+
September 10, 1896.]
Upon the Japanese recapturing the village the inhabitants returned at once, and as I saw them they appeared to be without exception the roughest and most villainous lot of looking Chinese I have ever seen. From Huk-to my next objective point was inland to Hoonlin, a city located at the foot of the mountains and the most important place held by the rebels, and one which furnished many men for their ranks. In reaching the city my route lay south over the military road for a few miles and then turned in towards the mountains, follow ing a buffalo cart track, through an apparently fertile but uncultivated plain of considerable extent. The city itself is pleasantly located in 8 grove of bamboo. It was a pitiful sight on arriving to see the deserted streets, with not even a Chinese dog visible, for out of a once prosperous population of 000 but 150 are now living in the town, while 679 out of the 1,206 houses which the city contained have been burnt to the ground.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
necessary, why not the Japanese, who are among strangers?
As I mention abore, the Japanese troops at Hoonlin, after being warned of the approach of the rebels, commenced clearing about their quarters, work that should have been begun upon their first arrival.
195
a village some miles distant, a small number of Japanese troops arrived in Tsan-e-tun and endeavoured to employ coolies to carry stores. with them to Paktan. The coolies refused to aid and the numerons old women of the town were loud in their warnings that to go to Paktan with the Japanese would only get The task was not completed, but even as it them into trouble. The same women also jeered was, that Major Sato with his two hundred and at the Japanese and made numerous semi
cheerful remarks to the effect that their last fifty soldiers was unable to hold it and ordered a retreat seems to me to have been very weak day had come, that the rebels would get them judgment on his part. The largest firearms this time sure, and that their heads would all the rebels possessed were muskets and the charge be cut off before night, etc., etc. The Japanese could not penetrate through the wall, while the remained during the night and the next Japanese standing behind loopholes were afforded morning a gendarme tramping about in the the opportunity of presenting a deadly fire when outskirts
boy herding ever the rebels appeared in the clearing. To cattle. He inquired of him if there were this unfortunate retreat may be placed the bad people here, at the same time pointing to- whole after success of the rebels, for had Hoon-wards the village. The boy, who had apparently learned a little Japanese, answered "arimas," in been held, reinforcements would have soon arrived and the rebels would have been confined whereupon the gendarme re-entered the village, wholly to the mountains. Major Sato has been reported to the Commander, who gave the order called to Taipehfu to account if possible for to the troops, and the Japanese one and all turned to and began killing the villagers right these strange proceedings.
and left, burned down the town, and departed.
Upon the return of the Japanese troops all villages were captured with more or less difficulty and the many settlements situated along the foot hills that had furnished the ranks of the rebels were burned by the Japanese; about thirty
in all.
At the time of the arrival of the rebels at this city, about 250 armed Japanese held the city. The rebels came from two directions and made a fierce and determined attack simultane- ously. After once gaining entrance to the city many townspeople joined the rebels' ranks. The Japanese had gathered together in a large yamen, which had been partially cleared of sur-
But one mast understand when villages are rounding huts and underbrush, although still not sufficiently to give them a clear space all mentioned that a small hamlet of a dozen or around. In the vicinity of this yamen, which was twenty mud and straw hats which ordinarily reserved by the Japanese as head quarters, were represent no capital and but a few days labour of many other buildings occupied by Japanese. In the builder, who is usually the intended occupant, is classed as a village and included in this the frenzy to destroy everything Japanese the re- bels had burnt the whole district regardless whe-number. Of those of more importance destroyed, chief is the village of Chip Chip (the in- ther the former occupant was a friend or enemy,
habitants nearly all rebels) the main part burned Chinese or Japanese. The yamen, which was a commodious affair, was so completely destroyed by the Japanese, although the rebels had pre- that it must be nearly all rebuilt, and many valu.viously destroyed many houses. Tsan-e-tun, a able documents were lost in the fire. In other village of about 300 mad houses totally destroyed, three small villages near Hoonlin, and of the other parts of the city only those buildings were burnt which were known to be the homes of twenty-five villages but few were totally des- trored, as groups of huts were picked out here Chinese loyal to the Japanese. Melancholy was the fate of several Chinese servants who would and there. There were innocent people killed and innocent people lost their property, but the not retreat with the Japanese, but remained be- hind to care for their personal possessions. Japanese officials lament that as much as we, These unfortunates were beheaded and on the and the generosity with which the individual return of the Japanese one of the heads was Janese in the island have subscribed to their relief, the large amount turned over from the still to be seen outside the wall. ment of such Japanese as fell into the hands of Government fund, and the gracions gift from the Emperor and Empress is evidence that the rebels was characteristically Chinese. The head of one poor unfortunate was severed from Japan has a truly humane interest in its For- the body and placed outside the gate, while the mosa subjects. body itself, set up as a dummy by running a stick up through the abdomen and out at the
The treat-
neck and fastening on to the protruding end on. of the hands which had been cut from the body. Horses' heads were cut off and placed on human bodies, while the human heads were placed on the carcases of the horses. Bodies were found that had been charred by kerosine oil poured upon them and then fired, bodies of which the heart, liver, and kidneys had been removed, and other mutilations which cannot be mentioned here in which the Chinese seem to take such de- light.
The city was easily recaptured by the Japan- ese, but as I have mentioned above, regardless of the proclamations that have been issued calling the good people to return, but very few have come back, either because they have no confidence in the promises of the Japanese or because they were all so much mixed up with the rebellion that they fear punishment. In fact, when one looks over the number of other villages, in some of which the Japanese loss was much greater, and note how the towns- people returned at once and settled down with seemingly perfect confidence in their new masters, it would appear that perhaps the latter explanation would more properly account for their long continued absence.
One point that struck me forcibly was the apparent carelessness of the Japanese military in occupying quarters which were so surrounded with straw huts, underbush, and jungle that rather invited attack, which could be made with more or less safety, while they were placed at so much of a disadvantage that a total repulse of the enemy was rendered extremely difficult. During the Chinese regime it was considered necessary to, if possible, place the troops in such quarters as would in themselves afford a pro- against the enemy. If the Chinese, who were among their own people, considered this
tection
The following figures, except in one instance, where after a hurried inspection the estimated number has been given, may be taken as exact, and give the loss of houses destroyed either by Japanese or rebels:
Taichun, Taiwanfu District 1,182 Lokang,
308 Rokko Polisia, Horisha
810 1,500 Hoonlin, Uurin Kagee
$1
23
"
+
1,274
Total 5,074
In arriving at this number a straw shanty or a mud hut is included. The houses of greatest value destroyed were those burned in Lokang and Hoonlin. However, specially in the former the loss of their city, the natives felt
property less, having other means than those poor unfortunates throughout the country who have their all-in-all wrapped up in the little home that shelters them.
It is therefore hoped that the relief fund will be so carefully distributed that this specially needy class may reached. The Chinese that can afford to lose will be the first to come forth to plead with tears in their eyes the most absolute poverty and misfortrue, if it will bring them a few peunies, regardless of their neighbour next door who may be starving.
I made a special trip outside of my intended route to visit a Chinese, in whose sincerity I have most perfect confidence, to hear from him the Chinese version of the burning of Tsan-e- tun, for the report was brought forth that the inhabitants of this village were perfectly friendly and that the Japanese had, without any cause or reason even, killed the innocent people right and left and then burned. the town to the ground. The report I obtained, which was told my Chinese friend by other Chinese with as follows: whom I am unacquainted, is While fighting was in progreess at Paktan,
Come across а
There is the tale pure and simple as it was told to me.
The Japanese account differs materially and I made numerous inquiries among military and civil officials high and low; the answer was always the same. At the time of the rebellion, troops were not regularly stationed at Tsan-e- tun, but as it was on the road on which were times had occasion to pass through. During the many of the villages that rebelled, soldiers oft attack messengers were sent out on military matters, in one instance calling for reinforce- ments. Their route carried them through this village, but they never reached their destina- tions. A rebel messenger was later captured and on his person were found documents, all sent from a rebel chief, whose head quarters were
that the messengers had been done away with in the same village. This aroused a suspicion there. Later, when troops were passing south, the head of one of the missing men was found hanging from a pole outside the village. Upon attempting to enter the Japanese were stoutly opposed from the outskirts. A fight ensued, the villagers retreating, and the place was burned.
Here are the two accounts; the readers can choose for themselves. That Japanese or any other body of men in a similiar position, who were being hunted and killed at every oppor- tunity, would deliberately increase the extreme danger of their position in arousing the hostility of a whole village by entering a per- fectly peaceful community and killing right and left without provocation, seems to me to be very improbable.
Thore seems to have been considerable frie- tion at Polisia between the civil and military officials. The village was considered quiet and peaceful and the large number of Pepohuans who live in vicinity were known to be on- very friendly hterms with the Japanese. How ever, a small party of soldiers were attacked outside at about the beginning of the rebellion, and returning reported the existence of the re- bels. The Pepohuans, those splendid fellows of the plains, came to the front with a thousand volunteers. Three hundred of the number were accepted by the Japanese, sixty being posted on duty at the city gutes and the others placed to guard the wall. This with the two companies of Japanese regulars, besides armed gendarmes and police, would seem to be a sufficient guard to oppose the entrance of an ordinary force of rebels. But the captain in command apparently thought differently, for after hearing the report of the officer who was in charge of the small party that had been attacked, he ordered a re- treat. To this the civil officials made objection, so the story goes, and gathering the policemen and other armed attaches of the department about them prepared to hold out alone, even though the military retreated to the last man. However, eventually the order being repeated and the chief of gendames using his influence the civil officials were induced to join and all departed from the city. When the news of this premature movement reached headquarters the captain was ordered to return at once, and if the city was in the hands of rebels it was mentioned that the proper thing for a captain with soldiers at the back of him to do was to recapturest. It is needless to add that an error of this kind would
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