Peking and the Pekingese during the first year of the British Embassy at Peking

Front matter

PEKING AND THE PEKINGESE. BY THE SAME AUTHOR. Now Ready, Post Svo, 12s. THE THIRD CHINESE WAR; THE BRITISH ARMS IN NORTH CHINA AND JAPAN ; PEKING, 1860; KAGOSIMA, 1862. THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH. Frontispiece see page 193 Vol.11, PEKING AND THE PEKINGESE DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF THE BRITISH EMBASSY AT PEKING. By D. F. RENNIE, M.D., STAFF-SURGEON, ON SPECIAL SERVICE UNDER THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AUTHOR OF "THE BRITISH ARMS IN NORTH CHINA AND JAPAN." LEGATION COURT AT LEANG-KOONO-FOO. IN TWO VOLUMES.— VOL. II LONDON : JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET -ACE 1 CONTENTS.

Chapter I

The Prince of Su returns from Je-ho — Illustrations of Pekingese character and domestic life — The conclusion of the Government Memorial on the Currency question — Religion of the Emperor— Position of the Empress at his death — Approach of harvest — The Prince of Kung reappears at the Foreign Office — Strike amongst the workmen— Result of an attempt to improve the sanitary condition of Tien-tsin — Remarks relative thereto — A subscription funeral — A Decree appears wherein the Emperor nominates his successor — The Prince of Kung notifies the death of the Emperor — Arrival of Major Brabazon in search of his son— Decrees issued by the Emperor shortly before his death — Mr. Bruce's letter of condolence to the Prince of Kung — Scenes in the curiosity shops — Bishop Anouile 's statement about the Abbe de Luc's head — Decrees and ceremonies connected with the Emperor's death — Major Brabazon's impressions of the Chinese — A novel idea in cookery — Mr. Hart returns to Peking — Departure of the Prince of Kung for Je-ho — Sang-ko-lin-sin' s position in Shan-tung, as described by his Commissary-General ....

Chapter II

Decrees connected with the Empresses, and Gazette notices — The title of the new reign — A gas toy — Street money-changing — Notice of Dr. Wang-fang — Charge of murder against an Englishman at Tien-tsin — The Abbe Smoringburgh's statement relative to Captain Brabazon's death — The proper way to ask a person's name — Mr. Hart's breakfast with Wan-se-ang and Hang-Ki — A Chinese boy shot at Nu-che-wang by a sailor — The Hoppo of Canton's commission from Je-ho — Visitors from Tien-tsin— Conversation with Major Brabazon — His devol. 11. b CONTENTS. VI termination to visit Sang-ko-lin-sin's camp — Communication on the subject sent by Mr. Bruce to Wan-se-ang — Mr. Wade's interview with the latter relative thereto — Mode of giving medicine to horses — ■ Wan-se-ang's remarks to Baron de Meritens on the Brabazon question — Mode of venti lating a eual-mine — Visit to the Portuguese cemetery — Ricci's torn!) — The "Abode of the living Buddha" in the Imperial City— Deferred interments — Correct mode of placing the door of a new house, defined in the Peking Almanack — Paper money sold by Dutch auction — Relics of the late war — Return of the Prince of Kung from Je-ho — Arrival of Count Eulenberg — Unauthorised visits to Peking ' 34 CHAPTER in.

The Prince of Kung's brother-in-law brings a relative to the Legation to be cured of opium-smoking — A Chinese work in five thousand volumes — Peking butchers — Archers at practice — Imperial decree caDing on the provincials to pay up their arrears — Pic-nic to the Dragon's Fountain — Scene in rural life — Departure of Major Brabazon — The Feast of the Moon — Aspect of the south-west portion of the Chinese city and its vicinity — Eeappearance of Shung-pow — Return of the ladies of the Court — Dangers attending the use of charcoal — Shung-pow's breach of etiquette— View of portion of Yuen-ming-yuen — Mr. Wade's account of his journey to Tien-tsin with Major Brabazon — Count Eulenberg's interview with the Prince of Kung — The eastern part of the Chinese city — Interview with the brother of the Duke of Le-ang about purchasing his property adjoining the British Legation— Visit from Sue — Wan-se-ang's impressions of where Lord Macartney's Embassy was lodged — Poverty on the Wall of Peking — Panoramic description of what is seen during a walk round the Wall of the Tartar city . . . . , . .64

Chapter IV

Shung-pow returns from Je-ho— The question of walking on the City Wall — Mr. Bruce's visit to the Prince of Kung — Fair nt the Loong-foo-tze Temple— Circumstances under which the Jesuits lost their influence in Peking — Alleged sacrilege—Hong Kong advertisements— The great Chinese tonic — Notice relative to the return of the ancestral tablets from CONTENTS. VII IA' B Je-ho— Why the British Force took position to the north of Peking — Concessions made by the Jesuits to some of the external forms of Buddhism — The law relating to old houses ■ — Imperial liveries going to Je-ho — Attack on Che-foo by the Yellow River rebels — Children's sports — Peking women — Horse-shoeing — Chiropodists — Literary enthusiasm — Wan se-ang on coinage — Restrictions on looking at the Emperor as he passes through the city — Foreign ruffianism at Tien-tsin —The Lake of Yuen-ming-yuen, its bridges and vicinity — Village of Hai-tee-en— Paved road to Peking— Purchase of the property adjoining the Leang-koong-foo — Foreign eccentricities in Peking — Restoration of honours to Sang-ko lin-sin — The French priests — Peace associations — The Hoppo of Canton mourning for his grandmother— Ceremony of dosing the gates at sun-set — Curious cosmetic — Preparations for the Emperor's entry into the city Si

Chapter V

The arrival of the young Emperor in Peking — Coup d'etat and suspension of the Council of Regency — Arrest of the Princes of I and Ching — Arrest of Su-shu-en— Popular feeling respecting the coup d'etat — Chinese reverence for crows — Arrival of the late Emperor's remains — Notice of the Prince of Kung's interview with the Empress at Je-ho — Trial of the Council of Regency— The Prince of Kung made Prince Minister — New appointments — The young Emperor's solicitude about his father's remains — The Emperor's favourite horse — The Imperial elephant stables — Visit to the Great Wall at the Cha-tow Pass — Return to Peking — Result of the trial of the Council of Regency — Arrival of the sentence, after revision by the Board of Punishments, at the Foreign Office — Death of the Princes of I and Ching — Execution of Su-shu-en — Change in the style of the Emperor's reign — Characters of the chief actors in the coup d'etat — Installation of the Emperor — Decrees degrading certain officials, and conferring privileges on the Prince of Kung and his brothers — Remarks on the coup d'etat 125

Chapter VI

Journey from Tung-chow to Tien-tsiu by the Pei-ho — Impressions on returning to Tien-tsin — Departui . of the French troops — Fears entertained of trouble from local rebels— Shung-pow's CONTENTS. PACK 167 211 memorial on the state of the army — Mode of baking chestnuts — Sale of Military Train waggons and horses to the Chinese— Chang's application for material aid against the rebels — Savage treatment of the Chinese at the Lambing Flat gold-fields in Australia — A coolie trade tragedy — Licensing head-shaving— The Great Wall at the Low-oue-yu Pass — Mr. Wyndham's journal of a visit to the Great Wall and the Ming tombs— Experimental trial of Grant's cooking-stove on the line of march .........

Chapter VII

Chinese boy shot— Tsun-how's dinner to his foreign Customs officers — Peking news— Mr. Edkins' visit to the coal-mines — His recollections of the foreign career of Lew-yoong-chuen — An assault case— Painful mode of exciting charity — Street trade— A wandering minstrel — Raising the ground for the Foreign Settlement — Information from a Romish missionary respecting the present state of the province of Shen-si— Passports to Tsoon-wha stopped by orders of the Prince of Kung —Skating on the Pei-ho — Rumours about the coup d'etat — Fatal accident on the ice — Sang-ko-lin-sin's defeat by the rebels— The challenging of the Tien-tsinese by British sentries —Start for Peking— Cock-fighting at Yang-tsun— The inn at Hoo-see-woo— The carter's breakfast at Kow-tsoon— Arrival at Peking— Origin of the local rebellion to the westward of Tien-tsin — Mr. Lockhart's medical Missionary dispensary- New-year's visit from Wan-se-ang and Hang-Ki— Skating and sleighing— Pekingese sports— Summary punishment of infidelity— The Mongols and their winter produce— An Imperial ancestral tablet— The present resting-place of the late Emperor's body — Gazette notices— Tsoon-Luen and Hang-Ki at the Russian Legation— The former's recollections of Lord Amherst's Embassy— Names given to the streets in Pe]_in°-

Chapter VIII

Return to Tien-tsin —Robbers near Hoo-se-woo— Execution at Tien-tsin— Medicinal virtues attributed to human blood shed by the hand of justice— Military aid sent to Nu-che-wang— Chinese absence of selfishness illustrated— also gratitude and reverence for parental injunction-Shing-lung's and Chang's CONTENTS. IX PA.K opinions on the employment of foreign officers — Mode of punishing a gambling-house brawl — Lew-yoong-chuen comes to Tien-tsin — Extreme cold, and the soldiers' objection to ventilation — Tsan-how's proposition relative to the defence of Tien-tsin — Robbery of lead bullets — Execution of two criminals — The Chinese new year and scenes connected therewith — Conflagration on new-year's night — The " little one " in his holiday garb 237

Chapter IX

Massive block of marble for the decoration of the tomb of the late Emperor Hien-fung — Dead child shown in the street — The needle trick — Arrival of a Coast Defence Commission— Vast cavern — Interview between the Governor-General of Chili and Brigadier-General Staveley — Mode of cutting up and storing ice on the Pei-ho — Captain Gordon's visit to the Great Wall at the Kalgan Pass — The Feast of Lanterns— Manufacture of matchlocks — Fraternal mourning — A dragon-kite — A Tien-tsin physiognomist — Signs of the ice yielding at Taku— A Chinaman's mode of applying his savings — Winter view of the plain of the Pei-ho— The Chinese hospital — News of the death of the Prince Consort— Arrangements for drilling Chinese troops on the English system — The Chinese soldiers, Mandarin officers included, placed at recruit drill— Details of their progress — Tsun-how on the parade-ground — Juveniles on stilts — Chinese soldiers at artillery recruit drill — Remarks on atmospheric electricity 256

Chapter X

Conversation with the Mandarin Wang — Circumstances originating the application for military protection at Nu-che-wang — The drill-sergeant abroad — The minute-gun on the Pei-ho — The Tien-tsin Militia at ball-practice — Suggestions for the defence of Tien-tsin — Further information received from Wang about Sang-ko-lin-sin, and the causes of the repudiation of the treaty of 1858— Diplomatic mischief attributed to English interpreters—Progress of the Chinese at drill — A field day — The Reverend Isachar Roberts in trouble at Nanking — Break-up of the ice at Tien-tsin — Arrival of vessels at Taku— Hostilities with the Taepings near Shanghai — Arrival of candidates for competitive honours— Orders for the break-up of the Tieni 27U ' I'ON'TEXTS. tmo f"iri Arc-In i v OB i > • ■ t -clock- — < liii •• 58 ■)>■'■'• W "' Enyn-li llCrll bl Will' (.111 |>.i-rs- 'I'll.

JcM ■ ■ i. Ilc--j" ' Itin.-v.'iI pnniinf.- Mode c.l di.<p,i,,il cct ili.- Tten-tsia ' t - i.i.-tnirin • tip --An effbetual nwt] id cji c-:i|ii, mig 'I. -i ... -Bituminous eugl from Bheu-ai- Pro .i i] ]ga ii-,.|. | i i«jj . ammet< l«1 deuce — Periodic h I - -Esttaordii ■ Mftnnfao tll!-c "I sll.l Si mn IW.in |;, ,-,.,_ | |), . |, ,,| till- - Ud ■ 'lillrilliil-.'ill'.:i ' HAT-TEE XIi-'.ilii;i)-Ii- .-. .jcluc-r ill' the? Tilled puisMiti — I;..- --i-il hi '.. - :.-• iii Mr I'i Ill^fi > tin: ; ', ., ' m n I. i(gmi ni •>! r)ic cic:ctii c-i tlj-- Prinra Oussurl by 1 1 1 •- i I , m at— ' ■ . irns mi -1 ■ 'i Muk lilt; .1 ivi-l!_ Ti,. I ■, . ..;.. | ill. hi. ,T - . - , rfTiciil:.'lclc lii-ll — '1'lj. . :: m-oimnI .i,i,l ii- 1...1 r. I-, —Tli. Impei i".- f Ifoen-niurg-yuaii — 'n,. M m- I ■ !'l'"ll BOB&II ii .

TTlP 111.. i . pil'tlUrlit — Tin- I '.ci-c-iiti .-ai-.iv.n.-.ciy- -Kinlcnov & Tblbc I '.■-.■- Ti i»i''' "' l!i '"■ ". rhe i ---iiih ins i . '-'I. I. mi! thi i •■ it Lain i T idpli • I ii i.itic-i — An i- I <al • 1 1, ■ .i -in). ..ii i' 1 " -l'n-li.i I ii |i.iituri I'c.i ■ Ti-ic i-.ii,— Ann il ,\\ I A Sun I'-Ti'i-h. 00 the I'i i-li, — i lii[,.., ,,l mcW. -ttllcll tlllill i '■III T c~ I"- Jl :, ' -I II,, ,,,, |_ I II, ;,, """ I' '■'."■ . Irrivt i i ■ i . ■ muni itinn -i ir.,,.|, -.1 . ., , , (1 , , , , arcKhaugl . LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PACE THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA, a. H. WYNDHAM, Del. . Frontispiece. THE PEI-TUZE, OB ABODE OF THE LIVING BUDDHA, SEEN FROM THE MABBLE BRIDGE, IMPEETAL CITY, PEKING. O. H. WYNDHAM, Del 57 THE ANTING GATE, PEKING. O. H. WYNDHAM, Del. . . . 90 SHIAO-I-CHIAO, BBIDGE NEAR YUEN-MING-YUEN LAKE . .111 KOO-PEE-KOO, OR THE ANCIENT PASS-GATE THROUGH THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA, LEADING INTO MONGOLIA ; THE WAY TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE, JE-HO.

G. H. WYNDHAM, Del. 204 FIGURES AT THE MING TOMBS, NEAR PEKING . . . . 206 yung-lo's tomb 208 MONGOLS AND CAMEL 230 EXECUTIONER'S SWORD 242 MARBLE BLOCK FOE THE EMPEROR'S TOMB 257 VERTICAL PICKAXE USED FOR CUTTING UP THE ICE ON THE PEI-HO 262 THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SIDE OF LEGATION COURT AT THE LEANG-KOONG-FOO, AS SEEN IN EARLY" SPRING . . PEKING- AND THE PEKINGESE.

Chapter I

The Prince of Su returns from Je-ho— Illustrations of Pekingese character and domestic life — The conclusion of the Government Memorial on the Currency question— Religion of the Emperor- Position of the Empress at his death— Approach of harvest— The Prince of Kung reappears at the Foreign Office— Strike amongst the workmen— Result of an attempt to improve the sanitary condition of Tien-tsin— Remarks relative thereto— A subscription funeral— A Decree appears wherein the Emperor nominates his successor — The Prince of Kung notifies the death of the Emperor—Arrival of Major Brabazon in search of his son— Decrees issued by the Emperor shortly before his death— Mr. Bruce's letter of condolence to the Prince of Kung — Scenes in the curiosity shops — Bishop Anouile's statement about the Abbe de Luc's head— Decrees and ceremonies connected with the Emperor's death — Major Brabazon's impressions of the Chinese — A novel idea in cookery— Mr. Hart returns to Peking— Departure of the Prince of Kung for Je-ho — Sang-ko-lin-sin's position in Shan-tung, as described by his Commissary-General.

August 16th, 1861.— This morning the Prince of Su arrive d with a long train of followers and baggage at the Su-wang-foo, having come straight from Je-ho, where, as one of the princes of the first degree of Imperial nobility, he has been in immediate attendance upon VOL. II. B the Emperor. This apparent break-up of his establish ment there, and return to his family mansion, would seem to afford strong corroborative evidence of the Emperor's death. The reason, however, assigned for the Prince's return is the approaching marriage of his niece. His retainers, when interrogated, deny the death of the Emperor, but say that he is very ill, and that his physicians state that he cannot survive the Eighth Moon (September). It is therefore not improbable that he is dead, and that the event will not be made public until that time.

The death of Tan-quang, the present Emperor's father, was kept secret for one month. Yang, on coming to his duties this morning, informed us that his wife had yesterday presented him with a fine girl, somewhat, of course, to his disappointment, as it knocks on the head the hopes he had been cherishing of providing his rich relative with an adoptable male heir. Mrs. Yang, like a pattern mother, is up to-day, and engaged at her domestic avocations. To-morrow a great ceremony takes place— the washing of the baby ; an event which is deferred until the third day after birth. The mamma officiates, and friends and relations drop in and honour the ceremony with their presence. In the water in which the child undergoes its first ablu tions there is boiled a bough of a tree of the acacial species, which is supposed to impart a primary vigour to the infant, rendering it less susceptible of disease, and, when attacked, predisposing it to suffer only from ailments of a mild type.

While speaking on this sub ject, Yang mentioned a curious fact, which explains to me an impression that has frequently struck me, namely, Ch. I.] ILLUSTRATIONS OF CHARACTER. 3 that I have seen boys going about dressed exactly like females. It appears from what he states, that, in their anxiety to preserve their male pi ogeny, frequently when a boy is delicate they dress and bring him up as a girl until the years of puberty, under the supposition that though it ia improbable he will be reared as a boy, there is every chance of his being so as a girL This would seem to argue strongly against the current belief that girls are ill-treated in China. Of the correctness of this belief I have never been able myself to find a shadow of proof, but the contrary. Talking to-day with Mr. Wade about the inoffensive character of the Pekingese, as an illustration of the nature of the remarks they make on us in the streets, which generally refer to our clothing, he mentioned that the other morning, at the Observatory, a pair of riding boots he had on excited some curiosity, and one man remarked to another that they were very good, and doubtless made of buffalo hide.

Mr. Wade said no ; that they were made of common leather. The man then asked him if they were impervious to dust, which being answered in the affirmative, he observed that they were then doubtless also impervious to water. He then asked whether there was dust in England. Hearing that there was, he ventured on the opinion that it was not like the Peking dust, which emitted, he said, " a very peculiar smell." The more odorous properties of the Peking dust were readily conceded by Mr. Wade. This smell results from the sewer water, that accumulates in the choked drains, being used to water the streets — a municipal measure coming under the head certainly of B what now-a-days it is the fashion to call "defective sanitation." Mr. Wade mentioned to me also an amus ing illustration of Chinese curiosity that occurred to him at Canton.

While he was in a shop, two well-to do looking men from the country came in, who appa rently had never before seen a European. The shop keeper informed them that, in addition to being an Englishman, he talked the Chinese language. They came and looked at him with great curiosity, and gradu ally one of them took the liberty of carefully examining his clothes, and by degrees got up to the flap of the coat, which was thrown backwards. Lifting this, he discovered a hole under the arm, into which in a second he thrust his finger, with an exclamation of childish delight at the discovery he had made. All this was done in the most perfect good humour, devoid of any inten tion to insult. This species of curiosity appears to pervade all ranks, from the highest to the lowest, and Imperial Kung himself is by no means free from it.

Mr. Wade cited a recent illustration. On the last occasion of his seeing the Prince at the Foreign Office, in the midst of a long conversation in which Wan-se-ang seemed to be much interested, but during which the Prince had been indulging in sly yawns, he suddenly brightened up, gently took between his fingers Mr. Wade's ring, and bringing the stone round so as to let the light fall on it, remarked to Wan-se-ang, " How curiously formed their rings are." An absurd fact was ascertained, by the way, to-day from Sue, namely, that when Mr. Parkes was removed from the Board of Punishments to the Ka-mee-ow Temple, an enormous crowd assembled to see him, the general Ch. IJ DOMESTIC LIFE. 5 impression being that he was a great prince, and that Lord Elgin was his head servant, occupying the same position relatively to him that the "chief follower," or head man, does to one of their own mandarins.

August 17th. — The ceremony of washing Yang's baby was performed to-day, and on his coming to the Legation afterwards, he talked rather dolefully about the expenses attending an increase to the family. The collateral expenses connected with the first ablutions of the baby, he says, are considerable, as he has not only to entertain his friends who come to witness the ceremony, but in addition their servants, who call to " chin chin" him, and not content with receiving their "chow chow," they expect also a pecuniary present. The medical attendant was of the female order, and Yang appears to be not at all clear on the point of his being legally indebted to her for her fee, respecting which he has had a dispute. From Mr. Wade to-day I got a general idea of the remainder of the Government Memorial on the cash question, which, after disposing of the four Board of Revenue banks, goes on to state, that the five banks under the character of " Tien " (a merely distinctive character, without any special signification), were es tablished at the instance of the Court of the House hold, in the reign of Tan-quang, and they are recom mended to be dealt with in a similar manner as the four others ; and should the Emperor approve of their so being, the Board of Revenue pray that the House hold may be commanded to make satisfactory arrange ments regarding them.

In the event of the recommendations of the Board of Revenue being adopted, Government bankers who are unable to take up their unauthorised notes, or pay the thirty per cent, of fine imposed upon them, and by such inability embarrass the people, or any that may by wanton exaction or stringency perturb the public mind, are to be handed over to the Board of Punishments, and, representations having been made to the Emperor, put to death, as a warning to frau dulent tradesmen not to distress the people. Within one month of these regulations coming into force, all banks are to issue their own notes, and thus, by increasing the paper currency on a new and more popular basis, reduce the price of silver, lessen the run on copper, and restore confidence to the public mind. The memorial states, " Should any of the private banks prove contumacious, then it will be clear that they are in league with those of Govern ment."

The Board of Revenue lay the whole blame of the present financial crisis on the Government banks, while they again recriminate the Board of Revenue, which, under all the circumstances connected with Su-shu-en and others, is the most probable version. Baron de Meritens had an interview with Wan-se ang this forenoon, but failed in seeing the Prince, who was stated to have business on hand that ..ill occupy him fifteen days. The Emperor is stated to be better, but very weak. From Chang (who is now Mr. Bruce's teacher, Mr. Gibson having been appointed acting Consul at Tien- Ch. I.] POSITION OF THE DOWAGER EMPRESS. tsin), Mr. Bruce ascertained to-day the form of religion which the Emperor practises, and which is limited to the worship of Heaven (Tien) and Earth (Tee). He also pays honours to Confucius, and worships his ancestors.

These constitute his external exercises of religion ; what his own individual belief is, is another matter ; he might be a Christian, as Kang-hsi was. He does not overtly in any way recognise Buddha ; and the Grand Lama again, or the Buddhist Pope of Tibet, worships the Emperor. On the decease of an Emperor, the Empress appears to play a somewhat important part, as she receives the key of the place wherein his will is deposited, which she takes possession of, and produces at the proper time, when it is read before the chief members of the Imperial family, who assemble on a certain day for the purpose. In this document the successor is named, and there is reason to believe that on one occasion an Empress (if I mistake not, the present Emperor's mother) altered the name. The harvest is now approaching, the millet having attained a great height, justifying the native name for it of Cow-le-ang, or " lofty grain.

" The whole country round Peking, and between it again and Tien tsin, is one mass of cereal cultivation, chiefly the millet, which here represents in a variety of ways the bamboo of the south of the empire, its long and strengthy stalk being applied to numerous purposes. From the grain itself they make spirits, wine, and vinegar, feed cattle extensively with it, and also ex tract a colouring matter from it when soaked. In addition to these uses, it is of service to the poor as an article of diet, and it is also made into flour. August 18th. — Mr. Wade called at the Foreign Office this afternoon to see Wan-se-ang, and to his surprise found the Prince of Kung there. His chair was at the door, and looked a good deal knocked about, as if it had recently come off a long journey. The Prince himself seemed in tolerably good spirits, but Wan-se-ang looked harassed and worn out, as if he had not slept for several nights.

In reply to Mr. Wade's inquiry after the " sacred person," the Prince said it was a little better, but exceedingly weak. Mr. Wade then observed that tbe reports here had been very bad. Wan-se-ang replied, " Oh, reports . You have reports also in your country, have you not 1 " Wan-se ang expressed himself hopefully on the question of getting the present financial difficulties settled, and said that already the pressure was lightening, and money getting easier. I should be inclined to doubt, however, whether any such rapid change for the better has taken place, inasmuch as not one of the several hundred workmen employed on the premises will look at a paper security. August 19th. — A general strike took place amongst the workmen to-day for an increase of wages. . At present they only receive one-fifth of a dollar, or tenpence per diem, from which the contractor deducts three pence for their food.

Their demands now are tenpence a day and " chow-chow " — a strike, in fact, for an increase of threepence per diem to their wages. August 20./.. — At noon to-day the English mail of Ch. I.] .ARRIVAL OF CAPTAIN GORDON, R.E. 9 the 26th of June arrived, having reached Hong Kong in thirty-seven days and Peking in fifty-five days. From Tien-tsin also we hear of the arrival there of Major Brabazon, en route to Peking, in hopes of gaining intelligence of his son and finding him alive. Alas, the facts recorded by me in May last will be the only sad consolation he will receive, and must satisfy him of the hopelessness of cherishing further thoughts of his son being alive. August 21st. — Captain Gordon, of the Royal Engi neers, arrived to-day from Tien-tsin, and states that the troops are suffering a good deal from the effects of the high temperature.

At the time that he left, fifty six cases of heat apoplexy had occurred, sixteen of which had proved fatal, and thirty-four remained under treatment. From him also I learned the result of an attempt made at the commencement of. Spring (shortly before the Legation left) to introduce sanitary reform into Tien-tsin. The walled city is surrounded by a ditch, which forms a receptacle for the filth of the town and the suburbs. In close proximity to this ditch, and in some instances on the very banks of it, the greater portion of the troops are located, and, though no harm was anticipated (nor did any apparently occur) from its emanations during the cold weather, the same immunity was not expected to continue during the hot season ; so at the termination of the winter the medical authorities recommended that the portions of the ditch in the vicinity of where the troops are located should be filled up.

That this was a proceeding, however much in accordance with modem sanitary science it might be, that would [Ch. I. 10 PEKING AND THE PEKINGESE. prove a failure, I felt satisfied from the first, interfering directly, as it did, with the time-honoured hygiene of the place, such as it was, and also with the whole sys tem of city drainage during the rains. The municipal authorities made strong remonstrances, pointing out the inconveniences which were certain to occur from the measure in question ; but the British authorities natu rally considered the health of the troops the first con sideration, and declined to entertain the remonstrances. The following have been the results of this mea sure, as detailed to me by Captain Gordon. In the first instance, when the frost disappeared, and the sub stratum of frozen filth and water melted, the material, with which the ditch had been filled up, sank down, the gases emitting so objectionable an odour that the Sikhs, who, from living close to it, were the chief suf ferers in an olfactory point of view, begged leave to fill them up with manure from their own stables, and thus imprison the odours from below.