CO129-211 - Governor Sir Bowen - 1883 [8-9] — Page 490

immediately turned their attention to plunder and mischief. No organised attempt appears to have been made to do bodily injury to the for- eigners, the crowd simply swarming into the houses and looting and firing them. About ten o'clock a guard of six gentlemen left the British Consulate, armed, and fired over the heads of the crowd, causing them to retreat for a time. The Gormans also armed themselves and made a plucky resistance, but some of the Chinese were also provided with firearms, possibly obtained from houses they had looted, and returned the fire of the foreigners. About this timo also the crowd burst through the middle gate and came swarm. ing on to assist the looters already at work. Any further resistance the foreigners might then have offered would have been quite ineffer- tual and simply have caused useless bloodshed. As it was, three Chinamen were shot dead and one European, a German, was slightly injured by small shot. The crowd were therefore left prao- tically in possession of the east end of the Con- cession, but did not extend to the westward. Thir teen houses were burnt down, as well as several others looted. The Chinose Authorities were communicated with, and in the afternoon the artar General ar ived with a body of three thousand soldiers. The mob was packed as closely as it could be all along the other side of the canal and looked at from the Concession the sight of such a sea of faces was a notable one. The General had some difficulty in pushing his way through, bat at last be arrived, alone, and, it is said, sugested that the foreigners should attack the crowd from the front while he took them in the rear and so cleared a passage for his men. It was thought, however, that the Chinese bad better act independently, and finally the troops forced the mob back and restored order on the settlement. A number of prisoners were taken in the act of looting. In the evening a meeting was held at the Club, when arrangements were made for patrol duty being performed dur. ing the night, and arms were served out for that purpose. Seeing that the Chinese troops were then in charge this precaution was, perhaps, bardly necessary, but it was thought prudent to be on the sufe side.

The scene after the rioters had been driven off was a touching one. The smoke was still Ascending from the houses which had been burnt, and lying all around were odds and ends that had been dropped or thrown away by the looters -articles of clothing, including ladies' hats and bonnets, and household knick-knacks broken up and thrown aside. Several pianos were literally smashed to pieces. The bed linen appeared in some cases to have been torn ap to make hands for the bundles the looters collected together.

As to the origin of the disturbance it is said that a Chinese mandarin or merchant who pur. posed coming down to Hongkong by the Hankow sent his servant ou board about half-past five to secure berths. The watchman asked him what i he had come so early fr. an altercation ensued, and from this point nothing more seems to be known until the dead body was produced by the Chinese some time afterwards. The statement that the man was kicked to death is disproved by the appearance of the body, on which no marks of violence were discovered, and the case seems to have been one of simple drowning.

Everything was quiet when the Honam left, and it was not considered likely that there would be any further outbreak. The crowd was com posed, as far as that could be judged, simply of the riff raff of the city, who are alwayaf eady to join in a row of any kind. It is said, however, that the Chinese merchauta have decided not to do any business with foreigners for fifteen days, but this, if it be true, may possibly be in order to avoid the animosity of the mob being directed towards themselves,

[FROM A CHINESE CORRESPONDENT.]

CANTON, 10th September.

A serious riot has occurred here. From the accounts I have heard, the following are the par. ticulars, though as I was not an eye-witness of the distarbance I cannot be sure of the correct- ness of all the details. About 5 o'alook this morning a boarding-boase runner went on board the steamer Hankow to secure seats for his pas sengers, but a watchman on board said he was impeding the discharge of the cargo or words to that effect, whereupon a dispute ensued, and it is said by the runner's friends that the watch.

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man kicked the runner or knocked him overboard, and he was drowned. The runner's friends re. covered the body, which the hoarding-house kooper took to the steamer; he made a bother, demanding that the watchman should be given up. The bystanders took up the matter, and in short timo quite a crowd assembled, and their manner became 80 threatening that

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the captain put the steamer off into the middle of the stream. The crowd then pelted bor with stones, but this not having any effect they set fire to the wharf and to a steam" launch near by with the aid of kerosine, which they got for the purpose.

A cry was then raised to go to Shameen and burn the foreign residences, and the rioters, whose cambers had become much greater, bastened to the settlement. Some soldiers now arrived on the scene to put down the disturbance, but they could not, as they also were freely pelted with stones, and had to retreat. The mob than attacked the foreign boasex, and set fire to twelve or thirteen of them, besides looting others. The Viceroy on hearing of the disturbanos ordered 2,000 soldiers to be despatched to Shamsen, and ubout half that number were despatched, but for some time they could do nothing with the rioters. They at first fired blank cartridges, bat fud- ing this attempt to scare the mob useless they were compelled to fire shot, and killed several of the mob, and wounded many more, who then fell back. As I write, about 4.30 p.m., the barning houses are still in flames, and a great deal of excitement prevails, all the shops in the neighbourhood bordering on the scene are closed, the shopkoopers fearing the looters should tara their attention to them after being driven from Shameen. The soldiers are still in Shameen, and all is confusion,

In order to allay the popalar excitement, and induce the people to disperse quietly, the Provin- cial Judge has issued a proclamation, of which the following is a rough translation --

The Kwangtang Judge issues a spacizi proclamation. The Chinese-Foreign mauslangiter osso will be tried by the authorities. If you give vant to your angry passions then surely the affair will be magni. fied. Each one must go to his home and attend to his own business, then there will not he anxiety,

A apacial proclamation. Kwong Su, 9th year 8th moon 10th day. A proclamation.