18 "THESE FROM THE LAND OF SINIM made to send special messages to Tientsin and to communicate with the Admiral and re- inforcements,but without success,and by the 16th we foreigners in Peking were practically and completely isolated.On the 10th June a telegram went to the Canton Viceroy,Li Hung Chang,explaining the state of affairs,and requesting him as her oldest and most trusted adviser to telegraph to the Empress Dowager and say that the counsels of her Boxer Coun- cillors would imperil Empire and Dynasty,and warn her that,whatever else hands might be laid on in Peking,Legations and Foreign Repre- sentatives must be held sacred and left alone. This was followed up by an explanatory letter which left on the 12th;it is believed they both reached,and that it was in some degree owing to their effect that the attacks on the Legations were spun out so curiously,instead of destroying us during the first weeks of the siege,and Li himself eventually transferred to the Tientsin Viceroyalty in July. Up to the 20th June we had only the Boxers to deal with,but on the 19th we were surprised by a Ciroular Note from the Yamen (Chinese Foreign Office)stating that the foreign Naval authorities at Tientsin were about to seize the Taku Forts,and ordering Legations to quit Peking within twenty-four hours.The Lega- tions replied,and represented to the Yamen that
" ,.,_ "'" '!IiL.OII.'''' ~~~:~'I:I!!::':! II ;,!1~ ~~~~"; ... ,"""" " .. ,'- "b""~."'_' ••• I '4 ""- "III '_" 18 "THESE FROM THE LIND OF SINIMmade to send special messages to Tientsin and to oommunioate with the Admiral and reinforoements, but without suooess, and by the 16th we foreigners in Peking were practically and completely isolated. On the 10th J' une a. telegram went to the Canton Vioeroy, Li Hung Chang, explaining the sta.te of affairs, and requesting him as her oldest and most trusted adviser to telegraph to the Empress Dowager and say that the oounsels of her Boxer Counoillors would imperil Empire and Dynasty, and warn her that, whatever else hands might be laid on in Peking, Legations and Foreign Representatives must b~ held sacred and left alone. This was followed up by an explanatory letter which left on the 12th; it is believed they both reached, and that it was in some degree owing to their effect that the attacks on the Legations were spun out so ouriously, instead of destroying us during the first weeks of the siege, and Li himself eventually transferred to the Tientsin Viceroyalty in July. Up to the 20th J'une we had only the Boxers to deal with, but on the 19th we were surprised by a. Ciroular Note from the Yam6n (Chinese Foreign Offioe) stating that the foreign Naval authorities at Tientsin were about to seize the Taku Forts, and ordering Legations to quit Peking within twenty-four hours. The Legations replied, and represented to the Yam@n that
THE PEKING LEGATIONS 19 they knew nothing of the Taku oocurrence- that they regretted any misunderstanding-and that they could not possibly quit,or make transport arrangements,on such short notice. A proposal to visit the lamen in a body was set aside,but on the morning of the 20th Baron von Ketteler,the German Minister, attended by his interpreter,Mr.Cordes,set off for the Yamen alone:his colleagues advised him not to go,but he felt that,having announoed his visit,he must pay it.Ten minutes after he left the Legation his Chinese outriders galloped back,saying that he had been shot when going up the Ha-ta-men Street.His interpreter,badly wounded,managed to escape to the Methodist Mission and was thence taken back to the German Legation.It had previously been decided in case of attack to hold all the Legations as long as possible,but to fall back on the British Legation when necessary for united defence and a final stand;the order to quit Peking and the seemingly official murder of a Minister rather precipitated matters,and before the twenty-four hours'limit had expired (4 p.m.20th June)all the ladies and children were in the British Legation and also the various foreign representatives,eto.A mis- understanding,however,ocourred,and the Customs were unexpectedly warned that the Austrians could not hold their position,but
THE PEKING LEGA.TIONS 19 they knew nothing of the Taku occurrencetha.t they regretted any misunderstanding-and that they could not possibly quit, or make transport arrangements, on such short notice. A proposal to visit the Yamen in a body was set a.side, but on the morning of the 20th Baron von Ketteler, the· German Minister, attended by his interpreter, Mr. Cordes, set off for the Yamen alone: his colleagues advised him not to go, but he felt that, having announced his visit, he must pay it. Ten minutes after he left the Legation his Chinese outriders galloped back, saying that he bad been shot when going up the Ha.-ta.-men Street. His interpreter, badly wounded, managed to escape, to the Methodist Mission and wa.s thence taken back to the German Legation. It had previously been decided in case of attack to hold all theLegations as long as possible, but to fall ba.ck on the British Legation when necessary for united defence and a final stand; the order to quit Peking and the seemingly official murder of a. Minister ra.ther preoipitated matters, and before the twenty-four hours' limit had expired (4 p.m. 20th June) all the ladies and children were in the British Legation and also the various foreign representatives, etc. A misunderstanding, however, ooourred, and the Customs were unexpectedly warned that the Austrians could not hold their position, but
20 "THESE FROM THE LAND OF SINIM would abandon it and retire on the Frenoh Legation at 2 p.m.This upset previous plans and forced the Customs,almost without prepara- tions,to desert the Inspectorate,which they had hoped to continue to ocoupy,and so at 3 p.m.Austrians and Customs were marching down the street together to the French and British Legations:thus the xc.D.line of defence along the Chang-an Street had virtu- ally been given up without a blow.Precisely at 4 p.m.firing began,and rife bullets were whistling down the Wang-ta Street between Austrian Legation and Inspectorate and over the heads of the French Pioguet at xG.By 5 o'clock we were all quartered in the British Legation and the siege began,one of its first incidents being the disappearance of Professor Huberty James-a gallant and amiable man- who,returning from Dr.Morrison's house,took the North and not the South lane,and was either killed or made prisoner by the Chinese soldiers on the North Bridge before our eyes. The plan on p.22 will serve to show how the accommodation in the Legation was distributed among so many people,and also the points that had to be guarded and defended. Before the Boxers entered the city some additions were made to the Yamen,or Foreign Office,and of these new ministers the most remarkable was Prince Tuan-grandson of Tao
110 "THESE FROM THE LA.ND OF STNIMwould abandon it and retire on the Frenoh Legation at 2 p.m. This upset previous plans and foroed the Customs, almost without preparations, to desert the Inspectorate, which they had hoped to oontinue to ocoupy, and 80 at 8 p.m. Austrians and Customs were marohing down the street together to the Frenoh and British Legations: thus the xo. D. line of defenoe along the Chang-an Street had virtually been given up without a blow. Preoisely at 4 p.m. firing began, and rifte bullets were whistling down the Wang-ta Street between Austrian Legation and Inspectorate and over the heads of the Frenoh Pioquet at XG. By 5 o'olock we were all quartered in the British Legation and the siege began, one of its first incidents being the disappearance of Professor Huberty J ames-a gallant and amiable manwho, returning from Dr. Morrison's house, took the North and not the South lane, and was either killed or made prisoner by the Chinese soldiers on the North Bridge before our eyes. The plan on p. 22 will serve to show how the aooommodation in the Legation was distributed among so many people, and also the points that had to be guarded and defended. Before the Boxers entered the city some additions were made to the Yamin, or Foreign Offioe, and of these new ministers the most remarkable was Prinoe Tuan-grandson of Tao (
THE PERING LEGATIONS Kwang,son of the Fifth Prince,nephew of Prinoe Kung and the Seventh Prince,cousin of Tung Chih and Kwang Hsu,and father of the Ta-A-Ko,or heir-apparent.This appoint- ment was considered by most foreigners in Peking objectionable on account of the Prince's known anti-foreign tendencies,but to my mind it was a good one:the Empress Dowager had probably said to the Prince,"You and your party pull one way,Prince Ching and his another-what am I to do between you You, however,are the father of the future Emperor,. and have your son's interests to take care of; you are also a head of the Boxers and chief of. the Peking Field Foroe,and ought therefore to know what can and what cannot be done. I therefore appoint you to the Yamen:do what you consider most expedient,and take care that the throne of your ancestors descends untar- nished to your son,and their Empire undi- minished Yours is the power-yours the responsibility-and yours the chief interests ! I can imagine the Empress Dowager taking this line with the Prince,and,inasmuch as various ministers who had been very anti-foreign before entering the Yamen had turned round and behaved very sensibly afterwards,I felt sure that responsibility and actual personal dealings with foreigners would be a good experience and a useful education for this Prince,and that
THE PEKING LEGATIONS 2I Kwang, Bon of the Fifth Prince, nephew of Prinoe Kung and the Seventh Prince, oousin of Tung Chih and K wang HSil, and father of the Ta-.A.-Ko, or heir-apparent. This appointment was oonsidered by most foreigners in Peking objectionable on aooount of the Prinoe's known anti-foreign tendenoies, but to my mind it was a good one: the Empress Dowager had probably said to the Prince, "You and your party pull one way, Prince Ching and his another-what am I to do between you? You, however, are the father of the future Emperor, and have your son's interests to take oare of; you are also a head of the Boxers and chief of the Peking Field Foroe, and ought therefore' to know what can and what oannot be done. I therefore appoint you to the Yam~n: do what you consider most expedient, and take care that. the throne of your ancestors desoends untarnished to your son, and their Empire undiminished I Yours is the power-yours th& responsibility-and yours the chief interests I" I oa.n imagine the Empress Dowager taking this line with the Princo, a.nd, inasmuch as various ministers who had been very a.nti-foreign before entering the Y am~n had tamed round and behaved very sensibly afterwards, I felt sure that responsibility and actual personal dealings with foreigners would be a good experience and a useful education for this Prince, and that
UTHESE FROM THE LAND OF SINIM" B 20 L 55 回画 口 29” 29 28 28U U G
A .. "THESE FROAI rHE UND OF s/NIM" , A 111'+' .. .1 .r== o I i c:a:a ...... --..u .i 21 .1/ • I L It (