The Express.
London, England, 1858-02-26 00:00:00

HOW COMMISSIONER YEH WAS

CAPTURED.

• • We must now go back to the general Start-
ing point, and accompany the chase after Yeh. Mr. Consul
Parkas, who was attached as interpreter to Colonel Holloway's
party, arrived too late, and was without an escort. While
he was deploring his ill luck he mot with Commodore Elliot,
who, fired by Mr. Parkes telling him that he had some
information as to Yeh's lurking-place, agreed, upon his
own responsibffity, to accompany him with 100 blue-
jackets. Mr. Parks expected to find Yoh at the imperial
library, but upon arriving at that high-titled edifies he found
only a great empty house. Having ransacked every
corner, they were coming away diegumed, when Mr. Parkes
put his foot against a closed door. It gave way, and a China-
man was seen inside the closet diligently studying one of the
gamed books. Whore was Yab ? flow should the China-
man know ? He knew nothing of Yeh—he was only a poor
student. Drawn from his hiding-place and submitted to a
sharp interrogatory, he confessed bit by bit that Yale had
been there, but had left some days ago. At last he even
thought he knew where he was—nearly three miles off, some-
where at tho south-west corner of the city, in a small
yemun of one of the Lieutenant• Governors. Taking this
" student" along with them, the party now prooeeded to
the Governor's yamun. The Governor was by this time in
custody of Colonel Holloway, and the Admiral and
the General had arrived there. An examination took
place, and the Governor, after some admonition, admitted he
also knew Yeh's retreat, and named the same place
which the student had named. He was made to
send a second guide, and the two Chinamen where
placed in front of the blue-jackets. These unwilling
IttodZi tiles' their-stye:4 of the Ta urged sirtarocrcitya,tdidanotall"
cease
to shout to the crowds which ran together. ' Good people,
go about your affairs. These gentlemen have just had a
a reepeotlul interview with Peh-kwei, and they are now
going to have another interview with Yell." "'Very well,"
said the crowd, habitually deferential to the cap of the small
Mandarin. As they got deeper and deeper into the mare of
streets some of the officers seemed to think they were doing
an imprudent thing. "If the worst comes to the worst."
said Captain Key, " we know the direction of the walla
by this compass and can fight our way to them,"
so on they went. The longest chase must have en end.
At last the guides called a halt at the door of a third-rate
yamun, which appeared closed and deserted. The doors
were forced open and the blue-jackets were all over the
place in a moment. It was evident that they were now on the
right scent. The place was full of hastily:packed baggage.
Madartni were running about ; yea, running about ; and at
last one came forward and delivered himself up as Yeh. But
he was not fat enough. Parkes pushed him aside, end, hur-
rying on, they at last spied a very fat man, contemplating the
achievement of getting over the wall at the extreme rear of
the yamun. Captain Key and Commodore Elliott's cox-
swain rushed forward. Key took the fat gentleman round
the waist, and the coxswain twisted the august tail of
the imperial commissioner round his fist. There was no
mistake now—this was the veritable Yeh. Instinctively the
blue-jackets felt it must be Yeh, and they tossed up their
hate end gave three rattling cheers.
Yeti is by no means the hero the people thought him. He
trembled violently when he wan taken ; be strenu-
ously denied his identity; and it was not till
Mr. Parkes had several times had the satisfaction
and triumph of mewing his old enemy of his
personal safety that he grew composed. As soon,
however, as he felt himself safe all his arrogance re•
turned. He posed himself magnificently in his chair. He
laughed at the idea of giving up his seals, and also at
the idea of his being led away. He would wait
there to receive the men Elgin and Gros. They searched
all his packages for papers, and found among other
things the original ratifications of the treaties with
England, France, and America ; they were, as he intimated
too unimportant as document, to be sent to Pekin. This
search lasted three hours. The mowed the osmium had been
sent to head-quarters; Colonel Hooker was despatchedwith a
strong body of menthes, and Yell again trembled as he
11 entered his chair a captive.-2Virses Correspondent.