THE

CHINESE REPOSITORY.

VOL. VII.-OCTOBER, 1838.- No. 6.

ART. I. Ping Nan How Chuen, or an account of the Latter Pacification of the South, an historical work in six volumes. From a Correspondent.

THE San Kwo Che was so generally admired, and the fame of the author stood so high in the estimation of his countrymen, that this mode of writing soon found many imitators. The present volumes are of this description, but far inferior to the model, yet stili a monument of Chinese genius deserving the attention of foreigners. As the San Kwo treats of one of the remarkable periods of the Han dynasty, the Pin; Nan embraces the epoch, between A. D. 1020 to 1050, when the Sung family, firmly seated upon the throne, was either engaged in wars with Tartars or endeavoring to extend the limits of the empire. The imperial generals, always victorious, had just obtained a complete triumph over the Sefan tribes to the west of Szechuen, and crowned with laurels were returning to the capital to enjoy the fruits of their valor, when their anticipated repose was again disturbed by the barbarian king of Cochinchina, Nungchekaou. Whenever the Chinese empire was in a flourishing state, its rulers have always endeavored to incorporate Tungking and the adjacent countries with their territory. But though the natives are a feeble race, compared with the Chinese and inferior to them in civilisation, they have resisted aggression with a great deal of spirit, and, although at times partially subdued, always thrown off the yoke, and lived under their own princes. In their struggles for independence, they were greatly assisted by their native jungles and a climate very destructive to the soldiery.

It has, therefore, always been their policy to allow the Chinese ariny to penetrate into the country, and when thinned by disease and starvation to cut the invaders off by piecemeals.

At this time Nungchekaou had gotten timely information about the march of the imperialists, and considering that it would now be his turn, he resolved as an intelligent general to anticipate the attack by becoming the aggressor. He therefore invaded Kwangse and the western parts of Kwangtung, and committed fearful ravages, whilst he dispatched a messenger with an insolent challenge to Jintsung, the then reigning emperor. The monarch was so enraged at this arrogance, that he ordered the envoy instantly to be put to death. At this critical juncture a faithful minister interfered; and, dissuading his sovereign from giving way to his passion, he immediately recoinmended Teih Tsing, the hero of the west, as the proper person to remove the disgrace of the prince.

This warrior, having suffered very much from fatigue, was just enjoying himself with his wife, when the imperial decree appointed him commander-in-chief. Ignorant of this event, this aged couple in a fine summer evening were amicably conversing together about the times of yore, when they beheld to their great astonishment a shooting star of the first magnitude falling down before them. The sagacious spouse immediately interpreted this as a very unlucky omen, and began to tremble for her husband. Soon afterwards the order arrived. Teih Tsing notwithstanding the earnest remonstrances of his wife, repaired to the capital, where he had an interview with the emperor. No less than 130,000 men were put under his command, and four heroes, who passed under the name of the four tigers, joyfully resorted to his standards. Onward marched this formidable army, not only certain of victory, but determined upon extirpating these vile barbarians; however, even the invincible hosts of the celestial empire can not always realize their wishes.

The barbarians had well entrenched themselves and kept possession of a strong fortress, awaiting with undaunted courage the enemy. Instead of storming this stronghold, Teih Tsing blockaded the place. There were heroes, who, daily issuing from the city challenged the Chinese warriors to single combat. In all these encounters the celestials proved victorious; and as often as a champion was stretched lifeless on the ground, the barbarians fled in great consternation.

Misfortunes of this nature greatly preyed upon the mind of their chief. He saw before him inevitable destruction, and having one day again attempted a sally, his soldiers were entirely routed, and

he himself scarcely escaped with his life. He was just pensively pacing the hall of his palace, when his daughter suddenly presented herself to her father, and assured him that she had it in her power to drive the besiegers away. Her father greatly enraged at the presumption of the girl, pushed her angrily away, and gave strict injunctions to his wife to confine her in the harem. But this loving mother could not treat her child harshly, and therefore questioned her upon what grounds she had ventured to make such an unwarranted assertion. The daughter then broke forth in an eloquent strain, stating that she was the offspring of a genii, and that whilst still a girl a fairy under the garb of a Taou priest had entrusted to her a book upon military tactics, by which she was enabled to raise armies as by inagic and make herself and her whole host invisible at pleasure.

In reading the history of this maiden, who henceforth becomes the prine actor in this drama, we are strongly reminded of the three Laos princesses, who led an army against the British, when engaged in war with the Burmans. They also used spells to disperse the bostile invaders; and, when these proved of no avail against canister and grapeshot, bravely died on the field of battle. The Chinese have repeatedly been driven from Cochinchina by women, who pretended to be gifted with supernatural power, and whilst thus inspiring terror in their enemies, greatly increased the confidenee of their own peoWould any one have expected to find a Maid of Orleans in

ple.

the distant east?

Our heroine's name was Twanhungyuh. To prove to her mother that she had not spoken an untruth, she led her into a garden, drew forth a handkerchief, and whilst muttering some incantations with her head turned towards the sun, a red airy horse immediately made its appearance. The mother nearly fainted when she saw this fiery courser darting forth from the air; but what was her surprise, when Twanhungyuh, after having repeated some spells, and beaten upon a gourd, immediately produced three thousand horses with their riders, who marched forth out of this wonderful calabash, as if it had been their barracks. Suddenly the daughter with her enchanted train rose to the clouds, but hearing the cries of a tender mother, anxious for the safety of an only darling child, she returned to her fond embraces, and ordered the cavalry to reënter their quarters,—to wit, the gourd. The old woman immediately hastened to her husband, and related the wonderful things she had just witnessed. It was folly to gainsay where ocular proof had been given, and the sagacious warrior immediately resolved to turn this matter to his advantage. By

substituting soldiers, who required neither pay nor food in a city where victuals were very scarce even at this early period of the blockade, for men of flesh and blood who stood in need of both, he cer tainly rendered a great service to his king and liege lord. But there was still a greater advantage. In the repeated skirmishes his ranks had been considerable thinned, and as recruiting was quite out of question as long as the enemy closed all the avenues leading to the city, the chief considered it an admirable thing to have an army, which could never be injured by darts and sabres, and thus wanted no depot to fill up with the slain.

Having fully nominated the heroine generalissimo of the forces of the air, she set forth clad in shinning armor, in all the pride of beauty, and certainty of victory. A Chinese knight, the Bayard of the army, without fear or reproach, marched in front to meet her, and very ungallantly employed the most abusive epithets to vilify the maiden. She was by no means too delicate to retort, and both having wrought themselves up to a proper measure of wrath, the combat began. This brave man had never yet been beaten either in single combat or in a pitched battle, and was very indignant to fight the first time in his life against a woman. With a heavy lance he rode against the fair champion, but happily did not hit her, for she had agility enough, upon her spirited race horse, to avoid the thrust. Both armies drawn up in order of battle waited with breathless anxiety the issue of this conflict. But whilst the warrior was dealing out heavy blows which might have stretched a giant to the ground, Twanhungyuh showed as much skill to parry them. All at once, however, she seemed to lose her presence of mind, and the knight had just uplifted a heavy club to stun her with one blow, as a butcher would do to an ox, when the maiden suddenly fled and was followed by her retinue. Now was the time for this doughty champion to exhibit his prowess and spurring his horse into the midst of the flying enemy he was just about to grasp the virgin by her flying hair, when lo! she muttered her spells, and a red halo surrounded the knight; he became senseless, and the heroine immediately had him seized, fettered, and led in tri umph into the city. He having slain many barbarians with his blade, and become the terror of these uncivilized beings, so that his very sight inspired panic to a whole army, his capture occasioned a general rejoicing amongst the good citizens. Well aware that he was an invaluable acquisition to any host which he led to battle, the chieftain at first endeavored to persuade him to transfer his allegiance to his captors. But the loyal soldier disclaimed against such treach

ery in the strongest terms, and asked death as the only boon which he would receive from a barbarian hand. Incensed at this obstinacy, the chief ordered a grim executioner to do his work; instantly he was led into the market, the sword which was to sever his head from his body was unsheathed, when all at once our heroine interposed, and begged his life for the benefit of the common weal. The reasons for this act of clemency she very soon explained to her father most satisfactorily, so that he without much hesitation revoked the sentence of death. Whilst still quaking at the near approach of the king of terrors, the maiden took him in training, and by means of the nostrums furnished her by some Taou priests metamorphosed the warrior; and so entirely changed his mind, that he became forthwith one of the most devoted partisans of the barbarians, whom he had a few moments before loathed with his very soul. Thus transformed he was led by his charmer into the thickest of the battle, and wherever he showed himself he made dreadful havoc amongst the Chinese ranks. This attack was irresistible and the panic-struck soldiers fled back to the camp in utter consternation, and spread the humiliating news, that a giant in valor had slain their comrades. Scarcely had the tigers in human form, already mentioned above, of which this kuight was originally one, heard of the imminent danger, when they gallopped forth to encounter the monster. When recognizing him as their companion in arms, whom they had only yesterday given up as lost, their surprise was inexpressible. They called to him and with many entreaties besought him to return to the camp. But all these entreaties were unheeded, he continued to mow down the enemy as if the soldiers had been grass, and madly provoked a conflict with the three warriors. They could now no longer disguise their abhorrence of such infamous treason, and by their joint efforts finally made him prisoner and brought him into the camp. Under many reproaches which he bore in silence he was brought before his superior officers, who immediately decreed that he should die the death of a traitor. Teih Tsing was informed of this, and hastened to take the last view of this unfortunate prisoner. Having had for many years a knowledge of magical arts, and only lately received such direful proofs of their existence from the barbarian witch, he narrowly examined the culprit and soon discovered, that there was something strange in his appearance. Ha! thought he, here is some foul play; the man is no longer himself, and at the very moment set to disenchanting him. The knight thereupon suddenly awakened as from a trance, his actions during the two last days appeared as a dream, he