The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-03-08

tleman in China, writing to friend, says
"The rebellion still continues in China, but
is now principally confined to the mountain
Gus parts. The rebels in the neighborhood of
Canton were some time since driven away
and captured, and the trade has been revived.
By report, obtained recently from good au-
thority, it appears that upward OF 10000
men have been publicly executed in Canton
since the commencement of the Chinese new
year, on the 18th of February last. The
same authority states the number put to death
at Shan king -fu, at $4,000, and about $4,000
at the taking of the fort in Blenhelm Reach,
and the subsequent captures among the vii
lagos thereabouts. | believe, however, that
the numbers are very much understated. L
was at Canton in February last, and visited
the rebels at the fort in Blenheim Reach. |
also went to the execution ground at Canton
and it stank worse than half-a-dozen slaugh-
terhouses. The sides of the walls were
sprinkled and covered with blood. The
clothes and tails of the unfortunate wretch
es were .ying in heaps, and the ground was
covered with clotted and dried cakes of hui
man blood. In many of the villages near
Blenheim Fort, and other places adjoining,
houses have been erected where suspected or
prescribed persons may commit suicide and
thus save their posthumouS reputations and
be buried by their friends and hundreds are
said to have gone to these places (where their
bodies would be identi6ed) and put an end
to their existence by hanging or taking OPT
um. Many women (probubly those who had
lost all hope of support or safety have also
destroyed themselves. Such things as these
Show how sad is the state of native society.
aud how widespread is the desolation the
insurreclion has caused in that province
re far ca III ha hIpO
unmitisated evil to the people of both par
ties On the 9th instant one Of the leaders,
named Kan Sin, was put to death by ling
ering punishment, having been cut up into
l08 pieces. There are three grades of this
mode of punishment; the other two, where
the criminal is divided into "a or 36 pieces,
not being considered so disgraceful. This
leader headed the bands which threatened the
north of the city last autumn and winter.
More than 800 of lesser note were executed
the same day, and on one day last month
over 700 were executed. There las been "a
festival Of seven days held something like
an All Souls festival for the repose of the
spirits Of the officers and soldiers killed du
ring the contest. One of the most affecting
sights connected with the matter is that 100
or more coolies are lounging about the streets,
waiting for the executions that they may
pounc3 upon and seize the yet paIpltatng
bodies, to hurry off with them to the pits.
have no doubt that the number of lives lost
on both sides throughout the empire, since
the rebellion commenced, is 1000 ,000.'
MEANING OF CERTAIN CHINESE SOUNDS
The Chinese language contains not less than
forty thousand characters. There are ma
ny little sylables or sounds, sometimes at
the beginning and sometimes at the end of
words which make that easy which other
wise would be hard 10 understand. A few
examples will be here given: The little
word, syllable, or sound, written FL, or Foo,
means city or town Of the first magnitude,
containing as many as million of inhabi'
tants; so that, when reading of China,
In every town where Foo you see,
\ million people there must be.