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Affairs between the English and Chinese.
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Every care had been taken to make it so; and so it had been in a great de- gree. During the operations at Canton however-notwithstanding the pre- cautions adopted by the leaders of the expedition-outrages were committed, by camp-followers, and boats' crews, if not by any others. These outrages- molesting the bodies of dead laid up in coffins, and other doings of which it is a shame even to speak-are the more to be deprecated, especially by British officers, because they have caused so much and such strong hostility among the people. It was bad feeling, produced in this way, that excited and drew out those soldiers of righteousness' who appeared in such great numbers, and so much annoyed the British troops, on the heights above Canton. The fury of the armed populace, on the second day of their ap pearance there, was checked by the local government, at the requisition of sir Hugh Gough. This, and the immediate withdrawal of his forces, con- spired to produce in the minds of the people the opinion, above expressed, that being armed they are invincible. Ever since that time, this baseless opinion has been gaining strength and extending. Yihshan, having found that the troops from the other provinces were useless, has advised their re- turn, and is now taking advantage of the bad feeling among the people, with a view evidently of arraying thein against the foreign belligerents. This hos- tility on the part of the people, and this purpose of Yihshan to avail himself of it, were both seen in what was done a few weeks ago, when captain Nias proceeded up the river to Tae Sheih, or near to that village, where several boats loaded with stone were destroyed. The boats, it was supposed, were intended for blocking up the river, contrary to the stipulations made between the English and Chinese authorities, when the latter paid six millions and the former withdrew from Canton. Of course, it was only right that they should be destroyed. But in doing this, the Chinese say, some innocent people were lost, with their boats loaded with ballast intended for the ship- ping at Whampoa. By the inhabitants of Tae Sheih and the neighboring villages, these proceedings were looked upon as new outrages; and accord- ingly they sent away their wives and children and resolved to fight. “Why,” said they, "did the authorities of Canton give six millions to Elliot? Why did they not give it to us, and we would have destroyed all the barbarians?" They feel that they have been wronged; and they know they are nume- rous, & hundred to one, or a thousand to one, against the foreigners; and they believe that their cause is just. “Let government enroll us and pay us, soldiers of righteousness, and we will guard the empire.' What is to be the issue of all this, it is impossible to conjecture. Yihshan is evidently desirous of carrying on hostile operations; and if he finds that the people are ready to meet his wishes, another collision, we fear, must take place. To avoid an issue, so much to be deprecated, will require much wisdom and prudence on the part of the British authorities. Yihshan will be anxious to do what he has promised his master he intended to accomplish; but if he does this, a renewal of hostilities will be the sure consequence.
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A single occurrence will illustrate the conduct of the camp-followers. A dozen or more of them having gone off on a ramble in a village, only six or seven returned. These endeavored to excite sympathy for their lost com- panions, and begged the officer in command to send out armed men to take vengeance on the villagers. But they were soon hushed and humbled by an order for their own flogging.
The taking off of a dead lady's little foot, to a barbarian might seem to be no very heinous act; but in the sight of a Chinese it is an unpardonable offense; and if the maimed lady chance to have living relatives of influence, its utmost will be exerted to avenge the insult.
No animosity exists among the Chinese more deadly than that caused by