The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-15 00:00:00

NARRATIVE OF THE CAPTIVITY OF
MESSRS. PARKES AND LOCH.

The second edition of the Times contains a letter
from the camp at Pekin. We make the following
extracts :

The return of Parkes and Loch enables me to give you
full information respecting their seizure and subsequent
treatment, and of all that occurred to the English party
until within a few minutes of the former taking place,
though their account unfortunately still leave. us in doubt
as to the way in which the remaining and larger number
were eventually made prisoners.
• • • As the Chinese officer bad spoken with great
civility, and offered to show where his general was to be
found, Parkes decided on trying to see him, and caked
Loch to go with him, which he at once consented to
do, and took with them one of Probyn's two Sikhs,
carrying a white flag. They arranged with Lieutenant
Anderson that they would return as quickly as possible, but
that if they did not come soon lie had better not wait, and
that if on attempting to move on he was attacked, he must
act as he should think best under the circumstances.

When they left the escort they were When by the officer
round the corner of a field of standing millet, which com-
pletely shut them out of sight of their friends, and they
almost immediately found themselves in front of about a
hundred matchlockineu, who presented their weapons sod
. .

looked very much as if they were about to Are, when en
officer an uut and prevented them.
Passing through these they mime to a small must on the
opposite side of which sat en dicer on horseback, who beck-
,.ue.l to them to come over. As they would have had to dim.
mount and get into a boat in order to do this, they hesitated
but. &Li-rounded as they wore by this time by hundreds of
men, remittance would Lave been useless, and they were

NING,

DEC.

prep/log to obey whole they saw a number of 'pumas,
evidently of high sank, coming towards them. Parkin soon
discovered, from the way in which he was addressed, that
one al Mau wee Ban-ko-linsia himself, sad he was
pushing ferwswel to make his way ap to him when both
he and Loeb weee violently seised, pushed forward, and
forced down en their knees betas him. • Parkes
was beginning to plated against sue treatment, and to
explain the eirclunatanoes which bad led to their
being there, when he was interrupted by &a-
ka-he-sin, and eked their names and position'.
On Parkee mentioning his own earns, the Mon-
golian Prince, whom he describes as a stern, somewhat
sinister-looking man, with strongly-narked features, indi-
cating considerable talent and much firmness, broke out in
the most violent abuse of him, saying, among other
things, that he attributed much of what was thee
occurring to his evil influence, that he TM reopen-
aide for all the fighting and consequent misery which
had taken place, and that, now that he had
got him, he would make him suffer for it. He was
proceeding in this strain, when a messenger galloped up,
apparently with some important news, for he immediately
rode off towards the front, accompanied by the greater num-
ber of his officers, while Parkes, Loch, and
the Sikh orderly were taken into a tent, where
their feet and arms were bound, the latter being
brought behind their becks aid strongly tied together
with ropes at the elbows and wrists. During the
time San.ko-lin&in was abasing poor Parkes, the 'tenders
by emphasised his remarks and prevailed any answer
being made by cuffing the letter on the head whenever
he attempted to make one, each blow being apparently
a signal to those who surrounded Loeb, who on
these occasions fared even worse than his com-
panion—his beardand hair being seizedby themeruffans, and
his head pulled down and rubbed in the dust at the feet of
Ban-ko-lin-sin's pony. The Prince before leaving had given
an order, which was overheard by Parkes, desiring
that their friends, together with the escort, • should
be secured and sent to the rear. He sad Loch listened
anxiously for the report Cl firearms, or some other sound
which might let them know whether any struggle took
place or not, but as they beard nothing they were inclined
to hope they had started before the order was given, and
managed to make their taupe.
After having been kept in the tent for a short time,
hey were told that Ban-ko-linsin had determined to
band them over to the Prince of 1 as being civil prisoners,
and that they were about to be taken to him. They were
accordingly all three put into • cart and driven some dia.
lance beyond Tung-clam along the great paved road leading
to Pekin, but the Prince not being at the place it was
thought he was, and their guard being unable to learn any.
thing as to his whereabouts, they were taken about
three miles back again, and brought before a man-
darin of high rank, holding an important command
in the army, who subjected them to • long and
wearisome examination. Parkes, of course, es being the
only one of the three who understood and spoke Chinese,
was always spokannan, but they were tall, more par-
ticularly the two Englishmen, once more exposed to
the same brutal and degrading treatment as they had
been when before ; indeed nothing appeared
to be left undone by this man which, in his estimation,
was likely to be considered by than most offensive and
insulting. He bullied Parkes in every possible way, and,
at last, so exhausted his patience that he told Loch he must
feign faintness in order to avoid farther questioning
and ill-treatment. His rear, fortunately, succeeded,
and they were allowed a short respite, but not
for any length of time ; they were soon brought before
him again, when his language became so violent, and the
conduct of thoee who crowded about them unchecked by
him so threatening, that Parkes felt persuaded the scene
would only end by their being ordered out for execution.
Whilst he was still engaged in abusing them • stir sud-
denly took place among the crowd, some communication
was made to him, and a mend panic seemed to come over
him and most of his officers, for they mounted their
puke and started off in all baste ; the time primal
were at the suns time hurried out into the yard by those
who remained with loud shouts and threats, and Parkas
told Loch that he feared it was ell over with them,
and that he must prepare for the wont. To their
great relief, however, at this moment • cart was tepidly
driven up ; they and the Sikh were thrown into it, a
couple of officers followed, and they weal off at a trot,
along the road to Pekin. According to their alculation, it
must have been between 2 and 3 in the afternoon
when they started, and they did not reach Pekin until about
sunset ; they suffered much during the journey, from the
tightness of the ropes with which their hands and feet were
bound, and the awkward and confined position in which
they were compelled to lie ; the cart also being without
springy jolted over the rough road in such a manner
as at times to cause them exquisite pain in every
joint. Their guardians appeared to enjoy their ad.
feringa, and occasionally, probably to afford themselves
sense amusement during so long a ride, pulled their anus
backwards and upwards, as if to see whether it gave them
much additional pain; they relieved them also of any little
articles of jewellery they happened to have on them, such
as studs or wrist buttons.

On entering Pekin they were taken direct to the Hsing.
poo, or board of punishment, the principal prison of the
town, and placed in a small court, from which, after a short
interval, Parkes was called into a room in which were some
examining officers, asked a few unimportant questions, and
then loaded with a heavy set of chains and removed
to one of the wards in which criminal, of every
description were confined, there being no less than 72 in that
is which he now found himself. Loch was next summoned,
treated in precisely the same way, and placed in a ward
apart from Parkes, in which were 56 wretched prisoners,
who bailed his entrance with the most horrible shouts and
yells it was possible to conceive; the poor Sikh wee, like
the others, heavily chained and imprisoned in • imps.
rate ward. At midnight Parkes was roused up for another
examination, and taken before five officers, who quell.
timed him most closely respecting the strength of the
English and French armies, made most particular in-
quiries as to whether the English government, or at all
events he himself had not many friends inside Pekin, and
whether he bad not frequently managed to pay visits
to the capital, and penetrate within its walls. After com-
pletely wearying him out, he war allowed to return to his
wretched prison and get • little rest. For three successive
days were these ;useless and annoying examinations con-
tinued, in the course of which he occasionally met with
a good deal of rough usage, and every description of
insult. Lxh had to undergo but one of them,
they having probably satisfied themselves at that one that
he did not know their language. On the third
day Parkes was pot into • small ward by him-
self, separated by bars from the larger one, about
eight feet square, with three gaolers in it constantly
watching him. On the fourth day he received •
visit from Hang-ke, who said he had come
to gondola with him on his unfortunate position,
which, however, he endeavoured to prove was entirely of
his own bringing about. After some civil speeches he left,
promising to see him agaia. This was on the 22nd, and on
the 26th he paid him a second visit, on which occasion he
►ssumed a bullying tone, and talked very big, saying that
the Great Council had decided in favour of war ; conduct-
ing himself altogether is such a manner that Parkes at
once saw that he was in hopes of intimidating him, pro-
bably with • view to obtaining his insistence in some
matter connected with the negotiations. He gave
him no encouragement, however, and Hang-he left

him without giving him any intimation of what
he really wanted. Two days afterwards lie same
again, and spoke in a vary different tone. The Prince
of Kong, be said, was most anxious to make peace,
as well as friendly inclined towards Parkes; he was
extremely desirous that he should write a letter to Lord
Elgin to this effect, and let him know at the same
time that be was well, happy, and well treated. He
further suggested, that if he were to ray in his letter
that the Prince was an excellent man of business
and an enlightened statesman it would be agree-
able to his feelings and pouibly the means of
improving his (Parkes's) present position. Parkes told him
that, not having the pleasure of knowing the prince, it was
unfortunately impossible for hint to say that he was what
Hang-ke represented him to be, though be dad no doubt
it was perfectly true, and that, as regiuded himself, as lie
use neither happy nor well treated, lie should certainly
sot say that he was either the use or the other.
To this Hang-ke replied that the prince bad only Jost
heard how he had been treated, and immediately resolved
to have his chains removed, which should be done without
lose of time. Parkes said this was not enough ; the best
and wisest course for the prince to pursue would be, as
they had been imprisoned wrousfully, to set himself and
Loch at liberty at once, but if he would nut do this he ought
I to take them out of prison and let them have proper ac.
oonirnoslation. Hang-ke undertook that this should be

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dane as regarded hissed. Vet eat Loch should also be
liberated—impossible, it was useless to think of it. Parkes
then said that sa they had been taken together, so they
most be liberated together, or no letter to Lord Elgin would
they get out of him. Hang•ke, as he expected, said he would
ems what could be done, and the next day, to Loch's
peat surprise and still greater joy, Puttee without his
chains, and accompanied by Hang-ke, walked into
his ward ; his own chains were immediately taken off,
and they were removed to the Kaoumean Temple
situate in the north of the city where they re-
mained until the day on which they were finally
est at liberty, being treated during this latter
period of their imprisonment as well in every re-
spect as they had been badly in the former. There is one
fact connected with their prison life which I cannot help
thinking worthy of very prominent notice. I mean the
extreme kindness shown to them by the Chinese prisms:a
Parkes and Loch, and not only they, but the other prisoners
all speak of this in the warmest terms.

It appears from the same letter that the other
prisoners had been confined in various district towns
iu the neighbourhood of the capital, and it had been
found impossible to trace any one of them. It was
the impression of the writer that Hang-ke, by
whom Messrs. Parkes and Loch were released, was
himself ignorant of the whereabouts of the others.