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five and twenty men were got together they discharged from the Asiatic Artillery and were sent off to Col. Noul Larke, the Hongkong Regiment, and scallywags of Chief Ordnance Officer, and received arms. sorts, esme forward, and in language that The uniform was simplicity itself what seemed flowery but which they supported ever the man stood in, with a red cummer-by their deeds, offered their services bund for the line and a blue one for the Aruz karté háin ke ham sab sarkar ki gunners. Garrison Serg-Major Newberry, khidmat men marné ké tiár háin: apne promoted to Captain, was appointed Sipahión men hum ko bharti karo.' (We Adjutant, and Capt. Tanghorne, P.A., request that we may be allowed to offer our Commandant. Each body of 50 men clect- lives in the Service of the Government for ed their own officers. There was no which we are ready to die.
Enrol us with attempt of course at drill. It was felt your soldiers). Many volunteered to act that if each man only knew his place and as carriers of ammunition, provisions, and shot straight, it was all that was expected water, or of the wounded. or required of him,--there was no question More than 800 Portugueso volunteered of their grim determination to fight. Des to serve their adopted country in her hour perate and ruined men are excellent fighting of need. That the Government employees material. The Committee, on the score of should have cast in their lot with us was years and other considerations, might have not perhaps altogether surprising, though claimed exemption, but they refused any the handling of a steel pen is not perhaps indulgence, and took their places in the the best training for the shouldering of a lines after doing all that forethought and musket hereafter, neither had their treat- money could accomplish for the comfortment been uniformly so considorate and and efficiency of the men. Money indeed liberal, as to lead to the expectation of any flowed like water (and a good deal of whis-great show of devotion and zeal; still the key and soda). Men felt that for them there fact remained, and to their credit be it was no morrow. The state of the city re- said, to a man they elected to serve a minded me much of the conditions that desperate cause; by their example, doubt- must have prevailed in South Africa as less, deciding their countrymen. described by that young fellow, don't you The expulsion of aliens was intrusted to remember, that we travelled with in '79 go- the Honie Guard; the authorities, with ing to Chefoo, when he was telling us of reason, fearing that in the exasperated con- hia experiences of volunteering for eighteen dition of the soldiery unnecessary harsh- months against Langulelebele, and you ness might have been exercised--nor in- asked him how he could spare the time, as deed were the Home Guard disposed to you concluded he was not out there for his treat them with any marked show of health, when he replied, If you did not leniency. That the Russians had been our volunteer, you had to dig trenches, in the assailants was known, and it would have Burgher Guard.' We had coolies to dig gone hard with the Russian Consul had he trenches, so all hands volunteered. By been of that nationality, --there is little 4 p.m. there were nearly 1400 men in the doubt he would have been hung, equally British Home Guard, and we had had to by the Guard as by the Garrison. The refuse to accept numbers of mere children Consul was, however, a German, and to and old dotards, telling them to tend the that fact he owed his immunity. wounded, wait on their mothers and sisters and look after their grandchildren.
It was not till nearly noon that it was generally known that the Russiang had been
180 Indians-Police pensioners-- bad hats | joined by the French, and by that time,
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fortunately for himself, the French Consulted fat had begun to kick. When you was beyond our reach.
come to the bed rock there is little love The residents, British and foreign, being lest between the Anglo-Saxou and the all down in the town, the Committeemen foreigner; and why should there be? The placed themselvos at the head of detach-time is not come yet for turning the other ments of the Home Guard, and marched cheek to the smiter. It had not come the aliens down to the Powan, which was then at any rate. manned by all the foreigners (Europeans) Some of the foreigners implored on the from the ships in the Harbour. Old and score of business to be allowed to stay; young, men, women and children, wealthy they wanted to go to the Banks to draw merchants from lordly mansions on the money, &c.; they were told the only busi- higher levels and poor coffee and cigar ness now was fighting, and of that we had shop-keepers from Stanley and Wellington, the monopoly thrust on us: free trade was Streets, the reputable and the disreputa-done--the Banks bad closed and were now ble, the upright and the vile, alike were Hospitals. Others blustered and talked of expelled. If the innocent suffered with the international law and the protection of guilty, it could not be helped; we wished their flag, or of the indemnities and bitter to be alone with our kin in our hour of retribution their Governments would re- trial, we would take no more chances of quire and exact; ignoring the irony and harbouring traitors and spies in our midst. absurdity of quoting international law to To the number of 1200 and odd they were men in our straits attacked by pirates. put on board by their scowling guards. What were indemnities, and retribution to About 400 Portuguese women and children come, to us who had but a few hours to also left in the Powan.
live. Vengeance could not overtake us. None of the British did; it was foared The bluster soon died down, and the that the ship might be turned back, if En-orders to move were passively obeyed, at glish were aboard, in any case the position of a few stern hints that in most continental ourcountry-women would have been difficult countries all the grace that would have and dangerous amongst aliens after their been theirs would be three minutes up expulsion. We would give no hostages to against a blank wall, whilst a firing party our foes, but guard our own while lite last-loaded 12 yards off, and it would be well ed. To many of us the parting from not to tax our patience too hardly. Once friends of years under such circumstances in the streets they realized practically the was bitter and grievous. Friends who adage Silent leges inter arma.' The abhorred the dastardly attack as much as Fouan was despatched with nearly 1,800 we did; but no distinctions could be made souls on board about 11 a.m., and dia- -even if there were no other considera-appeared beyond Chung Chau towards tions, alien mouths could not be fed. In Macao without molestation as far as we the majority of cases undoubtedly, it afford. I ever knew, and we prepared to meet our ed the Home Guard keen satisfaction to trouble as one family. expel their orstwhile rivals. Men, many
There had been some question at first
of them, who had cropt in on sufferance, about the Americans, till it was discovered admitted with a sort of contemptuous that they had been amongst some of the first pity, had been supplanting us, and were to take their places in the Home Guard- latterly reaping the fruits of our la-there were only a few of them, some thirty bour, of our initiative, our expenditure real Yanks (though nearly a score of men of blood and treasure, and as they wax- that had gone to bed-mostly in ships-
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