1850.
Journal of Occurrences.
619
ART. II. Journal of Occurrences: defeat and dispersion of the insurgents, and memorial respecting them; sailing directions for entering the port of Shánghái; visit of H. M. Str. Reynard to Lewchew; death of Rev. C. Fast near Fuhchau fú; the death of Lin Tsehsü.
THE insurgents, which have caused so much remark, and not a little fear among the citizens of Canton during the past half year, are now reported as having been completely dispersed, and the leaders fled, leaving their deluded abettors to shift for themselves. If we could get credible accounts of the proceedings of these insurgents, it is probable that we should have most har- rowing details of their cruelties and exactions upon the people, and learn to our surprise how savage and merciless such raids and risings are among the Chinese.
Governor Yeh left the provincial capital early last month, with a body of troops, amounting in all to over two thousand. He was afraid to approach the enemy too near, but sent out detachments, one of which was inveigled into some mountain defiles and defeated, as mentioned on page 568. It was in reference to this untoward event, and to the general conduct of the war, that the high provincial authorities forwarded the following memorial to Court, for the translation of which we are indebted to the China Mail.
Memorial of So, Governor-general of the Two Kwàng, and of Yeh, Governor of Kwangtung, detailing the capture of certain of the roving banditti :
After the slaughter of two hundred and thirty-two during their flight through the dis- trict of Taing-yuen, the rest had passed into the minor district of Fah-káng, where thirty had been taken alive; subsequently to this, as an action with them was com- mencing, the regulars were thrown into disorder by the precipitate flight of the country people (volunteers), who not being disciplined had broken into their ranks; the banditti opposed to them had availed themselves of this, and, in the melce, several officers civil and military were surrounded; these having now rejoined the force in the field are denounced by the memorialists, who had deprived them all, for the time being of their insignia of rank, as in duty bound; reinforcements of regulars and militia were still be- ing moved up by separate routes, to check the further advance of the banditti, and to exterminate them upon their respectful representation of all which particulars, look- ing upward, they implore the sacred glance.
Upon the 24th of the 7th moon (31st August), your servants had the honor to report that upwards of three hundred banditti had been taken by the authorities of the different districts and cantonments in which they had been giving trouble; and that on hearing of their offering resistance to the law in the neighborhood of the Lokia cantonment in Yingteh hien, an express had been sent to the ti-tuh, and the Judge had been directed to move forward a force of regulars and militia to cooperate with him.
The Judge Ki Suh-tsau has since reported, that the banditti, after no very long stay at Lo-kia, had gone on to the southward, and made directly for the market-town of Kwan-tsien in the Tsingyuen district. The acting district magistrate, Ma Ying-kiái, had issued a proclamation to the country people to excite them to seal in the good cause; and these, combined with the regulars and militia, on the 27th, 28th, and 29th of the 7th moon (3d, 4th, 5th September), killed at Kwan-tsien, thirty-two, amongst whom were two chiefs, Hwang Kwan-lien-shih, and Liu Pih-lien; at Shang-yoh village, twenty-three, including the chief Lú Ta-tsih-pei (Broadback); at the town of Sz'-kiu, forty-one, including the two chiefs Liú'Aling and Hwang Hioh-tsiun; on the hills of Hoh-tien, thirty-eight, including the two chiefs Ho Atu and Hwa Mei-san; at the town of Kwan-chwang, thirty-nine; at Ki-shan, and Yang-t'áng, fifty-nine, amongst whom were the two chiefs Lui Fi-tsz' (the Fat) and Chú Hung-yuen :-making a total of two hundred and thirty-two killed, and amongst them nine chiefs. The banditti having fled as far as the town of Shih-kioh in Fah-kang, Hia Ching-yuh, the acting magistrate of that district, together with Li Ming-yung, the jailer, led on some regulars and militia, who killed a large number that showed fight, and took thirty prisoners. The banditti dismayed at this, broke into different bodies, and fled and hid themselves in various places, some higher up, some lower down, the Luh-hu hills, on the confines of Ying- teh and Falı-kang,