The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-17 00:00:00

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replied that the Prince had only
how he had been treated, and
resolved to have his chains rem_
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 be liberated was impcssible, 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 letter to Lord Elgin would they get
out of him. Hang-ke, as he expected, said he would
see what could I:done, and the next day, to Loch's
great surprise and still greater jo3 Parkes, bout
his chains, and accompanied by Ilan:-.;-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 which 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. I
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 iu the town of Zung-chan,
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 were 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 his sufferings, and appeared glad when he
was released.
The last week of Parkes and Loch'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, stating 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.

pIUCE' 4D. STAMPED, sp.

on he was attacked, he must act as he should think
best under the circumstances..

When they left the escort they were taken by the
officer round the corner of a field of standing millet.
which completely shut them out of sight of tteir
friends, and they also immediately fol'.la them-
selves in front of about a hundred natchleckmen,
who presented their weapons and looked very much
as if they were about to fire,
when an officer ran
out and prevented them.
Passing through they, they came to a small canal,
on the opp6site side
which sat au officer on horse-
back, who bucko7Aed to them to come over. As they
would have }.ad to dismount, and get into a boat in
order to do this, they hesitated, but, surrounded as
they wee by this time by hundreds of men, resist-
ance would have been useless, and they were pre-
paring to obey when they saw a number of persons,
evidently of high rank, coming towards them.
Parkes soon discovered, from the way in which he
was addressed, that one of these was Sang-ko-lin
sin himself, and he was pushing forward to make
whomment mentioning his way up to him when both he and Loch were
violently seized, pushed forward, and forced down
on their knees before him. Parkes was beginning
to protest against such treatment, and to explain
the circumstances which had led to their being
there, when be was interrupted by Sang-ko-lin-sin,
and asked their names and positions. On Parkes
gdeheiesriohee as a
own name, the
sMemonegwohleiatneioi
Prince,ster
looking man, with strongly-marked features, indi-
cating considerable talent and much firmness, broke
out into the most violent
among other things, that he attributed much of
what was then occurring to his evil influence, that
he was responsible for all the fighting and conse-
quent 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 number of his officers, while Parkes, Loch,
and their Sikh orderly were taken into a tent,
where their arms and feet were bound, the latter
being brought behind their backs and strongly tied
together with ropes at the elbows and wrist.
During the time Sang-ko-lin-sin was abusing poor
Parkes, the standers by emphasized his remarks
and prevented any answer being made by cuffing
the latter on the head whenever he attempted to
make one, each blow being apparently a signal to
those who surrounded Loch, who on these occasions
fared even worse than his companion —his beard
and hair being seized by these ruffians, and his
head pulled down and rubbed in the dust at the
feet of Sang-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 and Loch listened anxiously for the report of
firearms, or some othefsound 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 escape.
After having been kept in the tent for a short
time they were told that Sang-ko-lin-sin had deter-
mined to hand them over to the Prince of I, as being
civil prisoners, and that they were about to be taken
to him. They were accordingly all three put into a
cart and driven some distance beyond Tung-ehau
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 anything
as to his whereabouts, they were taken about three
miles back again, and brought before a Man-
darin of high rank, holding an important com-
mand in the army, who subjected them to a
long and wearisome examination. • Parkes of
course, as being the only one of the three who under-
stood and spoke Chinese, was always spokesman, but
they were all, more particularly the two English-
men, once more exposed to the same brutal and
degrading treatment as they had been when before
Sang-ko-lin-sin ; indeed, nothing appeared to be
left undone by this man which, in his estimation,
was likely to be considered by them 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
further questioning and ill-treatment. His ruse,
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 lan-
guage became so violent, and the conduct of those
who crowded about them unchecked by him so
threatening, that Parkes felt persuaded the scene
would only end by their being ordered out for exe-
cution. Whilet he was still engaged in abusing
them, a stir suddenly took place among the crowd,
some communication was made to him, and a gene-
ral panic seemed to come over him and most of his
officers, for they mounted their ponies and started
off in all haste • the three prisoners were at the
same time hurried out into the yard by those who
remained with loud shouts and threats, and Parkes
told Loch he feared it was all over with them, and
that he must prepare for the worst. To their great
relief, however, at this moment a cart was rapidly
driven up ; they and the Sikh were thrown into it, a
couple of officers followed, and they went off at a trot
along the road to Pekin. According to their calcula-
tion, it must have been between 2 and 3 in the after-
noon when they started, and they did not reach Pekii.
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 springs, 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 sufferings, and
occasionally, probably to afford themselves some
amusement during so long a ride, pulled their arms
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 hap-
pened to have on them, such as studs or wrist
buttons.
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 French 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 vratekl_nagugn-IM
ke,
On the fourth day he received a visit frhom_
iHm
on his
who said he had come to condole with hi
endea-
unfortunate position, which, however,
bringing
voured to prove was entirely ofh
his own
left, promis-
about. After some eivil speeches on the 22d, and
ing to see him again. This
visit, on which
as
on the 26th he paid him a second tone
occasion he assumed a bullying . 1
and talked
very big, saying that
the Great Councihad decided
conductinghimself altogether
in favour of war;
in h a manner that
Park es at once saw he
suc
was in hopes of intimidating
him, probably with
av
iewto 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
Kung, he said, was very 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 ho was well, happy'
and well treated. He further suggested, that If be
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', Rre-
sent position. Parkes told him, that not having
he Wow
pleasure of knowing. the Prince it wlus,
tunately, impossible for MIA to ;l that
he was
W 1
what Hang-ke Topressi."' him to I though he