Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-03-17
The Butcheries at Amoy.-The editors of
The Journal Of Commerce have been favored with
The following letter from Charles W. Bradley, jr,
esq. 10 Hon. c. w. Bradley, of New Haven

The Butcheries at Amoy.-The editors of
the Journal Of Commerce have been favored with
the following letter from Charles w Bradley IT,
esq, 10 Hon. C. w. Bradley, Of New Haven
AMoY, CHINA, Dec. Z, 1853.
. Ever since the recapture of the city by the
imperial forces, on the 18th of November, the
policy of the mandarins towards the unfortunate
insurgents has been marked by such an extraor-
binary barbarity as | trust is without parallel.
among savages. The scenes TO which
have been an eyewitness of late, have certainly
surpassed in cruelty anything that / could have
imagined; and il is only because you have asked
me 10 keep you advised of passing events with
more minuteness than have done hitherto, that
do not leave the proposition in these general
terms, and without illustration
When the emperor's troops effected their en-
trance, the town was Immediately evacuted Ivy
the rebels. who fled in the widest disorder TO-
wards the wharves, for sampans, any other
means of escape which might offer. Multitudes
of them in attempting to cross 10 Kulandsu went
down in their over-crowded boats. Those who
reached that island or who were taken on this,
| lived but for a sadder fate Many We're put on
board the government war junks, or which some
sixty were anchored in the stream, abreast our
/ hongs; and after being bound hand and foot,
were thrown into the sea, and there pierced with
| pixies often they rose 10 the surface of the
| water Hundreds were taken 10 the je,iies and
| beheaded bv clumsy executioners; and their
knives growing dull under so much butchery.
they were often obliged 10 strike thrice or more
before the head could be severed from its BODY
More horrible still were other scenes in this
awful Tragedy. Some were put 10 death by the
slower process of ACKNOWLEDGMENT. First, sin
gle leg hewn of, then the other; after that
the arms were taken in the same way; then came
the tearing off great strips of flesh from the body
| and cropping of the nose and years, disembowel-
ing, and last, decapltatlon. During all this torture
il is said that word of complaint, look or ex-
preston OF the agony they were suffering, escaped
4 from any OF these poor wretches-a trait OF char
acter which s,rkingy assimilates these Mongols
with the American ladians.
As soon as these outrages We're discovered by
them, the humane interference of the British ma
val commanders al this station put check on
such murderous proceedings. Hecatombs had
already been slaughtered; but, of the large num-
beers thus rescued, the few who were uninlured
were safely conveyed 10 the main land for es-
cape. The wounded, in every stage Q. mutilation,
were carried on board a junk which was tempo
rar!ly fitted up as hospital, where they were
kindly cared for by the surgeons of her majesiys
vessels Bittern and Hermes. Scores of their,
however, died that night and on the following day.
The restored local magstracy looks with displea.
sure on this interposiiion Of the English flag; and
so vociferous were the West Coast lunkmen IA
part OF the Imperial feet against it, that their
! armed opposition was for some time apprehended
/ 1t is well for them tina, they did not attempt such
thing; for the steamer and brig had all their guns
| double-shotted IN anticipation of ARRAY, and
would have sunk the Junks on the first appearance
| of resistance.
/ For the past ten days the number of executions
| has averaged about thirty, daily. The total loss
of life here, during these evil times, varies no
| far from three thousand, mostly by butchery
The pirates on our coast are more than usually
| bold numerous, and successful. They have latel,
succeeded in capturing sundry Junks and Portu
guese lorchas, freghted with valuable cargoes
| The Fortuna, an English brig, whilst lying al an
| Choir with junks which she had in convoy, was 4
/ few days since taken and rifed by these sea
rovers, carrying of with thcm handsome ship
| ment Of opium, piecegoods, &c. On receiving
intelligence of these depredations, the war-seame
Hermes went in pursuit of these marauders, an
! succeeded in destroying one west-coast boat ant
twenty-four Annoy junks There are fourteen
others now proving about here somewhere, ant
the steamer is still cruising for them.
The mandarins have not yet begun to rebuilt
their dwellings, which were RACED by the insur
gents last May. Even the Hai-kwan has not We
> re-opened his custom-house--a thing, by tho w ay
> oil niue consequence, since there is scarcely an
more indication of revving business now thai
& we saw under the late irregular reeins
i Cuvier and Satan.--It wa, said an donb
/ correctly, that SO extraordinary was the skill O
Cuvier, that. if he only saw the tooth of an ami
NAL, he could give not only the class and order o
the animal in question, but the history of its hab
its. The following anecdote Of quick and coo
+, examination of parsonage whom most peopl
= would not think of submitting 10 such scientif
: research, is to use the Yankee vernacular, dec
dedly rich: In the Gemlemdn's Magasine io- hi
d month an article, called " Traits of the Trar
pists," and bearing the signature Of "John Doran
! concludes with characteristic anecdote of G,
vier. He once saw in his sleep the popular rel
reservation of satan advancing towards him an
! threatening to eat him. Eat me-" exclaimed II
philosopher, as he examined the fend with II
eve of naturalist, and then added. 'Horns. hoof
, granivorous. Needn't be afraid Of him."
A Black Regiment Of Soldiers is in proce,
OF formation in the city of Havana, by order