St. Paul weekly Minnesotian. (St. Paul) 1860-1861, 1861-01-11
The Allied Armies in Notwithstanding
oftLe EfnperOr's Palace.

Corresponds OF the Ncrth China Herald Nov. 90
The SUMMER palace is about lives miles
bv q circuit1us road nOrrhyest ot THIS caIup
outside the earth work A description OFT
is given IN Staunton's account OF Lord ha-
! cartaey's Embassy, and other works OF
China, bat Do pen can describe correctly
the scene that has taken place thers within
the last two days. lndiscrminate loot
/ has been allowed. The public reception
! hall, the state aud private bedrooms, ante
, ROOMS, boudOirs and every other apartment
I has been ransacked; articles OF virtu, oil
naive and foreign workm anship taken, or
/ broken if too large 20 be carried away ; or
namental lattice work, screens, jade stone
/ ornaments, jars, clocks, watches and other
| pieces Of mechanism, curtains and furniture
hone have escaped from destruction.
| There were extans We wardrohes of every
article of dress; coats richly embroidered
| in silk and gold thread, in the Imperial
Dragon pattern boots, head dresses, fans,
, &c.-in fact. rooms MI but filled with them;
| store-rvoms of mansfactur,d silk in rolls,
| such as may be b ught in Canton at TWEEN
| ty 10 thirty dollars per piece. BY calcu-
iation made III the rooms there must have
been 20, 900 or $4,000 pieces. Hundreds
were thrown down and trampled on, and
the floor covered thickiy with them; men
! were throwing them Ut each other, and all
king A. many as they could carry. They
, were used instead Of ropes to secure the
loading of carts filled with them. Through
ont the French camp mere hundreds Of
pieces, some heaped up, others used to
, make tents or beds and coverlets.
In the afternoon yesterday party Of
French went through the apartments with
sticks, breaking every thing that remained
mirrors, screens, panels, &c. 1t is said
that they did so in revenge for the 6arbar-
Gus treatment the released prisoners, their
countrymen, had received.
A treasury containing large quantity
Of gold ingots and sycee silver is under
charge of guard, and is to be divided be.
tween the English and French.
The total value of property destroyed
would amount to large instalment of the
indemnity claimed.
la one Of the ante.rooms OF the state
bedroom at the Summer Palace the treaty
Of Tientsin, in English and Chinese, signed
by Lord Egin, was found. 1t had been
thrown on the ground by some one, and
lay in heap Of broken articles till the
English paper evidently attracted the eye
OF the person who discovered it.
A general order from the British Com
,nauder in chief desired that all articles
taken by officers and men were to be sent
in for sale by public auction, for the benel
fit Of the army, which was done. All were
permitted to have the articles they had
brought away for themselves valued, and
have the option Of taking or rejecting them.
Many beautiful curiosities and soursnsrs
were thus obtained at nominal price
The sale realized $50, 900, which, with the
value OF the treasure, estimated at S6l,-
600, is 70 be divided rs prize money en- the
spot.
The Commander inChlef and general
officers have waived their rights to share.
A gold jug Of great value was presented to
the Commander-in Chief by the army
Nearly all the ARTICLES were sold AT very
high prices, large enameled and iHlaid
vases and ornaments realizing full Shang-
hal prices tor surs, articles, the fact Of
their having Duta The property OF II cn
Flung added Al imaginary value ~ every
thing. he scene where the sale was ned
in the Temple Lamasiri, occupied as head
quarters, vas worthy of the pencil Of an
artist Had HIS Imperial Majesty handed
over the whole # the contents Of that
palace uninjuceI, it would have sold for an
en.rmous amount, more than three-fourths
having been destroyed or taken by the
French.
All round the vicinity Of the palace are
large enclosures. parks or cemeteries, with
trees Of some magnitude, and stone
bridges over nullshs, the country being
very dry at present. Branching off from
the palace are several paved roads, and,
just outside Of it is the French camp BY
the side OF two large lotus ponds