BURGEVINE'S PREVIOUS CAREER. 171 unless it were himself; while the former had a pleasant expression on his dark countenance. The American papers say that he was born at Newbern, North Carolina, in 1836, his father having been a French officer under Napoleon; and that, though his early years were ill provided for, he was an accomplished student, and even in his youth entertained dreams of being some day able to build up a great empire in the East; and whether that be the case or not, he certainly entertained such a dream in China, where it was the cause of his misfortunes. A much-wandering man, he seems to have turned up in California of course, in Australia, the Sandwich Islands, India where he studied Hindustance, Jiddah, London, and other places-being, in fact, one of those nautical gentlemen who combine a taste for literature with the power of navigating coasting vessels, and, would fate allow, of founding great empires. After that, finding a post-office clerkship and the editing of an American newspaper rather tame work for him, he found his way again to China, became Ward's second in command, and, as noted before, on the death of that worthy, was put in charge of the Ever-Victorious Army, quarrelled with the Futai, struck the patriotic merchant Ta Kee, was dismissed from his post, applied for redress at Peking, and was not reinstated. These latter events had naturally irritated Burgevine's soul; and it is admitted, even by his friends, that, being weakened by an imperfectly healed wound, he was now in the habit of taking stimulants to an extent which at times disordered his brain, or at least that stimulants, whether taken in large quantities or not, had that effect upon him. There was a double motive for his action-revenge against the Imperialists, and his dream of seizing an empire in China; so he entered into com munication with the Moh Wang, now Tai-ping chief at Soochow, and engaged about 150 Foreign rowdies at Shanghai to enter with him into the service of the Great Peace. This was a bold enterprise, for it was pretty well known at this time that the Foreigners in the service of the Tai-pings had no very delightful time of it; but Burgevine was a persuasive person, his name had considerable power with the troops on both sides, and it was believed, not without some grounds, that he could command the services of many of the officers of Gordon's army. As to himself, there is no doubt that his hope and intention was to get a large body of foreign adventurers and disciplined natives into his own hands, then to throw up the Tai-ping cause, and make an independent filibustering movement across China in the direction of Peking, in order to fulfil the dream of his youth. Considering the state of China at this time, wiser heads than his might have been carried away by such an idea; but the Foreign Powers, having treaty-rights with that country, would never have permitted the success of such a movement; and even the Imperial Government would have been roused to measures which would have defeated it. The time for such a project was before the treaties of 1858. This movement of Burgevine's was thus reported on to Major-General Brown, commanding her Majesty's forces in China, by Colonel Hough, on the 4th of August: Burgevine has gone over to the Rebels with some Europeans collected here; the number varies with the different reports from 100 to 1000, but 300 will probably be nearer the mark. From Captain Strode's information Burgevine's terms with the Europeans are, service one month and money paid down; and other information states unrestrained licence to pillage every town BURGEVINE JOINS THE TAI-PINGS. 173 they take, even Shanghai itself. The latter would be an idle threat even under the present reduced state of the garrison, but for the alarming defection of Major Gordon's force, who are all, it is said, traitorously inclined to side with Burgevine. Names of traitors are freely given, being those of Major Gordon's best officers of the land forces, as well as those commanding steamers. This, if true, would virtually be giving our siege-train, now with Major Gordon, into the Rebels' hands, and to oppose which, Captain Murray informs me, we have not a gun of equal force. The Futai told Mr Markham yesterday evening that Burgevine and 65 Europeans had seized the little steamer Ki-fow under the walls of Sun-kiang, and taken her into Soochow, and had been made a Wang of the second class and commander of all the Rebel forces. The Futai also said that a report had reached him, of Quang-san [Quinsan], Major Gordon's headquarters, having been given up to the Rebels by its garrison. Should this be true, the worst may be anticipated; Major Gordon a prisoner, the siege-train lost, and the speedy advent of the Rebels, commanded by Burgevine, before this place; for it is idle to suppose that they would respect the 30-mile radius when they had no town outside with wealth enough to support their rabble hordes, which exaggerated reports put down at 800,000, of which they say 20,000 are disciplined by Frenchmen and Europeans long resident in Soochow. In the present imperfect knowledge of affairs, to move out would perhaps be to leave Shanghai open to the Rebels, who can choose their own route, and whose advance would only be known by the country people flying before them and the smoke of burning towns. I trust to hear from Major Gordon to enable me to act decisively, of which I need not say I will send you the earliest information. This shows a very alarming state of matters, and that Burgevine had not laid his plans without very considerable skill. Any one in Colonel Gordon's place must have had serious thoughts on that solitary night-ride up to Quinsan, seeing how much hung upon the disposition of the officers whom he was to meet at dawn. On reaching his headquarters no unsatisfactory signs appeared; but the commander received reports during the day which induced him to send reinforcements to Kahpoo, his most advanced post, and to return the principal part of his siege-ammunition to Shanghai. In the evening three 'men actually walked into his room and asked for Burgevine, saying they had been engaged by him, and had been told to wait at the "second station," which looked as if neither the Americo-Tai-ping nor his station could be very far off. This movement of Burgevine made Gordon's position an exceedingly difficult and dangerous one, for in addition to attacks from without he was also very liable to attacks from within. The ostensible cause of Burgevine's dismissal-namely, his assault on the banker Ta Kee, in order to get money for the forcehad naturally left an impression on the minds of the men which was favourable to their late commander, and Colonel Gordon had reason to fear that some European emissary of the Rebels might find his way into the force, and stir it up to revolt. In case of such a result happening, the siege-train was sent back to Taitsan for safe keeping. In the first part of August, the Tai-pings, reinforced by a number of the Europeans who had come up with Burgevine, made several strenuous but ineffectual attacks on Gordon's station at Kahpoo, which covered his position at Wokong. Indeed both of these places might easily have been captured had Burgevine acted energetically; for they were left in charge of Ching, the Imperialist general co-operating with the Ever-Victorious Army, and that commander was absent at Shanghai when the Rebels attacked, about 40,000 in number. The American adventurer, however, did not direct these operations, being occupied at Soochow, along with his lieutenant, Jones, a fellow-countryman, in trying to arrange about the formation of a Foreign Legion. At A PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE. 175 this time Gordon was reinforced by a small FrancoChinese force, under Captain Bonnefoi, and by 200 Belooches of her Majesty's East India army, whom General Brown stationed in Quinsan for the protection of the heavy artillery. For some weeks after this Gordon remained on the defensive, but on the 29th September took Patachiao without losing many men; and immediately after, negotiations were opened with him by some of the Europeans in the service of the Tai-pings. Behind the stockades which he had taken there was a bridge, 350 yards in length, with 53 arches, which had been partially cut through, in order to let the Hyson pass into a lake near it; and this bridge was the scene of a curious incident which occurred to Colonel Gordon. He was resting upon its parapet one evening, smoking a cigar, when first one rifle or musket bullet, and then a second, struck the stone upon which he was sitting. These shots came not from the enemy, but from his own camp, where they had been fired accidentally. On the second shot being fired, Colonel Gordon thought it necessary to descend into his boat and go over to the camp in order to inquire into this matter; but he had hardly got half-way across the creek below, when that part of the bridge on which he had been sitting suddenly fell into the water; so that the accidental shots which had endangered his life, probably saved it. Between the opposing forces there was another, a high bridge, which became a kind of neutral ground where friendly intercourse took place between the European officers, many of whom had formerly been comrades in arms, though now serving on different sides. In the interviews which took place on this bridge between the Foreigners on both sides, it appeared that the Europeans and Ameri |