November 3, 1900.]
SHANGHAI, 29th October, 8.7 p.m.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
rowdies with which the Sun On and Kwai Shin | It is reported that Russia evacuates New-districts abound. For years past the eastern
and northern chwang on Thursday.
shores of Mirs Bay and various villages inland along that coast have been full of smugglers, who have spent ther time in surreptitiously importing into China opium, arins, and other contraband. It is well known that the districts are also honey-combed with Triad Societies. It was, therefore, an oasy matter to raise in these districts a number of mon who wore willing to join in the movement to set the Chinoso authorities at defiance.
The Emperor has issued an edict ad- dressed to Prince Ching, expressing his anxiety to punish all the guilty persons. He knows many culprits who have still not been denounced and he orders Prince Ching promptly and secretly to denounce all who are guilty.
SHANGHAI, 30th October, 8.8 p.m. It is reported that ill-health prevents Yu Chang from going to take up his post as Governor of Hupeh.
The movement commenced at Sha U Chung, a notorious nest of smugglers, and certain neighbouring villages. The organisers of the rebellion cleverly set out in a proclamation posted at Sha Ủ Chung, which has already The Viceroy becomes Acting Governor appeared in the press, that they would not pending the arrival of Yuan Tsu-yi, former-interfere with the Chinese population or ly Taotai of Hankow, who was friendly to
with foreigners--that their quarrel was only with the Mandarins. Their actions, however, foreigners.
have not been consistent with this propaganda.
SHANGHAI, 30th October, 9.10 p.m. The Allies have arrested Ting Yung, Treasurer of Chilli province. He is charged with conspiring to retake Peking.
Yen Mou, the Tartar General at den, has committed suicide.
The rising was begun by some 200 men from the villages of Sha U Chung, To Yenng, Pong. shan, Ma Lan Tau, and Sam Chan Tin, led by prominent members of the Triad Society, some of whom have been banished from the Mouk-colony of Hongkong. This gang, in order to raise funds in support of the movement and for their own purposes, organised a regular Hsu E, the reforming President of the system of highway robbery on the road Board of Rites and friend of the Emperor, which loads from Sha U Chung to Sam- who was imprisoned by the Empress Dowa- sui and which is very much frequented ger's command in 1898, has now been by traders and travellers. Their favourite released.
spot for committing those robberies was at a point where the highroad branches from the. Samsui road and leads to the market town of. Pengshan. These robberies were evidently resorted to because the robbers did not wish to make themselves unpopular with the villa. gers, whom they refrained from despoiling. They seem to have thought that nobody would mind their relieving travellers of their belong- ings. Several murders were committed in the execution of these robberies. On one occasion a man was shot in order that he might be reliev ed of the miserable sum of 60 cents.
SHANGHAI, 31st October, 8 p.m. The Chinese report that Prince Tuan has shaved his head and fled to Mongolia to join the Lamas.
Four Chinese officials having been arrest. ed at Paotingfu, the Allies have formed a committee to decide on their punishment.
300 Boxers have been killed by the Allies in the vicinity of Paotingfu.
SHANGHAI, 1st November, 10.12 p.m. A native despatch from Peking says that the Allies have demanded the production of Kang-yi's body and of Yu Hsien's head, as proofs of their deaths.
Thousands of disbanded Chinese soldiers are threatening Tsingkiangpu.
An Imperial Edict stopping the guilty princes' salaries has been revoked. Prince Chuang who was lately cashiered has now been summoned to Hsianfu
Li Ching-fong, and not Sheng Taotai, has been summoned to Peking.
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE KWANGTUNG REBELLION.
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In our issue of the 30th ult. we published soine Particulars concerning the Southern Rebellion" furnished to us by a native correspon. dont. According to the latter, the rebels are aiming at the overthrow of the Manchus and the regeneration of China under a Chinese
ruler.
All the villages which have been visited by the rebels speak well of the just treat- ment received at their hands. They neither pillage nor loot; and do not slaughter wo- men and children or burn whole villages as re- ported of them." In fact, if our correspondent is to be believed, the rebels are an honourable body of men, whose conduct would be a credit to the most civilized and humane troops in the
world.
There are, however, two sides to the question, and we have gathered from an authoritativo source certain particulars which go to show that the rebels are not by a long way all that our native correspondent would have us believe they are.
We are given to understand that the rebel- lion in the Sun On and Kwai Shin districts was fomented by Sun Yat Sen and his party. The law-abiding population of the Kwangtang❘ - province having no sympathy with the move“ ment, the organisers were forced to enlist in their cause the pirates, robbers, and miscellaneous
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Things reached such a pass that the gentry in one large village offered rewards for the cap- ture of the ruffians, and even placed armed men along the road for the protection of those pass- ing along. The gang, having carried on their depredations with impunity for several weeks. gathered many other smugglers, pirates, and rob- bers to them, and when they thought they wore strong enough to tackle higher game they re- moved to the village of Sam Chan Tin, where they formed a regular camp.
They then went in for the more lucrative business of blackmailing—extorting large sums of money from rich tradesmen. With the object of striking terror into the hearts of the community they marched a body of men across to Sha Wan, where they surrounded and surprised, a handful of 80 Chinese “braves,' whom they cut to pieces. After that succoss they demanded large sums from the pawnshops of Sam-chun and from the rich village of Pang Tin, on the borders of Tung-kun, but in both cases their demands were refused. They then moved north to Tung-kun, where they were more successful in extorting money. After that they had another succes, ambushing a small body of Chinese troops at Fat Sz Au.
They then proceeded further north, hoping to gain more adherents, and made their camp in the vicinity of Pok Mong Fa. By this time
their numbers had swollen to about 3,000, but probably only half of that number were fighting men, the rest being mostly coolies who, being members of the Triad Society, thought them- selves bound to join their brethren. It is be- lieved that some 200 or 300 Trial Society mem bers from Hongkong joined the rebels.
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ensued, in which the villagers lost, it is said' over 1,000 of their number, many of the villages being also burned down by the rebels. A strong body of troops coming up, the rebels were finally defeated and dispersed.
From the above it would appear that this so- called rebellion has been carried out by a body of men who are nothing more nor less than mercen- aries hired for the occasion or induced to defy the authorities by the machinations of the Triad Societies. It is averred that it is untrue to say that they are innocent of robbery and other crimes. The extortions the rebels have prac- tised are nothing less than robbery. They have helped themselves to provisions-rice and pigs in every town and village they have passed through. They are nothing but the lawless scum of the Sun On and the Kwai Shin districts gathered in a bunch and let loose to do as much mischief as possible.
THE CRISIS IN CHINA.
LOCAL MOVEMENTS. The British transport City of Cambridge arrived on the 26th ult. from Calcutta, which port she left on the 13th inst
At Sam Kok Fu the rebels had another suc- cessful engagement with the Chinese troops, whom they cleverly attacked in detail bofore they could concentrate. It was, however, an unfortunate fight for them. for the villagers, tired of their presence joined with the troops, for doing which they were severely handled by the rebels, The treatment meted out by the rebels to the villagers of Sam Kok Fu roused | the indignation of the general community, and the villagers of Sam To Chuk and Wong Sha Young turned out in large numbers and took up arms against the rebels. A bloody encounter
The hospital ship Carthage returned on the 26th ult. from Weihaiwei.
The German torpedo boat No. 91 came back on the 26th ult. from Shanghai.
The British transport Duke of Portland left for Taku.
The French Descartes arrived from Taku on the 26th ult.
The British transports Nevasa and Nerbudda left on the 26th ult. for India.
The British transport Nuddea arrived on the 27th ult. from Taku.
The German cruiser Gefion arrived on the 27th ult. from Amoy.
The German torpedo-boat, No. 91, left on the 27th ult. for Canton, and the German trans- port H. H. Meier for Singapore.
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The British transport Ashmore returned from Weihaiwei on the 29th ult.
The S.S. Canton, which arrived from London on the 29th ult., has on board 186 rank and file, four officers of the Royal Artillery and several officers of Hongkong-Singapore Royal Artillery and of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Those troops are the balance required to mako up the strength of the Royal Artillery here. The Canton also brings 1,391 filled cartridges, weighing 87 tons, for the Hongkong Government.
H.M. gunboat Lizard arrived on the 30th ult. from Foochow.
H. M. torpedo boat Otter left on the 30th ult. for Taipo.
The British transport Sumatra left on the 30th ult. for Bombay, and the Nowab for Ran-
goon
The British transports Nawab and Sumatra returned to Hongkong on the 29th ult. from Weihaiwei and Taku respectively.
The Russian steamer Nagadan, specially fit- ted up as a transport, arrived from Glasgow, and has proceeded to Vladivostok.
The British hospital ship Gwalior left on the 29th utl. for Taku.
The British hospital ship Carthage loft on the 29th ult. evening for Bombay.
On the 29th ult. the British transport Now. shern left for Calcutta. On the 1st inst. the Mom- bassa left for Bombay.
THE TROUBLE IN KWANGTUNG.
THE REBELLION SUBSIDING.*
27th October. No confirmation of the reported battle be- tween the rebels and villagers near Young Fu, appears to have come to hand, and there is some ground for believing that the report that 51 villages were destroyed is an exaggeration.
29th October.
It is reported that on the 23rd October the Chinese troops and a number of villages near Tan Chuk engaged a large body of rebels and after a stubborn fight put them to flight. About 600 rebels were killed. They have retreated further north.
30th October.
Further defeats of the rebels by the Imperial troops are reported, but no details appear to be forthcoming. A great many have been taken