operations for the Tai-pings, and an authorisation to conduct such affairs in future. Without such mistranslation, he produces not even the mockery of Tai-ping authority for his capture of the Firefly, and delivery to the Tai-pings of the Europeans on board. If he has not been misled as to the meaning of the Chinese document, the audacity of giving a fac-simile of it is something stupendous, but is not out of keeping with his acknowledged exploits, and may have served a purpose with certain readers. One would think that the force of nature could not go much further than this, but there is even something more. "LinLee," on returning to England for the benefit of his health, &c., is not content with availing himself of his success, but must place himself in prominent contrast with Colonel Gordon. The latter officer is supposed by almost all who know him, either personally or by report, to be not a bad specimen of the Christian gentleman. His officers and soldiers idolised him; Chinese of all classes regarded him with high respect; when in their power his enemies offered him no injury, and their troops came over to him in large numbers; always foremost in moments of danger, no coolie of his force cared less for personal comfort; the Foreign merchants admired him, and he returned from China a poorer man than he went out, with little more than the honorary acknowledgments of his own and of the Chinese Governments. But it seems we are all under a mistake. The real hero is "Lin-Lee," whose exploits, so far as he adduces testimony, are the midnight capture of a small steamer lying off a peaceful settlement; the delivery, for money, of it and of the Europeans on board to cruel Tai-pings; the killing of one of his associates; and a secret flight to England! So far Ti-Ping Tien-Kwoh' is a curiosity in literature; but otherwise I cannot recommend a perusal of it to any one seeking a knowledge of China; it is not interesting or amusing, and I regret much feeling myself called on to take even this notice of it. As regards Colonel Gordon's action in China, the statement of facts so far as it goes does not differ much from my own. The chief difference is in the gloss which is put upon these facts -a gloss which, I had believed, there was only one mind in the world pessimist and poisonous enough to have exuded. STATEMENT OF GEORGE BAFFEY, A PRISONER SENT TO H.B.M. CONSULATE, CANTON, BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. George Baffey states, I am aged twenty-two, was born at St Paul's, Minnesota, and am a citizen of the United States. I joined the rebels at Changchow about the 18th March. I went up from Amoy to join them. When the rebels evacuated Changchow, I came with them into this province, and stayed with them until the 14th July, when I deserted them in disgust. The name of the Chief I joined at Changchow was the Tze (She) Wang, and it was with his party to the number of 20,000 that I left Changchow. There were thirteen Europeans with them at that time. Eleven days after leaving Changchow the Tze Wang's division became disorganised near Yingting on a branch of the Han River, and I joined the Kan Wang. It was with the latter that I entered this province. The Kan Wang numbers his force at 100,000, but he has not more than 15,000 fighting men, who, however, are well armed. I got disgusted with them at last; the slaughter was dreadful: at the city of Chênping they took 1600 Imperial braves prisoners, who surrendered on the promise of their lives, but the same night they beheaded the whole number, and I saw the creek run with blood for four hours. On the night of the 14th July I took advantage of my being with a party at a point some sixty li in advance of the city of Chênping to desert by floating down the river on a plank, and the next day I took to the mountains. I wished to avoid the troops, as I knew I should be put to death if taken prisoner by them, so I made inquiries previously to my flight from the country people within the rebel lines respecting the direction of Kia-ying-chow, and at length I gave myself up to a village mandarin. Previously to this I was seized by some boatmen belonging to the village, who bound me hands and feet, and were about to behead me when a respectable old man induced them to desist, and led me to the mandarin. The latter sent me to Kia-ying-chow, where I was confined in an office belonging to the magistrate, and treated well by the officials, but very badly by the people. I only had rice and water. I was then sent down to Can ton by boat in charge of a small mandarin, who treated me kindly. I arrived at Canton the night before last, and was taken in a chair into the city, where I was lodged in a yamên, and last night was examined before two magistrates. It was at a Chinese prison; a linguist interpreted, but so badly that I could understand nothing. To go back. I was originally employed in Colonel Gordon's force as Captain of Artillery, and on its being broken up I served under the Futai Li for three months as drill instructor, and then, wages being reduced from 211 dols. to 150 dols. a month, I went to Foochow and took service under Baron de Meritens, who put me under the orders of a Frenchman at Amoy, with whom I disagreed; and, in consequence of this, I went to Shanghai and endeavoured to get employed in the Customs. I had previously endeavoured to get employment at Amoy and Ningpo, but had been refused everywhere; and so at length, having been unemployed for seven months, and receiving offers from Rhode and others who had joined the rebels, I went to Amoy and joined them. Rhode was one of the thirteen who left Changchow with the rebels; of these only three besides myself are now alive. They are Williams, an American; McAuliffe (who made the mortars and shells, &c., at Changchow), an Irishman; and Rhode. Williams was very ill with dysentery when I left. The remainder, I believe, were all murdered at different times. While with the Tze Wang after leaving Changchow I was four days without food; but the Kan Wang had been well supplied by pillage. When I left, the rebels were talking of retreating towards Kiangsi. The rebels have great confidence in the Kan Wang; the latter is an exceedingly clever man, very fond of European ideas, but very distrustful of foreigners. None of the Europeans were allowed to hold any authority, and none ever received the fulfilment of the promises by which we were enticed over. The Baron de Meritens sent Gerard and others into Changchow with letters and passes, endeavouring to get the Europeans over; but Gerard having previously cheated the Tze Wang out of 3000 dols., the latter seized and beheaded him. I The greatest number of Europeans ever at Changchow was sixteen. attempted to escape out of Changchow, but was prevented by information given against me by a German. The cause of my wishing to desert was seeing two Chinese mandarins burnt alive by the rebels in the city of Changchow. For every tail of a mandarin soldier produced the Kan Wang gives 6 dols, reward. The Kan Wang is about thirty-five years of age. He is the principal rebel chief at the present moment. I have never heard the rebels speak of coming near Canton, but they are very anxious to get to the coast so as to obtain arms. There is very little money among the rebels, and this province is not productive enough to support them. They threw up fourteen fine stockades around the city of Chênping, very different from the wretched ones erected by the Imperial troops. The country people are very hostile. They had cut down the unripe paddy around Chênping to prevent its falling into the hands of the Kan Wang. The latter, unlike the Tze Wang, does not allow useless devastation among the villages. (Signed) GEORGE BAFFEY. Statement taken by me, (Signed) W. F. MAYERS. APPENDICES. 395 LIST OF THE CHINESE NAMES OF PLACES NEAR SHANGHAL In the text of this work, and in the "Sketch-Map of the Operations against the Rebels in 1862-64," many of the names of places are given as they were pronounced in the local dialect, and written down in English sometimes by persons ignorant of Chinese. For the benefit of travellers who may visit that part of China, now that it can be traversed with tolerable safety, I give the following list of some of the principal places, with their names as represented in the Mandarin or Peking dialect, and with their rank occasionally added. As a key to the meaning of many Chinese names, it may be well to mention that kiang signifies a river, and shan a mountain. |