occasionally visited the city on my own account for
a change, and it was on one of these occasions
that I witnessed the following scene: In an
open place in the city into which several streets
debouched there was a crowd of people, not at
all a dense nor a noisy crowd, and if I had been
in the city with any other object than amusement,
I certainly should not have passed across
the dirty roadway which lay between the houses
and it to see what was going forward. The
spectacle, however, was one which, if it had
been enacted in a city in any other part of
the world, would have created a degree of
excitement that would not have been easily
described.

In a not very large circle, loosely kept by
a few soldiers, were six or seven Chinamen,
to all appearance as free as myself. On the
ground lay two bodies without heads, the heads
standing apart. Just as I had insinuated myself
into a foremost place, I noticed that another
foreigner, a Frenchman, was doing the same
thing, though with less regard for the feelings of
the natives, who gave way readily to him, and
allowed him to pass through into the circle. His
appearance made a sensation among the half-dozen
Chinese I have mentioned, who crowded round
him, examining his clothes and buttons and
personal appearance, with the curiosity of children.
The executioner, who stood with a bloody sword
in his hand, though he did not leave the spot
where he was standing when the Frenchman
entered the circle, seemed to think the interest
taken quite natural, and allowed three or four
minutes to elapse before he spoke a word; at the
end of that time, he uttered a shout; and one of
those who were scrutinising the Frenchman's
dress came to the headsman with a cheerful step,
said something I could not hear with a careless
laugh, bent his head to the executioner, who
brought the edge of his sword down upon his bare
neck, and in an instant his head rolled away to
the edge of the group of spectators, by whose feet
it was stopped, and from whence it was brought
back by one of the assistants and laid along
with the other two. This was repeated several
times: each victim coming when called, and
bending his head for the blow with the like
cheerful alacrity; the executed and the
executioner appearing to regard the matter with equal
indifference.

The men thus disposed of were, I was told
by a well clothed Chinaman, Taepings. I had
a conversation with this man, in which I
expressed my opinion freely respecting the
Taepings. When the affair was over the spectators
dispersed, and, before I had gone fifty yards,
the place was so clear that I could see the
mutilated bodies lying on the ground when I looked
back.

On the 15th April, 1858, a rumour flew about
Chan-tseou that rebels were in the town, and
that many more were approaching. The greatest
alarm prevailed, and Siouchang especially was
so overpowered by fear as to be incapable of
making an effort to preserve from harm the
person on whose account he was so overcome.
This person was a young wife. At her own
request I put her in a chair and had her carried
to a burial-place about two hundred paces distant
from the garden of our house, where I left her
with a servant, among the tombs. From this
place I went to a joiner's factory just outside
the town, to try if I could get any information
about the rebels; for as yet I had not seen any
of them, nor could I hear any unusual noise. At
this factory I was told that about a hundred
men were in the town, who were armed like
soldiers, but had all kinds of dresses; and there
was a rumour that there were a great number of
others not far off. Satisfied that the alarm was
not without foundation, I left the place, for the
purpose of getting home as quickly as possible.
The distance was trifling; but I had hardly gone
half the way, before five or six men came out of
the smoke which was pouring from the shop of
the only lantern merchant in the town. I
continued my way along the middle of the street,
hoping to pass unnoticed, but I was laid hold of
instantly; and, though dressed like a native,
was immediately known not to be one. The
discovery that I was an European appeared
to perplex them. I tried to leave them,
but this they prevented. I was not roughly
handled, nor treated with the brutality with
which I soon saw others treated. After they
had consulted together a few minutes, I was
led away to a little temple, where a small number
of bonzes lived. On arriving there I found
some of the rebels already in possession. The
idols were being brought out, and some of
them had already been broken to pieces: not,
I believe, from religious motives, but to ascertain
if silver or other valuables were concealed
inside. To all appearance the search had not
been fruitless; for, at the feet of the chief, was
spread a priest's robe on which lay several
ingots of silver of different sizes. The work of
destruction seemed to have so much
fascination, that my captors stood watching its
continuance with the liveliest interest, and if I
had not been so closely surrounded by them I
should have attempted to escape. When it was
over, the attention of the chief was drawn
to me. This person, without asking me any
questions, ordered me to be shut up in the
temple. Two or three hours afterwards a strong
body of rebels came into the town and joined
those already there, and then the work of rapine
and robbery began in earnest. Too numerous
now to fear resistance on the part of the
townspeople, they dispersed themselves throughout
the place, and fearlessly entered the houses,
singly or in numbers. The hideous saturnalia
lasted all night, and, to add to the horror of the
screams and other noises, the flames of burning
houses threw a red glow over the scene, and
made visible the perpetration of outrages such
as I cannot conceive any other people than the
Chinese capable of committing.

The next morning, several of the principal
men of the place were brought up to the temple
where I was imprisoned. These were all
fastened together by a cord passing through the