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

On entering Pekin they were taken direct to the
Haing-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 criminals of every description
were confined, there being no less than 72 in that
in 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 hailed his entrance
with the horrible shouts and yells it was possible
to conceive ; the poor Sikh was, like the others,
heavily chained and imprisoned in a separate ward.
At midnight Parkes was roused up for another
examination, and taken before five officers
who questioned him most closely respecting
• the strength of the English and Frensh armies,
made most particular inquiries as to whether the
English Government, or at all events he himself,
had not many friends inside Pekin, and whether he
had not frequently managed to pay visits to the
capital, and penetrate within its walls. After com-
pletely wearying him out he was allowed to return
to his wretched prison and get a little rest. For
three successive days were these useless and annoy-
ing examinations continued, in the course of which
he occasionally met with a good deal of rough usage,
and every description of insult. Loch 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 put into a small ward by himself, 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 a visit from Hang-ke,
who said he had come to condole with him on his
unfortunate position, which, however, he endea-
, voured to prove was entirely of his own bringing
about. After some civil speeches he left, promis-
ing to see him again. This was on the 22d, and
on the 26th he paid him a second visit, on which
occasion he assumed a bullying tone, and talked
very big, saying that the Great Council had decided
in favour of war; conducting himself altogether
in such a manner that Parkes at once saw he
was in hopes of intimidating him, probably with
a view to obtaining his assistance in some matter
connected with the negotiations. He gave him
no encouragement, however, and Hang-ke left him
without giving him any intimation of what he
really wanted. Two days afterwards he came again,
and spoke in a very different tone. The Prince of
Lung, he said, was very anxious to make peace,
as well as friendly inclined towards Parkes ; lie
was extremely desirous that he should write a
letter to Lord Elgin to this effect, and let him
know, at the same time, that he was well, happy,
and well treated. He further suggested, that if he
were to say in the letter that the Prince was an
excellent man of business and an enlightened
statesman it could be agreeable to his feelings and
possibly the means:of improving his, Parkes', pre-
sent position. Parkes told him, that not having
the pleasure of knowing the Prince it was, unfor-
tunately, impossible for him to say that he was
what Hang-ke represented him too be, though he
had no doubt it was perfectly true, and that as
regarded himself, as he was neither happy or well
treated, he should certainly not say that lie was
either the one or the (be... To this Hang-ke
replied that the Prince had only just heard
how lie had been treated, and immediately
resolved to have his chains removed, which
should be done without loss 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 wrongfully, to set himself and Loch at
liberty at once, but if he would not do this he ought
to take them out of prison and let them have pro-
per accommodation. Hang ke undertook that this
should be done as regarded himself, but that Loch
should also be liberated.; impossible, it was useless
to think of it. Parkes then said that as they had
been taken together, so they must be liberated to-
gether, or no ietter to Lord Elgin would they get
out of him. Hang-ke, as lie expected, said he would
see what could be done, and the next day, to Loch's
great surprise and still greater joy, Parkes, 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
remained until the day on whith they were finally
set at liberty, being treated during this latter period
of their imprisonment as well in every respect 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. 1
mean the extreme kindness shown to them by the
Chinese prisoners. Parkes and Loch, and not only
they but the other prisoners all speak of this in the
warmest terms. Such conduct stands out in strong
and inexplicable contrast to that of the Mandarins
and of the great mass of the people out of doors,
for in the case of M. d'Ezeayrac de Lanture, who
was taken prisoner in the town of `Lung-than,
there is no question he was assaulted in the first
instance by the towns-people alone, and would
have lost his life but for the interference of a
Mandarin. Apparently the same class of
people who wore ready to tear him to pieces when
at liberty, could not show him sufficient kind-
ness and attention when confined in the same
prison with him. He had many a townsman of
Pekin, he ascertained, as companions in his ward,
and some who had been in good circumstances—but
one and all they did everything they could to alle-
viate bis sufferings, and appeared glad when he
was released.

The last week of Parkes and Lech's confinement
was not the least anxious one for them, for, on
the one hand, they had intelligence from Lord
Elgin, conveyed as already described, staling that
the city was to be bombarded, and on the other they
were told by Hang-ke that he much feared the
sound of the first gun fired against the walls would
be the signal of their death. Fortunately it was
not necessary to have recourse to hostile measures
against the city, but their ;escape has been quite
narrow enough, and they and:the others who came
out with them have every reason to feel deeply
grateful that they are once more safe among their
friends. Would that all the other poor fellows were
so also.