Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-01-08
The Sacking of the Chinese EmperOr's
Palace.

The summer palace of Thien-FuDg,the
Chinese Emperor in Pekin, was plumber
ed by the French and English soldiers
after their entrance into the city. The
booty taken was valued at 500, 900, but
would have been much more, if many
valuable articles had not been DESTROY
ed. a letter from AZ English cores
pondent with the army gives the follow
ing account of the affair
mo description can give an idea of
the splendor OF this residence. The en-
trance or reception hall is paved with
marble, and painted with god, azure
aud scarlet in the most gorgeous style
l he throne OF the Emperor is of beauti-
FIJI carved dark wood, and the cushions,
embroidered with gold dragons, attract
ed general admiration every inner
chamber and saloon was very handsome
" fitted up, and the rolls of silk, satin
and Grape, all of splendid workmanship,
furnished cummerbunds and puggarees
for the French soldiers, who appear to
lave adopted our custom in this res
pect. The jade stone and china were OF
great value, and some Sevres china of
Louis Quatorze would have delighted
the eye Of many curious fancier and
a presentation sword, with the English
coat OF arms, studded with gems, and
evidently of antiquity, gave rise to some
speculation. The last treaty of Ten
tsin was also found, and the immense
quantity of loot (plunder) of oil kinds
made it almost impossible to know what
to take away. Some idea of the guam
tity Of silk may be given by the fact
that fowls, old pots, etc.. we're wrapped
in the most costly silks and satins. All
the ladies had disappeared, but then
little Japanese dogs, something re-
sembling King Charles spaniel, were
running about in distracted state. Mr..
Wade secured some valuable books and
papers, some We believe for the British
| museum.
"Indlscriminate loot has been allowed.
The public reception hall, as the state
and private bedrooms, ante-rooms,
boudolrs, and every other apartment, has
been ransacked, articles of virtu, of ma
tive and foreign workmanship, taken, or
broken if too large to be carried away 5;
ornamental lattice work, screens, Jade
stones, ornaments, jars clocks, watches
and other pieces Of mechanism, curtains
and furnitule-none have escaped from
destruction. There we're extensive ward
robes of every article of dress coats
richly embroidered in silk and gold
thread, in the imperial dragon pattern ;
boots, hcad-dresses, fans, etc. in fact,
rooms all but filled with them; store
looms of manufactured silke in rolls,
such rs may be bought in Canton q,
twenty dollars to thirty dollars per
piece. BY a calculation made in the
rooms there must have been 10000 or
$4,000 pieces. Hundreds were thrown
down and trampled on, and the floor GOV.
cred thickly with them; men we're
throwing them at each other, and all Ia.
king as many IS they could carry. They
were used instead of rope to secure the
loading Of carts filled with them
Throughout the French camp were hun.
dreds of pieces, some heaped up, others
used to make tents or beds and cover.
lets. In the afternoon yesterday, par
~ Of French went through the apart
ments with sticks, breaking everything
that remained-mirrors, screens, pamela
etc. 1t is said that they did 20 in re
veuge for the barbarous treatment the
released prisoners, their comrades, had
] received"