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of the markets in Settlements of Formosa con- taining the human flesh of the savage for sale. During the savage outbreak of 1891 so great was the loss of life that savage flesh was brought in and sold like pork in the open market. The mutilated bodies, several of them disembowelled and with the hearts cut out, were also minus other
parts of the anatony. Some were found that had been burnt at the stake; the still smoking embers, the charred bodies with the hands and lege still fastened, were an awful scene even for soldiers hardened to the sight of death. Very fortunately for the rebels they had retired out of sight. The most terrible feature of the whole affair is the heartless torture these unfortunate Japanese were subjected to. They were with- out weapons, and to defend themselves against the spears
and swords had only their naked arms with which to guard. The rebels were possessed of guns and amunition, but no shots were fired, none of the bodies had the mark of a
bullet, and why? The reason is only too evid- ent. The celestial fiends reserved them for an- other death, one more true to the Chinese nature, and the torture, the lingering death, it is impossible to contemplate. The arms of all were found badly gashed and the hands cut in warding off the blows, and in several instances the fingers were severed as they had grasped the blades in their hands in their futile attempts to avoid capture.
The dead body of a Chinese women who had been killed by the rebels apparently some days before was found in one of the huts, and a little girl half dead from lack of nourishment was found by her mother's side trying in a most pitiful manner to arouse her. The little child was tenderly cared for and taken to Taipehfu, where according to last reports she is now strong and well. After repairing the telegraph line and removing the obstruction from the railroad track, the troops returned to Taipehfu. and on the way it is said the little prisoner was almost smothered with kindness and attention which might have proved serious if the distance had been further, for some of these good hearted fellows thought that hard tack army biscuits were the proper nourishment required for any half starved person, big or small.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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about their quarters. The Chinese began to show signs of hostility and suddenly, with fiendish yells, forced an entrance into the front of the house. ting out in safety through alback entrance, and The gendarmes succeeded, in get realising full well that it was life or death, made a charge through the line of rebels who were closing in from the rear, towards a river a short distance a way. from which they could expect at least a chance Across this were woods of escape. But of the seventeen only two reached the shelter, and their fifteen comrades fell into the hands of the Chinese to meet their death in a manner to suit the pleasure of the beasts. The two that were safe did not take the same path and one of thein, after an unevent- ful journey, reached Kelung in safety. The other, having lost his way, wandered all night, and in the morning hungry and exhausted be went into a Chinese house in a small village and asked for food. Immediately upon entering the occupants seemed greatly consternated and by motions led him to understand that he was in great danger, and leading him to an upper loft in the house they secreted him behind some boxes and then gave him food and drink. Soon after a band of the rebels came to village, some risiting the house and demanding food, which seemed ages to the gendarme, they went away. was given them. After a short time, which Although able to come down from the close quarters occasionally two days were thus spent in concealment. At last one night he was taken very quietly by several men a good distance into the woods and left alone in a thicket. He thought that he was among friends but did not. feel sure in fact; he says that a vision of a Chinese festival for which he had been fattened, and in which he was to be the principal enter- tainer was with him continually. In a few hours four strangers arrived and beckoning him to follow. led him through the mountains embarking in a Chinese boat he was taken a long tramp, down to the sea shore, and there safely to Kelung. It is not necessary to state that the Chinese engaged in this act of humanity will be well rewarded.
At Kantow, which is between Taipehfu and that the ten Japanese belonging to the Tele- Hobe, the attack was so sudden, so unexpected, graph Construction Corps fell easy victims and were disposed of in the characteristic Chinese
manner.
At midnight Pat-chi-na, a few miles to the north of Taipelifu, was attacked. A school had been established there for the Chinese and Seven Japanese of the Educational Department conducted it. They were warned by the few At Taipehfu were stationed only about four policemen, the only guard there, of the ap- hundred infantry and the district which they proach of the rebels, but they were fond of the villagers and were willing to trust in them for capital Taipeh, Twatutia, where all the foreig were expected to guard consisted of the walled protection. The policemen upon being attacked ners reside, and Bauka, the Chinese city adjoin- escaped and reached Taipehfu in safety. The lasting the capital, this giving an area of about two news of the teachers we have from some of the miles long by a mile broad. As far as the scholars who came to Taipeh at once and re-capital was concerned, if there occurred no out- ported that when the village was surrounded and all retreat was cut off the Japanese barricaded themselves in the schoolhouse but were eventually taken out alive. I will not attempt to describe the scene, suffice it to say that eventually their remains were found by the Japanese troops in the same mutilated condition as those of Sikkow, the head, heart. kidney, liver, and in several instances fort and hands, were missing. Before the attack there had been employed in Pat-chi-na eight Japanese carpenters. On the day of the attack they were off on a pleasure trip to the sulplur springs. While on the way a crowd of Chinese were seen gathered on neighbouring hill. Without anticipating any danger, four of them went over to see what it was that interested such a large number of Chinese. The poor fellows found out, but they paid fer their curiosity with their lives, the other four es- caping to Taipehfu. A Chinese scholar led the Japanese soldiers to Pat-chi-pa and pointed out to them the house of one of the rebels. The troops surrounded the place and upon the house being entered they found their man crouching in a corner of the room and several guns and con- siderable amunition were found on the premises. When the prisoner was brought forth from the house the Chinese scholar, who possessed a spear, walked up to him, and pointing with it, said "That's the man who killed the teacher
"
and before anyone could interfere, he had run him through the body.
At Kim-paoli, which is to the north-west of Kelung, were stationed seventeen gendarmes. At eight o'clock they noticed a crowd gathering
the
[January 30, 1890
Chinese. The rebels were provided with a mountain or field gun but for some unexplainable reason, although it was placed noise, still nothing was seen of shells or shot. in very close range and made a terrific No doubt the rebels assumed that the noise of Japanese from the city. The occasional attacks - the big gun would be sufficient to frighten the at long range on the city wall were in one solely confined for three days to rifle firing way very amusing. The rebels' efforts were against the immense stone wall that surrounded the city. There was consequently no loss of life until on the second day a detachment of the Japanese troops left the city, and making a charge on the rebels routed them from their position in the bamboos losing two men wounded but killing about twenty of the enemy.
An attack had been made on Hobe, but unguc- cessfully. off the capital from all outside communication, The rebels were able to shut and the first launch to ascend the river was the recipient of quite a vigorous fusilade from exact number of rebels, the Chinese telling the the shore. It was impossible to find out the
same wonderful tales as of old, among which the number of rebels were placed at ten bad returned and was leading the rebels, and and twenty thousand armed men. That Liu that ten English men-of-war had arrived at Hobe, had shelled the Japanese fleet and sunk four of their war ships, are specimens of the countless reports that were current.
}
The Japanese moved all their supplies and stores into the city, and arrangements were in charge, made by Admiral Tsunoda, who was then and who is ever consider- provided quarters in the Government House ate of the foreigners, that they should be if the situation warranted, and the Japanese were prepared for a siege, but fortunately the ize and on the fourth 1,800 Japanese troops overwhelming Chinese army failed to materia- arrived from Kelang, and the danger was over. The coalies were relieved of their improvised spears, the volunteers consisting of civil officers were disbanded, and with the exception of martial law with numerous guards scattered about the streets, challenging every one coming their way, and permitting no Chinese on the streets after nightfall, Taipehfn is as peaceful
as ever.
January 13th-General Oshima arrived with 3.000 soldiers from Japan and we may expect to days. have the rebels expressing their regrets in a few
Taipehf, 15th January!
Formosa will no doubt give rise to all sorts of
The rebellion of the last few days in North ยท
suppositions, on the part of people who know nothing of the island, its inhabitants, and the position occupied by the Japanese. To that class, if they wish to be informed as to the true condition of affairs in Formosa, it is above all necessary to understand the nature of the in- habitants with which Japan has to deal.
17
its peoples? The central and eastern parts of The population of Formosa-who can estimate
the island, in many districts the "red headed
portion of the whole is almost unknown and at man has not yet been seen, and the greater
least undescribed.
break within, a couple of hundred men could protect the walls against any reasonable force of Chinese. previously allowed to go and come
But as the Chinese had been pleased, the Japanese were not at all certain as they but that their greatest enemy might be confined within the city, consequently no troops with the exception of a few sentries could be spared for the outer cities. The Japanese had been warned of the intended attack and the coolies, whom we must give due credit for their valuable services. were each armel with a bamboo having a sharpened point which converted it into a spear of no small service. They were
It is here where the mountain sides have re- tained their valuable virgin forests almost im- sent through the settlement scattered here and passable with the intermingling undergrowth, there in little groups, where they eagerly the jungle of creeping vines, rattans, and in- waited for the rebels. Japanese merchants, numerable plants; where the plains and valleys armed with their native swords, were hurrying here and there, but not a Chinese could be seen height, that we find the home of the Formosan are covered with tall grass eight or ten feet in as none were intentionally allowed in the streets.savage, a being whose rank in life is determined A little before midnight of the old year a signal by his success in bagging Chinese heads. fire was seen burning on a hill to the north is not with this class that a statistician would near Hobe; it was answered from a hill to the look for census returns, and were he desirous south and before the flames had died away of gaining even a rough estimate and would firing commenced outside the south-west gate of not be adverse to a personal investigation he Taipehfu, the rebels having taken up their would find himself mixed up in a bewildering position in a line of bamboog about 1,000 metres chaos of tribes, bitterly opposed to each other distant from the wall. The Japanese at once and subject to countless jealousies; and were the intermittent fire no attempt was made by to penetrate into the territory of an enemy, the returned the fire from the walls but excepting he to leave his newly made friends and attempt the rebels to gain an entrance to the city. On census returns would at least for the "red the first of January the firing was continued at heads" be reduced by one, and that speedily. intervals and again that night, although no By foreigners who have spent many years in advantage was gained on either side. Having Formosa in close proximity to the savage territory, no artillery the Japanese brought into play itis commonly thought that between two hundred some of the mountain guns captured from and fifty thousand and three hundred thousand
It
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