The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-29 00:00:00

which had nearly doubled since the collection of it
had been placed in his hands, they reproved me for
using such language, and called out that Lay was
nothing else than a native (Chinese) traitor.
Towards the close of the examination, throughout
which I was compelled to remain kneeling upon the
stone floor, I obtained their permission to make a
statement on my own account. I then told them
why I and the other gentlemen of my party had
come to. Tung-chow ; that we were all employed in
the cause of peace, and not of war ;. but, although
acting under a flag of truce, and admitted to inter,.
views with the Imperial Commissioners, we had
been seized and were now being treated, not even
offenders against Chinese law, I was urging that
as prisoners of war, but as common fellons, and as
this great and to me unaccountable mistake should
not be persisted ia, when they interrupted me by
saying " That is your account, but we have another
story.if, as you state, you are a civilian,
and h have
v Be
nothingesd es,
to do with soldiers or their move-
ments, why are you always seen with the advance?"
To this I answered that we always kept an inter-
preter in the front to be ready to receive overtures
or communications from the Chinese authorities,
and to look after the interest of the people. The
examination ended, I was ordered back to prison.
I have thus given a full recital, my lord, of the
occurrences of the 18th of September, the day on
which we were seized; but I shall endeavour to
avoid similar detail in the account I have now to
add of our subsequent 20 days of imprisonment.
On the 19th and 20th a great number of Manda-
rins visited the prison, and those whose official
position entitled them is make the demand,
ordered me to be brought out, that they might
have the satisfaction of seeing me kneeling before
them. Among these were the highest authorities of
the Board of Punishments, including, as I now
know, the President himself, who abused me in a
very bitter tone, laughed at my statement, and
appeared as ignorant of foreigners, and as much
prejudiced against them, as his subordinates who
had conducted the examination above described.
Several Censors and Vice-Presidents of the other
five Boards of Government were also pointed out
to me by the gaolers as being among the visitors.
Whenever brought out before Mandarins of rank,
I lost no opportunity of protesting against my
treatment, and of pointing out that in wronging
me they were injuring themselves, as it was im-
possible that peace could be made if they seized
and imprisoned the instruments of negotiation.
But it was only from the prisoners tillat I ob-
tained sympathy or a hearing. Many of these un-
fortunate men were glad, when ,so permitted, to
come round me to listen to my story, or any de-
scription that I would give them of foreign coun-
tries and usages. Instead of following the example
set them by their authorities, and treating me with
abuse or ridicule, they were seldom disrespectful,
addressed me by my title, and often avoided
putting me to inconvenience when it was in
their power to do so. Most of them were men
of the lowest class and the gravest order of of-
fenders, as murderers, burglars, Sec. Those who had
no means of their own were reduced by prison filth
and prison diet to a shocking state of emaciation
and disease, but those who could afford to fee the
gaolers, and purchase such things as they wanted,
lived in comparative fulness and comfort.
They explained to me that their prison system
cost the Government nothing more than the pay of
the gaolers, and the supply of two bowls of boiled
millet per day to each prisoner. All other ex-
penses, such as water, lighting, fuel, tea, salt, vege-
tables for the prisoners, and good meals for the
gaolers, &c., are defrayed by some one among the
prisoners who voluntarily undertakes the charge in
redemption of a certain portion of his term of im-
prisonment.
The mandarins of the Board having ordered that
I should be supplied with food that I could eat, my
maintenance, which cost, as I was told, ls. a-day,
was carried to the charge of the man who held this
position, but instead of taking a dislike to me on
account of the increased expense which I occasioned
him, he was one of the foremost in showing me
kindness or consideration. My meals consisted of
two meals a-day boiled rice, or a kind of maccaroni,
seasoned with a very sparing allowance of meat or
vegetables ; also cakes, or the bread of the country,
and a little tea and tobacco.
In the prison roll, which was hung up on the
wall, I found myself returned as "a rebel," and that
I was one of five, out of a total of seventy-three,
who were ordered to wear the heaviest chains,
As I grew more intimate with the inmates of the
prison, I cautiously endeavoured to obtain informa-
tion from or through teem of the movements of the
allies, or the intentions of the Chinese authorities ;
but the gaolers were always on the watch to pre-
vent communication between me and the prisoners
on these subjects, nor would they allow themselves
to be drawn into conversation respecting them.
Two of these men remained always beside me, both
by day and night, and although they occasionally
answered by inquiries respecting Mr. Loch and my
fellow-prisoners, they defeated every endeavour I
made to get a message or note conveyed to them.
On the 22d of September I was removed from the
common prison to a separate ward about eight feet
square, on the opposite side of the court, the four
gaolers appointed to watch me crossing at the same
time, and putting up in the same little room. This
was scarcely done when I received a visit from the
inspector of the prison, who, instead of making me
kneel before him, as he had done on previous visits,
desired me to be seated, and introduced another
mandarin of small rank as his relief. The latter
said ho had come merely to pay me a friendly and
a private visit, and to suggest in an equally private
way whether I could not do something by writing
a note of some kind, or in any way that I might
suggest, to bring about a settlement of the present
differences between our respective nations. I said
that, when two nations at war wanted to come to
friendly understanding, the first thing to be done
was for one or the other to make overtures for
peace; negotiations, either by writing or by con-
ference, would follow, and if these were carried out
to the satisfaction of both parties peace would
ensue. The difficulty in the present case was that
the Chinese had made prisoners of the very persons
—although essentially non-combatants—who were
required to conduct these conferences. Here I gave
them a recital of my own story, but after hearing
this they simply came back to their first proposal,
that I should suggest some mode of arrangement,
and said they would shortly repeat their visit to
hear what had occurred to me. They would give
me no information as to the occurrences of the last
five days.
Shortly after they had gone the head gaoler
asked me if I knew a mandarin named Hang-ki.
He would like to sae you, he said, but cannot come
into the prison on account of the stench, and I do
not see how you can be allowed to go out to him. I
told the gaoler to act as he pleased, and a few
Minutes afterwards Hang-ki entered. I have by
me the following note of our conversation, which I
succeeded in making shortly after he had left me :
Note.—Hang-ki assumes a look of pity for my
condition, though apparently without thinking
that it is undeserved. He asks how matters are to
be arranged, and I inquire for news. Skirmishes,
he says, occasionally occur between San-ko-lin-sin
and our troops, who have not yet passed Chang-kea-
wan. The Prince of I and Muh-yin have been
recalled to Pekin, and the Prince of Kung, a
younger brother of the Emperor_a very able and
amiable man—appointed in their place. Perhaps
Kweilang will be his colleague. How can nego-
tiations be set on foot ?
I say that they have increased their difficulties by
their wrongful treatment of me and my party by
their violation of a flag of truce and the rights of an
envy,and I also complain of the deceit practised in
my case.

-Hang-ki at first professes surprise at hostilities of
the 18th. Had he known that these were going to
occur, he would have gone to see Lord Elgin. Came
back because he thought Lord Elgin would not see
him, and because he found Lord Elgiu a long way
off (Correcting himself) Came back because
the Baron de Meritens had told him that it was
useless trying to see Lord Elgin before I had re-
turned. The Prince of I had told him that I had
been taken prisoner because it Wits war, and not
peace, and bect:LLsel had admitted to him—Hang-ki
On thr: evening of the 17th of September, that we
Kne'or of the arrest several days previously, by our
military, of the Prefect of Tien-twin.
I reminded Hang-ki of all the business we had
transacted together the same evening, as showing
that the Prince of I had quite given me to beheye
that he considered hostilities at an end. Certain
officers had wen appointed to Atli: with me the
position to be taken up by our force; other offices
had been appointed to furnish supplies; a proclama-
tion making known the cessation of hostilities had
been agreed to, and was being printed under his
(Ilang-ki's) superintendence; and yet the Chinese
attack our troops the next morning when proceed-
lag to take up the ground agreed on, and seize me
when engaged in the transaction of the above busi-
ness. Either the Prince of I had grossly deceived
Ino ©r Sang-ko-lia-nin had acted independently of