Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 411

1842.

Letter of Wang Tinglan

893

gong was sounded; banners were raised; and tens of thousands from more than a hundred villages, were soon thickly surrounding the foreigners, scarcely one thousand in number. Two of their leaders, and eighty or ninety of the soldiers were killed, and many were wounded. Our people also had some wounded, but they were nothing to the host, which the more it was beaten the greater it became. The number of troops in the city at that time was more than ten thousand; and a body of five hundred new troops had just come into Fáhshán. Had orders been given for these combined forces to march, and an attack been made in front and rear in concert with the villagers, every one of the robbers must inevitably have been kill- ed. The governor would not consent to this; but, on the contrary at Elliot's request, sent out the prefect of the city to quiet the villagers. The righteous indignation of the people, kindled by the outrage and violence done to the innocent, urged them on to join battle with the foreigners, who were rescued only by the interference of the prefect, in dispersing the assembled host, and allowing the foreign troops to return to their ships. Since their first attack on the Bogue they never had an encounter like this. But this opportunity for destroying them is now lost. And this is the second of the two things which are to be regretted.

Since the rebellious foreigners commenced their annoyances, the conduct of traitorous natives has not been the only calamity that has befallen the country.

For when Lin undertook his severe measures to prevent the traffic in opium and smuggling, then, the bow having been bent too suddenly and too far, the storm began, the thunders roaring and the winds blowing. He was detested alike by the sol- diers, by the police, and by foreigners, whose means of subsistence he labored to destroy. Consequently, when the rebellious foreigners broke out in their opposition, multitudes of our people encouraged and supported them. These were the lawless, who had no concern for the government, anxious only that the foreigners might be victo- rious, and that opium might continue to be obtainable, so that they could again walk in their former courses. Moreover, the foreigners gave out, wherever they went, that they were enemies not to the people, but only to the officers of the government. Hence our trai- torous people sought profit from them, foolishly believing all they said. Thus, when large rewards were offered for the seizure of foreigners, not one was caught for many months. And it was not until they had seized all the forts, and began to rob the villagers and ravish the women, that the people found out the decent of the foreigners, and

YOL XI. XO. VIL

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