September 29, 1900.]
THE CITY ENTERED.
The generals all conferred on the same
afternoon and a resolution was come to not to enter the City till later on, and then on a com mon plan. There was now peace at this quarter. The British went on occupying the Southern or Chinese City and the vicinity of Legation St. The Japs and Russians combined met great resistance in the Eastern quarter, and the Japan- ese alone in the Northern. Many parts of the Chinese City were like a desert: of the popula tion of 700,000, nine-tenths had temporarily fled. The great Bazaar to the west of the Beggars Bridge, where all the silk, curio, and jewellers' shops were, had been looted by Boxers and Tung- Fu-hsiang's men to the last stick; and millions of taels worth of property had been destroyed by fire. The Boxers in setting light to Watsons' and Co.'s small drug-store had caused the largest fire in the history of Peking. The Sikhs and 12th Battery R.F.A. encamped in the Temple of Heaven in the Chinese Town, and for the first time in many years foreigners are now able to enjoy its sylvan and park-like beauties to their hearts content. Nearly everybody has already visited it and the adjacent Temple of Agriculture on the opposite side of the great
central causeway.
THE BESIEGED PEITANG.
The next serious thing that attracted the attention of the Allies was the rescuing of the native Christians in the Peitang or Northern Cathedral. Here several thousands of poor Chinese were living or rather dying on two ounces of rice per diem. The vanquished Chinese soldiery, as usual, were under that peculiar frenzy of vindictiveness so characteristic of the beaten Oriental; they sought to find an object in these poor people, and opened a terrific fusillade on them at 150 yards range, all round the wide area of their defences. The gallant French and Italian marine guards, originally forty, but now reduced to a dozen and a half effective men. (16 men were killed, including all the officers), and the six really heroic fathers stood up splendidly inside the large lines which their own and 16 converts' indefatigable labour had made. I must add that as the sailors fell their rifles were given to the more capable nativo; like the Legation people, they too used the native pewter, so abundant in Peking in candlesticks, incense-pots, &c., and converted it into bullets, and so refilled their cartridge cases, utilizing the powder from shot-gun cartridges, as well as actually manufacturing some from its constituents. The history of the Peitang is but an intense version of that of the Legation there
were mines and counter mines: there were deep cross trenches cut to head off the enemy's saps. The Chinese here too, as at the French Legation, had one big success: they had one large mine which blew up a large building and killed and maimed sixty children and a few women.
A
THE DELAY IN THE RELIEF.
By the bye, it is not generally known that after the relief a huge mine was found under the Students' Quarters in the British Legation, with the case ready for its powder in position. As this building was the chief barrack of the defenders, it is awful to think of what might have happened had there been a delay of even one hour more in the relief. Clive's story at Ar- cot was repeated at the Peitang; there were heroic cases of self-abnegation, some taking husks and water, giving up the minute portion of grain (40 oz. and latterly 20 oz.) to the aged. I need not add that the children died like flies. The lethargy of the Allies in not hastening to the help of these poor folk was the one bad feature of the relief of Peking. A good Italian padre took it so much to heart that he rode off himself to give consolation and hope, and was done to death en route.
THE END OF THE FIGHT.
Next day, 16th August, the pagan Japanese had all but done the duty that should fall to Christendom: they came across the Peitang in their steady systematic expulsion of the Chinese troops and just as they had driven the enemy away from the Peitang vicinity up came the French General and luckily was the first in./He was received with a glorious shout from the few heroic Frenchmen and Italian sailors left. The seamy side of the human nature came forth straight away: quite a number of Chinese troops had been driven into a blind Alley. The Chinese christians saw their fix,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
borrowed or stole arms from their deliverers, and sallied into the cul de sac in the full spirit of Old Adam to have it out to the very death with their countrymen and tormentors. It was massacre at the least, for blood raged like a cyclone: the Chinese soldiers were shot and hacked to bits to the last man. Beyond some desultory fighting with Western Suburbs this was the end of the Peking Relief.
THE FLIGHT OF THE GOVERNMENT.
247
these putative El Dorados are allied high politi- cal considerations, and the allied leaders have wisely postponed the matter for combined consideration and subsequent action. When instructions come from home the Ministers and Generals will probably arrange a march into possibly a combined destruction of it. This act the Palace, a combined salvage of property and apparent Vandalism will not be appreciated in Europe, but is necessary if it be not done, The Hai Tai Ho, or Dowager, fled the city on the morning of the British and American entry
the Central Government will be as before, and She went out by the big West gate, and, it is before the August Majesty of the Son of assure the Chinese that the Devils retired supposed, towards Kalgan away to the North Heaven's residence and were abashed with sheme West. The Chinese aver that the old woman and confusion. It is to be remembered that the was dressed as a servant, but in the East, as troops and Boxers have desecrated the foreign in the West, stories of royalty are mostly cemetery; have opened graves, and violated the apocryphal. Some maintain that the fugitives sanctity of the dead as well as of the living turned off the N. W. road, and made for Jehel, (Ministers, women, and children). It is also to be to the N. E., the old hunting, seat of the remembered that without some visible and per- Emperors; others confidently state that she and the reactionaries are now at Chuan Hwa Fu. of the Manchu mind will never be overcome. manent memorial of domination the arrogance near the Mongolian frontier between the Inner Knowing it to be a Gothic atrocity, sober and Outer Great Walls. Of the Emperor noth-judges yet hold that the two Imperial Palaces ing is known and little is said; it is supposed should be blown up and that the people of that had the Japanese not met with so vigorous Peking should be impressed and made to a resistance at the Chih-hua Gate, their cavalry destroy their own walls. It is on much the could easily have overtaken the Dowager. The same plan as the destruction of the Mahdi's departure of the Court from the capital is by tomb at Omdurman, but is a thousand times unwritten Chinese constitutional law a practical more justifiable. abrogation of the throne; but as 1860 gave one ex- ception to this, so 1900 may give another. The flight of the Court leaves no government with which to treat, and greatly enhances the dif- ficulties of the Powers who will now have either to create a provisional Government or bring the old one back in some form. moment there is no Chinese Central Govern
At the ment at the quondam seat of power.
THE BIGHTS OF PEKING,
When the Peitang was relieved the French pushed on through the Imperial City as far as the so-called Coal Mountain or Mei-Shan, where they hoisted the tricolour. They were soon rivalled by the Russians on the other side of the Palace, and by the British marines under Major Luke, who secured a temple at the base of the Hill. The dual alliance people did a lot of mutual congratulatory cheering here, but this was soon stopped by a huge fire which broke out in one of the French-held Pagodas. And now for the first time for many years for eign eyes saw the famous Marble Bridge which spans the Lotus Pool. The curious thing abont it is now that all might see it, some can- not: the various military leaders in their silly jealousy, and in the fear that their rivals may ascertain too much have put sentries on to every place of interest. There is no mutual considera- tion and very little courtesy. The French and Russians, two of the politest of nations, are at present the worst offenders, but others are quickly rising to an equal height of banality. It is to be hoped that our folks will not lessen the British reputation for sense and good-fellowship by enforcing similar stupidities in the famous Temple of Heaven, the greatest of all the sights, A strange story is going the round that Her Majesty's Minister was boorishly treated by a sentry when actually making an official call on the Japanese. It is at present nothing less than disgraceful that officers and gentlemen cannot have the usual courtesies of civilized life extended to them, and cannot be allowed to visit places of historic interest.
THE LOOT QUESTI• N.
THE STATE OF PEKING AFTER THE CAPTURE. the famous Summer Palace seven miles outside The Russians cleverly sent out a force to seize the City: they just forestalled the Japanese. Its horticultural glories are however not to be seen at present, as sentries block the way recognised for three days. I need not way. Modified looting was in a sort of go into details about the atrocities that hap. have classified as in baseness and villiany, pen under such circumstances. The Chinese
giving the tripos of demerit. Many women but I will not kindle national prejudices by hanged themselves, and there are stories of whole strings of self-immolated young men of rank suspended from beams in single rooms. It is only fair to add that in many cases it arose in an agony of fear, which subsequent experi- ence may not have justified. The same thing has been going on in humble life in the Tien tsin suburbs for the last six weeks, but only in districts occupied by the troops of two nationalities. Three days saw the end of these horrors, then the military leaders took charge, and rule replaced anarchy: people are now being encouraged to return to their usual avoca tions and resume trade, &c., but seeing that half the city is destroyed and at least seven-tenths of the folk have fled, it seems ironical to invite them to renew their usual life's history. The merry shout of the street hawker is not heard; and the city is as deserted as if it wore Pom- the stench from decomposing bodies is appal-ing pei. Carts. mules, rickshaws can be had by the hundreds, free, gratis, and for nothing. The few people visible are cowed to the attitude of slaves. Ichabod, Ichabod, the glory is de- parted!!
(III.) THE PLUNDER OF PEKING.
LOOTING DURING THE BIEGE AND AFTER.
[This account is written by Mrs. Inglis, of the American Presbyterian Mission, who, with her husband, Dr. John Inglis, passed through Hongkong from Peking last week:]
The great question of loot' was settled by compromise, and like all compromises, the result was hardly satisfactory. The Japanese Peking save a few Legation guards retreated The 20th of June, when all the foreigners in with their usual astuteness and by the help of into the British Legation, was the first day of their fine Intelligence Department made for confiscation. The first week or two only con- the Yamen of the Hu Pu or Treasury, and then fiscation took place, later, looting; and, when got a sum between 2,000,000 and 3,000,0 0 the relief troops came in, looting was done on such taels. The French have the Li Wan-fuh- a grand scale that the original looters were con- Palace of Prince Li-a sort of Peking Roth-founded. From the first, the French, German child family mansion. The Chinese says that American, Russian and Spanish Legations were fabulous treasure is buried in this Palace, and held by marine guards of the different nation- talk in the strain of the Arabian Nights rather alities. They, with the British Legation, form- than in sober sense. The Chinaman always ed the line of barricade. Within this line were buries in times of crisis, and as for some from located two foreign stores, several Chinese shops, Peking has been at the tender mercy and and several houses belonging to wealthy man- Tung Fu-shiang's Kansu ruffians it is highly darins, from which the Chinese owners had fede probable the Manchus and Palace people have with the retreat of the foreigners into the Brit- hidden their valuables still; most of the talk on ish Legation. this subject is wild. The Chinese and Manchu Cities have been well looted by the troops during the last two months: the Imperial and Forbid den Cities have escaped. With the looting of
!
ILL-EQUIPPED REFUGEES:
on June 10th, for the relief of Peking, many Knowing that Seymour's column had started went to the British Legation with food sup-