THE PEKING LEGATIONS 33 brisk rifle fire raged round each Legation,and our anxiety began to be acute.On the 25th a white board was put up by the Chinese on the North Bridge purporting to communicate an Imperial Edict ordering Legations to be pro- teoted and firing to cease (Query:had Li received the telegram and wired to the Empress Dowager from Canton ?)and it added that despatches would be interchanged at the Bridge. Firing did cease at once,and we were all de- lighted to infer therefrom that the Government had regained its senses,and that the peace party was in the ascendant:was this due to the near approach of a victorious relieving force, some asked,or simply to the aotion of advisers who understood something about the sanctity of Legations and the privileges of national Repre- sentatives?A reply was put up on the Bridge saying we were ready to receive any despatches; but no despatch ever came,and,after three days'quiet,firing recommenced-not rifle bullets only this time,but shot and shell began to fall in and screech over the Legations,and our plight was worse than ever.The respite given was probably to throw us off our guard and arrange other plans for our hurt-perhaps also to put some friendliness on record.The cannon were at the Chien-men and Ha-ta-men Gates on the city wall,and also at various points near to and commanding the Legations and Soo-
THE PEKING LEGATIONS 33 brisk rifle fire raged round each Legation, and our anxiety began to be acute. On the 25th a white board was put up by the Chinese on the N orih Bridge purporting to communicate an Imperial Edict ordering Legations to be protected and firing to cease (Query: had Li received the telegram and wired to the Empress Dowager from Canton 1), and it added that despatches would be interchanged at the Bridge. Firing did cease at once, and we were a.ll delighted to infer therefrom the.t the Government had regained its senses, and that the peace party was in the ascendant: was this due to the near approach of a victorious relieving force, some asked, or simply to the aotion of advisers who understood something about the sanctity of Legations and the privileges of national Representatives ? A reply was put up on the Bridge saying we were ready to reoeive any despatches; but no despatch ever came, and, after three days' quiet, firing reoommenoed-not rifle bullets only this time, but shot and shell began to fa.ll in and screeoh over the Lega.tions, and our plight was worse than ever. The respite given was probably to throw us oft' our guard and arrange other plans for our hurt-perhaps also to put some friendliness on record. The cannon were at the Chien-men and Ha-ta.-m@n Gates on the city wa.ll, and also at Va.riOUB points near to and commanding the Legations and 800- D
34 "THESE FROM THE LAND OF SINIMT Wang-Foo.The casualties were considerable, our killed mounting up to about sixty and the wounded to a hundred at the end of July. Beveral attempts had been made to send messages to meet the expected relieving force and to let people at Tientsin know our con- dition,but the cordon round us was so tight and our isolation so complete that they had evidently failed to get.through.At last,about the 16th July,one messenger reappeared:he had been caught going out and taken before the Chinese Commander-in-Chief,Jung Luh,and thence sent baok to the Legation bearing an informal note purporting to come fromPrince Ching and others."This led to an interchange of letters between Legation Ministers and Ya- men,and about the 18th firing was again dis- continued,to be begun again-but this time by rifles alone-about the 24th.On the 18th a messenger actually got through from Tientsin with the news that 33,000 men would start thence in a few days:this news had,of course, we thought,also reached the Peking authorities, and had possibly had something to do with their change of attitude,but,as a week's later news said nothing about a start,the first news had probably been disoredited,and so the snipers" were allowed to begin firing again.Rumour, too,said the Pei Tang,or Northern Cathedral -where Monseigneur Favier with some thirty
• I I IIIIIHII 'H~lIi:~jijlll;,~ H~,"~"M_ mll\HtIiIiii1HIJ!'"~OIII:IIHi~~~~~~mII~~_ N"~.I"~ % "'- '*"~,"_IIIIIIiI\IIIII"i/tIi" ~ IIiW Jili I II~ I I ~ ~ ~ "'", II I " 34 "THESE FROII THE L~ND OF SINIM tJ Wang-Foo. The casualties were considerable, our killed mounting up to about sixty and the wounded to a hundred at the end of July. Several attempts had been made to send messages to meet the expected relieving force and to let people at Tientsin know our condition, but the cordon round us was 80 tight and our isolation so complete that they had evidently failed to get, through. At last, about the 16th July, one messenger reappeared: he had been caught going out and taken before the Chinese Commander-in-Chief, Jung Luh, and thence sent back to the Legation bearing an informal note purporting to come from cc Prince Ching and others." This led to an interchange of letters between Legation Ministers and Y a.- m@n, and about the 18th firing was again discontinued, to be begun again-but 'this time by rUles alone-about the 24:th. On the 18th a messenger a.ctually got through from Tientsin with the news that 33,000 men would start thence in a few days: this news had, of course, we thought, also reached the Peking authcrities, and had possibly had something to do with their change of attitude, but, as a week's later news said nothing about a start, the first news had probably been discredited, and so the cc snipers" were allowed to begin firing again. RumOUl, too, sa.id the Pei Tang, or Northem Cathedral -where Monseigneur Favier with some thirty (
THE PEKING LEGATIONS 35 missionaries,two thousand Christian refugees, and a guard of forty-three French and Italian sailors,had gallantly made a stand from the middle of June-was being heavily bombarded. Among the“Prince Ching and others”letters that came to the Legation,one invited the Ministers to take refuge at the Yamen,eaoh to bring a suite of ten persons and all to be un- armed,but,remembering poor Von Ketteler's fate,this was not aocepted.Another was also declined desiring the Legations once more to quit Peking and repair to Tientsin:this last wish was renewed a couple of times,and it was evidently either a plot to murder all en route,or a device to prevent foreign troops from enter- ing Peking.Another communication,this time a duly sealed official despatoh,informed the Representatives of Germany,France,Russia, England,and United States that the Chinese Emperor had telegraphed to their respeotive sovereigns,etc.,begging their good offices,eto. Meantime one of Tung Fuh Hsiang's men made friends with Colonel Sheba's people,and for a daily gratuity provided information:in this way and according to this worthy,we learnt that our troops fought victorious battles at Yang-tsun, Ts'ai-tsung,Hosewoo,An Ping,Matow,and Chang-kia-Wan,eto.,and were within a day or two's march of Peking on the 30th July. Chinese firing was somewhat heavier on July
THE PEKING LEGATIONS 35 missionaries, two thousand Christian refugees, and a. guard of forty-three French and Ita.lia.n sailors, had gallantly made a. stand from the middle of June-was being heavily bombarded. Among the "Prince Ching and others" letters that came to the Legation, one invited the Ministers to take refuge at the Yamen, ea.oh to bring a rote of ten persons a.nd a.ll to be unarmed, but, remembering poor Von Ketteler's fate, this was not a.ocepted. Another was also declined desiring the Legations once more to qUit Peking and repair to Tientsin: this last wish was renewed a couple of times, and it was evidently either a plot to murder all en route, or a device to prevent foreign troops from entering Peking. Another communication, this time a duly sealed official despatch, informed the Representatives of Germany, France, Russia, England, and United States tha.t the Chinese Emperor had telegraphed to their respeotive sovereigns, etc., begging their good offices, etc. Meantime one of Tnng Fuh Hsiang's men made friends with Colonel Sheba's people, and for a daily gratuity provided information: in this way and according to this worthy, we learnt that our troops fought victorious battles at Yang-tsun, Ts'ai-tsung, Hosewoo, An Ping, Matow, and Chang-kia.-Wan, etc., and were within a day or two's march of Peking on the 80th July • • Chinese firing was somewhat heavier on July
36 "THESE FROM THE LAND OF SINIM 30th and 31st,and August 1st,and again slackened on August 2nd.On July 31st a Japanese messenger brought a real Tientsin letter of the 26th,stating that the march on Peking would begin in two or three days,and on the 2nd August an American messenger came in also with real letters,giving additional news and stating the march had begun on the 30th July.The same day we got the Peking Gazette of the 28th July,containing an Edict condemning to death the Yamen Ministers Hsu- Ching-Cheng (formerly Minister to Russia and Germany)and Yuan C'hang,the chiefs of the two educational establishments known as the Ta-Hsio-Tang (President,Dr.Martin)and Tung-Wen-Kwan (President,Mr.Oliver),and their oruel fate shocked and depressed us.Thus the daily reports that had reached Colonel Sheba were shown to be clever concoctions, and we had again to console ourselves with thinking that,although the march on Peking had only just begun,yet now we were ouce more in communication with the outside world, knew for a fact that the march was commenced, and could afford to laughingly treat the con- cocted reports as so many forecasts of what would shortly be facts.Naturally we had to face various possibilities:the rainy season might begin any day and delay and protract the march,and the infuriated Government
- • . , ._.,., .. _- 36 "THESE FROM THE UND OF SINIM" 80th and 3Ist, and August 1st, and again slackened on August 2nd. On July 31st a Japanese messenger brought a real Tientsin letter of the 26th, stating that the maroh on Peking would begin in two or three days, and on the 2nd August an American messenger came in also with real letters, giving additional news and stating the march had begun on the 30th July. The same day we got the Pelcing Gazette of the 28th July, containing an Ediot oondemning to death the Yamen. Ministers HsnChing-Cheng (formerly Minister to Russia and Germany) and Yuan C'hang, the chiefs of the two eduoational establishments known as the Ta-Hsio-Tang (President, Dr. Martin) and Tung-Wen-Kwan (President, Mr. Oliver), and their oruel fate shooked and depressed us. Thus the daily reports that had reached Colonel Sheba were shown to be olever conooctions, and we had again to console ourselves with thinking that, although the march on Peking had only just begun, yet now we were once more in oommunioation with the outside world, knew for a fact that the maroh was oommenoed, and oould afford to laughingly treat the oonoooted reports as so many foreoasts of what would shortly be faots. Naturally we had to face various possibilities: the rainy season might begin any day and delay and protraot the march, and the infuriated Government (
THE PEKING LEGATIONS 37 might order an attack on us in force,and wipe us out before relief could arrive and again there were many native Christian8s“of8orts” among us,and might there not be an attempt to buy them back to their duty as subjects of the Emperor,and induce them to co-operate inside our walls with fiercer assailants from without;while,as to the foreign troops coming from Tientsin,even if they should reach Peking, would not they be besieged in turn in the city, and require assistance themselves to get away again We treated these worrying thoughts as light-heartedly as we could,and adopted for guidance the principle that the more we seemed to be favoured by circumstanoes,the more pre- cautions ought we to take and the more on our guard we ought to be.On the 19th June the Yamen had notified the Inspector-General of Customs that Legations had been given twenty- four hours'notice to leave Peking;on the 21st July two Red-letters came over one of the barri- cades to him,the first asking his whereabouts, and the second asking what reply he wished the Yamen to make to a proposal that had come up through the Nanking Viceroy concerning the transaction of Inspectorate-General work during his isolation;on the 25th July oame another Red-letter,enclosing a telegram of inquiry from the Shanghai Commissioner of Customs,and stating all was quiet there;and on the 27th
........ THE PEKING LEGATIONS 37 might order an attack on us in force, and wipe us out before relief could arrive; and again there were many native Christians" of sorts n among us, and might there not be an a.ttempt to buy them back to their duty as subjects of the Emperor, and induce them to co-operate inside our walls with fiercer assa.ilants from without; while, as to the foreign troops coming from Tientsin, even if they should reach Peking, would not they be besieged in tum in the city, and require assistance themselves to get away again ? We treated these worrying thoughts as light-heartedly as we could, and adopted for guidance the principle that the more we seemed to be favoured by circumstanoes, the more precautions ought we to take and the more on our guard we ought to be. On the 19th June the Yamen had notified the Inspeotor-General of Customs that Legations had been given twentyfour holll'B' notice to leave Peking; on the 21st July two Red-letters came over one of the barricades to him, the first asking his whereabouts, and the second asking what reply he wished the Yamen to make to a proposal that had oome up through the Nanking Viceroy oonoerning the transaction of Inspectorate-General work during his isolation; on the 25th July came another Red-letter, enclosing a telegram of inquiry from the Shanghai Commissioner of Customs, and stating all was quiet there; and on the 27th