack-pony, who, of 
course, resented the injustice by kicking everything 
ofiF. Of this I was happily ignorant, for having seen 
a 6ir start I rode on. At the end of the march I 
found my baggage had not arrived ; no tent, " no 
nothing." Rode back three or four miles, and found 
the soldier sitting beside the baggage, remonstrating 
in turn with the coolies and the pony, all of whom 
had "struck work;" and vigorous exertions were 
required to bring up the baggage, I having had 
nothing to eat or drink but a cup of tea at day- 
break. Now, however, I again repeat, I became a 
gentleman. 

My Madrassee, on the day after we came to 
Changkeawhan, when he brought me my morning's 
cup of tea, addressed me thus, " Suppose master hab 
kort, master get all baggages well, suppose I find 
kort, master can take." The scamp had been out 
looting at daybreak or before it, I have no doubt, as 
when I got up he led me direct to the yaid of a 



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174 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

honse, wliich had been turned inside ont, where 
there was an excellent cart, and having taken care 
to provide myself with an order from the Qnarter- 
Master-Q^n^ral to seize a cart, I brought it to my 
quarters and felt happy. 

lieutenant-Colonel Wolseley was sent on to recon- 
noitre, and reported that the enemy were in force 
about five miles off to the left of Tungchow ; and 
all things being ready, we marched on the morning 
of Friday the 21st directly on their position, at six 
o'clock. 

The baggage was parked in a village about three 
miles from Changkeawhan, and we halted for about 
an hour-and-a-ha]f in a tope of trees, as the General 
would not proceed until he was well assured that 
the baggage was all safe, and there was some delay 
in bringing it up. The French were on the rights 
the country through which we were marching was 
becoming more wooded every mile, and it was by 
no means an easy matter to find your way in it, nor 
could you see, &r in advance as the topes of trees 
and large planted cemeteries, irregularly dispersed, 
obstructed the view. Thus it occurred that we 
came rather unexpectedly upon the Tartars. Sir 
Hope was riding in fix)nt of our little force with 
some of his staff, and the marines, 99th, and the 
Armstrong guns were advancing, tilie in&ntry in 
column, and the cavalry on the left, when we were 
surprised, as we marched down upon a road on the 
left of a large cemetery, to see the General and staff 



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ADVANCE OF THE TABTABS. 176 

come back to ns at a round canter, and a cloud of 
dust in their rear about 400 yards off. They had 
ridden forward under the impression that the sol- 
diers whom they saw in their fix)nt were French 
skirmishers (as the French had already engaged 
the enemy), and discovered just in the nick of time 
that these troops were Tartars ; the tall millet pre* 
vented the General from perceiving whether they 
were infimtry or cavalry at first 

The Tartars seeing but a small party, rushed on ; 
encouraged when they witnessed the retreat of five 
or six officers fix)m as many thousands, on they came 
in fiill career, charging up to our infentry and guns. 
How it occurred matters not ; but it certainly was 
a pily that our infentry did not receive this chaarge 
in line ; no doubt the troops had pluck enough for 
anything, but somehow the ideas of " cavalry '* and 
'^ square " seem so inseparably connected in the mind 
of the British soldier and officer, that it has become 
almost an instinct with him ; the word of command 
** prepare to receive cavalry" is all very well, but 
what cavalry ? What sort, how armed, how numer- 
ous, everything else of this sort should be taken 
into account before that everlasting square is formed. 
Our tactics, it seemed to the ignorant, should have 
been to let these Tartars come on, to encourage them 
in every way to do so; their numbers could not 
avail against our weapons, and what we wanted was 
to reach them ; they had never yet had a good taste 
of our in&ntry, and now would have been the time 



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176 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

to give it to them ; they knew an Annstrong shell 
when they saw it, and they knew something of our 
cavahy, but we never had such a chance in the 
whole war of allowing the Tartars to feel the im- 
pression of a Minie rifle, and it was lost ; the in&ntry 
formed square, and fired a volley ; the artillery un- 
limbered in an incredibly short space of time, and 
two or three rounds of course drove away the Tar- 
tars ; but if the guns had kept quiet, and the in&n- 
try had received the charge as the Highlanders 
were prepared to do at Balaclava, the Tartars would 
have known more than they do now about our 
soldiers and our arms. 

The in&ntry fired, and the guns fired ; and that 
was very nearly the last the guns or the infimtry 
saw of the Tartars during the day, for they moved 
off to our left to a village, where some skirmishing 
took place between the 99 th and the enemy. And 
they showed a determined fix)nt about a quarter of 
a mile beyond the village, and a very strong body 
of cavalry, some 3000 at least, were formed in a 
particularly advantageous position. 

They were drawn up on the further side of a 
deep sunken road, too wide for a horse to charge 
across; and about 100 to 150 yards farther on m 
their firont was another road of a similar description^ 
Bo that any cavalry charging them in fix)nt must pull 
up, in order to get over both these serious obstacles, 
while they were all the time subject to a galling fire 
fix>m the matchlocks and guigalls of the enemy. 



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USELESS SQUABES. 177 

Across this ground our cavalry was ordered to charge, 
the King's Dragoon Guards (i.e. one wing of the 
regiment, all that we had during the campaign) 
being in front, Fane's next, and Probyn's in reserve, 
— ^the brigade led on by Brigadier Pattle. 

They started in a good, easy canter, at about 400 
yards from the enemy, in complete ignorance, of 
course, of the nature of the ground before them ; and 
while the King's Dragoon Guards, commanded by 
Colonel Sayer, were just beginning to press their 
horses to the gallop, they were thrown on their 
haunches at once, by road number one. Several 
horses went down in the road, but the Brigadier got 
them through, and started again ; when, just as they 
reached the enemy (who stood gallantly to receive 
them), they came upon the second roexL Into and 
through it they dashed. No pulling up this time ; 
a good many unavoidably went down, but the fortu- 
nate ones, when once across, got a real good ^ go in" 
at the Tartars. 

They had calculated that we could not get over 
their "obstacles," or that their fire would throw 
US into confrision while we were getting across. 
But little did they know the mettle of the old 
King's Dragoon Guards. Best assured that the 
Tartars never will make such a mistake again as to 
receive a charge of British cavalry. Down they 
went like ninepins as our long-armed " heavies" gave 
them the pomt; the weight of horse and man car- 
ried everything before it^ as, according to Homer, 

N 



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178 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

when the bursting of a dam, or the melting of the 
snows on the mountains, floods the valley below. 
No doubt the old heavies can do the work when 
they reach the enemy ; but the difficulty is that the 
horse has so much to carry, if the previous march 
has been long, or the ground deep, as at Sinho ; he 
is done up before he encounters them. Here, how- 
ever, they were all fresh ; and no troops could have 
done better than they did, as the ghastly spectacle 
proved to those who saw it at the time. One poor 
fellow with the back of his head dean cut off; an- 
other cleft from the shoulder, half-way down the 
chest ; the next run right through and through, from 
shoulder to chest, as he fled, caught by the superior 
stride of the high-bred troop-horse ; another villain 
with a frightM flesh-wound in the arm tries to pot 
you with his matchlock from a little stook of millet 
in which he has taken shelter, but perceiving that 
he is discovered, and hopmg for no mercy, he endea- 
vours to have the first throw in the game for life ; 
ah I a 99th man sees it, and bears down on him with 
his bayonet You turn away in disgust ; but what 
can you say ? the savage Tartar fights as a savage, 
and if you don't kill him he will kiU you. 

A staff-officer told me that he had counted on the 
day but one after, 140 Tartars on the ground ; a very 
large number when you recollect that we had but a 
handful of dragoons, and that the Tartars bolted as 
soon as they discovered what stuff the British sol- 
dier is made of. 



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CHARGE OF THE KING'S DRAGOON GUARDS. 179 

The in&Qtry moved off to the right The Queen's 
and 15th Pimjaab were on the extreme right of our 
force, the marines in the centre, and the 99th on the 
left. But Fane and Probyn had a small account to 
settle with the wily Tartar. Probyn was in reserve ; 
and Pane, in support of the King's Dragoon Guards, 
charged on the left, and thus managed to catch a 
number of them after they had been broken by the 
heavy cavalry. He did not, however, escape the 
sunken roads ; and J5x>m the impetuosity of the Sikhs, 
and the independent mode in which they fight when 
once let loose, they could not be brought so safely 
through such difficult ground as were the English 
horse. Probyn, on the left again of Fane, cut off 
their retreat completely from the direction of Chang- 
keawhan, and so secured our rear and our baggage ; 
but the worst of it was that, wherever those turbans, 
either red or blue, were seen, or those lances glistened 
in the sun, it served as a notice to quit to any Tar- 
tars that were within sight. They could not well get 
at them. 

While the irregulars were manoeuvring and pur- 
smng on the extreme left, the King's Dragoon 
Guards, 99th, and Eoyal Marines, with one or two 
of Barry's guns, advanced against a very strong 
camp and village on the right of the light cavalry. 
A well-maintained fire was kept up on the King's 
Dragoon Gruards, who were unable to penetrate into 
the camp, as it was not only ditched, but was placed 
in one of those groves of trees which are surrounded 

N 2 



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180 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

by a growing palisade of pines, planted so close 
together that even a foot-soldier could hardly squeeze 
his way between them. Brigadier Pattle having 
sent word to Sir H. Grant to this efltect, the 99th, 
under conunand of Colonel Dowbiggin, were ordered 
to carry the place, which they did in gallant style, 
but not without an obstinate resistance from the 
Tartars, who kept up a galling fire fix)m the windows 
and roofe of the houses in the village, until they were 
dislodged at the point of the bayonet The camp 
rested on the village, and it was one of those village- 
barracks, if you may so call them, which are found in 
the neighbourhood of Pekin, and are the permanent 
residence of Tartar regiments, as the &milies of some 
of them live there, and there are stores of grain and 
provisions of all sorts. No doubt it was the hot of 
its being the home of these soldiers that inspired 
them with the determination which they showed in 
encountering the 99th, and fighting to the very last 
The camp was a most charming place, deeply 
shaded, and perfectly fenced ; it was as cool as the 
thickest covering of the interwoven branches of the 
dark pine could make it The tents were excellent, 
like our Indian paUs, and those of the commanding 
officers were red or blue. They had been disturbed, 
poor fellows, as they were preparing their morning 
meal ; the stoves still burned, but the food was sadly 
overdone; all their properties, spare. arms, and am- 
munition were in their tents, which were soon in a 
blaze ; the magazmes blew up, and a lai^ part of 



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AN ABMSTBONa SHBTJ,. 181 

the village was burnt also. Two other camps, mnch 
like this, within about a mile of it, were also burnt ; 
and a number of guns taken, in all three; Sir 
H. Grant remained on the spot until the guns were 
brought out of these camps and moved off towards 
Palechow, our next camping-ground 

Captain Green, Assistant-Deputy-AdjutantrG^ne- 
ral. First Division, captured some banners upon this 
occasion of the imperial yellow, and bordered, which 
proved that the picked troops which Pekin could 
produce had been brought against us, commanded 
by princes of the Imperial &mily ; and we heard a 
rumour some time afterwards that one of them had 
been wounded upon that day, and that this had cost 
poor Captain Brabazon his life. 

I have mentioned that we had one or two Arm- 
strong guns along with the 99th and marines. Im- 
mediately before the assault upon the camp and 
village took place, as detailed already, we saw, at the 
distance of about a mile-and-a-quarter, some Tartar 
cavalry moving off past the end of a grove of trees, 
which, as a background, caused them to stand out in 
clear relief. A gun was immediately laid upon the 
spot and there was time but for one shot ; we could 
see that it had taken effect, but not until later in the 
day was it known to what extent I happened to 
pass the spot in the evening as we came near our 
camping-ground, and I recognized it at once by the 
grove of remarkably fine trees, and I never saw a 
more ghastly sight than that which presented itself; 



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182 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

three horses, or rather the limbs of three horses, lay 
scattered on the ground, the hindlegs of one animal 
were blown away several feet fix>m him, all were 
shattered^ and one wretched heap of cotton tinder 
and human cinder lay smouldering near; the other 
bodies had been carried off, for no trace was to be 
seen of the riders of the other horses. Then it was, 
I fear, that riding in the rear of his troops, our Arm- 
strong shell, which just caught the last of the columm, 
wounded the ignoble wretch who gave the brutal 
order to put his prisoners to death upon the spot 
Here, we suppose, that poor Brabazon died 

The sun was setting when we reached Palechow, 
our baggage was just arriving, and it was only by a 
struggle, and a vigorous one, that tents were pitched, 
and horses picketed before the night fell 



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PALECHOW, 183 



CHAPTER XI. 

Falechow--Standiiig Gamp— Messrs. Parkes and Loch— Marble Tomb 
—Market— Camp Shaves — Sick and Wounded— Ultimatum— Dep6t 
^-Mahometan Mosque — ^Major Brown's Horses — ^Bivouao— Brick 
Kilns — Skirmishing — ^Pekin— Our lost AUies^TOur Cayaliy miss- 
ing — ^Head-quarter Temple. 

We encamped on the evening of the 21st at Pale- 
chow, about four miles from Tmigchow, haJf-a-mile 
or three quarters on the left of the great flagged road 
which leads from that city to Pekin, and thus within 
about eleyen miles of the capital. The ground chosen 
was very good, a large canal close at hand supplied 
abundance of water, as did the weUs also, unless, as 
sometimes happened, they were stopped up with the 
bodies of Chinese women who had either thrown 
themselves in, or been thrown in by others. I re- 
member one well which was very central and a good 
deal used, a " beestie " dropped his bucket or can into 
it, and sent down a hook to try and fish it up again, 
but he brought up instead the body of a Chinawo- 
man ; nor was it by any means the stem severity of 
their virtue which led these poor women to commit 
suicide, it was the fear of being put to death by us^ 
after having been otherwise illtreated ; as" when the 



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184 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

Chinese make war upon one another (as for instance 
in the present rebellion), their practice is to put the 
women to death eventually, so that it was to avoid 
death in perhaps, as they feared, a worse form along 
with other evils that they drowned themselves ; poor 
things I had they only known it, they would have 
been very safe. There were numerous topes of trees 
in which general officers usually placed themselves, 
while the unfortunate head-quarter staff were en- 
camped on a small hillock surrounded by roads along 
which every horse in the force went to water twice 
a day, so that they must have eaten their peck of 
dust at once. There were numerous viUs^es all 
round, from which almost all the inhabitants had 
fled ; indeed, from Palechow to Pekin the country is 
studded with villages, and along the grand road it 
is almost one continued town the whole way. 

A large canal runs from Tungchow to Pekin and 
appears to be a good deal used for the conveyance of 
grain; this canal lay between our camp and the 
grand road. There was a bridge at the village of 
Palechow, and we bridged it with boats about 
three-quarters of a mile nearer to Pekin, as the na- 
tive bridge would not carry our guns. Here we 
were destined to remain for some days, and weary 
days of disappointed expectation they proved to be ; 
we were however obliged to wait for reinforcements 
and for our siege train before we made our final ad- 
vance upon Pekin, while we held out our delay to 
the Chinese as a boon granted to them to induce 



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MESSRS. PABKES AND LOCH. 186 

them to deliver up their prisoners. Flags of trace 
arrived every day with messages from Pekin or else- 
where, one more &lse than another, all assuring ns 
that our fellow-comitrymen were safe and welL Of 
Mr. Parkes's and Mr. Loch's safety we were assured, 
as a commnnication came from them to the Embassy, 
as Lord Elgin had come to the front fi*om Hooseewoo ; 
and in sending some clothes which they asked for, a 
written communication was conveyed from the Em- 
bassy to Mr. Parkes, by being sewed to his shirt as 
if it had been a mark to fix the ownership of that 
article ; it was written in Hindustanee. 

About two miles from our camp in the rear, on the 
road to Tungchow, the French camp lay ; the canal 
was here spanned by a splendid bridge of white 
marble, but going to decay like everything else in 
China, and not improved by a few shots from the 
French guns, as this had been the scene of the hot- 
test part of their fight on the 21st I rode over on 
the 22nd to their lines, and the banks of the canal 
were strewed with the bodies of the unfortunate 
Tartars, while weapons of all sorts covered the 
ground in some places. The Tartars had made a 
retreating fight of it for about two miles with the 
French, and this bridge had been the scene of their 
fijial stand ; they had clearly expected that the allied 
force would advance by the direct road from Chang- 
keawhan to Pekin, which led across this bridge. 
They had laid their guns and stationed their force 
accordingly. This, in fiewjt the French did, and so 



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186 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

ihey came in for the largest share of the fighting; 
whereas, our force being provided with cavahy, was 
better fitted to engage their cavaby and to prevent 
them Scorn turning the left of the allied army, which 
it had been clearly their aim to accomplish. It was 
no difficult matter to trace back the French advance 
fix)m their camp to the place where they were first 
engaged ; indeed, you might have hunted the trail 
like a hound, as the unburied Tartars and their 
horses already tainted the air &r and wide. 

About a mile fix)m the bridge was a most beautiful 
marble tomb, fenced about with cypress trees, planted 
so close together that you could hardly force your way 
between them, and thus forming a living palisade, 
the space enclosed being some five or six acres in 
extent, and beautifully planted with ornamental tim- 
ber and shrubs ; you entered by a white marble gate, 
outside was a moat, now dry, and a massive column 
of white marble, richly chiselled, about twenty feet 
high, and resting (as all the monuments of the great 
do in this part of China) on the back of a huge tor- 
toise in marble. This was evidently the burial- 
ground of some great people, and stood in a grove of 
fine trees. Here the Tartars had made a long stand* 
Their guns here were trained on the road fit)m 
Ghangkeawhan, and it was a very strong position ; 
but the silent testimony of splintered trees, scores of 
dead horses, and ghastly corpses of Tartars which 
lay on every side, proved that the French rifled 
cannon is a weapon before whidi no enemy, not 



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MARKET. 187 

equally armed, can stand, and when they were once 
made to feel the power of tibeir guns they dreaded 
the encounter again. 

The Hon. Colonel Foley, who was with the French 
army as English Commissioner, and no man could 
be better fitted for such a post, where tact and good 
sense are required, told me that at first the Tartars 
advanced on the French so boldly and came to such 
close quarters, that he drew his revolver, feeling cer- 
tain that it was going to be a hand-to-hand encounter, 
but this rashness upon their part was not repeated. 
It is no use to repeat the details of horrid sights 
which I witnessed fix>m day to day in taking an 
evening's ride; it might not have been safe to take 
the Pekin direction, and in every other you were 
met by sad illustrations of the horrors of war. 

Mr. Wade established a market in the camp ; the 
authorities at Tungchow, some four miles off, were 
only too glad to be civil to us, as their city was at 
our mercy, and a little gentle pressure upon them 
soon procured a good supply of fruit and vegetables, 
the former as good as could be, but the latter, like 
all Chinese vegetables, in my opmion coarse and 
bad. Oh I how often have I longed for a real potato ; 
yes^ and a piece of good English cabbage, despised 
at home. Mutton also was brought to market, but 
our commissariat was stiU more dependent upon a 
"foray ** with a party of Fane's or Probyn's Horse, 
making a sweep some miles off in the country. 

In this service, as in every other, these irregular 



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188 HOW WE OCT TO PEKIN. 

troops proved invaluable throughout the campaign, 
in fiwjt we could not have done without them. Their 
own habits at home rendered them adepts in various 
most important branches of cavalry duty ; they could 
find their way so well in a strange country, were so 
independent, that for keeping up communications 
they were invaluable, as well as for foraging, and 
we had a long seventy miles of communication to 
keep up with Tien-Tsin, and all our foraging to do 
besides ; and then they were always as ready for a 
fight as if they had nothing else to do. 

Now, the British soldier never having anything to 
get or do for himself being always used to have his 
meat found and cut up for him at a certain hour, and 
to be spoon fed with it, must be spoon fed always ; 
then he wiU fight for you like a man. 

So we went on existing at Palechow. " Shaves " of 
all sorts flew through the camp every day, so that no 
one was surprised at anything he heard. As the 
Brigade Major of the twentieth brigade (we wiU call 
it so) walked into the tent of his Brigadier one morn- 
ing he was met by the welcome words, " Well, Jones, 
it's all right, I'm glad to tell you it's all right; I 
have it on the best authority it's all right" Jcmes, 
of course, thought of but one thing, that the pri- 
soners were to be given up, the treaty signed forth- 
with, and began to see visions of dulce^ dulce domuniy 
and Mrs. Jones in esse or in posse^ or perhaps, 
naughty man, of " the Rag." " Well, Tm sure, sir, 
I'm very glad to hear it; we've been long enou^ 



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CAMP SHAVES. 189 

in this beastly country for my mind, and if If s all 
right now, as you say it is, I suppose we shall get 
away at once /' Brigadier : " My dear fellow, what 
are you talking about, did I say we were going away ? 
I said, my toe was * all right,* at least I meant to say 

so, for T d told me so this morning, he has got 

the bullet out/' The dear old gentleman had been 
shot in half-ardozen places at the storming of the 
forts, and he thought that all tms right when the last 
ball was extracted. So, of course, the shave for the 
rest of the day was, " Did you hear it's all right ? " 

**No; is it?" "Yes; Brigadier 's toe is all 

right" 

It was very hot in the bell-tents during the day, 
and we had no others even for hospitals ; the conse- 
quence was that the sick and wounded men suffered 
a good deal; all that could be done however was 
done. The Queen's secured some houses in a village 
near their camp, where they had an excellent hospi- 
tal, cool and comfortable, and those who were not so 
fortunate shaded their hospital tents with millet straw. 
Dr. Muir, our excellent principal medical officer, 
joined us here, and took measures at once to send 
the invalids and wounded to Tien-Tsin by boat down 
the river from Tungchow. Among the former waa 
Brigadier Sutton, who was reluctantly obliged to 
leave from lQ health, and among the latter Captain 
Bradbury, of the King's Dragoon Guards, who was 
severely wounded between the shoulders in their 
gallant charge on the 21st 



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190 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

I see no reason why I should detain you any longer 
at Palechow. It is true that the army remained 
there until the 3rd of October, but why need you 
stay there an equivalent time ? There is nothing of 
any great interest about it, except you like the 
effluvia of horse and Tartar exposed to the sun for 
days; all the thousands of ducks (beautifid white 
ones, just like our own Aylesburys) which covered 
the canal when we first arrived, have been killed; 
they hardly lasted two days. Officers, soldiers, 
sowars, sices, and Hong Kong coolies, aU took a turn 
at them ; aU the mules and ponies in the neighbour- 
hood have been driven in ; the sweet potatoes and 
onions are nearly all gone ; the furniture of all the 
houses m the deserted villages has been burnt for 
firewood; sick and wounded have been sent away 
down the river to the hospital ships. The siege- 
train has arrived, plenty of ammunition been brought 
up, " ultimatums ** been sent in like the end of the 
Presbyterian minister's sermon, "finally," "lastly,'* 
" and in conclusion ; " in short, there is nothing to 
stay for. 

A dust storm or two have rendered the place 
rather disagreeable, so we will move on; it is 
not fex, only about a mile-and-a-half to Chankian- 
ying; it is not my feult if they will give such out- 
landish names to places in Chma. In order to get 
there we cross one of the bridges over the canal, 
march on to the paved road, ride along it for a mile 
and then turn off to the right, and there you are. 



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DEPOT. 191 

This is the depdt, where all our reserve ammunition 
is to be lefty all baggage, packs, tents, and everything 
else, as we are to advance on Pekin quite unencum- 
bered, and are to rejoice once more, as at Sinho, in 
the bivouac, vice bell-tent, stored. Well, never mind, 
we can do without the tents. 

The dep6t was formed in a very weU chosen spot, 
and withal a very pretty one; it was one of the 
splendid burying-places which abound on this side of 
Pekin ; it was walled in and thickly planted, and 
in a day the sappers made it very defensible. This 
cemetery contained the handsomest sarcophagus 
which I have seen in China, shaped very perfectly, 
from white marble, and covered with sculpture 
emblematic of the riches and virtues, &c., of the 
deceased. I thought of Ruskin when I looked upon 
it, and wondered what fitult he would find with it. 
It was placed upon most gracefiil supports, and what 
with the cool Cyprus which overhung it, and the 
solemn tone which it imparts to the feelings, and the 
classic beauty of the work itself, I felt greatly im- 
pressed by it; such feelings, however, are not of 
long duration in war time, the hard and stem realities 
of life leave but little time or thought or care for the 
gentler emotions. 

The head-quarters and Lord Elgin, who advanced 
with the army, were quartered in a Mahomedan 
mosque on the extreme right of our line, of which 
the camp of the King*s Dragoon Guards, feeling the 
depdt on its right, formed the extreme left. It was 



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192 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

interesting to watch the Sikhs, who fonned part of 
the body-guard, endeavouring to fraternize with the 
Chinese Mussuhnen, nor were the latter anything 
loath. ^^ Mussehnan '' is a word in constant use 
among the Chinese followers of the Prophet, and I 
have little doubt that its use saved the lives of some 
celestials in this campaign from the sword or lance of 
the irregulars. This mosque was of good size and in 
good repair, but not handsome, and you could easily de- 
tect from some of the gear that lay in the storehouses 
round the court-yard, that some purely Chinese obser- 
vances, and not relating to the Mth of the Prophet, 
had been engrafted upon the Moslem's creed. 

On Friday, October 5th, we marched from the 
depdt for some brick-kihis, about three miles from the 
north-east angle of the city of Pekin. I never can 
think of that dep6t without a laugh, as it reminds me 
of one of the most ludicrous scenes I ever witnessed 
in my life, and although I anticipate the date of its 
occurrence, I will relate it here, as there is a fearful 
dust storm to-day, and you are grinding the grits in 
your teeth, even in your quarters, and consequently 
I am glad to tell a merry story by way of contrast 
to the weather. 

A few days before we left Pekin, a court-martial 
was ordered to assemble at Tungchow, to try one of 
the marines who were quartered there, and a field- 
officer. Major Brown we will call him, of the 
— ^ty — ^th, was appointed to act as President, and 
ordered to proceed from Pekin to Tungchow for 



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MAJOB BROWN'S H0B8ES. 193 

the purpose. A couple of sowars were to go with 
him by way of a guide and escort, as we had lost 
several men who had been, no doubt, caught strag- 
gling by the natives and murdered. 

The scene is laid outside the Depuly-Adjutant- 
Cteneral*s office ; Major Brown rides up, followed by 
the sowars, while the Major's servant, private 
Hi^arty or Hanlon, walks behind his master in 
order to see the Major make a " clean " start of it 
for Tungchow, which he is to do firom the Deputy- 
Ac^tant-General's door. There is a strong sus- 
picion that private Hagarty had been drinking his 
master's health. Half-a-dozen people are standing 
about ; you would have seen me there if you had been 
there yourselt 

Deputy-Adjutant-Gkneral, loc. — " Well, Brown, 
are you oflf for Tungchow?*' (With his usually 
bland manner and winning smile.) 

Brown. — "Well, colonel, I suppose so, but I 
really don't know the way there, and I just came up 
here to ask you about it How am I to go ? I don't 
even know whether these sowars know the road, for 
I cannot talk their language." 

Deputy-Adjutant-Q^neral. — " Oh, you can easily 
find the road; let me see, the best thing for you to 
to do is to make for the depdt, and then you will 
see the tower of Tungchow firom that" 

Brown (who does not appear to see 'his way to 
going tiiere at all). — ^^ Yes, but where is tiie dep6t ? 
I don't know my way there." ^ 

o 



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194 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN, 

Private Hagarty (confidentially cum Hibemice). — 
" Is it the depot, major ? You don't know the dep6t ? 
don't you mind the place where you stole the first 
horse?" 

Brown. — " Eh-hem, eh-hem." Evidently much put 
out by his servant's system of mnemonics. 

Deputy- Adjutant-Gteneral (bitmg his lips to keep 
in his laughter, yet not appearing to have heard 
Hagarty's remark), — " Oh, you won't find any diffi- 
culty ; take the south-eastern road, and about twelve 
miles off you'll strike the dep6t on your left" 

Brown. — ** Well, I'm sure I wish I knew rather 
better where the dep6t is. You see, I don't know 
the place at all ; there's the difficulty." 

Hagarty. — " Ah, major, dear, is it not know the 
dep6t? Don't you mind what I am sayin' to you 
about the horses ? You remember the place where 
you stole the first one ; the white-fiiced horse I mean ; 
well, tha^s the dep6C 

Frowns were of no use ; even **a kick under the 
table" would hardly have stopped Mr. Hagarty, who 
appeared to forget that if the Major had stolen ^a 
white-fitced horse," and others afterwards, as he imr 
plied, the Adjutant-Greneral of the army was not 
the man to teU it before, as looting was at that time 
only lawfiil for the Commissariat, and not, as at the 
palace, open to alL Before he had well delivered 
himself of the last sentence I have recorded, Miijor 
Brown had ^^ gone away," and it was well he had, 
for the Deputy- Adjutant-Qeneral would certainly 



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BIVOUAC. 195 

have either burst a blood-vessel, or forgotten his pro* 
prieties and burst out laughing before Brown, as 
everyone did when his back was turned. 

In due time, after a march of about five miles, we 
came to the brick-kilns, and here, after a halt of about 
two hours, the army was ordered to bivouac. I don't 
like a bivouac, especially when you have a hot day 
and a chilly night, and very little in the way of 
bedding. 

One cart was all that each regiment was permitted 
to bring by way of transport, and one only was 
allowed to the staff. Some of us built huts of millet- 
straw, and some got into a few Chinese houses scat- 
tered about, which were deserted. Lord Elgin, 
advancing with the army, was forced to share its &te. 
We did not oversleep ourselves next morning. All 
were astir before daybreak, as we expected to sit 
down before Pekin, to have a fight perhaps, or it 
might be to storm the place ; no one knew how it 
would be, but all were alive with expectation. We 
marched at daybreak. Sir H. Grant had received 
information from various quarters that there was a 
large Tartar army encamped under the walls of Pekin, 
and holding a very strong position on a bund, some 
distance from the dty wall. He, therefore, took a cir- 
cuit to the right and approached the city nearly due 
north, in order to turn any works which might have 
been thrown up. This precaution the event proved 
to have been unnecessary, although, at the time, 
most prudent and right Having marched about 

o 2 



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196 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

two mfles the army was halted in a plain more open 
than the rest of the country, which, as I said before, 
is covered with clumps of trees; and the General 
ascended a brick-kiln more tall that its fellows, from 
which he might leam something of the country, 
and perhaps get a peep at the enemy, as we had not 
as yet seen even a vidette or a sMnnisher. 

"Why are you not up there, M ?'* I said, 

addressing a staff-officer; "that's your place, with 
the General" 

** Ah, I don't care to go,*' he replied, with that 
dry, humorous smile which his friends know so 
well. "There's too many generals and would-be 
generals and amateurs there for me. Ill just stay 
where I am." 

So long did we halt that it became apparent to 
the meanest capacity that breakfieist must be the 
result. So it was a case of cold meat, biscuit, and 
beer for those who had it ; anything else they might 
happen to have for those who were denied that first, 
I will not say of luxuries, but of necessaries in the 
East 

At about eleven or half-past eleven we (as Oap^ 
tain Wills remarked upon another occasion) " got 
the army under weigh" (I remember his asking me, 
with a very grave fiwie, at one of our camps, " if I 
could show him where the King's Dragoon Guards 
were anchored," and whereabouts General Michel's 
"moorings were"), and marched direct on Pekin. 
The French were on our left rear; and, except a 



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SKIRMISHING. 197 

squadron of the King's Dragoon Guards, who fonned 
part of the advanced guard, the cavalry on our right 
flank. We marched through narrow and deeply- 
sunken roads, in which it would have been impos- 
sible for troops to act ; and, besides, the country was 
thickly studded with topes of trees and bramble- 
underwood; so that our force might have been 
greatly harassed had we been opposed even by 
matchlock-men and gingalls. We were constantly on ^ 
the " qui vivcj* and frequently the word waa passed 
that the Tartars were in force in front; and so I 
believe they were ; indeed, I saw them more than 
once, but they made no stand ; and just as the 60th 
Rifles had been hurried on in skirmishing order, to 
endeavour to catch them, they disappeared in this 
most intricate of countries. 

As we neared the large bund, which nearly sur- 
rounds the city, at a distance of about a mile and 
a half from the walls, in approaching a village, the 
King's Dragoon Gruards were fired upon, and some 
skirmishing took place; but the Tartars speedily 
bolted, and only one of our men was wounded slightly 
in the back of the head by a gingall-balL 

We crossed the bund by a cut through it, and 
found ourselves in sight of the long-thought-o^ fer- 
&med city of Pekin. Yes, there before us, right 
down that road is one of the gates. We are halted 
on the outskirts of a long street of suburb which 
runs up to the gate, under the grateful shade of 
numerous groves of trees; and the men, most of 



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198 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

them, having secured plenty of large ducks and fowls, 
proceeded to dress them, making good use of the 
present moment. The Commissariat seized a flock 
of 500 or 600 sheep which were being driven away ; 
so we expect to be fed well for one day or two, at aU 
events. "Far niente,** but not in a very "dolce** 
manner, was now the order of the day for some 
hours. 

Two or three of Barry's Armstrong guns were 
rattled up with great parade, and laid on the opposite 
gate, a splendid shot down the suburb street, which 
was very wide, and a number of Tartars crossing and 
recrossing in front of the gate as if they were mount- 
ing guard. " Tartars, but are they Tartars ?'* some 
one says, " they are the French/* The guns are loaded 
and laid ; " but don't fire, they may be the French ;'* 
"they are the French;" "they are not the French, 
they are Tartars;*' "well, if those are not ihe 
French 111 eat my hat ;" " eat it then as fest as you 
like." Such was the diflterence of opinion, but the 
guns were not fired, and they were not the French 
whom we saw. Our gallant allies, while we marched 
on Pekin, crossed in our rear and marched on the 
Ewen-ming-Ewen, some six or seven miles oflF on 
our right * How this came to pass, how we lost our 
allies, or how our allies lost us, whichever you like ; 
how we lost our cavalry brigade, or they lost uSi 
happen how it might, it was unfortunate. 

When the allied army was advancing upon Pekin, 
the French found themselves at the Ewen-ming-Ewen 



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OUB LOST ALUEa 199 

palace, six miles off by a flank movement in the 
rear of our anny . How it was that when in every 
other engagement or march each force had felt the 
other, upon this occasion they had acted quite inde« 
pendently, I do not know ; the result was that we 
sat down before the city, where we ought to have 
been, and they in the summer palace. Our cavahy 
obeyed their orders in marching in the direction of 
the summer palace. They searched for us until 
night, and eventually bivouacked^ without anything 
in Hie shape of baggage, two miles fix^m the French 
and from the Ewen-ming-Ewen. 

The question with us during the rest of the day 
was, where are the French ? where are the cavalry ? 
there was no fighting, or we should have heard some- 
thing of it ; where could they be ? they might be 
close at hand, and yet we might know nothing of it, 
for although by no means a forest, the country was 
so studded with small groves of trees, each so like its 
brother, that you might be within a quarter of a mile 
of your dearest friend on earth, and yet never sus- 
pect it ; so by way of endeavouring to let them know 
our whereabout, all, or nearly all, the bands of the 
force were ordered to the top of the bund, some 
hundred feet high in this spot, to beat off tattoo with 
their united power ; but no result followed ; we heard 
nothing that night of the French or of the cavalry ; 
so we tried to sleep as well as we could in our igno- 
rance, but before going to bed it is as well that I 
should say something of the disposition of the troops. 



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200 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

At the entrance of this long street of suburb lead- 
ing to the gate of which I have spoken, and on its 
right, stood a large temple of Buddah, covering with 
its various shrines and dwelling-places for the priests 
(snch a dirty and shabby lot) not less than twenty 
acres of ground, all enclosed by a good twelve-feet 
wall, and very defensible. The gates were all barred 
within, but a few blows from a ram in the shape of 
a large beam of timber soon pursuaded the men of 
peace inside to open one of them; and here Lord 
Elgin and suite, Sir H. Grant with his personal 
staff, and the Head-quarter staff, took up their abode. 
None of the " religious '* were disturbed, except those 
whose quarters were required, and these were of 
course quietly told to " depart," nor was there any 
wanton destruction of their gods, furniture, or 
property. Outside in the rear were the artillery 
head-quarters and most of the guns, but General 
Crofton subsequently moved into the temple with 
his staff; Sir J. Michel occupied another temple 
to the right front of the head-quarters, while Sir 
B. Napier took up his abode in a house in the 
suburb street on its left front The Queen's were 
marched to an advanced post half-way to the gate 
on the right of the street, the 60th Rifles occupied 
quarters close to Sir J. Michel, the 99th and 67ih 
in the suburb street, near Sir R. Napier, the 15ih 
Punjaubees in advance in the same street, while the 
8th formed the rear-guard. 



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THE FRENCH AND THE CAVALRY FOUND. 201 



CHAPTER Xn. 

Colonel Wolseley finds the French and Cavaliy — How they came to be 
lost — ^Lord Elgin and Sir Hope Grant visit the Summer Palace^ 
Entrance— Hall of Audience — Grounds — French Looting — The 
Palace — Furs and Embroidery — Curios and Silk — Gardens and 
Sunmier-houses — Art and Nature — Interior of Temple-— Golden 
Idols — ^A Chinese Summer-house — Furniture of Summer-house — 
Gardens — Chinese Plunderers. 

Early next morning a salute of twenty-one gans 
was fired fix)m the bund in order to let the allies 
know our whereabouts, and to find out, if possible, 
our lost cavalry; but a more certain method was 
adopted at the same time. Colonel Wolseley, with 
an escort of sowars, is sent off to the Ewen-ming- 
Ewen to seek for them, as it is just possible the 
French may have gone there. 

Nothing loth, he starts off at daybreak. He 
only knows the direction of the palace ; that is quite 
enough for him, rather more, in fiujt, than he requires ; 
if there is an officer in the army that can find his 
way, he is the man. The Tartars may be in force 
in the neighbourhood ; no doubt they may. It would 
give double pleasure to his ride if there was a good 
smack of danger about it. He returned with the 
news that he has found the French at the Ewen- 
ming-Ewen, and our cavalry in the neighbourhood. 



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202 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

The French having, as I have already stated, 
executed a flank march in our rear, had arrived at 
the Sununer Palace ; found it unoccupied, save by a 
guard of eunuchs, although there were swarms of 
Tartar soldiers in the villages for miles around it ; 
indeed these villages appear to be the barracks of a 
large army. They met with but little resistance; 
one or two French officers were slightly wounded; and 
that night General Montauban occupied the Palace. 

It was a curious accident that we ^ould be separ 
rated but once during the campaign, and that upon 
that occasion the French should march to the Ewen- 
ming-Ewen. And another curious fitct is, that while 
General Montauban assured Sir H. Grant that ^^ no- 
thing had been touched'* (which, of course, he be- 
lieved to be the case), any number of richly-jewelled 
watches were to be bought at that moment in the 
French camp, ** with a very large portion of silver and 
gold," while the soldiers' tents and the ground around 
them was a perfect blaze of silk and embroidery. 

The Commander-in-Chief had, doubtless, sent a 
message to General Montauban, by Captain Far- 
quharson, A.D.C., to the eflfect that if he did not 
meet with the Tartar army outside Pekin he would 
march on the Ewen-ming-Ewen ; and this expressed 
intention was not carried out, and it may be that we 
were ourselves the de&ulters, in not adhering to this 
arrangement 

Between twelve and one o'clock on Sunday Lord 
Elgin and Su* H. Grant rode out to the Eweu-min^ 



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HALL OF AUDIENOB. 203 

Ewen with a strong escort of sowars and some of the 
Eing's Dragoon Gruards. Lord Elgin was accom- 
panied by his suite, and Sir H. Grant by his personal 
staff, Sir B. Napier and staff, and General Crofton 
and staff, one or two of the Head-quarter staff, and 
some naval officers. After a brisk ride of some six 
miles, guided by Colonel Wolseley, they arrived at 
the Palace. It is approached by a grand causeway 
road, which divides a large sheet of water. The 
outer gate is not very impoang, it is of the same 
form as that used for all large public buildings in 
China, and with those leans-to, or supports, of wood, 
without which it would fall of its own accord. 

Inside the first entrance-gate there is a large, 
flagged courtyard, some hundred yards wide by 
eighty deep ; at each side, both within and without, 
aire guard-rooms. Fronting the grand entrance stands 
another gate of similar construction ; then another 
court, in which stands the " Hall of Audience,*' a 
magnificent building, in which, in his imperial chair, 
the Emperor gave audience to those few and great 
ones who were honoured by admission iato the " Ver- 
million" presence. 

This courtyard is about the same size as the outer 
one, and the Hall of Audience stands at the side 
&rthest from the gate ; one door by which the minis- 
sters or others were admitted &ced that gate ; while, 
at the opposite side of the hall was the imperial 
entrance, approached fi-om the palace. 

This hall was a separate building, not attached to 



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204 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

any other ; its length was about 120 feet, its breadth 
about 80. At each end stood one of those enormous 
and splendid enamelled bowls, which the army has 
presented to Her Most Grracious Majesty, at Major 
Probyn's request, who took them fix>m the hall himself 
— ^minor spirits, being deterred from touching them by 
their vastness, were contented with some smaller and 
more suitable memento. But a difficulty is just the 
thmg for Probyn ; he contrived to get €hem away 
when no one else thought of attempting it A large 
and most elaborate plan of the Palace Gardens nearly 
covered the wall at one end of the room. About half- 
way down one side stood the imperial dais, which 
was ascended by three steps, and upon it was placed 
the chair of state, richly carved in dark wood, and 
cushioned in rich embroidery. 

The ceiling was of wood, deeply carved, very rich 
and massive ; and there was an air of state, a solemn 
dignity, about the place which impressed you not a 
little, and rendered it most suitable to the purpose 
for which it had been built Behind this hall was a 
passage leading to the right and left, one side of it 
being formed by the wall of the Hall of Audience, the 
other by a large rockery. Following the path to the 
right you found yourself in a labyrinth of courtyards 
and buildings, full of all sorts of curiosities, silks, and 
stores of every kind of property ; while proceeduig 
to the left, and turning again to the front, you arrived 
at an artificial piece of water, one of hundreds in the 
grounds, and nearly all connected by a slow-flowing 



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GROUNDS. 205 

stream, sarronnded by rockeries and bridged at each 
end, where it narrowed. I need hardly say that all 
around noble trees of yarions sorts cast their luxu- 
rious shade ; and on the opposite side of this minia- 
ture lake stood the imperial apartments, entered by 
none save members of the imperial family. K you 
can imagine fairies to be the size of ordinary mortals, 
this then was fairyland. Never have I beheld a 
scene which realized one's ideas of an enchanted 
land before; would that its lord had not been 
proud, &lse, and cruel, and he might yet have en- 
joyed it. 

The party who accompanied Lord Elgin and Sir 
H. Grant on the first visit to the palace were de- 
tained here beside the water for several hours at 
Greneral Montauban's request ; he sent a message to 
Sir Hope, begging that he would not bring a large 
party into the palace, as none of the French officers 
had yet been permitted to enter. So that Sir R. Na- 
pier, General Crofton, Major Anson, and Captain 
Grant only entered with Sir H. Grant, and Lord 
Elgin introduced his attach^. The rest were left 
to ruminate under the trees beside the snmll lake. 
The C!ommander-in-Chief had a long conference 
with General Montauban, and was assured that 
nothing had been touched. It was agreed that, prize 
agents being appointed, they should select such arti- 
cles as they deemed fitting as prize for each army, 
and that, when their selection was complete, the rest 
of the property might be taken as individual spoil. 



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206 HOW WB GOT TO PEKIN. 

But on that afternoon Sir H. Grant gave permission 
to such officers as were of the party to carry away 
a memento with them, — anything they pleased, pro- 
vided that the prize-agents did not object Of this 
privilege everyone appeared to avail themselves ; and 
while one became enamoured of a gadestone vase, 
another lost his heart to an embroidered robe, while 
a third, with an eye to the future, selected a fur- 
coat 

Strange, is it not, but nevertheless true, that we 
sometimes cannot see things that are being done un- 
der our very nose I Greneral Montauban was no doubt 
sincere in his assertion, that '^nothing had been 
touched ;'* but it was passing strange that he could 
not have seen that his own camp outside the palace- 
gate was blazmg with silk of every hue, and the 
richest embroidery ; nor did he know that, at the 
same moment, you could buy a richly-jewelled watch, 
enamelled and set round with pearls or brilliants, or 
with both, for five or six and twenty dollars. How 
cheap must watches have been in France when the 
army started for China I for how could they have 
got them from the palace when General Montauban 
declared that he had placed sentries all round it ? 

But how came it that when the officers who ao* 
companied Sir H. Grant were detained outside the 
imperial apartments, they were accosted by French 
officers passing and repassing them, thus, ^^Maia 
pourquoi n'entrez-vous pas, messieurs, cen'est pas 
d^endu d'entrer, mais regardez;" and diving into 



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FRENCH Loorma. 207 

the capacious pockets of his overalls, he would pro- 
duce a bar or plate of gold. " C'est de For, voyez- 
Vous,*' and he would proceed to bend it to prove its 
ductility. Now, Greneral Montauban did not know a 
word of all this, although it went on under (as I 
have said) his very nose ; nor did he know that 
although not in the imperial apartments, neverthe* 
less in other rooms of the palace in which there was 
valuable property to any amount, the French gun- 
ner was to be seen with a large sack, filling it with 
all sorts of things which struck his fancy. 

And while on this subject, which has been so much 
canvassed at home, I add and am moreover prepared 
to assert that by &r the greatest part of the property 
acquired by officers and soldiers in the English force 
yr^& purchased from the French; so that were you to 
ask an officer where he had procured such or such 
a curio, or dress, or watch, the chances were five to 
one that he would tell you that he bought it in 
the French camp. We had Indian allowances, and 
they had the plunder, and we bought some of it ; 
with very few exceptions, no officer or soldier in the 
English force got a single article of intrinsic value 
firom the palace; although everything that came 
fix>m the place has no doubt a decided value from 
its associations; but the difference was just this, 
that while the British officer looked for articles of 
virtu, as a memento of the place for himself^ or for 
his fiiends at home, the Frenchman had an eye to 
more solid advantages, and he reaped them. 



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208 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

And now let ns take a look at the palace, i. e. at 
the imperial apartments. They were built, as every 
Chinese house is, from the lowest to the highest, in 
what I must call the courtyard plan. You enter 
through a passage and one or two doors, one of the 
state-rooms, furnished in the richest manner with 
tables and seats of black or very dark wood — ebony, 
or a wood of equal beauty, — carved in the most 
elaborate manner, so that figures and landscapes are 
made to stand out completely, and are often only 
attached to the background by some one or two 
points, which you do not see until you look for 
them. No more perfect display of the art of wood- 
carving could be conceived. Wainscots of the same 
adorned the walls, while the seats and couches were 
draped with the richest silk-embroidery, all of the 
imperial yellow, and adorned with dragons in gold. 

On the opposite side of the courtyard, about fifty 
feet square, and flagged with marble, stood another 
room, of larger dimensions, and furnished in a simi- 
lar manner ; and all round it, on tables and stands, 
were placed vases and cups of the most choice and 
beautiM gadestone, china, and enamel : clocks, gilt 
and many of gold, several of French manu&ctnre ; 
mirrors of large size set in costly flames, while splen- 
did glass chandeliers hung fi*om the ceilings. Boom 
here opened off room ; and while they varied in size 
and shape, the style and flimiture were similar. This 
suite of apartments stretched right and left; the ex- 
treme left of the building was saored to the ladies 



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FURS Amy EMBROIDERY. 209 

of the court ; and here were some exquisite boudoirs, 
fitted up with the perfection of Eastern luxury and 
taste; and a spiral staircase, the only one in the 
building, led to a similar suite of apartments over- 
head, a great part of whose ornament consisted in 
the most rare and costly of Chinese works of art, 
with a few, French in manu&cture as in design and 
taste. These suites of apartments fix)nted another 
sheet of water, surrounded by rockeries on a gigantic 
scale (all planted), and opened out upon a gravelled 
walk or drive, while, behind them, small courtyards 
innumerable were surrounded by store-rooms filled 
with boxes of furs, china, embroidered dresses, shoes 
(which proved that the ladies of the palace were not 
cursed with small feet, — ^I mean Chinese small feet). 
The fiirs were ermine (but not valued much by 
us, as the tails were wanting), sables, squirrel, un- 
born camel, a very curious and beautifiil grey skin 
with very minute curls of hair, unborn lamb, black 
astrachan, and others which none of us appeared 
even to have seen before, and which we were 
unable to name. But the imperial robes ; how am 
I to describe them? Rich silk, blue or yellow, 
brown or purple, covered with delicately-worked 
embroidery, exquisite in colour and shading, as unri- 
valled in execution, with the golden, five-clawed 
dragon blazoned over the embroidery. Truly these 
imperial dresses were a sight which conveyed lofty 
ideas of the splendour of the court to which they 
belonged. 



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210 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

To the right of the imperial apartments the build- 
ings of the palace stretched for about half-a-mile, 
and consisted of the residences of officials, with ser- 
vants' apartments, and rooms fuU of silk dresses, in 
which, having been puUed out of their boxes and 
thrown on the floor, you would sink above your 
knees as you entered the room. Large rooms there 
were too, with shelves divided into compartments all 
round, and in each compartment [^was placed some 
work of Chinese art, in gadestone, enamel, bronze, 
or china, or some valued gift of the "barbarian** 
relics of an English mission of the last century, or 
some importation from France through Russia, each 
article carefully labelled, and the label describing, 
not only its age and origm, but the exact position 
in the room which was assigned to it 

In this wing of the building also the silk was 
stored, and there seemed to be enough of it to clothe 
half the population of PeMn. When the palace was 
opened to indiscriminate plunder, these rolls of silk 
attracted much attention from the Sikhs, who carried 
them ofif in cartloads ; they sold them in camp for 
two dollars a roll at first, but thefr value was soon 
raised to from ten to twenty dollars. Various were 
its colours and texture, satin or silk, plain or figured^ 
white, blue, yellow (the Imperial colour), purple, 
stone, or fewn colour; there they were to be had 
for carrying away, or if you chose to buy them, 
Ss. 4d. for fifteen or twenty yards ; all good husbands 
who were there have no doubt got a supply for thdr 



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CURIOS AND SILK. 211 

wives ; brothers and cousins, too, have no doubt done 
likewise for the fidr ones who belong to them at 
home. Oh I what a pleasure it is to look at a gift) 
whatever it may be, which you intend to present to 
some dear one at home, and to imagine the pleasure 
with which it will be received : but to return to the 
palace. 

The grounds extended for six or seven miles in 
every direction^ and further towards the hills. K you 
can, you must imagine a vast labyrinth of picturesque 
rocks and noble timber, lakes and streams, summer- 
houses roofed with porcelain of the imperial yellow, 
theatres and their store-houses, filled with all the 
paraphernalia for masquerades upon a gigantic scale, 
one theatre and its belongings covering firom five 
to ten acres of ground, all richly planted around; 
temples more numerous still, fiill of quaint deities 
(some of them, as it has since turned out, of gold), 
and every building within view of at least one other, 
and all these filled with works of Chinese art of 
great age, beauty, and value, and in the background 
a range of hills, their outline cut clear against the 
sky; you must think of all the best gifts of nature, 
in colour and in form, of trees, shrubs, and wild 
flowers ; wood, water, rock, hill, and mountain you 
must add ; then deck the scene with all the world- 
famed skill of the Celestial in landscape gardening, 
thrown in here and there so well that it looks like 
nature's own hand ; scatter those beautiM buildings 
round, with their gorgeous roofs peeping through the 

p 2 



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212 HOW WE GOT TO PEKTN. 

dark forest timber ; see, there is an imperial stag 
bounding across your paths ; conjure up the quaint 
old Chinese bridge here and there, to carry you 
across the feeder of some placid lake, with its orna- 
mental waterfowl : and you may be able to form some 
very feint and indistinct idea of the Ewen-ming- 
Ewen, which you can no more conceive than I can 
describe. 

I wandered one day for hours through its cool- 
shades and winding paths, from building to build- 
ing, and here and there a terrace on the side of a 
hill, with summer-houses, so cool, each containing 
suits of richly-furnished apartments, now deserted, 
most of them untouched, although I met scores of 
Chinese carrying away heavy loads of plunder from 
the outbuildings of the palace (chiefly cloth and 

china). "Come," I said to S ^ who was with 

me, "let us look at this place." We ascended a 
flight of some seventy or eighty marble steps, a 
gentle stream of water at each side falling into a 
large marble basin at the bottom, ^)ridged with 
marble also; we reached a terrace surrounded by 
dark pine trees ; in the centre stood a temple, a large 
circular building; we entered it, there was the triple 
Buddah, and before him the ashes of the sticks of 
incense, the last that ever were to smoke at his 
shrine ; he was, or rather they were, huge, and in 
gilded wood ; numerous smaller shrines were placed 
round the building, with smaller deities. 

"What is this?" said S ; "gold, is it not?" 



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GOLDEN IDOLS. 213 

taJdng up with some little difficulty a deity about 
two feet high. " Gold, my dear fellow, do you think 
gold is so plentiful in China that they have golden 
gods in a remote temple like this, where anyone might 
carry them oflP ?" " It's precious heavy then," he said, 
" if it is not gold, let us smash him and see ;" and down 
went the divinity, with a heavy thud on the marble 
floor, but no sign of a smash in him. " Fm sure it 

is gold," said S . " Bring it home then," said I, 

laughing. ** I wish I had that lazy syce here," was his 
rejoinder, as he stood looking at his idol, " I should 
make him carry it." So we left it there, but when 
the burning came it was found, or another like it, 
and was brought home, and it made a fortune. I feel 
sure that multitudes of such things were thrown 
away and burnt, because it was incredible that they 
could be made of gold, and yet they were. On 
another shrine the incense-burners were of iron, 
plated with gold ; on another, of rich enamel of every 
colour in the rainbow, with gilded mounting, while 
every shrine was draped and curtained with yellow 
satin, richly embroidered 

Proceeding along the terrace we arrived at a sum- 
mer-house embosomed in shade, — ^and by a summer- 
house I don't mean a small octagonal or hexagonal 
building, with a deal table and some benches for the 
convenience of a picnic party, distempered walls, 
rectangular windows (such as Buskin loves), and a 
slate roo£ Nor do I mean a bower covered with 
moss, and roses and jessamine trained over it, and 



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214 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

thatched with reeds or heather. No, I mean a 
house with ten or twenty rooms in it, sleeping rooms 
and sitting rooms, all fully fiimished and " fit for 
the immediate reception of a nobleman's or gentle- 
man's family ;" yes, or of an emperor, — ^for to some 
one of these cool retreats we are told that Hein 
Fung loved to retire and pass his days with one or 
more of the reigning fevourites. 

Let us enter. The door is festened inside, never 
mind, a vigorous kick sends it flying open fix)m 
the centre, and we stand in a marble courtyard. 
Two small rooms, one on each side, where the 
wooden sword denotes the eunuch's dwelling ; three 
steps of marble opposite bring us to another door. 

" Your turn now, 8 ;" and in it goes, for S 

has a strong leg. Another marble courtyard, larger 
than the first, and steps ascending, for it is built 
on the face of a hill, and the house is terraced; 
two long buildings at each side containing three 
rooms each, those at the ends opening off the 
centre one, which is a sitting-room furnished just 
like the palace, dark or black carved wood and 
crimson or yellow embroidered satin, nicknacks and 
ornaments the same. What would Wardour Street 
say if it were here ? Why the furniture of this 
one smnmer-house would sell, at home, for a 
prince's ransom. One larger building fronts the en- 
trance of the courtyard ; bang goes the door, in we 
go. Much larger rooms, three of them on the same 
plan, a splendid French clock in gold enamel, the 



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CHINESE SUMMER-HOUSE. 215 

fumitare is more gorgeous, the ornaments more 
rare, and in a carved cupboard in the wall there 
are boxes of the imperial yellow china, each cup 
wrapped in soft paper and in a compartment by 
itself, so precious is it deemed. Some, of the finest 
" cracle," so minute that you must get a good 
light to see it in. Some with the five-clawed dragon 
finely worked in it, not visible when you look 
directly at it. Some curious old grey " cracle," too ; 
imperial sceptres in green and white gadestone; 
two tall jars in porcelain, painted in the richest 
colours, representing a series of hunting scenes in 
which the tiger and stag are pursued. 

Tablets adorn the walls, one or two yards square, in 
which sylvan scenes of landscape or of hunting are 
represented, in which the figures, trees, water, beasts, 
&C., are made of gadestone, green and white, and of 
other coloured stones. Sleeping-rooms to the right 
and left, satin embroidered hangings, and the raised 
bed-place universal in China, which doubtless the 
imperial person has e'er now pressed. A garden 
adorns the centre of the courtyard; some of the 
shrubs are still in flower. Trees fi^m outside over- 
hang it all, while a stream, cool as the rock it springs 
fi\)m, flows ^through it, caught here and there in 
deep, pure white marble basins. To the right and 
left passages leading to other buildings of similar 
stamp, and some storerooms, one filled by several 
gilded chairs of state, another with large enamels, 
a third with quaint masks and lanterns for an even- 



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216 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

ing entertainment ; but if I was to write a whole 
book on the subject I could not describe it, nor could 
you even then imagine it. 

Reluctantly we descended again firom the terrace 
and feiry palace, and wandered along the shores of 
a lake ; but ^^ time (in our case) was short and art 
was long." Here, lying at the bottom near the 
shore, were porcelain jars and vases which had been 
thrown there by some overloaded plunderer, to be 
brought away at some more convenient time ; and 
standing above his middle in water, is an unfortu- 
nate coolie, bleeding from a wound in his chest, 
which he has received who can tell how, but no 
signs that we can make will induce him to come on 
shore. As we near the palace again, we meet large 
parties of Chinese, plundering their own Emperor ; 
we examine their baskets and bundles, — china vases, 
felt, and coarse wadded clothing, are all that we can 
find ; they have not got into the best buildings ; they 
are afraid of us, or else they have gone in for the 
things which will be most useful to themselves, or 
are least likely to be recognized, in which case, off 
go their heads at once. 

But we must get back to Pekin for this time ; we 
shall see the palace more than once perhaps again. 



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PREPARATIONS FOR THE ASSAULT. 217 



CHAPTER Xm, 

Preparations for an Assault— Plan of our Position — Colonel Mann's 
anxiety to make a Breach — John Chinaman gives in — Chinese 
Treachery — ^Return of Messrs. Parkes and Loch — ** The wild Jus- 
tice of Revenge " — Boulby, a public Loss — Chinese Perfidy — Kind- 
ness of Russian Embassy — ^The Russian Burial-ground — Funeral of 
Messrs. Anderson, De Norman, Boulby, and Private Phipps — Cruel 
Treachery of the Emperor — Burning of the Imperial Palace — 
Burning of Temple— Antiquity of Chinese Art — ^A Residence with 
its Temples — Gardens — Curios — Halt of Troops — More Burning — 
Reflections — ^Return to Pekin — ^A necessary Sacrifice — ^The days of 
the Present Dynasty numbered— Success of the American Mission. 

No time was lost by the Allies in maJdng prepara- 
tions for an assault upon Pekin, should it be neces- 
sary to do so in order to get possession of the gate 
which they had demanded. Messengers passed to 
and fro between the Chinese authorities and our 
chiefe, which I forbear to reprint, as they have long 
ago been made public, and are not of sufficient in- 
terest to be reproduced here ; suffice it to say, that 
they exhibited upon the one hand firmness, dignity, 
and truth ; and upon the other, every low art which 
base cunning and felsehood could bring to bear. 
But all to no purpose. Lord Elgin knew them tho- 
roughly, nor could they again deceive him. 

To the left front of our then position before Pekin 



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218 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

lay a large open plain, of uneven snr&ce, it had been 
used as a parade-ground for the Tartar army, it is 
about a mile-and-a-half square ; on the right, as you 
fece the city, this plain is bounded by the broad road 
and suburb leading to the north gate of the Tartar 
city ; on the front, by the city waD ; on the rear, by 
the great Uama temple and its extensive grounds 
and buildings ; and on the left, by the suburb and 
broad road leading to the Anting gate ; this gate the 
allies had determined to make their own. 

Beyond that again, to the left of this last-named 
suburb, stood the magnificent Temple of the Earth. 
Its various buildings (for one temple in China often 
includes a large number of separate edifices) were 
enclosed by a brick wall about eighteen feet high, and 
covered a space more than a quarter of a mile square ; 
up to this temple the siege guns were at once brought, 
and as the wall approached the city to within about 
three hundred yards and formed an excellent mask 
for our battery, no more fitting place could have been 
chosen from which to breach the far-&med wall of 
Pekin. The sappers went to work under Colonel 
Mann, a most energetic and painstaking officer ; so 
anxious was he, indeed, to make the breach that a 
fiw5etious young subaltern in the Sappers declared 
one morning, " that he had been seen the night be- 
fore under the very wall, sitting on a barrel of gun- 
powder, and grubbing at the wall with his nails ; " 
but in a few days the battery was finished, and on 
Friday the 12th a proclamation was issued by us 



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SUBREITOER OF THE GATE. 216 

tlireatening to bombard the town if the Anting gate 
was not given np within twenty-fonr honrs. 

It was feted, however, that the wall was not to be 
breached; every preparation had been made, the 
Second Division nnder Sir R. Napier was told oflF 
for the assault, while the First Division was to be 
nnder arms in reserve, when at the last moment, as 
nsuaJ, when he finds himself driven to the wall, John 
Chinaman gave in ; the gate was placed in our hands, 
and onr troops had the honour of planting their 
colours upon its summit. For some days no one was 
permitted to enter the city, or even the gate, without 
a pass from the Deputy- Adjutant-General, so that I 
shall take this opportunity, as we cannot yet get 
into Pekin, to mention some other matters which 
are yet to be spoken of. 

And first, as to the prisoners. Great was the 
anxiety felt by every one on their behalf; to many 
of us they were personal friends. Mr. H. Parkes 
had secured the good will of all by the frank urbanity 
of his manners, although there was a strong opinion 
in the army that he had been too confiding, and too 
much disposed to yield to the Chinese Grovemment, 
and that therefore his suflTerings were to a certam 
extent brought on through his own mistake, while 
personally the deepest sympathy was felt for him. 
The old proverb, " Deceive me once it is your feult, 
deceive me twice it is mine," ought to have been 
borne in mind more than it appears to have been. 
For, not to speak of the one-hundred-and-one tricks 



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220 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

that have been played upon us by the Gk)vemment 
of China, of former date, the feJsehood of their deal- 
ings at Tien-Tsin, as previously related, was so pal- 
pable, that every one in the army felt that there was 
a degree of blame to be attached to those who placed 
themselves, or anyone else, in the power of men so 
false and treacherous. I record this as the impres- 
sion in the army ; how fer it was justified I cannot 
decide. 

Kweileang and Hang Foo had solemnly assured 
Messrs. Wade and Parkes, on September 1st, that 
they had full power to treat with us, all our demands 
were to be complied with ; but when it came to the 
point, and the production of their credentials was 
demanded on the 6th, their felsehood was made evi- 
dent. Had they been able to carry on the deception 
so far as to have induced us to do as they desired, 
and Lord Elgin had gone up to Pekin with a small 
escort and no guns, it might have been that, instead 
of the prisoners whom they did. take at Changkea- 
whan, they would have captured the Ambassador ; 
for that the Government intended treachery when 
they stipulated that the Allies were to leave their 
guns behind them, " as the minds of the people would 
be disturbed at Pekin if guns were brought there,** 
there cannot now be the smallest shade of doubt 
And thus their subsequent conduct has proved to us 
what an escape the interests of the Allies had, as who 
can tell what the results would have been had the 
Plenipotentiaries fallen into any well-executed snare. 



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RETUBN OF PARKES AND LOCH. 221 

For Mr. Loch's safety all who knew Mm felt most 
painful anxiety. Prayers were oflfered up at our 
services on behalf of all, and I am sure that our con- 
gregations most heartily joined in their petitions. 
Soon after our arrival at Pekin our fears as to Messrs. 
Parkes and Loch were put an end to by their arrival 
at head-quarters, and many a hearty shake of the 
hand it was their lot to feeL Their statements as to 
their suflFerings are so interesting that they are here 
subjoined. 

Of the fete of the other prisoners we were still in 
ignorance, and deep was the feeling of anxiety on 
their behalf; but on the 12th nine of Fane's sowars 
were sent back, and they informed us of the sad fete 
of De Norman and Anderson, nor had we much hope 
after this for Boulby and Brabazon. The sowars can 
tell best their own tale. 



EVIDENCE OP SOWALLA SING, DUFPADAR, 
First Troopy Panels Horse. 

" When Messrs. Parkes and Loch left us to go to 
Sankolinsin, the Chinese Commander-in-Chief, there 
remained in our party Mr. Boulby, Lieutenant 
Anderson, Captain Brabazon, Mr. De Norman, one 
man of the King's Dragoon Guards, one man of 
1st Sikh Lregular Cavalry, and our own party of 
seventeen men. We stood waiting for half-an-hour, 
when Lieutenant Anderson asked to be taken where 



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222 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

the other gentlemen were gone. He waa told to 
remain till they came back. After another half-hour 
the Chinese army assembled in large numbers and 
surrounded us, made us get off our horses, and 
(leading them) follow them. Then about 10,000 
men accompanied us to Tungchow, and made us 
rest for a quarter of an hour and give up our arms. 
They then made us remount and paraded us through 
the whole of the army, and then took us on the road 
to Pekin and rested that night in a Joss-house. 

" In the morning they again mounted us on our I 

horses and took us to Pekin. In Pekin they made us 
dismount and fed us, they then took us through the 
city to a place about two miles beyond it, then they 
made us dismount and gave us tents. The English 
officers, and natives separate. Then they took us 
away one by one and bound us, lying on the stomach, 
with hands and feet behind our backs. They kept 
us in this position for three days, and gave us food 
only three times, and then but a mouthful at a time ; 
they then threw us, bound as we were, into carts, 
and took us, as I should think, about thirty miles. 
The mules were trotting and galloping all night 
We arrived in the morning at a Fort, and were there 
put into prison, confined in a cage, and loaded with 
chains. At that time we were seven in all, lieute- 
nant Anderson, Mr. De Norman, one dufGeidar, and 
four sowars. I know nothing of the others, they 
were taken further on. We were kept in this plaoe 
three days so tightly bound, we could not move. 



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SOWAR'S STORY. 223 

The sowars bound with one cord, the Englishmen 
with two. 

" The first day we got nothing to eat, after that 
they gave us a little as before. After the first day 
at the second place lieutenant Anderson became 
delirious, and remained so with a few lucid intervals 
until his death, which occurred on the ninth day of 
his imprisonment Two days before his death his 
nails and fingers burst fi\)m the tightness of the cord, 
and mortification set in, and the bones of his wrists 
were exposed. Whilst he was alive worms were 
generated in his wounds, and crawled over and eat 
into his body. They left the body by us three days 
and then took it away. Five days after Lieutenant 
Anderson's death a sowar, Eam Chun, died in the 
same state. Three days afterwards Mr. De Norman 
died. 

" On the evening of the day of Lieutenant Ander- 
son's decease the cords were taken off our hands, 
and firom that time we were better treated ; our feet 
were unbound two days after this, and kept so until 
our release yesterday evening. When Lieutenant 
Anderson and our comrades called on us to help 
them by biting their cords (the only way we could 
assist them), the Chinamen kicked us away. When 
we arrived at the joss-house between Tungchow 
and Pekin, Captain Brabazon and a Frenchman went 
back, and Lieutenant Anderson told us they were 
going to the Commander-in-Chief to give information 
and obtain our release.** 



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224 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



EVIDENCE OP MAHOMED KHAN, 
Fourth Troop, Fane's Horse, 

" Taken prisoner by the Chinese, 18 th September, 
1860. When we got to the camp of the Chinese 
near Changkeawhan, we heard the firing commence. 
Messrs. Parkes and Loch left us, as also one sowar 
of Major Probyn's Horse. Mr. Anderson waited for 
about half-an-hour, and then wanted to go in search 
of the two gentlemen, but he was stopped by the 
Chinese. We were eventually taken outside Tung- 
chow and our arms taken away firom us. We then 
remounted, and went over the stone bridge of the 
canal, along the paved road to a joss-house, about a 
mile or two miles on this side. The next day Cap- 
tain Brabazon and a Frenchman left us, and we 
were taken through Pekin to a garden on the other 
side. This place was near a lake, and temples round 
about it. We were then put into tents, six men in 
each; Mr. Anderson told off the number to each 
tent This was about two o'clock in the day. 

** About half-an-hour after our arrival Mr. De Nor- 
man was taken out under the pretence of having his 
face and hands washed. He was immediately seized, 
thrown on the ground, and his hands and feet tied 
together behind. Mr. Anderson was then taken out 
and tied up in the same manner, then Mr. Boulby, then 
the Frenchman, and then the sowar. After we had 
all been tied, they put water on our cords to tighten 



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CRUELTIES TO THE PBISONERS. 225 

them, they then lifted us up and took us into a 
courtyard, where we remained in the open ab for 
three days exposed to the sun and cold. Mr. An- 
derson became delirious the second day from the 
eflfects of the sun and want of water and food ; we 
had nothing to eat all that time, but at last they 
gave us two square mites of bread and a little water. 
In the daytime the place was left open, and hun- 
dreds of people came to stare at us, and many men 
of rank among them. 

^^ At night a soldier was placed on guard over each 
of us. If we spoke a word or asked for water, we 
were beaten and stamped upon. They kicked us 
about the head with their boots, and if we asked for 
anything to eat they crammed dirt down our throats. 
At the end of the third day irons were put on our 
necks, wrists, and ankles, and about three o'clock 
of the fourth day we were taken away in carts. I 
never saw lieutenant Anderson again. In our two 
carts there were eight of us, viz. three Frenchmen, 
four Sikhs, and myself; one Frenchman died on the 
road, he was wounded by a sword-cut on the breast 
We were afterwards taken away towards the hills 
that night, and stopped to eat and rest^ and then 
travelled on all the next day. We stopped again 
at night, and late the next day arrived at a walled 
town, with a large white fort outside of it The 
place was surrounded on three sides by high hills ; 
we were taken into the jail outside the town. 

" A Frenchman died after we had been in jail eight 

Q 



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226 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

or nine days, and sowar Iren Singh three or four 
days after that They both died from maggots eat- 
ing into their flesh, from which mortification ensued* 
The Mandarin in charge of the jail took off our irons 
about ten days ago. The Chinese prisoners were 
very kind to us, cleaned and washed our wounds, 
and gave us what they had to eat 

(Signed) « W. Fane, Captain, 

^' Com, Fane*s Horse, 

" October 13, 1860." 



DEPOSITIONS OF BUGHEL SING, SOWAR, First Troop, Fane's 
fforte; also of KAN SINGE, SOWAR, Third Troop. 

" The first day we stopped in a joss-house on the 
side of the road to Pekin, We tied our horses up 
and went inside. The Chinese then took them away 
but brought them back again in the morning, and we 
again mounted. Then two gentlemen, Captain Bra- 
bazon, R. A., and a French officer, left our party. We 
went through Pekin to the other side about half a 
koss and pulled up at a serai^ fix>m here one of the 
Chinamen went away to ask if we should dismount 
there, on his return we were taken to some tents. 
This place had barracks inside, and we went through 
a large doorway. 

*^We had been there an hour-and-a-haif, when 
we were ordered out, one by one, to wash, our hands 
and &ce& They took out the gentlemen first, 
threw them down, and fitstened their hands behind 



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CRUELTIES TO THE PRISONERS. 227 

them. Afterwards we were taken out They then 
made us kneel down in the middle of the yard, tied 
our hands and feet behind, and threw us over on our 
hands on the ground* From this position if we at- 
tempted to rest on our right or left side, they kicked 
and beat us. We remained in this position aU night, 
during which time they poured water on our bonds 
to tighten them. Mr. De Norman spoke to one of 
the Chinese officers during the night, and told him 
that we came to treat and not to fight, and they 
then gave us a little water and rice. The Hindoos 
would not eat it until Mr. Anderson persuaded them, 
when some of us ate. 

"The next day a white-button Mandarin came 
to see us. He had many orderlies with him, and 
took down in writing some answers to questions 
put by him to Mr. De Norman. About two hours 
after he was gone we were loaded with u-ons. We 
got nothing more to eat or drink, and remained 
in this way for three days. Lieutenant Anderson's 
hands were swollen to three times their proper size 
and turned as black as ink. The whole weight of 
his body, chains, and all were thrown on his hands. 
They looked ready to burst As long as he was 
sensible he encouraged us and rebuked us for calling 
out When he was insensible he constantly called 
out on Fane and many others. He became delirious 
when the chains were put on. On the afternoon of 
the third day they took four of us (Bughil Singh, 
War Singh, Sonah Sing, and Mr. Boulby) away in 

Q 2 



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228 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

carts, travelled all that night, gave us no food or 
water, and beat us when we asked for any. Mr. 
Boulby *s hands were not so much swollen. He spoke 
no Hindustani, so we could not understand hinL 

" About ten a.m. the next day we arrived at a Fort 
with a few buildings near it There was no town. 
Another cart was with us. There were in it Duflfe- 
dar Mahomed Khan, a French officer very taU and 
stout with a brown beard, and a dragoon, whose 
name was Phipps. We were taken into the forts, 
and for three days were out in the open air in the 
cold. They then pulled us into a kitchen and kept 
us there eight days. They never allowed us to stir 
for three or four days. Mr. Boulby died the second 
day after we arrived. He died from maggots form- 
ing in his wrists. He was dressed in a kind of grey 
check. His body remained beside us nearly three 
days, and was then tied to a kind of iron beam and 
thrown over the walL 

^^ The next day the Frenchman died, he was 
wounded slightly on the head and shoulder, appa- 
rently by a sword. Maggots got into his ears, nose, 
and mouth, and he became insensible. He had on a 
black coat,red trousers with black stripes. This officer 
was tall and stout Two days after this Sowahir Sing, 
1st Sikh Irregular Cavalry, died ; his hands burst from 
the rope wounds ; maggots got into the wounds and 
he died* Four days afterwards Phipps died ; for ten 
days he encouraged us in every way he could, till 
one day his hands became swollen and ma^ots were 



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HE. PABK£S'8 NABBATIVE. 229 

generated the next One maggot increased a thon* 
sandfold in a day . Mahomed Bux, Doffadar, died ten 
days ago. He remained very well till the time of 
his death, and abused the Chinese for bringing him 
pig to eat. Maggots formed on him four days before 
his death, and his hands were completely eaten away. 
I should have died had my irons not been taken off. 
The Chinaman who brought us here was very kind. 
When he was present he dressed our wounds and 
gave us what we wanted; when he was absent^ we 
got nothing. 

(Certified) "W. Fane, Captam, 

" Cam. Fw/^M Hor*ey 



MR PARKES'S NARRATIVE. 

" We had just passed Changkeawhan, and were 
hoping to be clear in ten minutes of the Chinese 
lines, when a fire of Chinese artillery opened along 
their fix^nt, and showed that the engagement had 
begun. As soon as we were observed a number of 
Tartar horse moved into the road to intercept us^ 
and, halting the party, I informed the officer whom 
we were, and asked him to allow us to pass on. He 
desired us not to proceed until orders arrived from 
a superior officer close at hand, upon which I sug- 
gested that time might be saved if I visited that 
officer myself. He assented, and I therefore rode 
towards the spot, accompanied by Mr. Loch and 
one sowar, carrying a white flag. The remainder 



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230 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

of the party, namely, Captain Brabazon, Lieutenant 
Anderson, Messrs. De Norman and Boulby, one 
dragoon, and, I believe, eighteen sowars, remained in 
the road, and were also provided with a white flag. 
" On passing a field of tall cane, which hid us fix>m 
our party, we suddenly came upon a body of in- 
fantry, who were with difficulty prevented fix)m fiiv 
ing upon us, and we were directed to a mounted 
Mandarin, evidently one of rank, and wearing a red 
button, who was standing on the opposite side of 
the canal referred to in the early part of this report^ 
and near to the spot where one of the bridges had 
been removed. The crowd of soldiers called on us 
to dismount and cross the canal in a boat I tried 
to avoid this, but as the Mandarm referred to would 
not speak to me unless I did so, and seeing that 
we were surr6unded by rude and excited soldiers, 
who clearly looked upon us as their prisoners, I 
advised Mr. Loch and the sowar to comply. By 
this time another Mandarin had ridden up to the 
former one, and hearing, as he approached, the cry 
raised of " The Prince ! the Prince I " I inquired fix)m 
an officer what Prince it was. He told me Prince 
Sang (Sangkolinsen), and I therefore hoped that the 
use which this personage had himself made in the 
late hostilities of flags of trace would induce him to 
respect the one under which we were now acting. 
We therefore dismounted, in order to cross to him, 
and directly we did so the soldiers fell upon us, tore 
off several of the things we had on, dragged us 



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MB. PARKES'S NARRATIVE. 231 

across the canal, and hurled us prostrate on the 
ground before the Prince. 

" The moment the Prince gave me an opportunity 
of speaking to him, which he did by asking me my 
name, I at once clearly informed him who I was, and 
of the whole character of my mission to Tungchow, 
adding that I was returning to my ambassador when 
I was stopped by his troops. 

^^ I was proceeding with a remonstrance against the 
treatment I was receiving, when the Prince inter- 
rupted me by saying, * Why did you not agree yes- 
terday to settle the audience question ? * 

"* Because I was not empowered to do so,' I 
replied. 

" The Prince then continued, in a very forbidding 
tone, 'Listen! You can talk reason; you have 
gained two victories to our one. Twice you have 
dared to take the Peiho forts ; why does not that 
content you ? And now you presume to give out* 
(the Prince here alluded to the proclamation of the 
Commander-in-Chief) *that you will attack any 
force that stops your march on Tungchow. I am 
now doing that. You say that you do not direct 
these military movements, but I know your name, 
and that you instigate aU the evil that your people 
conunit. You have also used bold language in the 
presence of the Prince of I, and it is time that 
foreigners should be taught respect for Chinese nobles 
and ministers.' 

^'I endeavoured to explain the mistakes of the 



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232 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

Prince ; told him distinctly what my fonctions were ; 
that I had come to Tungchow by express agreement 
with the Imperial Commissioners, and solely in the 
interest of peace, and I again begged him to show 
the same respect to an English flag of trace that we 
had always paid to those so repeatedly sent in by 
the Chinese. 

" The Prince, however, simply laughed at all this, 
and going towards a house that was close by directed 
the soldiers to bring me after him. 

** On arriving at the house, I was again thrown on 
my knees before him, and the Prince asked me if I 
would write for him. 

^^ Having asked what it was that he wished me to 
write, he said, * Write to your people, and tell them 
to stop the attack.' 

" * It would be useless for me to do so,' I replied, 
*as I cannot control or influence military movements 
in any way. I will not deceive your Highness by 
leading you to suppose that anything I might write 
would have such an effect* 

^* ' I see you continue obstinate,' he said, * and that 
you will be of no use to me.* 

*' I then heard him give directions to take Mr. Loch, 
the sowar, and myself to the Prince of I, but to con- 
duct the escort into Changkeawhan. While the neces- 
sary preparations were being made, two high officers 
in his suite, wearing red buttons, took me aside into 
a tent, and told me to sit down and talk with them. 
^Take our advice,' they said, ^and don't think of 



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MB, PARKES'S NARRATIVE, 233 

denying that you can do this or that, or you will get 
into trouble/ 

" I again explained to them who I was, and how 
fsx my powers extended ; but they replied that they 
did not believe me. 

"Having expressed surprise at the engagement 
then going on, and inquired how it had conunenced, 
they observed, * It does not matter how it commenced ; 
perhaps you began it, perhaps we did : but you have 
at last gone too fer, and will now get your deserts.' 

" * But we have not gone too fer,* I replied. * It 
has been agreed between our ambassadors and your 
conMnissioners that we are to occupy ground up to 
five le south of Changkeawhan.* 

"*0h, we are not particular to a few &,' said 
the officers. *It would have been quite the same 
if you had come within five, ten, or twenty le of our 
army. You have gone too far, we tell you.* 

" The cannonading now became heavier, and the 
two officers had to follow Prince Sang, who rode 
away to the front. Mr. Loch, the sowar, and myself 
were ordered to get into an open cart of the roughest 
description, and two French soldiers, whom we had 
not before seen, were put in with us. A few 
moments before I had observed a French officer, 
whom I knew to be the Commissariat Intendant, 
being led up to the house ; he had evidently been 
ill-used, but I could not see to what extent, nor had 
I any opportunity of speaking with him.'* 



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234 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



Imprisonment in Pekin. 

" It was about half-past two o'clock when we were 
put into the cart, and the son was setting as we 
reached the Chaou-yang, or eastern gate of the city. 
The streets were crowded with people, and our 
captors made the best use of us they could to give 
their return the character of a triumph. We con- 
tinued to be driven through street after street, passing 
through the eastern and southern, and into the 
western quarter of the city, until we entered, at about 
eight P.M., a large court, and I saw with a shudder 
that we were in the hands of the Board of Punish- 
ments. 

" After we had been kept waiting in a dense crowd 
for half an hour longer, I was taken from the cart and 
carried before a tribunal composed of examiners of 
small rank, who made me kneel, and alter treating 
me in a very tyrannical manner, and questioning me 
on a few unimportant points, they loaded me with 
chains, and gave me over to a number of ruflSanly- 
looking gaolers. These men conducted me through 
several long courts, and, happening to halt for some 
purpose, I knew by the clank of chains that another 
prisoner was approaching. It proved to be Mr. Loch ; 
but they would not allow us to converse, and hastily 
sent us away in different directions. At last we 
stood before a building which I could see was a 
common prison, and as the massive door opened and 



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MR. PARKES'S NARRATIVE. 235 

closed on me, I found myself in a tiirong of seventy 
or eighty wild-looking prisoners, most of them offen- 
sive in the extreme, as is usual in Chinese jails, from 
disease and dirt, and who were natorally anxious to 
gaze on the new comer. 

^* I was again careftilly examined and searched by 
the jailers, who also saw that my chains were properly 
secured, and bound my arms with fresh cords, not so 
tightly, however, as to prevent circulation, or to 
occasion serious inconvenience. At the same time, 
however, they removed, to my intense relief, the cords 
from my wrists, which being very tightly tied had 
caused my hands to swell to twice their proper size, 
and were now giving me great pain. They then laid 
me on the raised boarding on which the prisoners 
sleep, and made me &st by another large chain to a 
beam overhead. The chains consisted of one long 
and heavy one stretching from the neck to the feet, 
to which the hands were festened by two cross chains 
and handcu£^ and the feet in a similar manner. 

" Being exhausted with fetigue and want of food, 
which I had not tasted for upwards of twenty-four 
hours, I fell asleep, but was soon made sensible of 
my position by being called up, and again carried 
before the same board of inquisitors. It was then 
about midnight, but the hour did not prevent the 
collection of a large crowd, composed, however, in 
this instance, of police-runners, jailers, lictors, and 
the other numerous myrmidons of Chinese law. The 
Mandarins, as I was placed kneeling in my chains 



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236 HOW WB GOT TO PEKIN. 

before them, warned me that they would force the 
truth from me if I did not give it willingly, and, in 
proof of their earnestness, they ordered four torturers 
to seize me, even before they b^an to put their 
questions, by the ears, and the hair of the head and 
fece. They first asked me if I were a Chinese. I 
told them they had only to look at my &ee and hair 
to see that I was not Their next questions related 
to my age, length of residence in China^ how and 
where I had been employed, &c. They then pro- 
ceeded as follows : — 

" Inquisitors. — State the name of your head man. 

" Answer. — ^Which one do you mean — ^the ambas- 
sador, general, or admiral ? 

" Inquisitors (angrily). — ^You have no such func- 
tionaries. Don't presume to use such titles. 

^^ Here the torturers suited their action to the tone 
of the Mandarins, by pulling simultaneously at my 
hair, ears, &c. 

" Inquisitors. — ^Now give the name of your head 
man. 

" Answer. — ^Which one ? 

** Inquisitors. — ^The head of your soldiers. 

"Answer (in English). — ^lieutenant-General Sir 
Hope Grant 

" Inquisitors. — ^What ? 

"Answer (in English). — ^Lieutenant-General Sir 
Hope Grant 

" Inquisitors. — Say something that we can under- 
stand. 



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MB. PARKES'S NARKATIVE. 237 

" Answer. — ^I am obliged to use the English terms, 
as you will not let me give you these in Chinese. 

" They attempted to write down, in Chinese sounds, 
* Lieutenant-Greneral Sir Hope Grant,* but not suc- 
ceeding, they asked the name of another head man. 

" Answer (m English).— Ambassador Extraordi- 
nary the Earl of Elgin. 

" Finding it equally impossible to write this down 
in Chinese, or to get on with the examination, they 
told me I might revert to Chinese names and titles, 
and I then gave them those of the Ambassador and 
the Commanders-in-Chief. ♦ ♦ ♦ * ♦ 

" They then proceeded to examine me in the same 
strain as to the number of our cavalry and artillery, 
ships, steamers, horses, Chinese coolies, &c., and, in 
particular, of the range of our field and siege guns, 
which I gave them at three miles and upwards, to- 
gether with other particulars of their destructive 
properties. Hearing that the horses of the force came 
fix>m India, they questioned me as to the resources 
of that country, and were much displeased with my 
statement that it was within twenty days* sail of 
China, and had an army of upwards of 300,000 men, 
and a population of more than 100,000,000. They 
also equally disapproved of my estimate of the popu- 
lation of Great Britain, which I stated at about 
30,000,000. But the remark which probably gave 
them most displeasure, and caused me some pain at 
the hands of the torturers, was the use, on my part, 
of a term for her Majesiy denoting equality of rank 



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238 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

with the Emperor. They had inquired after our 
' Prince/ to which I had replied, by stating that we 
had many princes, both in England and India, but 
that they were all under one sovereign, as in the 
case of the empire of China, 

« * What do you mean by using such language,* 
they said, * you have yourself shown that you have 
been long in China, that yon can speak our language 
and read our books, and you must know, therefore, 
that there is but one Emperor who rules over all 
lands. It is your duty to communicate your supe- 
rior knowledge on this subject to your countrymen, 
instead of encouraging them in their extravagant 
ideas.' 

" They then insisted that I had often been in Pe- 
kin ; that I had confederates here, and that they would 
force me to reveal their names. I firmly denied all 
this, and told them that I knew but three persons in 
Pekin. 

" Inquisitors. — ^Name them. 

"Answer. — ^The two Imperial Commissioners — 
Prince of I and Muhyin, and the Assistant-Commis- 
sioner Hangki. 

" Towards the close of the examination, throughout 
which I was compelled to remain kneeling on the 
stone floor, I obtained their permission to make a 
statement on my own account. I then told them 
why I and the other gentlemen of my party had 
come to Tungchow ; that we were all employed in 
the cause of peace, and not of war ; but^ although 



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MR. PARKES'S NARRATIVE. 239 

acting under a flag of trace, and admitted to inteiv 
views with the Imperial Commissioners, we had been 
seized and were now being treated, not even as pri- 
soners of war, but as conmion felons, and as offenders 
against Chinese law, I was m^ging that this greats 
and to me unaccomitable, mistake should not be per- 
sisted in, when they interrapted me by saying, 
* That is your account^ but we have another story. 
Besides, if, as you state, you are a civilian, and have 
nothing to do with soldiers or their movements, why 
are you always seen with the advance ? * To this 
I answered, that we always kept an interpreter in 
the front to be ready to receive overtures or com- 
munications from the Chinese authorities, and to look 
after the interest of the people. The examination 
ended, I was ordered back to prison. ♦ ♦ * 

" But it was only from the prisoners that I obtamed 
sympathy or a hearing. Many of these unfortunate 
men were glad, when so permitted, to come round 
me to listen to my story, or any description that I 
would give them of foreign countries and usages. 
Instead of following the example set them by their 
authorities, and treating me with abuse or ridicule, 
they were seldom disrespectful, addressed me by my 
title, and often avoided putting me to inconvenience 
when it was in their power to do so. Most of them 
were men of the lowest class and the gravest order 
of offenders, as murderers, burglars, &c. Those who 
had no means of their own were reduced by prison 
filth and prison diet to a shocking state of emaciation 



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240 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

and disease, bat those who ooold affi>rd to fee the 
jailers, and porchase such things as they wanted, 
lived in comparative follness and comfort 

^ The Mandarins of the board having ordered that 
I should be supplied with food that I could eat, my 
maintenance, which cost, as I was told. Is. a day, 
was carried to the charge of the man who held this 
position, but instead of taking a dislike to me on 
account of the increased expense which I occasioned 
him, he was one of the foremost in showing me 
kindness or consideration. My meals consisted- of 
two meals a day of boiled rice, or a kind of macca- 
roni seasoned with a very sparing allowance of meat 
or vegetables ; also cakes or the bread of the country, 
and a little tea and tobacco. 

" In the prison-roll which was hung up on the wall, 
I found myself returned as " a rebel," and that I 
was one out of five, out of a total of seventy-three, 
who were ordered to wear the heaviest chains. 

" On the 22nd September I was removed firom the 
common prison to a separate ward about eight feet 
square, on the opposite side of the court; the four 
jailers appointed to watch me crossing at the same 
time, and putting up in the same little room. This 
was scarcely done when I received a visit firom the 
inspector of the prison, who, instead of making me 
kneel before him, as he had done on previous visits, 
desired me to be seated, and introduced another 
Mandarin of small rank as his relief." 



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MR. PARKES'S NARRATIVE. 241 



Interview with Hang-ki. 

" Shortly after they had gone, the head jailer 
asked me if I knew a Mandarin named Hang-ki. 
* He would like to see you,' he said, * but cannot come 
into the prison on account of the stench, and I do 
not see how you can be allowed to go out to hinu* 
I told the jailer to act as he pleased, and a few 
minutes afterwards Hang-ki entered ; I have by me 
flie following note of our conversation, which I suc- 
ceeded in making shortly after he had left me." 

[The conversation here described is interesting, 
but does not contain any point of special impor- 
tance.] 

" At about two P.M., 26th September, received a 
visit from Hang-M, attended by two prison inspectors, 
Qan and Choo Laou-yays. I first spoke about being 
put in the same prison with Loch ; a small request, 
and easily granted if they wished to show us any 
humanity. 

^ Hang-ki followed with a long speech. * Grand 
councils had been held,* he said, * on the subject of 
foreign relations. It was considered that the hos- 
tilities of the allies are very diflferent on this to 
all previous occasions, as by advancing on Pekin 
they are attacking the Emperor himself and not, as 
heretofore, the Emperor's viceroys. The Emperor is 
therefore on his defence, and must fight for his 

K 



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242 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

throne and dynasty. He has therefore determined 
to retire to the Hunting Palace at Jehol, in Tartary, 
and to call in the aid of the forty-eight Mongol 
Princes, each of whom can famish, probably, 20,000 
men. But, supposing that all is lost — ^that is, Pekin 
taken — ^and the Imperial ^rces retreat, fighting be- 
yond the finontier, the dismemberment of the Empire 
will follow, and all trade will be at an end Is this 
the coarse that must be adopted or not ? The mar 
jorityof Princes and Ministers are for it The Prince 
of Ching, Prince of I, Sankolinsin, and others say 
that peace cannot be made with the aUies, because 
they always make n^ptiations an oi^rtanity lor 
putting in fi*esh demands ; also that commercial rela- 
tions are &r more costly than profitable to China^ 
for, although some 4,000,000 of taels are rec^ved 
firom foreigners annually as duties, the claims for in- 
demnities—first, 21,000,000 dollars in 1842, then 
6,000,000 taels in 1858, and now 10,000,000 taels 
more — ^almost equal the amount that has readied the 
Imperial Treasury fix)m the same source during the 
above period. The personages just named, tc^ether 
with a large majority of their advisers, urge war. 
The Prince of Kung, the brother of the Emperor^ 
who has now the direction of tSie fordgn questaon, 
would be glad to see some other course, but, unless I 
point one out, no alternative presents itsell H I 
will not do this, and affidrs continue to go wrong; I 
shall make myself a mark for the public fury, whidi 
cannot be restrained at a moment of extxeanty.' '' 



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MR. PAtUOIS^ KABSATIVE. 243^ 

[After some ftlrther conversation, in wldclL Mr. 
Parked gnggested that deputies should be sent to 
open negotiations.] 

" * It is of no use/ said Hang-ki, • for me to return 
to the Prince of Kung with a set speech of this kind. 
Busmess presses, and I doubt whether I shall be 
able to see you again. Have you nothing else to 
say ? Do you still refuse to suggest a plan ? * Here 
the Prison-Inspector, Gan-Laou-yays, interposed the 
remark that I ought to write a letter. ^ Yes,' said 
Hang4d, * write to your Ambassador or to Mr. Wade^ 
engaging that the Mandarin who takes the letter 
shall be well treated, and that there shall be a ces- 
sation of hostilities. 

" I replied that it was quite out of my power td 
say anything about the discoittinuance of hostilities^ 
and that were I to make such a proposal it would 
be wholly leeless, as it would have no eflfect upon 
the proceedings of the English Ambassador^ ' I have! 
suggested a plan,' I added, ^ namely, that you should 
send out your deputies, and return Mr. Loch and 
myself with them, in which case we would be 
answerable for their safety, and tiiey could make 
any representations or overtures that you might 
desnre. I cannot undertake to do more. As to 
your menace, I know that I am in danger as long 
as I am in your hands, because it is no tmcommon 
flring for the Chinese to deal cruelly with their 
prisoners, or even to take their lives. But while I 
should prepare for the wofst^ I know also that my 

R 2 



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244 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

fete will be determined, not by your will, but by 
that of God. On the other hand, it is for you to 
bear in mind that, although you would do the allied 
force but little injury by killing the few prisoners 
who have fellen into your hands, you would by such 
an act, bring down upon yourselves a terrible ven- 
geance/ I also reminded Hang*ki of the different 
treatment which he received when detained as a 
prisoner by the allies at Canton in 1858 ; and I 
again begged that, in view of whatever might hap- 
pen to us, Mr. Loch and myself might at least Mve 
the satis&ction of being put into the same prison. 

*^ Hang-ki replied that his imprisonment and mine 
were not parallel cases, that he could not say 
whether Mr. Loch and myself could be allowed to 
be together, and that he felt he was returning to tiie 
Prince of Kung without having anything to tell 
him. * You will be in no danger, however,' he added, 
* during the next two or three days.' " 

Confinement in a Temple. 

" Having been put into separate vehicles, we were 
conveyed, in the charge of Hang-ki and a strong 
escort, to the temple spoken of. Here we were 
placed in a room about twenty feet by ten, which 
was entered by another room of the same dimen- 
sions, in which eight of the jailers of the board 
were stationed. These rooms looked into an open 
court about forty feet square, in which we were 



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ME. PARKES'S NABHATIVE. 246 

allowed to take exercise, but a strong party of 
soldiers guarded the outer entrance into this court, 
and we soon became aware that military were put 
up, in and about all parts of the building. Hang-ki 
explained the presence of the jailers, by saying 
that they had been brought here to act as our ser-» 
vants. With a degree of consideration for our com- 
fort, not usually shown by Mandarins, he had sup- 
plied us not only with such essentials as good food, 
beds, &a, but also with the luxuries of writing 
materials, soap, and towels, &c. He left it to our- 
selves to order our meals whenever we chose, and 
these, I may mention, were abundant and good 
during the time of our stay in the Kaowmean tem- 
ple. As soon as he had seen us located in our new 
quarters, I gave him, according to my promise, the 
following note :— 

** * The Chinese authorities are now treating Mr, 
Loch and myself well, and we are informed that 
this is done by direction of the Prince of Kung. 
We are also told that his Highness is a man of de- 
cision and great intelligence, and I trust that, under 
these circumstances, hostilities may be temporarily 
suspended to give opportunity for negotiation.' 

^^Septefmber 30. — One of Hang-ki's head servants 
delivered, in the name of the Prince of Kung, a large 
present of fiuit and confectionary. Hang-ki followed 
himself at 2 p jf ., and talked at considerable length, 
without having any apparent object. He maintained 
that the invasion of a country and a march upon the 



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246 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

eapital was altogether oontrary to justice and reason, 
and that was what we were now domg. 

** October l.-^Hang-ki called at 11 a.m., and was 
accompanied by Lau, formerly Taoutai at Shanghai, 
and a high literary Mandarin. Lau had been sent 
by the Prince of I to Hooseewoo with despatches 
for the Ambassadors at the same time that Mr. Wade 
and myself had visited the Prince at Tungchow. 
In a half-serioos tone I compared the different treat- 
ment in the two cases. On ttie 16th of September 
I had carefiiUy escorted Lan past our lines, and on 
the 18th I had been sdzed and brutally ill-treated 
by the Chinese in theirs. Hang-M came forward in 
defence. The seizure of myself and party was almost 
a necessity, he said, arising out of the exigency of 
the moment: hostilities had been resumed, I was in 
their hands at the time, and it is contrary to all 
reason, he added, to put a sword into the hand of 
your enemy at the very time when you are going 
to give him combat True, I had at one time to 
complain of ill-treatment, but that had been cor- 
rected, and I was now well taken care ol They aU 
blamed Sankolinsin and the Prince of I for fighting 
at Changkeawan instead of concluding peace; but, 
although they admitted that my detention was an act 
of treachery, they would not see in my present deten- 
tion a continuation of the injustice. * The Prince of 
Kung does not approve,' Hang-ki said, ^of Mr. Loch 
going out with the deputies ; but we wish you to 
write a note to Lord Elgin proposing that your army 



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MR. PARKES-S NARBATIVE. 247 

should retire for ten or twenty le, and that deputies 
from both sides should then meet upon some neutral 
ground.' I pointed out that such prq)osals should 
be made by them to your Lordship direct, and not 
through me, and that I could not lower myself in the 
eyes of my own people by proposmg that our troops 
should &11 back previous to negotiation. I consented, 
however, to note the proposal they made as to a 
meeting on neutral ground, and accordin^y wrote 
to your Lordship the annexed letter* Mr. Loch and 
myself also prepared private notes to be used in the 
event erf Prince Kung allowing these to be forwarded 
with the former." 



Liberation of Parkbs and Loch. 

** October 7. — ^At daybreak this morning, we heard 
the sound of a cannonade, which lasted for a few 
minutes, and then ceased. It seemed to come from 
no considerable distance, and, as the information 
conveyed to us, both publicly and secretly, from our 
friends in the camp, had warned us that an attack 
might take place at any time, we thought that this 
critical moment had now arrived. At a quarter to 
eight Hang-ki came in to learn from us the meaning 
of the feing: He could no longer conceal from us 
that our army was before Pekin, and admitted that 
Ewen-ming-Ewen — ^the Emperor's summer palace — 
had been taken by the allied troops yesterday after- 
noon. The Prmce of Kung, who had been staying 



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248 HOW WS GOT TO FEKIN. 

there all along, had managed to escape; but he» 
Eang-kj, had been nearly taken, as he was going out 
to the palace, yesterday afternoon. Betoming to 
the city, in the evening, he found all the gates 
closed and the walls manned, and his only means of 
getting into the dty was by being hauled up in a 
basket He feared that my note, stating that we 
should be sent ont on the 8th, and the official letter 
from Prince Kung covering it, could not have reached 
the English camp. 

^ I told him that, during the whole time of our con* 
finement, both in the prison and in the temple, we 
had never ceased to warn them against the danger 
of delay, and all that we had foretold seemed now to 
be comingto pass. Their only chance of escape lay 
in the immediate surrender of their prisoners. 

^ ^ How is that to be done,' said Hang-ki, ^ in the 
fece of firing? and how can I now get the authority 
of Prince Kung for your surrender ? Your immediate 
departure would also interfere with the interview he 
intended to give you to^y.* 

** * The interview,' we replied, * was of little import- 
ance, and danger to the city, in case of delay, was 
imminent' We advised him, therefore, to arrange 
for our being sent away at once, regardless of whe- 
ther we had to go out in the &ce of fire or not, as 
we were very willing to risk that danger. 

^^ He left us, promising to return shortly, and we 
counted the minutes, until these became hours and 
the day began to wear away. We did not again 



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MR. FABKES^ NABRATIYE. 249 

hear the sound of attack, bat detected, now and then, 
some stir, as the movement of troops, in our vicmity, 
and conld observe looks of concern on the &ces of 
oar guards and jailers* We sent to Hang-ki's house 
to inquire about his movements, but all we could 
learn from his servants was that after leavmg us he 
had been lowered over the city wall, and had gone 
as they supposed in quest of Prince Kung. It was 
impossible to tell when he would return* 

" We anxiously looked forward for the next morn- 
ing, and felt some relief when no cannonade was heard 
as daylight broke. By sending to Hang-ki's house 
we learned that he had returned home at 3 a*m*, 
and would be with us shortly. He came at nine, 
and the glimpse obtained of his countenance, before 
he had put on the look he wished to assume, showed 
considerable dejection and anxiety. He explained 
to us why he had not returned yesterday. * I left 
you full of concern,* he said, * as I knew that the city 
and your lives were both in danger. Had the dty 
been assaulted, the first cry raised by the soldiers 
would have been, " Away with the foreign prison- 
ers.'' When I mquired for Prince Kung, I found 
that he was too far off for me to hope to reach him. 
I therefore despatched a note, proposing that you 
should be given up at once, on condition that the 
foreign troops should retire from Ewen-ming-Ewen, 
which they had begun to plunder. At the same 
time I received an invitation from Mr. Wade, to 
meet him outside the Tihshing gate at four o'clock in 



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250 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

the afternoon. I .went, and we had a long discus- 
sion. He demanded not only the immediate sur- 
render of the priaoners, but also one of the city gates, 
and he handed me this letter, in which yon see he 
states the same in writing. It is quite impossible to 
comply with such a demand, and what therefore can 
be done under such circumstances ? ' 

^^ I read the note which ran in the names of the 
allied Commanders-in-Chief demanding the liberation 
of all the prisoners who had been seized^ and the de- 
livery into their hands of one of the gates of the city, 
as a precaution against farther acts oi perfidy on the 
part of the Chinese. I could only tell Hang-ki that 
this step was rendered necessary by their prevfous 
acts of bad &ith^ and that the allies could no longer 
put any trust in them. It was useless to hope that 
the allied generals would alter their determination 
when they had once taken it, nor did I see any course 
open to tiie Chinese except compliance. 

^ At this moment the prospect before us seemed 
darker than ever, but Hang-ki, after s(«ne hesitation^ 
relieved us fixxn our suq>ense by remarking that he 
had agreed with Mr. Wade that we should be given 
up to-day as already promised, and that we should 
be sent out at four o'clock in the afternoon. Unable 
to rely upon the assurance of any Mandarin^ we 
anxiously awaited the hour named, and could see 
that considerable uneasmess was evinced by Hang-ki, 
who visited us several times in the course of Ihe 
morning. At one time he whispered to me, ^ I am 



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MB. PABKES'S NAERATTVE. 261 

partiealarly anxious to get yon away for reasons that 
I will tell you of at a ftiture time, and I will not wait 
for the hour named to send you off.' He was now 
willing to gire us some infonnation respecting the 
other priscmers. Upwards of twenty had been taken, 
he said ; hut with a view to their safe custody, they 
had been divided into small parties and sent away 
to different district cities in the interior. It would 
take some days to get them all back, and he had 
heard that four or five of them had sickened and 
died. Those in Pekin numbered eight in all, inclu- 
fiiye of Mr. Loch and myself, and we were all to be 
sent out together. 

*^ At last, at two o'dock, he told us that all the 
prisoners had been assembled, and that we could take 
our departure. We were placed in covered carts, 
without being allowed to see each other, and were 
escorted by a large party of soldiers and Mandarins 
through streets which wore a deserted appearance to 
the Se-che, or north-western gate of the city. We 
so(m saw, with thankful hearts, as those great por- 
tals opened, and then immediately closed behind us, 
that we were already fi>ee men, for our guard, not 
daring to follow us out of the city, had left to our- 
selves the pleasant task of finding our way to the 
aUied camp. 

" I must not close this report without endeavouring 
to express my gratitude to your Lordship for the firm 
and uncompromising manner in which you insisted, 
firom the first, npoa our surrender, and which, under 



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252 HOW WE GOT TO FEKIN. 

the blessing of Divine Proyidence, lias mainly oon* 
tribnted [to our liberation. Nor should I omit to 
acknowledge the great debt I also owe to my fellow- 
prisoner, Mr. Loch, for the warm sapport I invari- 
ably received from him whenever a moment of trial 
or of danger presented itsel£ I have, &c 

"HabbyS. Pabkes." 



I never saw a more pitiable sight than the retmn 
of the sowars ; having read their own statements, 
you can well imagine the state of those who sur- 
vived such bratal and crael treatment Hardly able 
to walk, they draped their legs along and held 
their hands before their breasts in a posture de- 
noting great suffering, and such hands as they 
were, crumpled up and distorted in every possible 
way ; some with running sores at the wrists, some 
in which the bloated appearance caused by the 
cords had not yet gone away, and some were shri- 
velled like a bu*d's daw and appeared to be dead and 
withered. 

Having seen these poor fellows as they came in^ I 
was not much surprised with a scene which I wit- 
nessed a few days afterwards. 

I was standing near the entrance of the head- 
quarter temple on the evening of the first day of the 
burning of the palace, when a Chinaman came up 
to me and kowtowed most submissively, and begged 
of me by signs to accompany him. He made s^ns 



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-THE WILD JUSTICE OP REVENGE" 253 

that his tail would be cut off, wMch tail John China- 
man values yery much, as the loss of it is the loss of 
character, although I believe there are as many &lse 
tails in China as there are forged chajucters at home ; 
he also intimated something about cutting off heads, 
and being bound ; my curiosity was excited so much 
by his gestures and by his vehemence, that I went 
with him. On the way he made a gesture of winding 
something round his head, this intimated a turban, 
and as the quarters of Fane's Horse were close at 
hand, I imagined that one of the sowars had alarmed 
him and would not let him pass out of the lines. 
Suddenly, however, he darted into the courtyard of a 
house and beckoned me to follow him, and in the court- 
yard I found a sowar walking about as if on sentry, 
and I heard groans proceeding from two rooms. 

One of these rooms I entered, and found a China- 
man lying on his &oe, with his hands and feet tied 
together in one knot and meeting all together behind 
his back, exactly in the position in which the unfor^ 
tnnate prisoners had been tied ; his tail had been cut 
of^ and water had been poured on the cords to 
tighten them, as it had been in the case of the 
prisoners. 

While I was looking at the unfortunate wretch, 
the sowar quietiy walked away. My first impression 
was that these men had been imprisoned by us 
for some theft, and that the sowar, as sentry, had 
secured them thus out of revenge ; but when I found 
tiiat he had gone away, I understood at once that it 



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254 HOW WB GOT TO PKKIK. . 

ivras a private ^ p^eon'' of his owiu In the second 
room I found another poor fellow in the same plight, 
and here the Sikh had lit a fire and had his little 
boiling, and was preparing to sp^id a pleasant even- 
ing contemplating the sniferings of the Chinsun^i. 
Probably some relation of his in Fane's Horse had 
sofTered or perhaps died mider the hands of those 
barbarians, and he took this method of inflicting re* 
tribntion. There was something ct what Mr. O^Oon* 
nel nsed to call ** the wild justice of revenge ** aboat 
it I contented myself with setting the mifortonates 
at liberty, for which they expressed their gratitude by 
rubbing thenr noses and foreheads in- the dust at my 
feet, or " kowtowing ** in the most approved style^ 

The bodies of De Norman, Bonlby, Anderson^ 
and private Phipps, of the King's Dragoon Guards, 
were sent in ; they were indeed wretched remains, 
not to be recognized, but by some part of the dreas. 
Poor De Norman's leather coat, which we all knew 
so well, remained^ and Boulby's socks were marked 
with his name. He was^ indeed, a public loss, and 
nmch regretted by all in the force who knew him ; 
he was most laborious in gathering information, very 
observant, and altogether as good a man as could 
have been sent out to chronicle the events <^ the 
war; our tents were often pitched dose to eadb^ 
other, and I have watched him hard at work, in the 
early morning, as the mail time drew on^ and 
thought with what interest those lines would be read 
by the people at home ; how many millions of pails 



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TREACHERY OP CHINBSB GOVERNMENT. 25& 

of eyes would drink in the story which they carried. 
What mysterious purpose was answered by the 
sacrifice of so many valuable lives, and so much 
misery both to the sufferers and those left behind^ 
can only be known to that wise and merciful Power 
which rules the afEurs of men, and without whom 
^^a sparrow does not fidl to the ground/' We may be 
sure that some dire necessity existed which was not 
to be averted, or the God of mercy would not have 
permitted his servants to M into the hands of such 
wretches. 

We may, perhaps, conjecture that in the good 
fidth o[ our own hearts we were fools, and slow to 
believe the daring fiJsehood and treachery of the 
(Government with which we had to deal; and that 
some lesson must be learned by the allied powers 
which would teach them this, and bum it indelibly 
by bitter sorrow into the heart and memory of those 
at home as of those in China that an Asiatic, and 
above all a Chinese Qovenm will not keep &itb 
except through fear, and that if you are to have any 
dealings with him at all^ you must first terrify him, 
and flog a certain amount of truth mto him by 
making him associate the idea of lies and suffering. 
It may be that had we not learned at the cost of 
such a sacrifice, the unfiithomable duplicity and 
cruelty of the Pekin Government, we might have 
&Jlen in greater numbers into some wily snare, and 
lost not perhaps only subordinates, but the chiefe of 
our mission. 



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256 now WB got to pekin. 

On Wednesday, the 17th of October, the fdneral 
of Messrs. Bonlby, Anderson, De Norman, and pri- 
vate Phipps, took place. The Russian Embassy had 
given permission in the kindest manner that their 
burial-ground should be used for the interment of 
those unfortunate victinis of Chinese treachery and 
barbarity, and I would here bear most willing testi- 
mony to the kindness and courtesy of the Russian 
authorities in China, throughout the whole cam- 
paign ; whatever information it was in their power 
to give, they were ever ready to afford, and the 
cordial good feeling which they evinced upon every 
occasion, was enough of itself to contradict the siUy 
idea put forth in 1859, by the marines at Takoo, that 
they had seen Russian &ces and heard Russian voices 
at the south fort fix)m which they were repulsed. 

The Tartars fought just as well in 1860 as they 
did the year before, and had the forts been at- 
tacked in the same way in that year as they were 
in the previous by the same number of the best men 
in the world, the result must have been similar; 
there is therefore no need to imagine that there 
were Russians there upon that occasion. More than 
one Russian officer, high in rank, told me during 
the campaign, that we were rendering immense ser- 
vice to Russia, and there can be no doubt that their 
conduct to us was in accordance with that idea. 

The Russian burial-ground is outside the nortji 
wall of the city, about a quarter of a mile from it, 
and on the verge of that large parade ground already 



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[the Nfw vr)'>t,l 



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■i^'fi-^^^0M:?^ 



VIDETTB OF FA^TK'S HOBSK BKFORII PICX7X, I860. 



lb face Page 3fi7. 



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THE FUNERAL. 257 

described, it is walled in and planted, and an old 
Chinaman lives there, and takes care of it, so that 
the Mends of those whose &te it has been to take 
their last earthly rest here, may feel secure that the 
remains of those whom they loved, and still love, 
will rest in peace till that great day when earth and 
sea shall alike yield up the dead that they have 
hidden, at the voice of Him who has " redeemed us 
and washed us in his blood,*' when time shaU be no 
more. May we meet them then in peace through 
Him who has " made peace by the blood of his Cross.*' 

The funeral was an impressive sight Lord Elgin 
and Sir H. Grant were chief mourners ; every one 
made a point of attending, as it was a gratification 
to the feelings of all, to show the last tribute of re- 
spect to the memory of the departed, and to mark 
their sympathy with the cruel &.te, which had car- 
ried them away in the midst of a career of usefulness 
and honour ; nor was there less sympathy for the pri- 
vate soldier than for his superior. Poor Phipps, of 
the King's Dragoon Guards, with the true spirit 
which marks not only his own corps, but the British 
army at large, while he was himself sufiTering the 
most cruel tortures, being preyed upon while yet 
alive, had not only borne cheerfiiUy his own agonies, 
and who can imagrae them I but cheered his com- 
panions in suffering up to the very moment that he 
sank under his own. 

The funeral service was read by me, as principal 
chaplain, and the priest of the Russian church having 



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258 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

requested me to permit him to take part in the ser^ 
vice, bore the cross, the emblem of the fidth of Christ, 
at the graves, while the service was being read. 

Winter seemed to have set in on that day; the 
heavens were black, and bitter was the cold north 
wind, which cut into the very marrow of our bones, 
as it swept fix)m the snow-capped mountains down 
over the plain, but the sun shone brightly on the 
next day, when by the General's order the First 
Division marched out under command of Sir John 
Michel, to bum the Ewen-ming-Ewen, and all 
imperial property within a circuit of several miles. 
Never did a Division march with a better will to 
perform a more just and loudly called for act of retri- 
bution, upon an imperious, treacherous, and cruel 
power. There at that palace were the horses and 
property of the prisoners found ; there had the fiendish 
usage to which they had been subjected begun ; who 
was answerable for it ? If you say that Sankolinstu 
was the author of the crime, he was but a subordi- 
nate, and acted in concert with the Prince of I, who 
was befooling us with negotiations at Hoseewoo and 
Tungchow, while Sankolinsin was getting his army 
into order and arranging his treacherous attack. No, 
the imperial power was to blame in this most dis- 
graceful a<^t, which stains the page of modem history ; 
and most justly did Lord Elgin and Sir H, Grant 
devote to destraction the imperial property, and I 
hope that England feels that they deserve, as they 
most certainly do, the thanks of the country for this 



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CmKESE STATE PAPERS. 259 

perfonnauce of a special duty, as well as for every- 
thing else in their conduct of the mission and the 
campaign. 

Among other important documents found at the 
imperial palace were some "Memorials," addressed 
by officers of state to the Emperor, of a very pressing 
nature and of a very important character. They 
have much interest, as they illustrate the views of 
those in power in reference to us ; and the arguments 
which were used to induce the Emperor to adopt the 
policy which he pursued ; and as state papers they 
are of no mean character. Having been fortunate 
enough to obtain copies of the translations, made by 
Mr. Wade, I insert them here, as they have not, I 
believe, been as yet made public. They prove that 
the flight of the Emperor to Jehol was against the 
advice of his ministers. 



No. L— MEMORIAL BY SANKOUNSIN. 

llh Manih, l(Hh day (26^A August). 

"Your slave Sankolinsin, kneeling, .presents a 
Memorial, judging that the changeable disposition of 
the barbarians will make it impossible to carry into 
effect the pacific policy, he, in the name of the princes 
and dukes of the six leagues, prays your Majesty to 
proceed on a hunting tour, in order that measures 
for attacking and destroying the barbarians may be 
&cilitated. 

s 2 



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260 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

" Your slave lately lost the position at Takoo, where 
he commanded, in consequence of the unforeseen 
explosion of the powder magazines at two of the 
north forts simultaneously^ and not from any slack- 
ness in the defence or insufficiency of means ; there- 
fore he apprehends that now it will be difficult to 
make the barbarians submit, yet that their demands 
can hardly be granted. 

** Your slave has made the necessary dispositions 
along the road between Tien-Tsin and Tungchow. 
If fighting should take place near Tungchow, it is to 
be feared that the minds of the inhabitants of Pekin 
would be greatly agitated. Victory or defeat may 
depend on the circumstances of a moment Should 
a reverse possibly occur, the trading people who con- 
gregate in the capital would desert in multitudes, 
and if perchance the hearts of the soldiers should &il, 
the consequences might be momentous. (This means 
that the Emperor might be made a prisoner.) 

" Your slave has received the greatest feivours fix)m 
your Majesty, and has shown no return for them. 
After the most anxious reflection on this present 
critical state of affairs, the best course which has 
suggested itself to him, and which he has adopted, 
appeared to be to write to the princes and others 
of the six leagues, desiring them to repair to the 
capital with the e'lite of their troops, so that they 
might attend your Majesiy on your route, with the pro* 
per honours, and there join the rest of the forces. He 
humbly b^ your Majesty to follow the precedent of 



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CHINESE STATE PAPERS, 261 

making a hunting tour in the autumn, and accordingly 
to leave the capital for a time ; and further, that the 
princes and state officers left at the head of affairs 
may be commanded to see that the army keep the 
city in the most perfect state of defence, until they 
are joined by the troops of the six leagues, when, all 
together, they may attack and exterminate the enemy. 
If at that time your Majesty should be in the capital, 
not only might the execution of needful plans be 
impeded, but also alarm might unfortunately be 
excited in your own mind. Your slave does not 
shrink from thus, in the name of the princes and 
others of the leagues, rashly expressing his and their 
obscure views, and which he yet urgently solicits 
your Majesty to permit to be carried into effect He 
would then be set at liberty to choose his own time 
and mode of attack, and might advance or retire as 
events should make necessary. Without any doubt 
he would exterminate the vile brood from off the earth, 
and redeem his previous shortcomings. He addresses 
this secret Memorial to your Majesty for your decision 
thereupon. He does not venture to forward this by 
the regular express, but, reverently sealing it, he en- 
trusts it to Kun Sing to deliver it in person." 



No. II.— MEMORIAL BY KIA CHING, AND SIGNED BY 
TWENTY-FIVE OTHERS. 

7ih Month, 2ith day (S^tember 9th). 

" Tour minister, Kia Ching, and others, kneeling, 
present a Memorial, plainly expressing, in obedience 



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262 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

to the imperial commaad, their opinions on the present 
critical conjonctare. On this 24th day of the month 
(9th Sept.), they have received a vermillion decree, 
together with a secret Memorial by Sankolinsin, 
which ihej were directed to peruse. In the decree 
they reverently read that their Emperor prc^K)sed to 
command in pers(m the battalions of the empire, and 
to proceed to Tongdiow to exterminate the vile 
brood of barbarians, and in this they observed the 
firm resolnticm of the sacred son of heaven, who 
governs and tranqoillizes the universe. 

^* But they remember that the place in qnestion is 
not Tanqnen, and at this time Ean Chun has not come 
forward. (In allusion to a circumstance in Chinese his- 
tory, Aj). 1000, when the then reigning Emperor took 
the field against the Mongol Tartars, and defeated 
them.) The mist of the sea should be dissipated 
by the celestial wrath, but still they consider that the 
course proposed is not that which would best conduce 
to the interests of the state, and they deem that it 
ought not on any account to be lightly adopted. And 
Sankolinsin's propositions regarding a hunting tour 
your ministers hold to be even more objectionable, 
K the capital, which is encompassed with a strong 
and uninterrupted line of fortifications, is not secure, 
what shelter is to be looked for in open and unfenced 
hunting grounds ? But farther, your Majesty's de- 
parture would excite the wildest agitation in the 
people's minds. (Here a reference to Chinese history 
is inserted to convey a suggestion that the Emperor, 



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CHINESE STATE PAPERS. 263 

after passing the Great Wall, might perhaps be un- 
able to return.) 

" Since the barbarians have been able to reach the 
post of Tien-Tsin, what is there to prevent them from 
likewise penetrating to the Loon River (at Jehol) ? 
Your ministers cannot endure to dwell on the ideas 
which these reflections awaken in their minds. To 
their dull perceptions it seems that men must act in re- 
ference to calculable contingencies, while they await in 
submission the inscrutable decrees of Heaven. They 
cannot but think that Providence has guarded their 
humane and beneficent Grovemment during the 200 
years of its time, of the empire, and they would take 
courage to exert themselves strenuously in the emer- 
gency which has occurred. They purpose that your 
Majesty should issue an edict, to reassure the people 
and incite them to courageous action; that high 
rewards should be promised to all who distinguish 
themselves, and that special attention should be given 
to placing the army in a perfect state of efficiency. 
They request that your Majesty will charge the 
princes and others chained therewith, speedily to 
mature and carry out the arrangements for the war of 
defence and extermination. They humbly beg your 
Majesty's decision as to whether their proposals are 
right or wrong." 



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264 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



No. m.— MEMORIAL BY TSINEN TUNG AND FORTT 
OTHERS. 
7«& Month, 27ih day (Uik September). 

^* Your ministers oonsider that the project of a 
hunting tour is likely to endanger the stability of the 
.Government, and they therefore pray that yoop 
Majesty will remain in the capital. Your ministers 
have heard, with the greatest surprise and aLarm, 
that, in consequence of the Mure of the attempt 
to bring the barbarians to terms, your Majesty has 
resolved on making a tour to Jehol, and that orders 
had been sent to the various corps of the banners to 
make the necessary preparations. As the safety of 
the empire might be compromised by such a proceed- 
ing, your ministers, under a deep sense of responsi- 
bility, desire to submit in detail various reasons which 
they conceive to weigh against its adoption. 

'^ More than 200 years have elapsed since the estar 
blishment of the empire by Shunche, and the foundar 
tion of the ancestral temples. A time of general 
distress and difficulty having now arrived, it is of the 
utmost consequence that the minds of the pec^le should 
be kept tranquil ; but for your Majesty to undertake 
so universal a journey at the very moment when ihe 
approach of the outside barbarians is imminent, would 
be a thing which must cause extreme alarm and con- 
fusion. The daily accounts of the impressment <^ 
carts and carriages along the route have already 
produced much agitation amongst the people, but, 



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CHINESE STATE PAPERS. 265 

after your Majesty shall haye started, a succession of 
disorders will arise. 

'^ So great a disturbance of the ancestral and tute* 
lary spirits, this voluntary provocation of dangers, 
must surely hereafter produce bitter, but unavailing 
regret in your Majesty's mind — ^and these consi- 
derations constitute the first ground which your 
ministers have to adduce against the project of 
the hunting excursion. The autumnal hunting tour 
has hitherto been undertaken, when the occasion 
seemed expedient, only at periods of tranquillity, and 
in this manner it has been an institution of our 
august dynasty. But now, when the barbarians are 
raising commotions, when the rebels are spreading 
over the country, all people both at the capital and 
in the country look to your Majesty, present at 
the seat of Government, as the centre fix)m which the 
plans of Grovemment must emanate, and the support 
of authority and order. This sudden departure with- 
out any apparent reason (althoi^h called a hunting 
tour) will bear the aspect of a flight ; not only wiU 
it tend to shake the resolution of the troops and their 
officers, near the capital ; but the commanders of the 
various armies at a distance will also be filled with 
doubts and alarms, nor can it be asserted that the 
intelligence will not greatly raise the courage of the 
rebels. Thus all the great interests of the empire 
will be endangered, and perhaps beyond a chance 
of remedy; herein, is the second ground of your 
ministers' objection to the tour. 



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266 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN, 

'^ The imperial residence is securely gnarded, and it 
is the honoorable seat of Majesty. At such a moment 
as this, when it is the sovereign's only proper place of 
residence, is not the time suddenly to propose a trar 
yelling tour. Moreover, when turmoil everywhere 
prevails, the police of the roads cannot be expected 
to be perfect A journey to Jehol has not been made 
since that of the late Emperor Tao Yunang, forty years 
ago; and the crowd of carriages and h(»*se8 will greatly 
surprise the inhabitants of the places through which 
they pass. It is said that the people about Jehol are 
fer from being as orderly as they formerly were. 
Bobberies on the highway have become very nume- 
rous. The people, who are distressed through the 
Ming off in the yield of the mines, herd together in 
tens and hundreds, and go about creating distur- 
bance. Should some unlooked-for mischief be&Q 
your Majesty, or should spies carry the information 
of your absence, the barbarians might be emboldened 
to attempt some fi^h enterprise. If the discussions 
respecting the exdiange of treaties should be brought 
to a successful conclusion, it would cause great incon 
venience to be long delayed in waiting for your 
Majesty's commands: thereupon the above are a 
third reason against the tour. 

" Since the time of the commencement of the war, 
the rebellion, the treasury has daily become more and 
more embarrassed, and it is very difficult to meet the 
regular expenditure of the capital. Jehol is a great 
resort of the Mongols, and we have heard that upon 



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CHINESE STATE PAPERS. 267 

these, whenever an imperial toor was made in the 
times of Yuen Long and Yai Tning, presents amount- 
ing to no less than several tens of millions were be- 
stowed. The state of the finances would not admit of 
this rule being now followed, and it would be difficult 

^^ Again, the requisite escort of officials, troops, and 
followers would have to be over 10,000 persons, 
numbers of whwn, should there be any deficiency in 
the supplies, could not be prevented firom deserting. 
Lastly, much of the route is along the fix)ntier, where 
banditti roam about at will, by whom some unex* 
pected mischief might be committed : these conside- 
rations make a fourth ground of objection to the 
proposed tour. 

" Let it not be supposed that your ministers desire 
to parade grand ai^uments, regardless of your 
Majesty's danger in a critical emergency; nor that 
they would have anything to allege against an ordi- 
nary peaceable tour, such as has been practical in 
former times. Taking the most practical view of the 
subject, they cannot see that any necessity has now 
arisen to enter precipitately upon the undertaking in 
question. Granting that the whole force of the 
barbarians hardly exceeds 10,000 men, and that 
Sankolinsin commands more than 30,000, they make 
no question that the many might defeat the few. 
They desire to notice the fact, that the barbarians 
who have come across the ocean have hitherto 
shown that their only object is to trade. Their 
creeping into Shangtung, Fokien, Shanghai, and 



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268 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

other places was only to seize the ports, and not to 
take possession of the country, nor have they at- 
tempted any conquest of China. Even the point of 
entry into Pekin is one which might be satisfectorily 
disposed of. In all which is going on, there is no- 
thing to make one apprehend great misfortune, but 
if, before the appearance of the barbarians, a flight 
should take place, it is impossible to say what revo- 
lution in affairs might not be the immediate conse- 
quence. The mind recoils from speculation on the 
subject Far better would be due forethought and 
deliberation before the event, than unavailing re- 
grets after. 

" Another consideration is, that in your Majest/s 
present happy state of convalescence, it would be 
undesirable to expose yourself to the &tigues of tra- 
velling during the yet hot weather of autunm. 
Such are your ministers' obscure views, Ac, &C., &cJ* 



No. IV.— MEMORIAL BY TSINEN TUNG, A PRESIDENT OF 
THE BOARD OP CIVIL OFFICE, SIGNED BY TWENTY- 
THREE OTHERS. 

7th Month, 2Qth day (IBth September). 

" Your ministers, Tsinen Yung and others, kneel- 
ing, present a Memorial They again state in detail 
their opinions, to show that the departure of your 
Majesty to a place to the northward of Pekin, nrast 
create great agitation in the metropolis ; and that the 
best means of restoring tranquilliiy, and confinning 



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CHINESE STATE PAPERS. 269 

the spirit of the army, would be for your Majesty to 
remain at Pekin. At a period of public distress, 
the man of heroic character is prepared to die at his 
post, and at such a time, the most perieet sincerity 
and truthfulness only befit the conduct of either high, 
or low. Your ministers have to-day respectfully read 
the Vermillion decree, stating that the arrangements 
for your Majesty's proposed hunting expedition are 
to serve as preparations for taking the field in per* 
son, and that if the enemy is met in the vicinity of 
Matow or Tungchow, your Majesty will proceed 
with a strong force as originally intended to a place 
to the northward of Pekin, and there take up a 
position, 

" They admire the inspiring demeanour and the 
strategic ability thus displayed. But the common 
people are extremely slow of comprehension ; they 
easily suspect, and with difficulty appreciate, and 
they will say that as the barbarians are to the south- 
eastward of the capital, the change of plan from a 
hunting tour to taking the field in person should 
induce your Majesty to remain at Tungchow for 
the support of Sankolinsin; that the taking up a 
post to the northward of the capital would be a 
departure from the seat of war, and accordingly that 
what in name was campaigning, was in reality a 
hunting tour. The people's mind would be disturbed, 
and the spirit of the troops would fail If defence 
and holding out in words, are to mean flight and 
desertion in &ct, your ministers will not urge on 



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270 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

your Majestjr. Thus the temples of your ancestors 
and the altars of the tutelary gods will be aban- 
doned (i. e. the empire lost). 

" But they ask where else could your Majesty's per- 
sonal safety be better assured than at the capital? 
Beyond the Hoopee-kow pass (in the Great Wall) is 
the haunt of Bussian barbarians, and these have been 
constantly pretending to deliver communications to 
the Gk)vernment at Pekin for the furtiierance of some 
treacherous designs. That region is also frequented 
by bands of mounted robbers, who suddenly collect 
in hundreds and thousands, and attack traders and 
officials, respecting whom, however, all reports have 
been suppressed by the local Mandarins. Although 
the barbarians may be near the capital, yet its 
fortifications being strong, and its garrison large, in 
it no danger need be feared ; wherefore, then, should 
your Majesty go into the dens of tigers and robbers ? 
If it be said that your Majesty's departure would 
balk the barbarians' scheme, and contribute to far 
cilitate either peace or war&re as might be expe- 
dient, it should not be forgotten, on the other hand, 
that if commotions were to arise within the capital, 
the authors of our calamities would not be the bar- 
barians, but ourselves. 

" There may be some about your Majesty*s person, 
who will say that the repeated attempt of so many of 
your ministers to dissuade your Majesty from the 
hunting tour, proceed from personal motives and a 
desire to lessen their own danger. To this they would 



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CHINESE STATE PAPERS. 271 

reply that such a tour has never been known to occa- 
sion inconvenience to the whole body of officials ; but, 
on the contrary, that did they desire their own advan^ 
tage, they would favour the project, for it would give 
themselves the means of escaping danger. These 
three questions present themselves : — ^What if your 
Majesty should find yourself in a place without any 
retreat? What if your Majesty's departure should 
lead to commotions within the capital? What if 
your Majesty should be in the midst of more serious 
dangers than when at Pekin? Tour Majesty is 
well funiliar with the maxim, that the Prince is 
bound to sacrifice himself for his country. But far 
be it fix)m your ministers at such a time as this to 
desire to wound your Majesty's feelings by adverting 
to such thoughts; and, indeed, the crisis is in no 
degree so serious as to make it necessary to dwell 
on them. 

" The great danger now to be avoided is that of 
disturbance arising fix)m within. At aU risks your 
ministers make the above reverent exposition of 
their sentiments, and they await your Majesty's 
commands, &c." 



No. v.— MEMOBIAL BY AI JIN, A CENSOB, AND SEVENTY- 
FOUB OTHERS. 

m Mmthy 27th day (12th September). 

" Your ministers, Ai Jin and others, respectfully 
submit their (pinion that the capital and court ought 



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272 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

not to be forsaken on light grounds. On the 24th 
day of this present month the princes and ministers 
of the inner council received a vermillion decree, 
stating that your Majesty intended proceeding for a 
time on a hunting tour. Your ministers heard of this 
with extreme astonishment and alarm; they would 
humbly remark that, although the barbarians' vessels 
may have reached Tien-Tsin, the circumstance has 
not excited much fear in the capital. The throne is 
that in which all things centre, and to which the eyes 
of all men turn : one step of the Emperor's foot 
shakes the earth. The project in question, then, 
must have originated without due thought of the 
dangers which would ensue therefrom. It is impos- 
sible that your Majesty's household, and the princes 
and grandees who will form your escort and live in 
Pekin, can be well disposed, and who leave a place of 
security, even in attendance on the imperial person. 
" Commencing in haste and confusion, the crowd 
of followers would be alive to everything which 
excite their fears; and if they should disperse 
in mid-journey, no means might be found of going 
back or forward. Since 1820, the year in which 
his late Majesty discontinued the hunting tour, it 
is said that the country has become very deso- 
late, and that the travelling places have &llen now 
into disrepair and are unfit to live in. Your 
ministers do not know what the character of the 
inhabitants may now be, but they may safely say 
that it cannot be as loyal as that of the inhabiir 



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CHINESE STATE PAPERS. 273 

ants of the capital dtyy which has been established 
for 200 years. Again, Jehol is at no great distance 
from the Shanghai Kwane (pass near the tenmnus 
of the great wall), and other places which are quite 
accessible to the barbarians. 

*^ It is also near the Russian barbarians ; and such 
being the case, who can deem it secure ? Our troops 
now are several times more numerous than those 
of the barbarians, but if your Majesty were to leave 
the Court, every-one would be disheartened, a panic 
might break out, the barbarians would use the oppor^ 
tunity to take the city, and we should become victims 
to their wiles in a worse degree than when the men 
of Kin in ancient times installed Lein Yu and Chang 
Pang Chang in the Government (about a.d. 1127). 
Thenceforward the capital would not belong to us, 
and the empire would share its &te. 

** As to a council of regency, composed of princes 
and ministers appointed to act during your Majesty's 
temporary absence, your ministers would remark 
that the present time may not be compared with that 
of the Kia Ching reign. By no possibility could the 
proper management of domestic as well as foreign 
affiurs be safely confided to it. From of old it has been 
seen that it could never be certified that the conclusion 
of such a regency would match with its beginning. 

** Althoi^ Tai-Tsung, of the Ming dynasty (aj). 
1457), was not a disloyal prince, yet when Jing^ 
Tsnng returned fix)m his northern journey to the 
Sha Mo, it was by a slight chance tMt he escaped 

T 



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274 HOW WE OCT TO PBKIN* 

passing the remainder of his days in retirement in 
the south of the country. The experience of all 
former regencies is calculated to inspire the utmost 
caution with reference to such a mode of adminis- 
tration. 

" From the first establishment of our dynasty there 
has been a great intermingling of natives and 
foreigners, and they have flourished in mutual pros- 
perity; of this we have had a previous example. 
The barbarians of the present day are nothing com- 
parable in ferocity to those of the time of Yung Kia, 
in the Tsin dynasty (a.d. 309), or Tsing-Kang, in 
the Sung dynasty (a.d. 1127). If then, giving ear 
to base gossip and on the impulse of the moment, the 
empire of the world is to be thrown away like a 
weed, the duty to the spirits of the saints in the 
other world wiU have been left undone, and no 
response will have been made to the aspirations of 
governing or governed throughout the universe. Let 
the Emperor's clear intelligence decide how he could 
bear such a thoi^ht We know how in the 18th 
Eja Ching year (1813), while his Majesty the then 
reigning Emperor (Kia Ching) was on a hunting tour, 
the revolt of Lin Tsing broke out ; the alarm it oc- 
casioned, causing aU traffic to be suspended and the 
shops to be shut, and how the Emperor's return 
diffused general delight and restored the tranquillity 
of the city. The danger was then most threatening, 
as need not be proved. A puff of breatiii is now 
sufficient to decide the balance in which hangs the 



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CHINESE STATE PAPERS. ^75 

loss or preservation of the saccession of yoiir ancestors, 
and the repose of the tutelary gods {i.e. the fete of 
the dynasty). 

"We humbly entreat your Majesty of your sole 
motion to detennine that the project lately contem* 
plated shall be renounced, and so make your empire 
to rejoice. Your ministers ask one more act of grace. 
As your Majesty's intention to travel was publicly 
announced, and men's minds have been so much dis-' 
turbed, that it would be difficult to reassure them, 
they b^ that you will promulgate your determina- 
tion to return to your palace, that &lse rumours may 
be at once extinguished and tranquillity restored, 
tilie national decline may be arrested, and the 
Government may recommence a course of success. 
Tour ministers and the others, being by their office 
obliged to caU attention to national evils, have ao* 
cordingly thus expressed their imperfect views with 
all humility, and they await your Majesty's com- 
mands, &c., &c." 



No. VI.— MEMOBIAL BY AI YIN, A CENSOR ; AND TWENTY- 
SIX OTHERS. 

7th Month, 2Sth day (iZth September), 

**Your ministers having yesterday presented a 
Memorial in their joint names to your Majesty, tiien 
received with reverence a vermilion decree. On 
perusal of it they were deeply and gratefully im- 
pi^esBed by the solicitude it showed to have been 

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276 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

excited in your Majesty's mind ; but the proposition 
it contained was one in which they cannot concur, 
and therefore they do not dare to refrain from again 
rashly urging their views. For the Emperor to 
command the army in person is a thing which may 
not be lightly undertaken. In 1853, when the 
Cantonese rebels overran the country, advancing im- 
petuously towards the north, the alarm occasioned in 
the capital was many times more serious than that 
now manifested. Happily your Majesty appointed 
generals able to cope with the enemy, and the ram- 
pant outbreak was quelled. Why should not now 
the barbarians, hardly 10,000 in number, be easily 
vanquished and expelled from the country by the 
many times larger army under our generals ? 

" Would not the assumption of command be a de- 
rogation from the Imperial dignity, and likely to 
astonish all who should hear of it ? Moreover, your 
Majesty's intention to go hunting having been first 
published, would the announcement of your change 
of purpose be certain to meet with universal belief? 
Again, the tranquillity of people's minds depends 
upon your Majesty's presence at the seat of govern- 
ment, and it would be subverted by your departure 
therefrom. Again, your Majesty proceeding to the 
northward, while the enemy was at the south, would 
be another circumstance, producing much doubt and 
disturbance. 

^ In former journeys of the Emperor, it has been the 
practice to appoint sundry princes and state officials 



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CHINESB STATE PAPERS. 277 

to cany on affidrs wliile he was absent Matters of 
great moment being still referred to his Majesty, and 
the arrangement was an excellent one. But this 
troublous season is not at all to be compared with 
peaceful times. It would be most difficult to find to 
whom the superintendence of the government could 
be safely entrusted. The greatest evils might arise 
if a little excess of authority were given to ihem. 
While the mischiefe resulting fix)m negligence might 
be easily remedied, those springing from abuse of 
power would be impossible to control, and it is fear- 
ful to think of them. On all these points your 
ministers have most maturely deliberated, and they 
now state their views, &c., &c." 



No. Vn.— MBMOBIAL BY T8A0 TANG YUNG, A CENSOR 
OF THE HOO YUNANG PROVINCES. 

1th M<nU\ ^th day (18<A S^ptmber}. 

^ Your minister, Tsao Tung, kneeling, presents a 
Memorial. The barbarians being on the advance, 
and the plans with respect to peace having been 
found difficult of accomplishment, he urgently entreats 
your Majesty to return to your capital, and so to 
yield compliance with men's wishes, to maintain the 
dignity of the throne, and to pacify the spirits of your 
ancestors and the tutelary divinities. Since the 
stealthy entry of the rebellious barbarians into 
Tien-Tsin district, although the Imperial councils 
have been shrouded in secresy and not known to the 



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278 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

public, yet all kinds of confused rumours have been 
everywhere producing great disturbance. Lately it 
appeared that Sankolinsin had retired to Tang-Tsien, 
and then to Tsas-Tsun, and again that he was de- 
prived of his conunission. After that, that his 
Msyesty had appointed Yunci Chang and Hang Foo, 
Imperial Commissioners, to settle affairs. Subse- 
quently expresses at the rate of 600 le incessantly 
arrived. One report was that peace at any price 
was determined on. Another, that 20,000,000 taels 
were promised, of which the payment in ready money 
of 2,000,000 was a matter undecided. Another, 
that several tens of thousands Mongol soldiers had 
been ordered down, and that war was determined on. 
Another, that your Majesty's design of carrying on 
the war was opposed by some persons. The confii- 
sion and alarm are indescribable. But there has been 
nothing so strange as the report now heard, that your 
Majesty intended making a tour to JehoL This has 
caused the utmost consternation, but your minister 
does not believe in it, still, as many officials have 
repeatedly prayed your Miyesty to return to your 
palace, without obtaining a &vourable reply, an un- 
definable fear cannot be resisted. If, indeed, the 
report is true, the effect produced will be like a con- 
vulsion of nature, and the mischief must be irreparable. 
"In what light does your Majesty regard your 
people ? In what light the shrines of your ancestors, 
or the altars of the tutelary gods ? Will you cast 
away the inheritance of your ancestors like a damaged 



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GHIKES£ STATE PAPBBS. 279 

shoe ? What would history say of your Majesty for 
a thousand years to oome ? It has never been known 
that a sovereign should choose a time of danger 
and distress to make a hunting tour, supposing that 
thereby he would prevent trouble. If the capital 
should be disturbed, your Majesty is besought to 
return without delay to your palace, in order that the 
people's minds may be reassured. The capital is 
most strictly guarded. The spirit of all the inhabit- 
ants is raised to the highest pitch, and even women 
and children are determined to fight to the last 
Above all, Sankolinsin is now at the head of several 
tens of thousands of Mongol troops, who have brought 
their supplies with them, and who take nothing from 
the Imperial treasury. Their fidelity and valour are 
completely proved. If on the first approach of the 
rebellious barbarians Takoo and Petang had been 
equally defended, and the barbarian vessels attacked 
as they advanced, they would have been unable to 
ascend the shallow and narrow creeks. It was those, 
be they who they might, who directed the pacific 
policy, who embarrassed our plans and caused their 
Mure, leading to the occupation of Tien-Tsin, and 
who are the persons responsible for this. 

" In the time of the southern Tung dynasty, when 
the people of Kin raised disturbances. To Yei re- 
commended war, and Tsinhung opposed him, and 
was the cause of national calamities. If now there 
are some like Tsinhung near your Majesty's person, 
it would be befitting that the law should overtake 



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280 HOW WE GOT TO PEEIN. 

their crimes. Your Majesty might make a public 
confession of yonr own error, and thus fortify the 
national resolution. Moreover, the sapreme control 
of the war might be placed in the hands of Sanko* 
linsin. When Te-tseing, of the Taing dynasty, made 
a public confession of error, the mutinous soldiery of 
Shan Tung were converted to obedience and sub- 
ordination. The enrolment of volunteers in the Tien- 
Tsin district is a step to be recommended. They 
were found serviceable in the incursion of the 
Cantonese banditti in 1853, and also when the re- 
bellious barbarians invaded Tien-Tsin last year. 

"Your Majesty is prayed to command that they 
may be employed as auxiliaries to Sankolinsin's 
regular forces. The barbarians do not exceed a few 
thousands in number, and a considerable portion 
of their force consists of hired traitorous Chinese, 
gain being the motive which chiefly actuates 
this heterogeneous mob. If money were judi- 
ciously employed, and an appeal made to the par 
triotism of the mercenaries, the whole of this body 
might be dispersed without recourse to arms. Your 
ministers cannot imagine why this has not been 
attempted. Should any object to such an expendi- 
ture, one need not refer to the 20,000,000 proposed 
to be spent in carrying out the pacific measures, but 
only ask that the 2,000,000 ready-money should 
be so used. When once the pacific policy should be 
accomplished fi^esh demands would be made every 
year, for ^ which the barbarian rebels would always 



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CHINESB STATE PAPERS. 281 

find a pretext When Swochow and Hang Chow 
fell this year, several millions of Government money 
went to swell the rebels* booty, and of private 
property, the amount sacrificed was incalculable. 
Your Majesty is prayed to command that the money 
required be issued fix)m the privy purse, to be re- 
fimded as may be found expedient after the restora- 
tion of peace. If the outside barbarians are to be 
duly controlled, it is certain that peace must not be 
accorded before they have been defeated in battle. 
His late Imperial Majesty, in his last testament, 
speaks with shame and contrition of the peace with 
the barbarians. May your Majesty take this to heart." 
[The Memorialist here digresses into a personal 
narrative to excuse his addressing the Emperor with- 
out proper authority.] 

Postscript. 

" While your minister's Memorial was being written 
he reverently read the Vermillion edict of this day, as 
follows : — * Considering that the approach of the bar- 
barians and the various circmnstances of the present 
crisis demands fix)m us a course of action calculated 
to fortify the resolution of our people, we have 
directed that the arrangements for our proposed hunt- 
ing tour shall serve as preparations for our taking the 
field in person against the enemy. Let the (Huns 
Tsin Wang) the Emperor's unde give orders for the 
proper distribution of the garrison of Pekin. If the 
enemy is met between Tungchow and Matow we 



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282 HOW WE GOT TO PEKHST. 

shall proceed, as originally intended, to the north- 
ward of the capital, and take up a position with a 
strong force. The spirit of our army leaves us no 
reason to fear that the handful of barbarians, not 
amounting to 10,000, shall not be completely de- 
stroyed. Let this decree be read by the princes and 
other officers of state.' Prom the above it appears 
that your Majesty's northern tour is positively decided 
upon. Does our Emperor then think nothing of his 
people, of the temples of his ancestors, and of the 
altars of the tutelary gods ? If he really means to 
command in person, why does he speak of proceeding 
to the northward to take up a post with a strong 
force ? Such language will not meet with any faith 
on the part of the people. But the grand army under 
Sankolinsin is quite sufficient to conclude the war 
with success; and why, therefore, should your 
Majesty expose yourself to the fetigues and dangers 
of a campaign ? The gravity of the crisis does not 
allow of much speech. Your minister only entreats 
that you will consent to the advice and desire of 
all, and return to your Court to superintend the 
affairs of Government, and regretting doubtM coun- 
sels, &c., &c." 



I have given these documents at length, partly on 
account of the ability with which the various points 
put forward are argued by the Imperial Ministers ; 
and in part because they give us the real light in 



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BURNING OF THE PALACE. 283 

which our policy was viewed by the existing minis- 
try ; we see in them also a high tone of independence, 
which could hardly have been expected from men 
whose life depended upon one stroke of the " Vermil- 
lion pencil." 

Not having had an opportunity of comparing my 
copy with the original documents, I am not certain as 
to some of the names. But I must now describe the 
burning pf the palace. 

My duties did not permit me to be present on the 
first day wjhen this work of destruction was b^un ; 
the troops were spread over the country by one and 
two companies, and fired every building in four 
palatial ^^ gardens," as they are called, beginning 
with the Ewen-ming-Ewen ; next^ and to the west, 
the Whan-shaw-Ewen ; then the Chin-ming-Ewen ; 
and last, the Heang-shaw, which mean respectively 
the " enclosed and beautiful garden," " the birthday 
garden," " the golden and brilliant garden," and the 
"fi-agrant hills." 

On the second day I arrived at about eight o'clock 
in the morning, at the Ewen-ming-Ewen, and started 
with Fane's and Probyn's Horse, three guns, and 
the Queen's, to the farthest of these places, the 
Heang-shaw. We marched through scenery of the 
most enchanting beauty, planted hills, lakes, tem- 
ples, with villages interspersed, which were the 
abodes of the Imperial troops; many a matchlock 
was to be seen in their houses, but they thought 
only of conciliating us by "chin-chining," "kow- 



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284 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

towing,*' and oflterings of hot tea and cold water. I 
never experienced more mingled feelings than upon 
this occasion. As I rode along through scenes 
which (if anything can compensate for the absence 
of those "looks that we love,'* as Moore calls them) 
it was worth while coming all the way fix^m home to 
see ; I could not help giving to them all the admi- 
ration of my heart which their beauty demanded. A 
tribute so due that you must perforce pay it. 

I turned the comer of a high wall round which the 
paved road led, and before me was a dense mass of 
smoke, and the fierce blaze of the raging fire tower- 
ing above it, and fetr above the trees. A temple, 
which means not one building, but a whole cluster of 
separate edifices, circling round one great shrine, was 
in flames, and communicating destruction to the 
noble trees, in and around it, which had shed their 
grateful shade over it for many a generation: its 
gilded beams and porcelain roof of many colours, in 
which of course the Imperial yellow claimed the 
superiority — ^all, all, a prey to the devouring ele- 
ment You could not but feel that although devoid 
of sympathy for its deity, there was a sacrilege in 
devoting to destruction structures which had been 
reared many, many hundred years ago ; nor was it 
the buildings only, adorning as they did the scenery, 
which claimed your sympathy, but every building 
was a repository of ancient and curious art, enamels 
made before the present dynasty of China, books to 
no end, engravings of all sorts of scenes, historical* 



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A RESIDENCE WITH ITS TEMPLES. 285 

illostrating the wars of the Chinese and Tartars, 
some the production of purely native talent, and 
others by Jesuit missionaries, and drawn in the 
Chinese style. These missionaries are generally 
learned in something else besides religion, and thus 
they beat ours out of the field altogether. Em- 
broidered hangings of enormous value, altar fiur* 
niture plated with gold, things, which, apart alto* 
gether from their value, were full of interest fix)m 
their beauty and rarity, all devoted to destruction ; 
some few were saved by officers, but as carriage was 
difficult, but few. 

The most remote point that we made that day, 
and which bounds the Imperial gardens here, was a 
residence, with its temple and dependencies among 
the hills. It was about eight or perhaps nine miles 
fix)m the Ewen-ming-Ewen. It lay embosomed in a 
richly planted hoUow on the side of the hill ; close 
by was a strong work like one of those martello 
towers which you see on our coast, only of much 
larger dimensions, while a large village, a barrack of 
Tartar troops, was about half-a-mile distant You 
entered a walled enclosure by five or six gates 
placed at short intervals ; the wall was just like one 
of our deer-park walls at home, built of stone and 
mortar, and It reminded me of more than one home 
scene, as I traced it up the hill-side in the distance. 

First came a couriryard with buildings as usual 
on three sides, then terraces succeeding each other, 
and ascended by easy flights of steps, and shaded. 



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286 HOW WE GOT TO PEKlN, 

all deeply shaded, by loxuriiaiit timber, grateM even 
now, for the sun is hot to^y ; down the hill, by the 
side of the steps, flows a cool stream received in 
successive basins, how delicious is this " living ** 
water. As you ascend, you arrive at buildings once 
the abode of the fair ones who graced the Imperial 
court ; open that box, or rather look into it, for it has 
been opened already, there are their dresses, there 
are the ** pyjamahs," the petticoat richly embroidered, 
and not like those at home an unbroken circle, but 
opening at each side to the waist, and put in " Ml," 
I declare, into the waistband ; it ties with strings ; put 
it on ; there you are, it touches the ground nearly on 
you, and you are five feet ten. These Tartary prin- 
cesses must be tall ; no doubt they are. The men 
are fine, tall fellows, and their mothers cannot be 
dwarfe ; there is the cloak, too— take them all, they 
will be burned in half-an-hour if you don't ; this is a 
case of " salvage," not plunder. 

More gadestone, more books, carpets, pictures, 
enamels, everything yon can imagine. There are 
the Sikhs, carrying off any amount of thick cloth 
and carpet for warm sheeting for their horses, for t2ie 
nights are cold now. What campaigners those 
fellows are, fit to go anywhere; and when led by 
such men as Probyn and Fane, fit to dd anything. 

The troops are halted here for about an hour, and 
the various corps receive their orders firom Sir. J. 
Michel as to where they are to carry on the work of 
destruction. Looking up firom the entrance of the 



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BUBNINa OF THE PALACE. 287 

park, the groups of buildings which were scattered 
through the thickly wooded hoUow in the hill-side 
extended for about a mile and a half up the hill, and 
reached about half-a-mile right and left of the en- 
trance ; soon after the order was given, you saw a 
wreath of smoke curling up through the trees that 
shaded a vast temple of great antiquity, which was 
near the centre of the park, and roofed with yeUow 
tiles tiiat glistened in the sun, moulded as they were 
in every grotesque form that only a Chinese ima^- 
nation could conceive; in a few minutes other 
wreaths of smoke arose from half-a-hundred different 
places, each like the smoke from some gamekeeper's 
cottage, hidden in the woods on a hill side in some 
park at home. 

Soon the wreath becomes a volume, a great black 
mass, out burst a hundred flames, the smoke ob- 
scures the son, and temple, palace, buildings and all, 
hallowed by age, if age can hallow, and by beauty, 
if it can make sacred, are swept to destructicxi, with 
all their contents, monuments of imperial taste and 
luxury, A pang of sorrow seizes upon you, you 
cannot help it, no eye will ever again gaze upon 
those buildings which have been doubtless the admi- 
ration of ages, records of by-gone skill and taste, of 
which the world contains not the like* You have 
seen them once and for ever, they are dead and gone, 
man cannot reproduce them. You turn away from 
flie sight ; but before you arises the vision of a sad, 
solenm, slow procession. Mark that most toudhing 



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288 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

sight, the dashing charger led, not ridden ; the saddle 
is empty, the boot is in the stirrap, bnt it is empty 
also ; the limb that filled it forms now a part of the 
skeleton that lies in the coflSn on that gon-carriage. 
You saw that sight two days ago, you see a vision of 
it now ; you turn back and gaze with satisfiiction on 
the ruin fi*om which you had hidden your &ce, and 
say, ^ Yes, thank God, we can make them feel 
something of the measure of their guilt ;** and if 
there were another building left to bum, you would 
carry the brand to it yourselt 

Fane, with a troop or two of his sowars, takes a 
circuit on our return, and fires some outlying build- 
ings which had escaped on the march out, and on 
our return to the Ewen-ming-Ewen we find that the 
60th Rifles and Punjaubs had made the best use of 
their time and burned &r and wide, and all that now 
remained was the Hall of Audience already described, 
and the lodges and buildings between that and the 
grand entrance ; they were spared to the last, as in 
them the troops had been quartered. It is three 
o'clock, and we have to march back to PeMn; the 
order is given, fire soon found, and a few smart rifle- 
men soon set the Audience Hall in a blaze ; its pomp 
and state, and it was a noble chamber, are going &st 
before the devouring flame ; the roof must soon go 
in, it has been alight some time, you feel the heat a 
hundred yards off; there down it goes, with a terrific 
crash. Now for the gate and the lodges, don't 
leave one, no, not one — ^not a vestige remains of the 



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REFLECTIONS. 28ft 

palace of palaces, the Ewen-ming-Ewen, Now back 
again to Pekm, a good work has been done/ 

Yes, a good work, I repeat it, though I write it with 
regret, with sorrow; stem and dire was the need 
that a blow should be struck which should be felt at 
the very heart's core of the Government of China, and 
it was done. It was a sacrifice of all that was most 
ancient and most beautiful, but it was offered to the 
manes of the true, the honest, and the valiant, and it 
was not too costly, oh no! one of such lives was 
worth it aU. It is gone, but I do not know how to 
tear myself fix)m it I love to linger o^^er the recol- 
lection and to picture it to myself, but I cannot make 
you see it. A man must be a poet, a painter, an 
historian^ a virtuoso, a Chinese scholar, and I don't 
know how many other things besides, to give you 
even an idea of it, and I am not an approach to any 
one of them. But whenever I think of beauty and 
taste, of skiU and antiquity, while I live, I shaU see 
before my mind's eye some scene fix)m those grounds, 
those palaces, and ever regret the stem but just 
necessity which laid them in ashes. 

I do not believe that the present dynasty will 
ever survive the shock which it has received from 
our advance on Pekin; I look upon its days as 
numbered, and I believe that a new and much 
brighter era is about to open upon that vast and 
glorious country under some new rule. Those whom 
we now call " the rebels " being then in the ascend- 
ant) they have, while I now write, but a few months 

u 



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290 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

after the events described, beaten by themselves 
the annies of Sankolinsin, already thrice beaten 
by us ; and the ambassador, Mr. Brace, who is now 
at Pekin, may yet, in a short space of time, have 
to renew or alter with them (not to circumscribe) 
the treaty just concluded with the powers that now 
exist; and I would hope that the future rulers of 
that vast empire may learn a lesson from this ex- 
pedition and its events, which will teach them for 
ever to respect the name of England, and of all that 
she represents in the world, of truth, of honour, and 
of justice, without having the bitter reflection, which 
ever must remain did the present dynasty endure, 
that it was taught to them in their own persons.* 

And though I am not one of those who call the 
Tae-pings Christians, yet I am sure that their re- 
ligion is intended by them for Christianity, and that 
l^ere is a good deal that is Christian about it, and 
I believe that they detest images, whidi is a good 
thing, and that they circulate the sacred Scriptures, 
and profess their anxiety to learn the way of Grod 
more perfectiy; and I feel convinced that should 
they gain the ascendancy in China, there will be 
such an opening for the spread of Christianity as 
there has not been on earth since the days of Con- 
stantino Let England be ready for the day when it 



* Since the above was written the Emperor has died* Prinoe Knng 
has become Begent, and o;ir neutrality has been brofe^ by our con- 
flict with the rebels at Shanghai ; aU which dromnstances much alter 
the prospects of the dynasty. 



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BEFLECTIONS. 291 

comes, France will be, and she has a good footing in 
the country already. America has done ten times 
as much in China as we have ; one of the first people 
who came to Tien-Tsin was an American missionary, 
Mr. Blodgett, a gentleman who appears to be very 
well soited for the work which he has chosen, and it 
is no easy task, — ^a missionary here does not sleep 
upon a bed of roses. But England ought to have 
both men and means to do at least as much as other 
countries. Gladly would I know that, if need be, 
resources were diverted from that country which 
(like its own sands) has drunk up so much of our mis- 
sionary labour, and like them has yielded so little — 
India; and that they were made to flow into this 
channel, where I feel certain that the return would 
be infinitely greater. 



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292 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The Auction— Discovery of the Treasury— Prize Money — Incidents of 
the Auction— Scarcity of Money — Anting Gate — ^London and 
Pekin— The Walls of Pekin— Butchers' Shops— "Chow-Chow" 
Shops — Coal-yards— Curiosity of People — Importance of John 
Chinaman — Description of Town — Tartar Town— Furs and Skins 
— Shops — ^Bargaining— John Bull — Puzzling John Chinaman — 
The Temple of the Earth— The Temple of Heaven. 

Before we entered Pekin it was dull enou^ sitting 
down before that great wall and looking at the out- 
side of it : but we had some amusement at the auction^ 
where all the articles taken from the palace were 
sold for the benefit of all the troops which had ad- 
vanced on Pekin ; two-thirds to be given to the men, 
and one to the officers. To this fimd was added, by 
Sir H. Grant, a quantity of gold and silver, found in 
the palace three or four days after it had been in the 
hands of the French. It is a very curious circum- 
stance, that a strong room with an iron door, in the 
very centre of the building, close to the imperial 
apartments, should have escaped the notice of our 
gallant and clover allies for three or four days. We 
were but visitors there for an hour or two in the day, 
but our allies held the place, and it seems little short 
of a miracle that a thing so obvious should have re- 



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THE AUCTION, 293 

mained solong nndiscoyered, but most mmccomitable 
things do sometimes happen. Great was the excite- 
ment when it became known that the treastuy had at 
length been discovered. The French put a guard 
over it, whose instructions appear to have been to 
admit French officers, not EnglisL A message was 
sent to Sir BL Grant, informing him of the fiict that 
treasure had been found. Major Anson was des^ 
patched to act on our part, and carts, with an escort 
of Probyn's Horse, sent to bring in our share. But 
a portion, however, could be sent that night, and 
Anson was obliged to mount guard all night, revolver 
in hand, and it was a work of no small danger ; an 
attempt was even made to fire the place, anything to 
get up a row, and then for a scramble. 

This treasure, which of right belonged to the 
Crown, Sir H. Grant undertook to divert to the fund 
for prize-money for the troops, and at the same time, 
with his usual generosity, he gave up all share in the 
matter himself, an example which was followed by 
both the Generals of Division. Their sense of the 
kindness of their general officers and of the Com- 
mander-in-Chief was expressed by the army in a 
suitable present made to each of them. 

Every officer who had visited the palace had 
brought away something with him as a memento of 
the place, and had probably not forgotten the " old 
folks at home," as everyone would expect a trophy 
of some sort or another. These things were all 
called in by the Commander-in-Chiel^ and ordered to 



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294 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

be sold by auction, the proceeds to be distributed in 
prize-money. Two non-commissioned officers were 
selected as auctioneers; the prize agents, Major 
Anson, Colonel Walker, Major Wilmot, and Captain 
Lumsden, in a few days arranged eyerything ; a few 
articles were returned to each officer at a valuation, 
if he chose to take them, and everything else was 
ticketed for sale. 

There was the usual amount of amusement that an 
auction affords when everyone knows everyone else ; 
it went off very merrily, and though the things ap- 
peared to sell for very high prices, still they did not 
reach anything like the value they would bear in 
Europe. Ten, twenty, or thirty pounds for a piece 
of gadestone, a bowl, or a cup, perhaps, was nothing 
extraordinary ; enamieljs, too, were in request^ and as 
one gallant officer was understood to have an un- 
limited conmussion from Baron Rothschild, you may 
suppose that there was a good deal of competition, 
and fiur dresses were sold from ten pounds up to fifty. 
The rolls of silk which had been taken from the 
store-rooms were assorted in lots, an imperial yellow 
or a silk of more than ordinary value was placed in 
each, and I know I paid twenty pounds for one lot 
because there was a piece of white crape in it But 
there was a satisfaction in knowing that the money 
which you paid was not lost to you altogether, the 
soldiers got two-thirds of it, and the remainder went 
to swell your own prize fimd, which after all did not 
amount to much, a field-officer got altogether about 



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ANTING GATE. 295 

fifty pounds, and other ranks in proportion, bat then 
it was made doubly valuable by being paid down on 
the spot Some received the dioes of silver taken 
fix)m the treasury, weight for weighty instead of dol- 
lars ; while others had some hundreds of dollars to 
pay, having swallowed up prize-money and all the 
rest by sporting bidding for " curios '* at the sale. 

The said ^* almighty dollar *' was " ahnighty scarce," 
it was all very well to say that you had so many 
months' pay, the question was, how were you to get 
it ? The military chest had not been brought up, and 
there was no money to be had. At length some dol- 
lars arrived at the commissariat from Tien-Tsin, and 
we got a driblet of what was due to us, and of course 
rushed frantically into Pekin, for the city was now 
open, and spent it all in curios and in ftirs. I am 
sure that you must be anxious for a ride through 
Pekin ; I was very much so before I had been there. 
So come along. Let us order the horses ; bring your 
revolver, it is always safer to do so ; a stick is a good 
thing to have, or the Chinese policeman's baton, a 
long-lashed whip, and if you muster a party of five 
or six so much the better, for we have heard a great 
deal from time immemorial of the jealousy which the 
inhabitants feel as to the entrance of strangers into 
their town. 

We enter, rf course, by the Anting Gate, in our 
own possession ; this gate is double and well capable 
of defence; inside the first gate there is a quad- 
rangular space about one hundred and fifty yards 



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296 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

square ; to the lelt is the second gate, which fiwses a 
main street leading through the Tartar city ; we turn 
sharp to the right as we pass the second gate to 
ascend the wall, and ride up it by a steep paved in- 
cline. A vast prospect of town stretches out before 
us, but the number of trees scattered through all the 
buildings make it more like the " rus in urbe ** than 
anything I have seen before. As you fiwse the city 
with your back to the ditch and suburb, the first thing 
which strikes you is a wooded hill about a mile and 
a half distant on your right fi*ont ; this stands in the 
grounds of the Imperial Palace within the "For- 
bidden city," occupied alone by the Imperial femily, 
the ladies of the court, and their attendants ; of this 
I can teU you nothing, for I was never there, and al- 
though Prince Kung undertook to permit a select 
few to visit part of it> they never got beyond the 
walls. To the left you see the roof of the Confucian 
Temple, how picturesque these tiled roofs are with 
the overhanging eaves, and graceful curves, not like 
our angular affiiirs at home ; no one could look from 
a height over the roo& of the houses in London, and 
say that it was picturesque. Not but that I much 
prefer London to Pekin, but I quite agree with 
Buskin that our modem domestic architecture re- 
quires great improvement In the courtyards of the 
houses, trees are planted, a weeping ash or two, or a 
large elm-like timber tree, and these overshadowing 
the roo& of the houses, and partially concealing them, 
add much to the appearance of the city. The wall 



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TARTAR TOWN. 297 

on which we stand, what an immense work it is, but 
how useless against the weapons of modem war&re ; 
it would crumble into powder before our guns, while 
earthworks would remain comparatively intact But 
against such weapons as the rebels can bring to bear 
upon Pekin it is an excellent defence, and for my 
port I do not see how the rebels can enter the city, 
unless, as it is believed in China now, they have con- 
federates in every city in the empire, and that it 
only needs that the standard should be raised and 
the gates will fly open. 

We all remember learning, as little boys and girls, 
that the wall of the city was sixty feet high, and 
broad enough at the top for ever so many coaches- 
and-six to drive upon it abreast, and so it is, I 
thought at that time that it must be a wonderfol 
place, and I formed at once the notion that the 
fitvourite amusement of the inhabitants was to drive 
their coaches-and-six all abreast round ihe walls ; for 
what> I argued, would be the use of having a wall 
upon which this could be done, and not doing it ? 
I did not then know that I should have an oppor- 
tunity of judging for myself^ and correcting in more 
mature age the notions of childhood ; but although I 
know now that they do not drive round the walls, I 
cannot help seeing the coaches-and-six still, and a 
very gay sight it is, much prettier than the real 
view. From the gate a wide street leads us 
through the heart of the Tartar city, other streets 
equally wide crossing it at right angles ; the houses. 



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298 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

all one-storied, are not in what we should call good 
order; they are shops, with open fix)nts, or with 
windows of dose lattice, covered with thin white 
paper in the inside. The shops are of all sorts 
nearly ; butchers, where you see, as at home, meat 
hanging in carcases, chiefly mutton and pork, and 
in joints also cut up much in the same way, and I 
noticed those two or three gracefid cuts which our 
butcher at home makes in the skin of the side of the 
sheep just bdiind the shoulder, where the skin has a 
sort of red appearance, and made, I suppose, to dis- 
play the whiteness of the fet underneath. How did 
this come to pass that the London and PeMn 
butchers should hit upon the same touch of their 
art? Any person who can answer this question 
can also tell, I presume, how the porcelain seals, 
which are clearly Chinese, came to be found in the 
bogs of Ireland. 

Then there are the " Chow-chow *• shops, where 
meat-pies are made and dressed, and very good 
no doubt they are, although, not being of an en- 
terprising disposition, I never tried them, but they 
are very cleanly made; the meat is there before 
you, boned and chopped up on a block, or rather 
minced, ditto vegetables, and the paste cleanly 
rolled, a small portion of each laid on a round piece 
of paste, and then the pie closed by pinching up the 
sides of the paste into a button at the top, and the 
whole then either fried in oil, baked or boiled, to 
9uit any taste. Next you have a wheelwright; 



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TAETAB TOWN. 299 

he is putting a new pair of wheels on a cart. There 
is no aristocratic conveyance in Pekin, no coach- 
and-six, or coach at alL His next neighbour sells 
candlesticks of pewter and of brass, which he makes 
himself, or rather his workmen do ; they are turned 
in a lathe which never makes a complete revo- 
lution, but two half-ones, backwards and forwards, 
and is worked by both feet Then there is a large 
yard and a coal-store. The coal is broken small ; 
it is hard, heavy, and anthracite, and the dust is 
wetted and made up into round balls as large as a 
goose egg ; this with charcoal is the national fiiel, 
and is burned in small earthen stoves ; wood is not 
much used, and millet stalks serve for cooking pur- 
poses. Then you have a cap-shop, where you can 
get a China head-dress, from that of a red-button 
mandarin down. Then there comes a druggist's 
shop, with all sorts of native drugs and medicines, 
many of them the same as our own ; you can buy 
as much camphor as you can carry for half-a-doUar 
in this shop. And listen, there is a smith at work, 
and he has got just the same tone in his craft that 
the smith has at home ; there are two of them play- 
ing away with their hammers upon a piece of iron, 
one of them stops an instant and yet continues to 
mark time with his hammer by a mild stroke on the 
anvil until he is wanted again, just the same sound it 
has as in the village smithy in England. 

The streets are full of people, men, boys, and 
women, but no very young ones ; these are generally 



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300 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

kept sliiit up in China, even in ordinary times. The 
people are curious, but not rude, the boys sometimes, 
as all boys will, laugh at the foreigner, but the men 
take no great notice of you ; if they don't get out of 
the way, which they are not very ready to do, the 
consequence simply is that your horse's shoulder 
shoves them out of it, and, perhaps, a tap from your 
riding-cane warns them to look out next time. This 
is necessary everywhere in China, because their own 
mandarins travel about in chairs, with a large retinue 
of servants, carrying all sorts of umbrellas, poles, 
weapons of gilded wood, and gongs, so that the street 
is cleared at once for the Mandarins, whUe John Bull, 
who is sixteen times as great and as good a fellow, 
walks along the street without a soul -to proclaim his 
grandeur. 

John Chinaman cannot see that John Bull is a 
great man when he has no retinue with him, so he 
never moves out of his way, jostles against him with 
his unsavoury person, and naturally John Chinaman 
gets the worst of it But the best way is to carry a 
stout stick and raise the point to the level of John 
Chinaman's &ce, take resolute possession of the right 
hand side of the road, and point your stick "slanten- 
dicularly " about a foot clear of your left arm ; then 
if the passer-by will not look out, he gets a poke 
in the jaw, or somewhere thereabouts, by walking 
against the point of your stick. 

About a mile and a half of this street is quite 
straight; then you turn to the left for a few hun- 



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CHINESE TOWN. 301 

dred yards, and then to the right and straight on 
agam for another mile. If you want to go to the 
British Embassy, torn down that wide street to 
your left, and you arrive at it in half-armile. But 
we go right on, as we are going to the Chinese 
town, and turn to the right at the end of that 
other mile. Here the street is broad indeed, three or 
four times as wide as Eegent-street ; there are no 
shops here ; on the right is the wall of some of the 
outer grounds of the palace, and on the left the wall 
of the grounds of a temple ; we ride on to a bridge 
oyer a dry nuUah, turn up along it to the left, then 
to the right, which brings us past the Russian Em* 
bassy, and so on, with one turn more to the left, we 
arrive in about four and a half miles at the gate of 
the old Chinese town : look out that you are not inside 
it after night&ll, for the gate is then shut and out you 
cannot get A party of our officers were trapped 
thus, and were obliged to spend the greater part of 
the night in the street, or rather in the shops, for 
the people were very civil to them, before they could 
get the gate opened at about three in the morning. 
. The gate and wall is similar to that of the Tartar 
town, nor are you struck with much difference either 
in the people or the town. Here is a little covered 
in bazaar or arcade, where the best sets of chopsticks 
and the best ^^ chutmucks,'' or strikelights, are to be 
had, steel, flints, and tinder, all excellent ; everyone 
buys them as a memento of " Pekin." 

On we ride and turn up a wide street to the left. 



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302 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

one of the chief streets of the city. Here too are all 
sorts of shops, but you find more silk, tea, and ready- 
made clothes shops than you see in the Tartar town. 
Furs too are to be had here, especially up a little street 
to the right there are several good shops, where you 
may buy a sable or sea-otter, or as the Chinaman 
calls them, " Deowpie " and " Ghoulung,'* up to 1501^ 
if you choose to spend so much. Ermines too are 
to be had, but you must buy the skins not made up 
into coats, else you will get no tails ; the tail, which 
is half the battle at home, is flung away by the 
Chinese ; there are dyed furs too, and tiger-skins, 
and the white unborn lamb, which is very pretty, 
and a great fitvourite with the natives and worn by 
the Mandarins, and the grey linbom lamb (or as 
some people insist that it is the unborn camel) ; this 
is a very beautiful skin, a silvery grey, of the most 
minute and crisp curL I am, however, informed by 
the natives that it is the skin of the lamb of a peculiar 
breed of sheep, which are found only in one remote 
district in the mountains of Tartary. It is one of 
the most valued furs in China. 

This ^street divides public attention with "Curi- 
osity" street, as we have called it,a narrow lane, which 
turns oflP fix)m the broad street to the right, and here 
you will find everybody, from the Commander-in- 
Chief down to the junior ensign, investing in curios ; 
enamels, bronzes, and gadestone form the chief at- 
traction. Each shop consists of two or three apart- 
ments, running back fi^om the street^ the third 



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BARGAINING. 303 

separated from the rest by a small conrtyard, and 
here the best things are to be found ; the least valu- 
able being invariably placed next the street in the 
most conspicuous place, and the best things of aU 
invariably hidden away in some quiet drawer, or, 
perhaps, in the box upon which you are sitting, 
which, as it has a cushion on it, you take to be only 
a stooL If the owner cannot persuade you to buy 
anything in the outer shop, every article in which 
he asserts to be "houdie," or tall, sticking up his 
thumb at the same time ; he takes you into another 
apartment, and then a third, where everything you 
see is "ting gowgowdie,'* or exceedingly tall, and 
up goes the thumb again* In a few days he learns 
from us the Canton phrase, "number one,'' or, as he 
calls it, "luinbila onede/' He seeks to propitiate 
you by showing you a book of most disgusting pic- 
tures, which you probably shy at his head, whereat 
he laughs. He, or rather they, for there are from 
three to eight men in a shop, according to its size, 
watch your eye as it travels over their shelves or 
tables, and instantly detect you if you appear to 
notice any particular object ; and if you are the least 
impetuous, up goes the price to double or quadruple 
what they have asked some one else half-an-hour 
before, who was either really careless or more on his 
guard than you have been, and did not permit the 
cunning dealer to discover that he was the least 
anxious to buy. 
Making the sign of a dollar, which is done by 



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304 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN, 

bringing the top of your forefinger and thumb 
together, and fonning a circle, yon point to a gade- 
stone vase or a set of enamels, two candlesticks, an 
incense-bumer, and a pair of vases for holding 
what we call "joss-sticks;** he is sharp enough 
to know that you want to know the price, a few 
days later, and he will say " combieno," or " my 
much,** as he conceives you to be a Frenchman or an 
Englishman ; here he stands before you with both 
hands open, and all the fingers spread out before 
your &ce and fix)nting you; then he repeats the 
same gesture, turning this time the backs of his 
hands ; there is twenty dollars, and so he goes on 
until he has arrived at the numbers of tens which 
he demands, and then he generally ends with a 
three or seven, or some such number, to show 
you the accuracy with which he haa priced the 
article. 

There are two ways of dealing with him now : you 
are quite aware that he has asked you a great deal 
more than the selling price, although he points out 
to you, hanging up in a conspicuous place, that there 
is " no second price ;** you may therefore, if you 
choose, begin by offering him about one-fourth, and 
so go on advancing until you arrive at what you 
mean to give him ; then the proper thing for you to 
do is to make a gesture with your right hand, as if 
you were drawing a tooth from your own mouth 
with considerable pain; this means in China that 
you are now offering the last farthing, and that it 



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BARGAINING. 306 

is like losing a tooth that you should give so much ; 
then make your final bid on your hands in the same 
manner as he has asked you his price. 

This is what he expects you to do. But John 
Bull has often a different way of dealing, he makes 
up his mind at once what he will give, offers it, and 
there is an end of the matter. If you do this you 
will get nothing until you are leaving the shop, and 
then he calls you back, and the bargain is made; 
or, perhaps, you are allowed to go away, and when 
he finds that on the next day you make no advance, 
or the next after that, he will give you the article, 
unless some richer, or greater fool than you are, 
has offered him more in the meantime. 

His cupidity, however, sometimes makes him 
overshoot the mark ; on comparing notes with Jones 
you discover that he has bought something just the 
sune, for a less price than you have offered, in 
another shop. You return and find your Mend the 
curio man in a more pliant mood ; he has come down 
m price, and is fearfully disgusted when you offer 
him ten or twenty dollars less than you were willing 
to give yesterday; he does not know what to do, so 
if you want to puzzle him completely and drive him 
half fiuntic, put your cheek down on your hand and 
shut your eyes, that means tomorrow, and then 
offer him ten dollars less than you are ready to give 
to-day. This will often alarm him, and he puts the 
article into your hand. K you are not provided 
with a bag of dollars he will send a man with you 

X 



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306 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

out of the town to your own quarters for the money ; 
he is not the least a&aid of you. 

Thus were our leisure hours passed while before 
the town, riding about the streets and visiting the 
most interesting parts of it, and spending all the 
dollars that we oould get in the various shops. But 
indeed the city is soon seen, nor are you long in 
making the discovery that every street is exactly 
Uke its brother, and that after having come 15,000 
or 16,000 miles you are sadly disappointed in the 
place ; however you will be able to say that you 
" have seen Pekin." It looks better from the wall 
than anywhere else. 

An exception must be made as to some of the 
temples, which are really very interesting. The 
Temple of the Earth is outside the city, and at 
present occupied by the Eoyals and Desborough's 
Battery, while its corelative, the Temple of Heaven, 
is inside the wall of the Chinese town. Turn to your 
right, as you come down " Curiosity *' street, and ride 
on for about a mile, and you arrive at a large quad- 
rangular space nearly a mile square ; through this, in 
a direct line, a paved or rather flagged road is carried, 
and leads on to a gate of the city. On your left a 
wall of about twenty-five feet high bounds this open 
space, that is the wall of the grounds of the Temple 
of Heaven ; halfway down is the entrance gate, you 
ride in and feel almost as if you were in an English 
park; those mighty elms through which you ride, 
planted down each side the road, look very home-like. 



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THE TEMPLE OF HEAVEN. 307 

Now for a gallop on the grass ; away we go, like 
men who. have not seen a bit of grass like this for an 
age, and we make for the great and many-coloured 
dome, which rises above the dark-green pahn trees 
that surround it A stretch of about a mile brings 
us there, and, riding up a long fidght of easy steps, we 
reach a large marble-flagged platform standing nearly 
as high as the tops of some of the trees, and some 
hundred yards across. On the left another flight of 
marble steps brings you to the entrance of that vast 
dome-shaped building ; the tiles of the roof of yellow 
porcelain, and the eaves painted in most brilliant 
colours, give it a gorgeous appearance, but the wood- 
work is decaying, and grass grows on the steps and 
terrace, and it has altogether a dilapidated and neg- 
lected air. On the opposite side another flight of 
steps leads you through a door. Inside this place it 
is clear that victims are sacrificed. There is an altar, 
and a place something like a small lime-kiln, where 
it appears that the victim is burned, and there are 
meat-safes of large dimensions; but I leave it to 
those who have had opportunities of studying the 
subject, which were not vouchsafed to me, to explain* 
these sacred mysteries, at which the Emperor assists 
in person every year, and to which these two vast 
Temples of Heaven and Earth are devoted. We 
rode on to other terraces and other buildings within 
this vast park, and left the place, after a long ride, 
without having ascertained its extent. 

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308 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 



CHAPTER XV. 

SigDing of the Convention — ^Treaty of Tien-Tsin — Severity the beet 
Policy— Wintering the Army— The Difficulty solved— The French 
retire from Pekin — Lamah Temple — ^The Troops march for 
Palechow— Peiho River— Lady Grant— Head-Quarter Staff— Effi- 
ciency of the Staff— Garrison at Tien-Tsin — Severity of the Win- 
ter — Conveyance of Mails most defective — ^Regularity of French 
Mails. 

The signing of the CJonvention took place on Wed- 
nesday, the 24th of October. There waa a large 
guard of honour, as some romours had been spread 
that treachery was intended by the Chinese; the 
procession marched through a great part of the 
Tartar town to reach the Hall of Ceremonies, a not 
very splendid building ; Prince Kung was punctual, 
and received Lord Elgin, with a sort of sulky dig- 
nity, and between the examination of documents, 
•&c, &C., a great deal of time was spent, all very 
necessary no doubt, but wearisome to those who 
looked on; nor were you repaid by the sight of 
Prince Kung, with his horde of Mandarins and fol- 
lowers, some of them of very questionable clean- 
liness. 

It is as yet too soon to form an opinion as to how 
the treaty of Tien-Tsin will work : its success will 



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SEVERITY THE BEST POLICY. 309 

however, I believe, depend upon the firm fix)nt pre- 
sented by our minister at the court of ChuuL Con- 
sideration for the feelings of others is a very laudable 
thing, but if those feelings are put forward as a blind 
behind which to make a covert assault upon our 
rights, then they must be disregarded. Now I do 
not conceive that the feelings of the Chinese Qovem- 
ment or nation are peculiarly sensitive. Pride and 
quiet swagger they have enough of; the self-assertion 
of that lie that " all the world pays tribute to the 
Government of China *' speaks for itseli^ and if we 
are to back all this up, and not offend their pride by 
asserting ourselves, then the sooner we give up the 
trade the better, or else prepare to spend more mil- 
lions on another expedition. 

When the British army was in force before the 
dty no dog dared to wag his tongue against the 
least of her Majesty's servants, those were the days 
in which the palace was burned ; if we would hold 
any relations with China, we must treat her as if we 
had an army before the gates of her capital, else she 
will forget the feet that we were ever there, nor be- 
lieve that we can ever go there again. Pride and 
self-assertion in the Asiatic must be met in a corre- 
ponding manner ; and if fix)m a mistaken gentieness 
you yield to him one inch, he attributes it to fear 
and impotence upon your part, and by further en- 
croachment at length reproduces hostilities, and you 
are obliged again to master him or else to leave him 
alone. Most sincerely do I trust that after the lives 



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310 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

hat have been sacrificed, and the money that has 
been lavished upon this expedition, the treaty may, 
to a certain extent, repay the British nation; but 
all will depend upon the attitude assumed by us at 
first 

The question as to where the army should winter 
was much debated before the signing of the con- 
vention, both in a military and political point of 
view; and while it was maintained upon the one 
hand that everything that was requisite for the army 
could be procured in abundance in Pekin, others 
thought that unless a winter's supply of stores could 
be brought up fix)m Tien-Tsin before the river was 
shut up (as all our supplies came now by boat to 
Tungchow), it would be hazardous in the extreme 
to winter the army at Pekin ; and that it would be 
much easier to advance again in the spring if neces- 
sary, than to provide for all contingencies of a 
winter occupation. The commissariat chief, Mr. 
Turner, declared that it would be impossible to bring 
up the stores which would be required in the short 
time that now remained, so the more prudent counsel 
was adopted of a return to Tien-Tsin* 

Opinion was divided also as to the political advi- 
sability of a winter's occupation. On the one hand 
it seemed that our residence at the capital would 
exhibit our power to do as we pleased in China, and 
would familiarize the people with the sight of the 
foreigners ; while on the other it was argued, that if 
we remained there, we should prevent the return of 



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THE FRENCH RETIRE FROM PEKIN. 311 

the Emperor, embarrass the existing Qovemment 
to a very great extent, and possibly take the last 
prop from under the reigning dynasty, and so en- 
cumber ourselves with fresh and intricate nego- 
tiations. Happily the agreement of the Qovemment 
to our moderate demands solved the difficulty. 

Lord Elgin, however, determined to reside for the 
remainder of his stay inside the city, and a residence 
having been provided for him, he took up his abode 
there on Saturday, 27th of October, and remained 
there until Friday, the 9th of November, when he 
left for Tungchow to proceed by boat to Tien-Tsin. 
Nothing could be more tranquil than the town ; one 
or two companies of in&ntry formed Lord Elgin's 
guard, and he rode through the town, as did every 
one else, unattended and unmolested. 

The French convention having been signed in 
similar form to ours, they began to move away their 
forces to Tien-Tsin, and we in consequence conso- 
lidated our force by moving up from the first position 
which we had occupied near the Bund, and the 
whole British force now occupied the suburb outside 
the Anting Gate, with the exception of the cavalry, 
who were quartered in the Great Lamah Temple, 
whose extensive grounds bounded upon the side op- 
posite, to the city wall, the great parade ground 
afready described. Numerous buildings were con- 
tained within this enclosure, which was about a mile 
long by half-a-mile deep, shrines or temples, sur- 
rounded by squares of buildings where the priests 



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312 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

resided ; some of these temples had an upper story, 
and in many of them were figures of tliat disgusting 
character which stamps heathen worship everywhere. 
The grounds were planted with noble trees, which, 
while they stood thick enough to form a shade almost 
perfect over the walks, lawns, and buildings, were ne- 
vertheless permitted space and light sufficient so that 
each could grow to its natural size ; the true secret of 
successful planting, which one does not always see 
carried out at home, Here^Iie French ambassador 
had taken up his quarters ; also a Punjaubee guard 
had been placed over some of the buildings, as they 
were supposed to contain some silver and enamels. 

The great feature of the Temple was the monument 
to the Lamah of Thibet, which was without exception 
the grandest and most beautiM marble structure 
I have ever seen. It stands upon a platform of 
white marble, of great purity, which is ascended by 
flights of steps. The monument is of the same stone, 
some forty feet in height, and of perfect proportion ; 
it is covered with rich sculpture of animals and 
imaginary Chinese monsters, and is surmounted by 
a gilded capital, which towers over the surrounding 
trees, and is seen as a land-mark for some miles 
round. 

The weather was now cold and often dreary; 
there was nothing more to be seen or done, and we 
were all anxious for Mr. Brace's arrival, which was 
to be the signal for our departure. On Monday the 
5th of November he came, having ridden up, without 



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^'■^SLIC LIBRARY 






0N8, 



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orriUKBS: PAKE 8 UOBftR. 



lb fact Page 313. 



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THE TROOPS MARCH FOR PALECHOW. 313 

a halt, from Tien-Tsin. He was introduced to Prince 
Kung, who appears to have lost some of his reserve. 
Visits were exchanged, and all went on as well as it 
conld be wished ; so that on Wednesday, the 7th of 
November, part of the troops marched for Palechow 
on their way to Tien-Tsin, and the remainder on 
Friday, with the Commander-in-Chief On the same 
day Lord Elgin left Pekin for Tnngchow, where a 
little fleet of boats was engaged to carry the Embassy 
to Tien-Tsin. 

Oh, happy I thrice happy I they who were per- 
mitted to proceed home at once, in the sea-traversing 
ships- With what pangs of envy and raicharitable- 
ness did we, to whom a winter in Tien-Tsin was 
decreed, regard the happy homeward bound. Again 
the banks of the Peiho river are all bustle and life. 
There are M*Kenzie, and Ross, and Wolseley, and 
Williams, all at work in tums^ landing stores or 
embarking troops ; it is touch and go whether the 
last of them wiU get down the river ; it is freezing 
hard, but no pains are spared to carry out the Com- 
mander-in-Chief 's views. 

The Hong Kong coolies and Indian followers feel 
the cold very much, the latter especially ; they are 
all supplied with warm clothing ; but no, they sell it, 
or fold it up in a bundle, wiU not put it on, and shiver 
in their cotton rags — so much for the perverse native 
of India. The Chinese coolie will put on sixteen 
coats all at once if he can get them. 

The King's Dragoon Guards and Probyn's Horse 



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314 HOW WB GOT TO PBKIK. 

had a very trying march of it, in fixwt and snow, to 
the Takoo Forts, where they were safely embarked, 
without accident Nor was it untQ everyone else 
had left that Sir Hope Grant took his departure, on 
Thursday, the 29th of November, thus proving that 
he was not forgetful of those duties which devolve 
upon a general after a campaign, which Lord Clyde 
calls " the dirty work of an army." 

Lady Grant had come up from Hong Kong to meet 
the Commander-in-Chief at Tien-Tsin ; and, while he 
was directing the movements of the army in the 
North, her Ladyship was, like a truly good soldier's 
wife, looking after the comfort of the sick, the women, 
and the soldiers' chQdren at Hong Kong. Nor did 
the heat of the climate prevent her from going about 
herself, and visiting those to whom she could render 
any service, considering at once, as every Christian 
should, both the bodily and spiritual good of those 
by whom she was surrounded. She was thus a most 
useftd aid to the Rev. W. R. Beach, the Military 
Chaplain at Hong Kong. 

The Head-quarter Staff left Tien-Tsin the day 
before the Commander-in-Chief to proceed, some to 
Hong Kong, en route for England, some to Shanghai 
and Japan ; and the majority of them carried with 
them the best wishes of the army. Most of the staff 
were young men, junior to those whom you generally 
see in similar positions ; and a more able or effective 
staff I believe it would be difficult to pick from the 
British army. And if it is individually a hardship 



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EPFICIBNOY OP THE STAFF. 315 

that juniors should be placed in staff appointments, 
which seniors in the army might ask for in vain, it 
is, on the other hand, for the benefit of the service 
that young men should serve in such positions if 
their talents and acquirements render them capable 
of filling those posts : because such officers will then 
have acquired in their youth that esqperience which 
is usually the lot only of age, and thus be doubly 
capable of rendering good service upon a future 
occasion, should their country require them to act 
again in a similar capacity. 

At all events, there was no one in the force in 
China who did not think that Sir H. Grant had made 
an excellent selection in the officers who had served 
under him in India ; and the manner in which their 
various duties were performed proved to all who 
had opportunity of observation that he had chosen 
welL There are men on the list that, if an oppor- 
tunity of distinguishing themselves offers at a fature 
day, will add largely, I doubt not, to the laurels 
which they have already earned in the two great 
struggles in which England has been engaged within 
the last seven years ; and there are one or two fix)m 
whom those who know them look for great things 
when their time comes. 

And now the troops that were left to garrison 
Tien-Tsm set to work in earnest to make themselves 
snug for the winter, which had set in with great 
severity in the last days of November. Captain 
Gk)rdon, R.E., an active and clever officer in com- 



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316 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

maud of his company of sappers, employed a large 
nnmber of Chinese workmen in altering and adapting 
the Chinese houses, which had been taken at a rent, 
to the wants of the British soldier. Soldiers' barracks 
first was the order of the day, nothing to be done 
for the officers until the soldiers are made comfort- 
able, and an excellent arrangement it was. The 
67th, Desborough's and Govan's batteries, the 31st, 
2nd Battalion 60th Rifles, with a company of Boyal 
Engineers, 1st Battalion Military Train, and Fane's 
Horse, were selected to form the garrison, under the 
command of Brigadier Staveley, C.B., who had com- 
manded all along at Tien-Tsin. Fane's Horse and 
the Eoyal Engineers were quartered in the eastern 
suburb of the town, the Military Train just inside the 
east gate on the right, the 2nd 60th in East Street, 
right and left. Royal Artillery beyond them in the 
same street, 31st in West Street and South Street, 
and the 67th in the north-eastern suburb. With the 
exception of the Military Train, Royal Engineers, 
and Royal Artillery, each corps was quartered in 
five or six separate, and sometimes rather distant, 
buildings, so that the men suffered, as well as the 
officers fix)m the distances which they were obliged 
to go in the severe weather, but this could not well 
be avoided. 

Tien-Tsm is a large and important town on the 
right bank of the Peiho ; the walled town is about 
a mile square, but the suburb has grown into a much 
lai^r and more important town than the original. 



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SEVEBITY OP THE WINTER. 317 

owing, no doubt to the increased and increasing trade 
of the place, as all imports to the capital from the 
south must find their way through Tien-Tsin, either 
as formerly, by the grand canal, which strikes the 
river above the town, or, as at present, along the 
coast from the Yangtsekiang, and up the river from 
Takoo. Between suburb and town it stretches along 
the river's bank on both sides for a distance of 
about six miles. 

Tien-Tsm is a great salt dep6t, and from the salt 
pans at the Peiho mouth all the interior of the north 
of China is said to be supplied* 

The river is crossed by two bridges of boats, and 
our allies occupy the left bank, while we hold the 
right ; their force consist of some of the 101st and 
102nd Begiments, and some artillery, commanded 
at first by General CoUeneau, but as he unfortunately 
fell a victim to sxnaU-pox, which was very prevalent 
durmg the winter in both armies, he was succeeded 
by Gkneral O^Malley. 

At the end of November the winter set in with 
great severity ; the river was dosed up completely, 
and in a few days the sea was frozen for several 
miles beyond the bar, so as to prevent all communi- 
cation between the fleet and the garrison at the south 
Takoo Fort, which consisted of a wing of the 31st. 
Some officers of that regiment were very nearly lost 
in a junk, in a gallant attempt to land the mail, 
which was lying oflP in a gunboat, unable to come in 
on account of the drift ice. And here I must say 



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318 HOW WB GOT TO PEKIN. 

that the English arrangements as to the conveyance 
of mails was most defective throughout the whole 
winter ; six mails were due at one time. I am not 
prepared to saddle any one department with the 
blame, as I have yet to learn with whom the arrange- 
ment rests, but I should suppose that it was the duty 
of the Adjutant-Gkneral to arrange with the Admiral 
for the landing of the mail at some practicable place, 
and that then it rested either with the local military 
authorities, or with the Ambassador to have it 
promptly conveyed to its destination. Who was to 
blame I know not; whether no arrangement had 
been made with the naval authorities, or whether the 
navy had fidled in carrying them out when made. 
That there was nothing impossible in the matter is 
proved by the regularity with which the French 
mails were sent from Chefoo ; and it is a sorry con- 
clusion to be reduced to, that we are unable to meet 
a contingency which our gallant allies can easily 
provide for ; that an army of 3500 Englishmen 16,000 
miles firom home should be left for three months with- 
out communication either with Europe or the Com- 
mander-in-Chie^ while a much smaller force of 
Frenchmen receive their mails at the same place, is 
a &ct which, until it is accounted for, is a disgrace 
to us, and is alike a grievance to all the officers and 
men of the force, and detrimental to the public 
service. 



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SLEDGES. 319 



CHAPTBE XVI. 

Sledges — Hone Marinai — Grame — ^RationB — ^Anecdotes — ^The Sick-^ 
The Hospital — ^Home Memoriesr— The Morals of the Anny—The 
private Soldier— Oonfectioiien— The Auction — GrampiDg the Feet 
— Chinese Ladies — Beggars — Charity of British Troops — The 
Lishman and the Coolies — Pointed Argoments — ^'^ EngiUshe " 
and <* Flenishe " — ** Poko Beno "—A Jewellei^-Horses and Baoes 
— ^Paper Hunts — Beading Boom — "Samsho" — Occupation and 
Amusement — ^Tartar GeneraL 

The river was frozen with a vengeance, and a bnsy 
scene it presented. John Chinaman no longer 
needed his bridges of boats ; Tien-Tsin, or " the 
Heavenly Ferry/' as the name means, now was 
frozen together, and everyone who wished to cross 
the river walked across. The natives nse small 
sledges abont six feet long by four wide, which 
travel npon two runners shod with iron. They are 
capable of carrying two people, seated, and a third 
who propels the sledge from behind, standing up, 
with a stout spiked pole passed out behind him 
between his legs. This is the conveyance of the 
country at this time of year, and the British soldier 
tries his hand at it also ; there he is working away 
just as hard as if he was paid for it, whereas he 
gives the native a string of cash for the hire of the 
" conveniency ; *' he gives a vigorous push or two, 
loses his balance, the sledge goes from under him. 



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320 HOW WB GOT TO PEKIN. 

and down he oomes on his back ; never mind, he is 
up and at it again. 

Some long-sighted individoal brought a pair of 
skates to the North, and they were soon the firuitful 
parents of a numerous of&pnng; John Chinaman 
got them as a ^muster" or pattern, and he made 
skates just as good ; so did a wheeler in the Royal 
Artillery, and there are a large party of officers 
starting down the river on sledges to the skating- 
ground, where the ice is smoothest some two or 
three miles down the river. Three miles further 
down the * Slaney * gun-boat lies, housed in for the 
winter ; she got aground just as the river dosed, and 
Jack Tar has had to spend the winter nearly high 
and dry, but he does not care much ; the deck of the 
gun-boat is one long larder, whole sheep, a side of 
beef, ten or twenty brace of pheasants, thirty or 
forty brace of pintail grouse, lots of wild ducks, 
hares innumerable, and a deer or two, are always to 
be seen there ; Jack has no need to eat much salt 
junk now ; much good may it do him, for he is a fine 
fellow. The officers of the gun-boat have become 
regular horse-marines, every man has his nag or 
two, and they turn out quite the correct thing in 
long jack-boots and leather-strapped overalls. Jack 
also takes to riding ; now that he cannot ride the 
billows, he mounts a donkey, and an attendant 
crowd of these animals is always in waiting, where 
for a few cash he can indulge in that exciting pas- 
time, with a Chinaman as running-groom. 



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GAME. 321 

Of meat and game there is a superabmidant sup- 
ply at Tien-Tsin ; the mutton is excellent, at from 
two dollars to two dollars and a half per sheep, and 
this is no doubt &r above its real value ; beef at a 
sunilar price, and pork for those who are adven- 
turous enough to eat it, but knowing the habits of 
the animal and his mode of life in North China, I 
question whether I would not nearly as soon eat a 
piece of his dirty master as of him. 

Hares abound all round the town, and many a 
good gallop they gave us ; we have no dogs except 
latterly a few Chinese greyhounds, but we ride them 
to view with our " bon^-fide's,*' (you don't know what 
a ** boni-fide " is yet, but you shall hear,) and the 
natives take them in such numbers in the country 
that they are sold for almost anything that you like 
to oflFer; the market is overstocked with them; how 
they can catch so many I could not discover, as I 
can hardly believe that the hawk, hound, and gun^ 
could provide such a supply. They do hawk them, 
and very fine falcons they have, and these bother 
the hare until the dog takes them, and they shoot 
them also, as you find the shot in them; but 
Leadenhall Market cannot boast such a supply as 
" Charing Cross " market, Tien-Tsin. 

Then, as to pheasants, eight for a dollar is the 
price. Ahl but they would taste much better at 
home at two dollars for a brace. I assure you 
they would, I have tried both. The pintail grouse 
are a very pretty bird, of a sort of drab and black 

Y 



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322 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

plmnage, with a pointed tall, feathered legs and 
feet, the toes scarcely separated at all, and the 
soles quite hard; these, too, are taken in ysust 
numbers, and in a curions manner, which we had 
opportunities of observmg. In the plain which 
surrounds Tien-Tsin for miles, I don't know how 
many, but as fiar as you can see, the crafty native 
sets his long net in the flight of these birds, which 
are going south every hour of the day. He baits 
it with a row of blocks of ice, some thirty feet long, 
and connectmg his net with the string which he 
holds in his hand, conceals himself at a convenient 
distance ; the birds supposing (I presume) the ice 
to be water, of which they are in search, alight, 
and are thus easily taken ; they are very good to 
eat, and worth about two or three pence each. 

Then there is the rice bird or ortolan, very 
small, and of exquisite flavour; he is as plenti- 
ful as need be, sold in bunches of ten or a dozen 
ready plucked, and is cheap in proportion. The 
men shared in all these good things to their hearts' 
content I remember seeing a young soldier of the 
60th Rifles one afternoon carrying a piece of excel- 
lent mutton, some three or four pounds in weight, 
and asking him if that was ration meat, for that it 
seemed very good. " No, sir," said he, " this is not 
ration meat, I bought this myself; this is for my 
supper." But I again asked, '' How is it that you can 
eat all that along with your rations?" "Why, sir," he 
replied, " the &ct is, we don't eat our rations, we've 



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RATIONS. 323 

got a little dainly like, and our rations is made out 
of them old cows as used to be carrying our baggage 
all through the campaign, and we finds 'em a little 
tough and rather strong like now, so the Chinese 
eats them and we eats this." 

True enough it was that our soldiers were very- 
charitable to the Chinese poor; whenever rations 
were given out or anything in the shape of eating 
going on among our people, the Chinese pauper 
got his share. This became quite an institution, 
so much so that the sentries at the commissariat 
stores had a hard game to play sometimes. I re- 
member upon one occasion a soldier was brought up 
for stabbing a Chinaman in the leg with his bayonet 
He was a Scotchman, and he had been sentry the 
day before at some place where rations were being 
given out; he was asked how he came to wound the 
Chinaman ? His explanation was this : — 

" Why you see, sir, this Chinaman was wanting 
to press past me up to the stores, so I told him to 
* woilo,* and he would*nt woilo, so lien I told him to 
woilo again, and I woiloed him that time ; but as 
soon as I turned my back to walk sentry again, he 
slips up behind me, and I seed him over my 
shoulder, so I turned round and woiloed him the 
sacond time, and I thought I had woiloed him then ; 
but round he turns again as I turns my back, and 
he wouldn't woilo this time ; so I brings my bayonet 
to the charge, and then he woilos on to the bayonet 
with his leg ; that's all I know about it, sir." A 

Y 2 



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324 HOW WB GOT TO PEKIN. 

Chinaman is quite like the hungry Greek, " in 
ccelum jusseris ibit" 

" Well, Bai," said one soldier on the main-guard 
to another as I was passing by, through the east gate, 
"have you got a good dinner for us to-day?" 
" No, that I havn't, lad," was the reply ; " there ain't 
nothing but some harensoup and two or three phea- 
sants; and what's the use of that?" There never 
was an army so well fed as this army has been ; and 
the exhausting effSect of the climate in Northern 
China, both in summer and in winter, requires it 
In summer you are sweated down to almost nothing, 
and in winter what is left of you is dried up with 
cold which freezes the marrow of your bones ; and 
if your food fails, or (what comes to the same thing) 
your digestive organs become seriously wrong, it is 
rare that a recovery is made. 

All the side and invalids had been sent away from 
Tien-Tsin before the river was closed, and had been 
put on board the hospital-ships, but it was surprising 
how soon the general hospital filled agam. We 
imagined that the bracing cold would be the very 
thing for us ail, and set us up again, after the relax- 
ing heat of summer; but experience taught us 
another lesson. Any weak part was seized upon by 
the cold, and it was only the man who had no 
such point about him that kept his health unim- 
paired. Diarrhcea, dysentery, chest complaints^ and 
fever were the prevalent .diseases ; and through- 
out the greatest part of the winter we had ten per 



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HOSPITALS. 325 

cent, of the force in hospital, and I was informed^ 
upon the best authority, that the month of 
January at Tien-Tsin was more &tal to the troops 
than the worst month in autumn had been at Hong. 
Kong. 

Nothing, however, could be better than the hos- 
pital and its arrangements, commenced by Dr. Muir, 
and afterwards carried out by Dr. Gordon, who fol- 
lowed him as principal medical officer. A large 
yah-moon was taken in the eastern suburb, and four 
or five and twenty wards were fitted up in a very 
comfortable manner, containing fi^m six to twelve 
beds each; and as experience pointed out some 
defect, it was promptly and effectually remedied. 
Medical comforts had been supplied fix)m home with 
a most liberal hand. Milk, which could not be pro- 
cured in the country, was fireely used in the hospital ; 
beer, port-wine, and champagne were always at hand 
when needed by the sick ; and it will be a satis&c- 
tory thought to those at home to know that if they 
have had a large bill to pay for this war, the sick, 
at all events, have been well and liberally provided 
for. To the relatives of those who have been doomed 
to leave their bones in a foreign land, it will be a 
happy thought that nothing which skill or liberal 
kindness could do to rally a sinking firame, or soothe 
the last moments by gratifying every little want, was 
left undone. And this was not unfelt by the patients 
themselves, as I have often heard words to this 
effect, " GkKi bless the Queen ; she didn't forget us 



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326 HOW WB GOT TO PBKIN. 

this time anyway/* Or, " Boys, this isn't like the 
Crim^ where you*d lie may be a whole day, and 
never get more nor a dhrink of the black water** 
{black standing for plain, unmingled). 

Newspapers had been sent out also by every mail 
for the use of the sick, and most acceptable and 
valuable they were. No one can teU the avidity 
with which they were sought after, except those who 
witnessed it ; but by some fitult or mismanagement 
in the purveyor's department at Hong Kong, they 
were not forwarded to the North after the month of 
November, and their want was much felt OflBcers, 
however, contributed from their small libraries, and 
I supplied some books that were at my disposal, and 
thus a certain amount of reading was found for the 
men. 

As the spring opened, and the weather grew warm, 
the convalescents were sent out to drive in spring- 
waggons ; and if there was a race-meeting going on, 
or soldiers* games, you were sure to see these poor 
fellows looking on ; and right pleasant it was to see 
a fiwje wasted, wan, and worn by months of constant 
suffering, flush with the little excitement, after the 
dreary monotony of the sick ward. 

Little do civilians know how many tender feelings 
are concealed under the breast of a soldier's tunic ; 
how much gentleness and goodness of heart are 
covered by that off-hand and sometimes rough man- 
ner. But see one poor fellow, weak and ill himself^ 
watching by the bed of a comrade, more heavily 



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HOME MEMOBIES. 327 

afflicted ; see how tenderly he smooths the pillow, 
raises the aching head with almost a woman's care, 
bears with all the quemlons complaints that are 
made against him while he is doing his best, and 
forgets his own ailments in his anxiety to ease the 
snjBferings of another, and assumes a cheerfdlness, 
which he is &r from feeling, in order to try and 
make his comrade think the less of his own woes ; 
and if next day Jack is a little better. Bill's baro- 
meter rises at once in proportion, and, before you 
have time to inquire, he anticipates you with the 
good news, "Oh I he's a deal better to-day, sir; he 
slept some last night, and he ate a ^hegg' this 
morning ; hell come round again soon now/' 

Or, if chancing to ask some question which relates 
to home, or recalls the hamlet from which the band 
and gay colours and the wily old recruiting ser- 
geant tempted the youth, who has now become al- 
most an old soldier, often have I seen a tear start 
unbidden into the eye and trickle down the sun- 
burnt, furrowed cheek. And I have felt that what- 
ever a soldier's Ufe may have done to harden and 
duU the finer, softer feelings of our nature, it has 
also its discipline for good, and that there is many 
and many a one who has been improved by it, even 
if some should have found their road to ruin in that 
path, who would have found it under any circum- 
stances, only perhaps not quite so &st 

I am persuaded that great misapprehensions pre- 
vail at home in civil life with respect to the tone of 



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328 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

feelings and of morals both among officers and men 
in the army. Pater&milias thinks that the officers 
of the 250th9 quartered in the town, are a set of rare 
wild yonng dogs, and that if ^^ Tom " should come 
to know them it would be a great misfortune, for he 
might be asked to dine at mess (Tom is such a plea- 
sant, gentlemanly fellow), and then he would pro- 
bably be induced to play high, and would be sure 
to come home " screwed " at the very least The 
dear old gentleman does not know that to be 
" screwed ** is considered a disgrace in the army now- 
a^lays ; and that if an officer gave way to such habits 
he would be forced at least to exdiange or sell, and 
would most probably lose his commission ; and that 
high play is put down with determination both by 
commanding officers and generals. 

Sixpenny or shilling whist will not injure dear 
Tom's pocket or morals much, and that is what he is 
most likely to be invited to. No, my dear sir, your 
son is much more likely to meet with bad company, 
and contract bad habits in a small coterie in civil 
life, or in his club, where there is no supervision 
exercised by seniors, no " esprit de corps,** no pub- 
lic character, which all feel must be supported, 
anid which the senior officers are determined to 
uphold. 

Yes, but Mrs. Grundy is convinced; she never 
dined at a mess. Heaven forbid I (I think the mess 
would say so too, she is not likely to get a chance.) 
How could you ask such a question ? Because, my 



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MORALS OF THE ABMT. 329 

dear lady, I have met some of the most elegant 
women in the world at dinner at a r^imental mess, 
ladies whose acquaintance you would be rather proud 
of than otherwise. She is convinced that a convert 
sation at a mess table is something very shocking, 
not of course when ladies might happen to be there 
upon some rare occasion, but as a rule very bad, low, 
and fill! of cursing and swearing. 

You are quite mistaken, my dear madam; it 
is true indeed that Ensign Snooks has brou^t 
some bad habits with him from the Depdt Bat- 
talion, where he has been without restraint, mii^- 
ling with other boys fresh from school; his bad 
language he picked up most probably at Doctor 
Meek's select academy, "for the reception of a 
limited number," &C., &c., where his anxious mother 
s^t him, for he would go into the army, and the 
Dep6t Battalion has not improved him (I wish 
there were no such things as Dep6t Battalions) ; but 
wait for a year or two, and you will be astonished 
to find how much Snooks is improved, his raiment 
will " lick him into shape ;" he is not a very promis* 
ing subject, but he will learn to show his manhood 
in some other way than by the use of bad language, 
and he will discover that conversation which is not 
fit for ears polite is not considered good taste at a 
mess table. There are black sheep everywhere, but 
if one of this colour finds his way into a regiment, he 
is more quickly discovered, and made to change his 
tone, than he would be anywhere else ; or Ming that^ 



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330 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

he is safe to be put into coventiy or sometiiing very 
like it, and " got rid of** as soon as possible. 

Military men live more in public than otber men 
do, and thus the faults of the few are sometimes 
attributed to the many, but the habits of siKty years 
ago are no more preserved in the army of the present 
day, than they are in private life. Major Battler, of 
the 41st Light Dragoons, that exceedingly fast corps, 
is a much better conducted man than your grand- 
fikther the banker was, my dear Mrs. Grrundy, and he 
would no more tolerate at his mess the scenes which 
used to occur nightly at your grand&ther's table than 
that most sober of mortals, your own Grrundy, would 
tolerate them now. 

Then as to the private soldier and the non-com- 
missioned officers, it is only by good conduct that 
the private can be advanced ; he knows this, and he 
knows that he is sure of " a rise '* if he deserves it 
Here then is at once a strong motive for steadiness and 
propriety, which you do not meet with in private life. 
Who can ensure promotion to the journeyman boot- 
maker if he is sober and well conducted ? and the 
same steps which raised the private by degrees to 
be, perhaps, Serjeant-Major of his regiment, can alone 
preserve for him his rank, with its emoluments and 
immunities. There is a direct help to virtue in the 
army, ^^ sentence against an evil work " is executed 
with much greater speed and certainty there than 
among civilians. Compare the petty tradesmen of a 
large town, or the younger labourers in a country 



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THE PRIVATE SOLDIER. 331 

Tillage, as to their moral conduct, why the soldier 
cannot do what the other may do, and very often 
does, every week of his life. 

" Why were my boots not sent home yesterday ?" 
Your bootmaker teUs yon that this is only Tuesday 
morning, and but very few of his workmen have 
come back as yet to their work, having, as is usual^ 
been drinkmg since Saturday night A soldier can- 
not live that sort of life, even if he would. Recol- 
lect too in every judgment that you form of soldiers, 
that they are generally taken from the least orderly 
walks of life ; and that it is for the most part the 
wildest and most adventurous spirits who find a 
charm in the idea of a soldier's life ; recollect too that 
they are, while subject to many wholesome restraints, 
without many of those gentler and better influences 
which their brothers in civil life, may enjoy, long 
after they, poor fellows I have nothing but the rules 
of the service to guide them. 

The main streets of the town of Tien-Tsin are 
occupied by the usual amount of shops chiefly for the 
sale of ^^ chowchow," that is, food of various sorts. 
Butchers and cookshops abound; then there are 
fruiterers, these are very nice shops, the various 
winter fruits of the country, including apples, pears, 
lichees, and walnuts, chesnuts, ground-nuts, and fifty 
other sorte, the names of which I never learned, are 
neatly ranged on shelves and on the ground in clean 
baskets, and for a few " cash ** (900 of which you 
get for a dollar) you may purchase more than you 



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332 HOW WJB OCT TO PEKIN. 

can eat The sweetmeat shops too are very tempting, 
sugared wakiuts are capital, and a new sixpence will 
buy you about five-and-twenty sponge cakes, very 
nearly, if not quite, as good as you get at home, 
though sometimes a little " stodgy/' What a country 
for the youth of England, if it only possessed other 
advantages in like proportion! ** Pocket-money ** 
would be a perfect fortune. But the best confectioner 
is in the north-eastern suburb, near Charing Cross, he 
has picked up a great deal of English and French, 
and is a most popular character ; ^^ walk in, sit down, 
have some tea, have a sponge cake,*' thus he salutes 
you as you enter the shop, and he can talk to you 
upon most of the ordinary subjects of the day, not 
in the " pigeon English " of Canton and Hong Kong, 
but with a correct diction ; this has all been learned 
since our occupation. 

The four main streets of the walled town running 
north, south, east, and west, are devoted to shops, 
and public buildii^. A few temples unworthy of 
notice, except perhaps the " Temple of Horrors,** in 
West-street, in which the various tortures which are 
supposed to be awarded to persons guilty of various 
crimes, in the next world, are represented by figures 
made of clay and painted. They are not at all com- 
plimentary to the softer sex, as much the greater 
number of sufferers are females, and the tortures are 
too horrible to describe. The dwelling-houses are in 
streets which branch off from these, and you pass 
between high walls, meeting every twenty or fifty 



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CHINESE LADIES. 333 

yards with a door, which is kept most religiously 
closed, as the domestic habits of the natives are very 
exclusive ; they do not seem to place much reliance 
upon the virtue of the female sex, and will give you 
as an explanation of the custom of cramping their 
feet, that it prevents them from straying far from 
home ; they do not adopt the poet's advice : — 

** Let all her ways be UDconfined, 
And pnt yonr padlock on her mind." 

The ordinarystory which youhear about their small 
feet is, that the wife of one of the Emperors was dis- 
covered by her lord near the door of the apartment 
of one of the ministers of state, and when questioned 
as to how she came there she replied, ^^ That her large 
feet had carried her there against her will ; '* where- 
upon half of each foot was ordered to be cut off, and 
she, in order to cover her own disgrace, " introduced 
the feshion," which has prevailed ever since. It is, 
I think, the most barbarous of all customs in the 
world, and destroys that which is perhaps the chief 
beauty of woman^ the grace and poetry of her mo- 
tion. These wretched beings hobble and stump 
along like 5000 lame ducks boiled down into one, 
which, if they were as many Venuses in every other 
respect, would disenchant them at once. They have 
their toes, except the great one, turned doum, so 
that they walk upon the heel and the upper part of 
the foot, from the instep to the toe ; how any nation 
could expect the blessing of Heaven while it thus 



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334 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

destroys one* of the most beautiful of his works, I 
cannot understand 

I am wandering far from Tien-Tsin ; but while 
upon the subject of Chinese ladies, I may say that I 
have seen some very good-looking faces among them. 
I do not think they would be at all an ugly race if 
they were educated and were allowed the use of 
their limbs ; but there is an expression of vacancy 
and conning, the result of their position in society, 
which spoils their prettiest faces. And then, when 
you see the creature, you know it cannot walk, and 
that its legs are like a goat's, and there is an end 
of it 

Shut up within these walls they lire ; nor do their 
lords give them much of their society ; they never 
dine together after the wedding-Kiay ; the women 
live apart from the men of the femily, and there is 
nothing of that sweet social femily intercourse which 
is the chief delight of home. The ladies spend their 
time chiefly in playing cards and smoking tobacco ; 
nor is it the delicate cigarette in which they indulge, 
but the pipe, — ^yes, the same as the man's pipe, a 
small brass or silver bowl, a long, thin stem, and a 
gadestone mouth-piece or else an onyx one. 

Whenever you go in the town you meet a num- 
ber of beggars, and that of all sorts, — lame, blind, 
and diseased in every possible way ; and the great 
majority of them are no doubt professionals. The 
rich people in the town have some charitable institu- 
tions in which the poor are provided with bread, 



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CHARITY OF BRITISH TROOPS. 335 

dothing, and coffins^ but still there appears to be a 
mass of unrelieved distress. The officers and sol- 
diers of the garrison collected the sum of 150L at 
Christmas for the poor of the town, and announced 
that it was given in honour of that festival The 
Chief Magistrate promised, through the Consul, that 
he would recommend the most deserving objects of 
charily, and a da^ was fixed for the distribution of 
the money at the church ; but on the previous day 
he announced that he could not undertake the re- 
commendation of paupers, as his house would be 
beset by an unruly crowd, and suggested that the 
funds should be handed over to the existing Chinese 
charities. This, however, the committee determined 
not to do, as they had no fidth in the honesty of the 
managers. They were, therefore, driven to distri- 
bute their fond (to which Admiral Hope had libe- 
rally added 50/. unsolicited) on their own responsi- 
bility, and they posted a placard inviting pauper 
women of fifty years of age, and the blind of both 
sexes, to present themselves at the church (a Confu- 
cian temple) on a given day, when, notwithstanding 
a strong guard of soldiers and of Chinese police, some 
unfortunate women, who could not stand on their 
wretched ^ small feet," were absolutely trampled to 
death by the crowd. 

The dbanly of the British troops, however, so fer 
firom decreasing the number of paupers in the town, 
appeared only to augment them, and everywhere 
you were beset by the cries of "Chowchowah, 



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336 HOW WB GOT TO PEKIN. 

cashah, sheliong sheliung, chowchowah'" (food, food, 
money, cold, cold, food) ; bat you had the satis&c- 
tion of seeing that many of these sapplicants were 
in very good case. 

The coolies are a most industrious race, and work 
hard, as porters and water-carriers, through the sum- 
mer's sun and the winter's cold. I have often seen 
them panting, and almost staggering along, under a 
wheel-barrow which would carry almost a horse- 
load, and perspiring freely on a cold winter's day, 
though stripped to the waist These wheel-barrows 
are of an excellent make. They are like an Irish 
jaunting-car, with one large wheel in the centre, and 
the load is placed at the sides, and by this means 
the weight of the burden is thrown upon the wheel ; 
a boy, or sometimes a donkey, assists, in tracing, in 
front All the water used in the town is carried 
from the river thus, and in pairs of buckets hanging 
from a bamboo across the shoulder. All merchan- 
dise, including fuel, is carried in the same way. So 
that the industrious coolie population has an abun-« 
dance of employment 

Talking of coolies, I had an increasing source 
of amusement during the campaign in the convert 
sations between an Irish soldier and the Hong 
Kong coolies, two of which were supposed to be 
in my employ. He and the two coolies lived a 
good deal together, and in general their quarters 
were quite near enough to me to enable me to hear 
the discourse of Paddy. He appeared to think that 



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IRISHMAN AND THE COOLIES. 337 

the employment of those words so common m the 
south, " you savey/* was a sort of talisman wherewith 
to reach the Chinese mind, and formed a perfect 
ranning commentary (in Chinese) upon the (other- 
wise obscure) English text, so that if his discourse 
was plentifully interlarded with "you savey*' no 
Chinaman, however dull, could miss of his meaning. 

Imagine him and the two ugliest coolies in the 
army (and none of them are handsome) seated at 
the midday meal, a dish of meat and a dish of sweet 
potatoes or yams on the table (or its substitute) 
before them, Paddy (loquitur) : " Do you call thim 
potaties** (contemptuously) ; " you never was in a 
place called Ireland, you savey, becase, if I had you 
there, I'd show you what potaties is, you savey. 
Sure the people has to live on potaties in Ireland — 
that's where I come from, this piecey man, you 
savey ; — ^but sure no one could live on the likes of 
them, you savey. It's all very well for you now, 
you savey, becase you get mate every day for your 
dinner, you savey, number one chowchow, you savey, 
that's becase you're at war now, you savey, with the 
Emperor of China, this piecy country, you savey, 
and the innimy has to feed you, you savey, but 
if you were at pace, and livin' quiet and aisy at 
home in your little bit of a cabin in Ireland, you 
savey, do you think you'd get mate for your dinner 
then every day ? Oh, divel a bit, you savey." 

So the &ithM Paddy would discourse his coolies 
for hours, eliciting an occasional grunt, not that they 



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338 HOW WB GOT TO PBKIN, 

understood one word he said^ bat just as well pleased 
with his audience and himself as Dr. Gumming at 
Exeter HalL They were generally the best of friends, 
and they were of more use to him as recipients for his 
ideas than in any other way. Sometimes, indeed, 
the coolies turned sulky, and when desired to do 
some work, instead of doing it growled out, " My no, 
sabey," which was a sort of refusal under the pre- 
tence of not understanding the order. This he would 
not stand. " You no, savey, don't you ; well, then, 
do you know what I'll do, I'll make you, savey, and 
then when I make you, savey, you'll have to savey 
then." He has, since the peace, been reduced to one 
Tien-Tsin coolie, who he affirms ^^ knows a great deal 
of English." " Sure you might hear me talkin' to 
him every day." Which is quite true I do, and 
many a good laugh it gives me, when I am not much 
disposed to laugh. 

The best shops are to be found in " High Street," 
as we have named it, which runs nearly parallel with 
the river in the northern suburb. Here was the 
&shionable lounge for the exiles of Tien-Tsin in the 
afternoon ; and here several of the Pekin curiosity- 
dealers established themselves, having tasted the 
sweets of the Barbarian dollar in the autumn. The 
street is narrow, and an awning is spread across the 
greater part of it You can always tell when there 
is any foreigner in the shop by the crowd of basket- 
boys that surround the door, ready to cany home 
anything which he may purchase* 



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POINTED ARGUMENTS. 339 

Yon must expect to be well jostled if you don t 
take means to prevent it» as the Chinese here have 
no idea of making way for anybody. Their own 
great people never walk, and their chairs are pre- 
ceded by runners to clear the way, so that the 
street population have not yet thoroughly imbibed 
the idea that ** a swell " can walk at all, although 
we tried all winter to drive it into their heads, 
and that with very pointed arguments. It is neces- 
sary to carry a stick ; and so to carry it, that if 
a Chinaman chooses deliberately to walk against 
you, he also walks his own face against your cancy 
and however much his self-sufficiency might be 
gratified by the former, he would hardly like the 
latter — a very pleasant thing, no doubt, for the Celes- 
tial to feel that he has asserted his superiority over 
the Barbarian in a quiet manner, by not making 
way for him, but not an unmingled pleasure when 
he accjuires along with it a poke in the head ; he will 
not jostle you again ; and thus you have the satisfac- 
tion of feeling that you have taught one disciple of 
Confticius a lesson which he never learned before, 
and have contributed your mite to impress upon the 
Asiatic mind the &ct that, when the European re- 
qmres it, he must, as the negro melodist so poetically 
remarks, " get out of the way.** 

I know that this is treason in certain quarters, 
and that the correct thing is always to make way for 
the Chinaman, and never to allow him to walk 
against your stick, but always to leave your stick at 

z 2 



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340 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

home ; but I confess that I am not enough enlight- 
ened as to "our Chinese policy** to appreciate the 
idea that we are first to pay millions for the privi- 
lege of establishing the &ct that we are nationally 
superior to the Chinese, and capable of enforcing 
our just demands, and then to do our utmost to 
wipe out this impression by "kowtowing** indi- 
vidually to every Chinaman we meet in the street 

In the curiosity-shops much the same scene is 
enacted as at Pekin; but a decided preference is 
given to the " Engilishe" over the " Flenishe.** The 
Chinaman is not yet quite sure which is one and which 
is t'other, so he asks you " Engilishe ? ** if you affirm, 
he immediately says " Gow-gow,** and holds up his 
thumb, "Engilishe ting gow-gowdie ; '* if you say 
" Flenishe,** he says " ah," and proceeds to business. 
His experience, no doubt, is that John Bull has 
more dollars, and parts with them more fi*eely, and 
perhaps, also, there is a little gentle force used by 
the Gaul in making his bargain, which we never use. 

The shopkeepers are civility itself^ and the best 
feeling prevails upon both sides, we being quite con- 
scious that we are dom^ yet contented so that we get 
what we want, and pass a dull hour or two in spend- 
ing our money. 

On the right, as you go down High Street, lives 
old " Poco Beno,** as we call him, fix)m his fk^uent 
use of the words, which signify in his language that 
your offer for his goods is not sufficient He deals 
in furs. You cannot pass his door any day, if you 



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« POKO BENO.*' 341 

are a cnstomer, without going in. You are saluted 
by him, his son, and his grandson with such a flow 
of ** chin-chins" that you must go in, if only for polite- 
ness. Tea is produced, and you oflFer him a cheroot, 
which he tries to smoke, but it is too many for him. 
He is a very handsome old man, with a nose almost 
aquiline, a rare feature in China. You do not per- 
haps want fiirs, but out of idleness ask the price 
of one or two, and are answered in the usual way 
upon the fingers, unless you have "studied the lan- 
guage,'* and know the numerals. He asks 150 dol- 
lars, and you offer him 10 by way of a beginning ; . 
he almost goes into a fit as he throws himself back 
and calls out " Poko Beno, Poko Bin." You look 
unconcerned ; and before you leave the shop, having 
drank your tea, and advanced a few dollars at a 
time, you draw a tooth, and offer him 20 or 25 dol- 
lars, never believing for a moment that he will take 
it, when, just as you are stepping into the street, he 
calls out that your offer is accepted, and you walk 
home, and boast of your bargain, which you did not 
in the least want. 

Numbers of gadestones and enamels found their 
way firom the Ewen-ming-Ewen down to Tien-Tsin, 
and were exposed for sale in the shops ; at first the 
vendors strenuously denied that these articles had come 
from the palace, but they soon found that we were 
not to be deceived, and made no fiirther secret of the 
matter, and only laughed when we told them that 
they would have their heads cut off if these things 



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342 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

were found with them, as a proclamation had been 
issued from Pekin, threatenii^ with death any person 
who exposed imperial property for sale. This threat, 
however, had no eflfect, as, although when we first 
came down from the capital the natiyes would kow- 
tow to a piece of imperial silk which a Sikh carried 
m the street, and hustle you and it out of the house 
if you brought it in, after a time they appeared to 
become familiar with the idea, yet still they would 
sell such an article for less than its value, and appear 
rather glad to get rid of it. 

Fur shops and curiosity shops were the rage for 
the winter, but as spring came on every one appeared 
to have bought as much as he could bring home, or 
as much as he wanted, and a fresh excitem^t was 
required ; so some one found out a jeweller, and gold 
rings were made from patterns, by men who never 
made a ring before. Then a simple massive chain 
appears, and everyone goes in for those, only the gold 
is so pure that they are too soft; never mind. Then 
gold charms of all sorts, English and Chinese, silver 
cigar cases and snuff-boxes, cups, stick mountings, 
everything in short that could be made of gold or 
silver, until the native mind was almost bewildered 
with the multiplicity of articles it was called upon to 
conceive and execute. You had ordered your two 
cigar boxes and a gold chain folly a fortnight ago ; 
you had called about them every day, and had been 
told in so many days to call again ; at last it came 
down to " mingtein " (to-morrow) ; you arrive, having 



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HORSES. 343 

nearly burst your pockets with the dollars to pay 
for them, when, with a rueful fiuje, the jeweller tells 
you that they have all " woilahd," and by signs as to 
some peculiarity of dress or mamier, he makes you 
understand who it is that has taken them ; and you 
discover that your bosom friend, finding them finished 
in the drawer that morning, has taken them and paid 
for them. You go and remonstrate, but he only 
kuglis at you, and tells you that he will value them 
the more for yc»ur sake, and adds insult to injury by 
reminding you that you will have all the summer to 
get others, whereas he (lucky dog, how you hate 
him I) is going home by the next mail, and if he had 
not got them must have gone without. I think I 
should know almost any oflScer of the Tien-Tsin 
garrison by a glance at his watch-chain. 

But the great excitement, of course, here, as every- 
where else, was horses and the races. Imagine how 
insane the ensigns must have become when each of 
them could purchase and keep his stud of two or 
three horses without anything extra in the way of 
expenditure. Yes, imagine, oh ye less fortunate ones I 
buying Arab horses firesh flx>m India for 125. 6^. 
each, or about eight pounds the dozen; fency living 
iQ a land where Uiat could be done, and where yoii 
could keep him for about 2^. 6d per week on good 
hay and com. But you want to hear this explained. 
You must know then, that when the King's Dragoon 
Guards, and Probyn's Horse, and several batteries of 
Artillery were ordered back to India, it was not 



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344 HOW WE GOT TO PBKIN. 

deemed worth while to ship any but the very best of 
their horses, and thus a large number of very good 
horses were placed at the disposal of the commia- 
sariat 

Besides these, just at the conclusion of Hie war^ 
several ships arrived at Takoo with remounts from 
Bombay, which would have been most necessary 
if we were to have another campaign, but, as it 
turned out, were not wanted. It would not pay to 
send them back again, so they must be sold at any 
sacrifice. The sale included a large number of ponies 
and mules which the commissariat had taken in 
the country on our march to Pekin ; in feet, every 
animal that we had in China was sold that could 
possibly be spared fi*om the service, and a great day 
it was for the subalterns. Despite of cold and sleety 
there they were buying their studs day after day, 
and if to-day's purchase could not " go in good form,** 
or " was not likely to do the trick,*' or " turned out a 
bad fencer," he was put up again to-morrow, and a 
CShmaman bought him perhaps for three dollars in- 
stead of four, his original ^price, and Tomkings got a 
another; he lost a dollar to be sure, but 4s. 6d was 
not much to lose in a horse, when you have made up 
your mind that he does not suit you. 

Then when the studs were complete, and no more 
** bona fides '* to be sold (as these horses were called, 
fix)m having been " bonll fide ** bought at the Govern- 
ment sale to distinguish them fi*om chargers brought 
from India or elsewhere), the getting into condition 



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PAPER HUNTS. 345 

and the training gave great occupation to the subal- 
tern's mind ; there was vast comparing of notes, and 
trials, strictly priyate, and talk about dark horses, 
and aU sorts of stable-talk — ^then a match or two, 
and a Tien-Tsin autumn meeting somewhere about 
Christmas. 

A fine, healthy, manly amusement for the young 
officers, and very properly patronized by the 
brigadier and the senior officers in garrison. 

Paper hunts were also a great resource, and there 
was a good deal of fencing, as although the country 
is not enclosed, there are numerous graveyards which 
extend for miles round the town, and these are 
generally fenced, so that a good sporting " fox "* 
could show some sport Tartar ponies, if they had 
any speed (and some of them were very &st), were 
excellent for this work. 

But in spring there was some real fox-hunting. 
There were plenty of foxes, but the difficulty was to 
get the hounds ; we were deluded with vain promises 
of beagles from Shanghai all the winter, and at last 
Mr. Lloyd, an enterprising young officer of the 67th, 
procured some Chinese hounds, something like the 
Persian greyhound, or a cross between a greyhound 
and a Scotch colley. They ran both by si^t and 
scent, and often pulled down the ^* wily one ;" they 
ran hares also, and in a place where there was no 
society, and nothing to do beyond the dull routine of 
garrison-duty, such sports were of great value ; nor 
were the amusements of the men neglected. One of 



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346 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

the first things done was to tell off a room in each 
barrack as a reading-room for the soldiers, which 
was comfortably furnished, warmed, and lighted,, 
and crowded with mea in the winter evenings, 
drinking a fabulous amonnt of coffee, and smoking 
no end of pipes over their games (no gambling per- 
mitted), books, and newspapers. 

Then there was the garrison theatre in a central 
place, * The Grotto* in Bast Street What employ- 
ment there was in gettmg it up, and psdntmg the 
scenery I Fane, who is nearly as good an artist as 
he is a soldier, painted the drop-sc^e, a lady reclin- 
ing on a couch in an old ^ Baronial Hall ;" she was 
asleep, her book had &>llen firom her hand; how 
much you would like to give a cough, which would 
waken her; introduce yourself and have a chat; 
but she is sleeping there still for aught I know. 
Then the Royal Artillery had a theatre of their 
own, very creditably got up, and the scenery painted 
very well by Sir John Campbell and a bandsman of 
the 31st, who has a most extraordinary talent for 
painting, and who wiU, I hope, when he goes home, 
turn altogether into a painter. 

We had some plays written for the Tien-Tsin 
stage, and amongst them ^ The Irish Othello/ The 
words fix)m Shakespeare, the music (for it was an 
opera) fipom Christy's Minstrels. Othello was a 
colonel in the Tipperary Militia; Cassio, his ad- 
jutant; and Desdemona, the daughter of a Cork 
wine-merchant Scene laid at Cork and the Cur- 



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THEATRE. 347 

ragh camp. Every one admitted that it was very 
clever, but some people thought that Desdemona 
reaUy transgressed the bounds of propriety, and 
actually had been guilty, as Othello poetically ac- 
cused her : — 

** It is because, it is becanse 
She's broke a most important clause 
In British matrimonial laws. 

Whoop de dooden do. 

She now must pay for her faux pas. 

Whoop de dooden do." 

While others aflSrmed that she was innocent, and 
took the lady's part very warmly, calling poor 
Colonel Othello a jealous brute, &c., &a No doubt^ 
too, it was wrong, very wrong, of Lieutenant and 
Adjutant Cassio, of the Tipperary Crushers, to get 
drunk and kick up a row, which he confesses that 
he did, in the following lines, to the tune of " Kias 
me quick, and go : " — 

" The other night while we were drinking 
We all got screwed as flies. 
We came to blows and fought like winking, 
And I bunged up Roderick's eyes. 
I did not know the Colonel knew it^ 
For drinking was forbid. 
When I heard his footsteps on the stairs. 
And what do you think he did, 
He took the adjutancy firom me." 

But if Cassio does get drunk, does that make the 
play immoral, as it was affirmed? Here, again^ 
some thought that the cause of morality was rather 
served than otherwise, because Othello sings, in 
chorus : — 



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348 HOW WB GOT TO PEKIN. 

** Get oat of my way, Hr. Oanio, 
Youll soon Bee if I don't smaah yon* 
(}et out of my way, Mr. Casrioy 
You'll floon see if I don't smash yoo.** 

Clearly showing that dnmkenness m an officer 
might looe him his commission. ' The Irish Othello/ 
however, fell into disrepute, and was withdrawn from 
the Tien-Tsin stage, r^retted by a large number of 
the garrison. 

** I tell you what» Tom,** one soldier-servant said 
to another, ^ ^ Othello ' an't to be acted any more, 
cause Shakespeare's plays isn't moraL** 

There is not much to offend in the following 
songs, while they give a q)ecimen of the Tien-Tsin 
operatic talent : — 

OTHELLO AND BRABANTIO, 
Am— Ae% BUgh. 

Brab. Otfaello, low fellow, you barefaced thief, 
Yon've been and gone and stab my child* 
And I shall die of grief. 
Ton took advantage of her sex. 
You knew that she was rich. 
And in a pot of doable X her senses did bewitcL 

Othello, low feUoWy Sec &o. 

Oih, Brabhy, why pipe your eye, don't yon be a goosey 

The thing is done, we're man and wife, and grumbling it 

no nse; 
Ton'd better far shake hands with me and giye up all this 

law; 

Tis tnie youVe lost a danghter, bat yoa've gsdned a son- 
in-law. 

Brah, No, fellow, low fellow, oh yon barefaced thief, 
111 have you np before the mayor. 
And you'll be brought to grief. 



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8AMSH0. 349 

OTHELLO AND CHORUS. 

AxBL^Lucy Long. 

Oih. The alderman he liked me, and I liked his port wine, 
And often he invited me at half-past six to dine ; 
And sometimes after dinner, as Miss Desdy sot hetween, 
I talked to him of hatUe-fields that I had never seen. 

And sometimes after dinner, ftc. 

I told him how at Badajos I took an Armstrong gnn, 

And how I stormed the great Bedan and made the Bnssians 

nm. 
I told him how in China, too, as strong as ancient Milo, 
I cut off Sangolinsin's tail and made his army '' whilo." 
Chorus — ^I told him how, &o. 

0th. To hear me tell those little fihs Miss Desdy wonld incline, 
So on that hint I spoke and she declared she would he mine. 
She'll have a thousand pounds some day and I'm as poor as 

sin; 
She loves me for the hnua I've got ; I love her for her tin. ,, 
Chorus — She'll have a thousand, Sso. 

The men required all the watchful care that could 
be bestowed upon them to keep them from the temp- 
tations of that most vile of intoxicating drinks, 
" Samsho.** A most powerfiil spirit, which maddens 
as it intoxicates, and in the piercing cold of the 
winter, and the depression which always follows a 
campaign, it was no easy matter to prevent men from 
drinking it : every house in which it was proved to 
have been sold to our men was pulled down by the 
Provost-Marshal, but still it was sold, and one native 
of " Italy,'* when remonstrated with by the captam 
of his company for drinking such abomination, the 
very smell of which was enough to turn you sick, 
replied, "Oh, captain, darlin, did you ever taste it 
with a drop of hot wather and a grain of sugar?*' 



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350 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

" The natives/' with their quaint ways and cnrious 
use of English, and French also, afforded a good deal 
of amusement to the men for some time : while their 
manners and talk with the natives amused us not a 
little ; at Charing Cross market the vendor of fowls 
and game persisted in calling them " feesh," inviting 
you to buy, by saying " my much '* feesh, " eight 
piece one dollar ;'* or if he thought you were a French- 
man, " Combieno feesh, sacre miUe combieno " The 
Gaul generally picked up a few Chinese words, 
while the British soldier was contented to talk Eng- 
lish in a loud voice, or if he tried the other, he gene- 
rally gave an English commentary on the Chinese 
text Thus, soldier hq. : " I say, my man, there's no 
use, you see, in your talking to me, because I don't 
understand your language, but just you listen to 
what I say to you ; if you don't bring lots of * suiah,' 
that is plenty of water ; * ming tien,' that's to-morrow 
morning, at six o'clock, 111 just knock saucepans out 
of you, that's all ; now " woilo,' i. e. * go away.' *' 

The troops had abundance of occupation, the guards 
were numerous, and there were fiitigues of various 
sorts, route-marching twice a week, and in early 
spring we had brigade field-days, in the plain on the 
south side of the town ; upon one occasion there was 
a Tartar general of high rank at Tien-Tsin, he had 
been engaged at the forts, and was rather proud of 
the honour of having been defeated by us; and it 
happened just then that the Victoria Cross was to be 
presented by Brigadier Stavelly to Lieutenant Heath- 



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A TARTAR GENERAL. 351 

cot, second Battalion 60th Eifles, who had distm- 
gnished himself very much at Delhi on several occa- 
sions, and had thus reaped the highest reward which 
a soldier can earn. 

The presentation was to take place in presence of 
all the troops in garrison; a parade was ordered 
accordingly, and the Tartar general hearing of it, 
expressed a wish to attend, which was, of course, 
complied with ; and a curious scene it was, a num- 
ber of Chinese magnates accompanied him, some in 
chairs, with the usual crowd of attendants, and the 
General himself mounted on a Tartar horse, while 
some of his aide-de-camps rode mules. One does not 
expect to see a warrior clothed in blue satm furred 
and wadded, down to his heels, and loose satin 
^'dittos,** but so he was attired with his peacock's 
feather, &c., &c., all complete, and very short stirrups. 
When informed of the presentation that was to take 
place, he at once concluded that the cross had been 
won at Takoo, and that Mr. Heathcot had been the 
fortunate individual who had blown up the magazine 
in the North Fort, and asked if it were not so, and 
seemed rather disappointed when he was informed 
that his acts of bravery had been performed else- 
where. 



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352 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN, 



CHAPTER XVn. 

The loe breaks up— XJnhealthiness of the Climate—Brown's Stone 
A Pair of Ducks— Policy of the Pekin Court — Home Policy — ^Pru- 
dence— Campaigning— China open to Trade — " The War Party " — 
Lord Elgin— The Hospital at Tien-Tsin— Missionary Work. 

Time wore on and wearily, oh how wearily ! abont 
the 15th of March the ice broke np, and it was a fine 
sight to see it go crashing down the rapid river, and 
right welcome too, because now we were to be again 
in commnnion with the outer world. Soon the sun 
became hot, too hot to go out in the middle of the 
day, and then it began to get &tal, and all the dis- 
eases that are induced by it appeared ; the hospitals 
filled and overflowed, more hospital accommodation 
was tak^ up, and the ^^healthy climate of North 
China'' with which we had been deluded at home 
turned out to be as great a myth in summer as we 
had found it to be in winter. At one period, about 
the middle of July, we lost as many as ten men in a 
day, which, in proportion to its usual garrison, is 
a number that never has been reached at Hong 
Kong. A draft of about 200 men belonging to the 
second Battalion 60th Bifles, which had been at Hong 



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UNHEALTHINESS OF THE CLIMATE. 353 

Kong since the previous December, or rather en- 
camped in tents at Kowloong opposite to the town 
of Victoria, lost but one man in six months, and 
he had been for a long period an invalid, as I have 
been informed. This draft arrived at Tien-Tsin, and 
in less than three months no less than ten of their 
number fell victims to the climate. 

The Commander-in-Chief, Sir John Michel, arrived 
from the South in July, and upon consultation with 
the Ambassador at Pekm, it was determined that 
Fane's Horse, one battery of Artillery, the Military 
Train, and 2nd Battalion 60th Rifles, should leave 
Tien-Tsin in the autumn, some for India, and some 
for "home, sweet home;'* and that the 31st, 67th, 
and one battery of Artillery (French's), should form 
the garrison of Tein-Tsin for the winter. 

Great was the joy among those who were destined 
to leave the North of China. We would have done 
or submitted to most things, short of being tried by 
court-martial, to get away. 

There was a man in the — ^th Regiment of the 
name of Brown ; he was a &cetious fellow, and the 
men of his company were frequently in the habit of 
asking him to tell them stories. " Come, Brown, tell 
us a yam, will you?" was an invitation he fre- 
quently received. like most popular characters he 
was coy, and required nearly as much persuasion as 
a young lady does to sing. "I don't know no 
stories." " Yes, you do." " No, I don't" « Yes, 
you do ; tell us about the ducks." " Oh, about the 

2 A 



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354 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN, 

ducks, yes : why, you see, this was the very way 
that happened. 

" I was servant to Captain for a long time, 

and we got on very well ; I was very comfortable, 
till what should he do one fine day but go and get 
married. Well, you see, that altered things a good 
deal, for when there's a lady in the quarters she 
always wants twice as much done as a master does, 
and I didn't like how things was going on ; so I up 
and I says to the Captain one day as Td like to go 
back to my duty/' 

** * No,* says he, * Brown,' says he, * I shall n't send 
you back to your duty, you've been so long with 
me now,' says he, ^and I don't feel as if I should 
get on comfortable without you now.' 

^^ Well, that didn't do me much good, so things 
rubbed on a while longer in the same way, till one 
day there was a pair of ducks for dinner, and there 
was a mutton hash, and the ducks wasn't touched 
hardly, for the Captain ate the hash, he always liked 
it, somehow ; and in the evening I was sitting along 
with Elizabeth the cook, and I says to her, * I wish,* 
says I, ^ as I was back again with the company, the 
place is not the same since Missis come into it ; but 
the Captam, he won't let me go to my duty.' 

" * Won't let you go,* Elizabeth says ; * well, if I was 
you, I'd soon make him let me go, and glad enough, 
too. I'll tell you what to do,* she says. * You just 
take them pair of ducks as is in the larder, and eat 
*em up, and you*ll be at your duty to-morrow.* 



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BROWN'S STORIES. 355 

" Well, I got the ducks ; I wam't very hungry, 
but I ate *em up ; I didn't leave as much as would 
feed a beetle on their blessed bones ; I scraped all 
the stujB5ng out of the inside, lads, and then I left 
their carcases on the dish on the shelf. Well, the 
Captain, he was always an early man, and he comes 
out in the morning in his dressing-gown, to see 
about break&st. * Elizabeth,* he says, * what's for 
breakfast? I tell you what, Elizabeth,' he says, 
* I think as a leg of them ducks as was at dinner 
yesterday, if it was grilled, wouldn't be a bad thing 
for break&st' 

" * Ducks, sir,' says Elizabeth, * there ain't none 
left, sh*/ *None left,' says the Captain, *why, 
they wasn't touched/ *No, sir,' says Elizabeth, 
*no more they wasn't, at table, sir, but then Brown 
had them for his supper arter, sir.' 

^ Them ducks did the busmess for me ; Elizabeth 
was right, I was bundled off to my duty &st enough 
that very morning." 

We would have eaten any amount of ducks to 
have been sent away from Tien-Tsin. 

"Thank Providence," said my friend Jones to 
me one day, " they never can send us to so bad a 
quarter again, and as to sending us further off, that's 
impossible ; for if they send us any further away, we 
shall be nearer home." (Jones's mother was an Irish- 
woman.) The prospects of those who remained 
were none of the brightest, indeed ; bad as the pre- 
vious winter had been, great as had been the dearth 

2 A 2 



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356 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

of amusement, how much more dull would it be 
when so large a portion of the garrison had been re- 
moved ; I rejoiced that I was not to be among the 
number of those left in penal servitude. 

Those who are unacquainted with all the intricar 
cies of the politics of the Pekin court are not, of 
course, in a position to form the best opinion upon 
the subject ; but to plain soldiers it seemed that a 
couple of gunboats was all that would be required 
to remain m or near the Peiho in order to keep up 
our communication with Pekin. In winter the Chi- 
nese could not rebuild the forts, as the mud would 
not adhere in frost ; and when the river is open they 
could not do so if two gunboats were at the Peiho 
mouth. Moreover, we argued that two raiments 
and a battery could be of no use whatever as an 
aggressive force, as they could not march ten miles 
out of their barracks with safety. To keep open the 
way to Pekin this force was not requisite ; and to 
advance, or make any movement, except to hold 
the key of Pekm, the force was quite inadequate. 
Thus in our ignorance we argued, but ^^ Dis aliter 
visum.'* 

As to the soundness of the policy which eventu- 
ated in the Chinese expedition, there can be no doubt 
upon the mind of any one who has made himself 
acquainted with the case, and who views it apart 
from all connection with sectional politics. We had 
been wearied and nauseated by the fitlsehood, trea- 
chery, and overbearing insolence of Chinese officials 



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POLICY OF PEKIN COURT. 367 

in the South, fer removed fipom the seat of Govern- 
ment; we thought that such vice could not exist 
at the fountain-head ; that the spring itself must be at 
least comparatively pure, although the waters &r fix)m 
the source had contracted such evil, and to the foun- 
tain of authority we determined at length to pene- 
trate; we had no option between that course and 
the abandonment, not only of our Chinese trade, but 
of the politiail prestige of England abroad, if not 
at home, and the giving up of that mission of reli- 
gion and of civilization in that vast empire, with 
which we seem to have been endowed by Provi- 
dence; that such abandonment would only have 
opened the field to other of the European powers 
more adventurous and less scrupulous or more fiuv 
sighted than ourselves, was apparent 

It had, in short, become manifest to all those 
whose interests gave them a keen perception of the 
state of affitirs between England and China, that it 
was impossible for amicable relations to exist be- 
tween the two countries while the latter kept no 
fiadth, and evaded every obligation, and the former 
was obliged to submit to such treatment, alike de- 
grading to her own honour, and destructive of her 
commercial interests. 

The unfortunate repulse which we experienced at 
the Takoo forts in *59, much as it was to be deplored 
in every way, was, however, productive of this 
benefit, that it filled the mind of the English nation 
with a firm determination to avenge the defeat of their 



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358 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

arms, and to chastise the &lsehood of the Pekin 
Ctovemment And thus the expedition of 1860, 
beii^ quite in accordance with the feeling of the 
British nation, the Government could prepare for it 
in a manner suitable to our own dignity, to the 
magnitude of the interests at stake and the objects in 
view, unshackled by party opposition. Everyone 
who has been in China of late years, or who has 
made himself informed of the mode in which state 
craft is practised there, must have learned that the 
Pekin Government rarely if ever learns the truth, 
even as to their own internal afiGetirs, from the go- 
vernors of far-distant provinces, that couleur de rose is 
the only tint they make use of: and if this is true as 
to the home policy it is even more true as to fore^* 
Such a system occasionally eventuates in the loss of 
a head, but then the loser calculates on that, and 
playing his head against place and wealth, if he 
loses he has simply lost the game; if he wins, he 
retains his high position, with all its luxuries. That 
we were therefore bound by the motives of the most 
ordinary prudence, bound for peace sake, for our own 
honour sake, even for the spread of civilisation, and 
for the sake of the cause of our religion, to insist 
most firmly upon a fi:ee entrance for our Minister into 
Pekin, I cannot see the shadow of a doubt, and I 
believe that this one point would never have been 
really yielded unless the Government of China had 
been taught to feel that it was not in their power to 
prevent it. 



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HOME POLICY. 359 

Backed by the whole force of public opinion at 
home, our authorities prepared an expeditionary 
force, worthy of the nation and fitted to perform its 
work, and they may well reflect with satisfiBu^tion 
upon its complete success. The force was not so 
large as to be cumbrous, and large enough to secure 
a sufficient supply of troops for at least one campaign, 
the country has already pronounced its opinion of 
the Commander-in-Chief, and his success speaks for 
itself. The two Gknerals of Division were chosen with 
equal judgment, and the former services both of Sir 
John Michel and Sir B. Napier fully warranted the 
choice, and the staff, as I have already said, was, on 
the whole, all that could be desired to secure the 
performance of its important duties. 

There was an abundant supply of medical men, 
under the able direction of an experienced Inspector- 
General of Hospitals, and the supplies placed at his 
disposal were more than ample for all the contin- 
gencies that could arise, and having had ample 
opportunities of observation, both during the cam- 
paign and in the subsequent residence at Tien-Tsm, 
I never saw any deficiency in the medical arrange- 
ments, or in the attendance to the wants and comforts 
of the patients. 

Campaigning in a country of whose resources we 
were entirely ignorant rendered the commissariat 
arrangements very difficult and involved, as it was 
impossible to know beforehand what it was necessary 
to supply, and what provisions we might expect to 



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360 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

jSjid upon the spot; and it was desirable to avoid 
the cost of transportmg stores which might not be 
required, while it was needful to provide against every 
contingency. That department also was greatly en- 
cumbered by the provision which it was necessary to 
make for the natives of India who composed such a 
large portion of our force, and who required, both 
fix)m religious " views " and national habits, food of 
a peculiar character. All this, I believe, was as well 
done as it could have been. 

I have already said that the energy and skill of 
the Admiral was the admiration o£ every one who 
was aware of the amount of the personal work which 
he went through; and he was certainly most ably 
seconded by all under his command, while the rare 
concord which prevailed between both branches of 
the service, and the harmony in which they worked 
together, while it was owing no doubt to the high 
principle of both chiefe, was felt to be especially 
due to the urbanity and self-command of Sir H. 
Grrant. 

That benefits of vast importance to England and 
to China are likely to result from this expedition is 
manifest. The most fertile part of all China, the 
great valley of the Yanktsekiang is now open to our 
trade, and already numbers of steamers of light 
draught of water are speeding up and down its broad 
waters, carrying our merchandise into the heart of 
that vast continent, while the tea and silk which 
found its way before by slow and uncertain means of 



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CHINA OPEN TO TRADE. 361 

traiisit to the ports can now descend with speed, and 
thus anticipate by months the date of former markets. 
The full benefit of this open trade cannot, however, 
be felt until some settlement of the great rebellion 
takes place, which, unhappily, rages chiefly in this 
most important and fertile district. 

Some part, I believe, we shall soon be obliged to 
take in this struggle. If the present Dynasty can 
stand it may be needful that we should support it 
against its foes, in order to secure our own interests ; 
but it may not be impossible that a sudden coup 
might place the supreme authority of the empire in 
the hands of the insurgents, along with the seat of 
government, and then, according to our universal 
policy, we must recognize the powers which exist. 

The latest news which we have received from 
China is of the most satis&ctory character. Our old 
enemies, " the War-party," have been dismissed from 
office, and Prince Kung, who has been for some time 
our Mend, is now at the head of afiBgdrs, so that so 
long as the present ministry lasts we may be secure 
of friendly relations with the empire, more especially 
as the " opposition " have, according to the regime 
in China, lost their heads along with their posts, 
there is no danger of their "coming into power** 
again in their own persons ; and, unless we become 
involved with the rebels, or some unforeseen event 
disturb further the government of the country, I 
believe that we may look confidently for the continu- 
ance of peace with the empire, and such a peace as 



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362 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

we have never known before, firaught, I would hope, 
with good to them, and very soon to repay us two- 
fold for the expenses of the expedition by the in- 
crease of our commerce and the stability of our rela- 
tions with that empire. 

Of one thing I feel certain that the moral impres- 
sion produced upon the mind of the country has 
been highly fiivourable, although our visit was of a 
hostile character. The firmness displayed by Lord 
Elgm, under circumstances of a most trying and 
embarrassing character, must have impressed them 
with an idea of our dignity and strength. The per- 
fect good feiith which was observed by the Pleni- 
potentiary — when fidth was broken with us in the 
most flagrant manner, and all international law had 
been trampled upon, as well as the open and above- 
board character of all his dealings — could not but 
exhibit a picture of truth and honesty to their mind 
which must have struck even their fitculties, obtuse 
in their perceptions. 

I have already said that the dealings both of our 
oflBcers and men with the natives were marked not 
only by strict justice and propriety, but by modera- 
tion, kindness, and charity. This was no doubt owing 
to the strongly-expressed views of the Commander- 
in-Chief; but we must not forget the good feeling 
which, I maintain, pervades our army as largely as 
any other body of men in the world, when it is pro- 
perly called forth and directed. So marked was 
this throughout the whole campaign, that some 



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TIEN-TSIN HOSPITAL. 363 

officers of a more severe school maintained that we 
did not make the war half disagreeable enough, 
and thus our moderation only tended to prolong the 
contest 

Too great praise camiot be given in this matter 
both to the Commander-in-Chief and to the army, 
and the good fruit of such conduct was manifest in 
the gratitude of the natives, and the abundance of 
the supplies which they brought in. There were 
occasions, of course, upon which it was a matter of 
necessity to seize upon private property, but that 
was chiefly where no owner presented himself from 
whom it could be purchased. Yet, at the same time 
that we respected both their rights and feelings, the 
army very properly refused to submit to anything 
like undue self-assertion, or what is vulgarly called 
" cheek," upon the part of the vain celestials, and I 
have upon various occasions seen with satis&ction, a 
Mandarin and his chair overturned in the street, 
when he dared to call upon a British officer to make 
way for him. 

A hospital was established at Tien-Tsin by private 
subscription for the natives of the town and district ; 
and notwithstanding the arduous duties which they 
were called upon to perform in their own regiments. 
Dr. Lamprey of the 67th took charge of it, and was 
ably seconded by Dr. Young of the 60th Royal Rifles. 
Not to dwell upon the amount of personal relief from 
disease (often of long standing, and totally incurable 
by native skill), which was thus afforded to thousands, 



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364 HOW WE GOT TO PEKIN. 

and every humane person must rejoice in such a 
result, the moral eflBect upon the minds of all the 
inhabitants was very great It manifested to them 
that whatever our motives might be in our descent 
upon their shores, and of which they could hardly 
be expected to form an adequate estimate, they were 
not unmingled with kindness and goodwill to them- 
selves; as such tangible proof of this was given 
to them by our unrequited efforts for their bodily 
welfare. 

That a good foundation has been laid by our last 
Chinese expedition for fixture missionary exertions 
in the country I fiilly believe ; a certain amount of 
respect for us, which shall render such labours at least 
tolerably safe, must be secured ; I think that this has 
been done, and all Mends to that great and most 
important cause may rejoice in the feet ; it remains 
for us now to use proportionate exertions in order to 
reap the vast extent of harvest-ground which has 
been thus opened to us. And I conceive that no 
more fitting thank-offering could be given to that 
Great Power which directed and prospered us in this 
matter than a renewed and more vigorous exertion 
in this great cause, upon our part. 

I have but one word to say of a personal nature, 
and that is to express my sense of the kindness and 
consideration which I met with from many with 
whom I was brought in contact during the war. It 
was with heartfelt sorrow that I took leave of the 
Headquarter Staf^ my companions durmg the cam- 



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THE END. 365 

paign; and I found a home afterwards with the 
Second Battalion of the 60th Royal Rifles with 
whom I lived for nearly a year at Tien-Tsin. I hope 
that I shall never forget the brotherly kindness which 
I received from the officers of that corps. 



THE END. 



usmov : w. oLowu ahd aom. nAmoRD 8trsbt and chasino caoai. 



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