Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-01-24
THE SACKING OF THE CHINESE
EMPEROR'S PALACE.

he summer palace Of Then Fung. the
Chinese emperor ia Pekin. aas plundered
10y the French and English sJldirrs after
their entrance into the city. The booty
taken was valued at $50, 200. but would
have been much more if many valuable
articles had not been destroyed. A letter
from an English correspondent with the
army gives the following account of the
affair -
No description can give an idea of the
>plendor Of this residence. The entrance
or reception hall Is paved with marblean
painted with Ia. azure and scarlet in the
most georgeou- style The throne Of the
emperor i, Of beautiful carved dark wood,
and the cushions. embroidered with gold
dragons, attracted general admiration
very inner chamber and saloon was very
handsomely fitted up, and the rolls of <ilk,
ATTN and Grape. all Of splendid workman
ship. furnished cummerbunds AMI pugga-
r-es for the French soldiers, who appear
10 have adopted our custom in this respect.
The Jade stone and china were Of great
value, and some Sevres china of Louis
Quratorze would have delighted the eye
Of many a curious fancier; and present
alton sword. with the English coat Of arms,
studded with gems, and evidently of an
tquity. gave rise 10 some speculation
The last treaty of Tien-tsin Wa also found,
and the immense quantity Of loot (plun-
der) of all kinds made il almost impO,si-
ble TO knew what 10 take away. Some
idea Of rhe quantity Of silk may be given
bY the fact that fowl, old pots, &c. were
wrapped in ths. mo-t costly silks and sat
ins. All the ladies had disappeared. but
their little Japanese Iogs. something like
a King Charles -paniel, were running
about in distracted state. Mr.. Wade
secured some valuable books and Papers.
some We believe for the British museum.
Indiscriminate loot has been allowed
The public reception hall, the state and
private bedrooms, ante-roOms, bOudOirs,
and every other apartment. has been ran
sacked, articles of rirt,. of native and
foreign workmanship, taken, or broken if
too large TO be carried away ornamental
lattice work. screens. Jade stone ornaments.
iar-. clorks, watches and other pieces Of
mechanism, curtains and furniture-nOne
have escaped from destruction. There
were extensive wardrobes oi every article
of dress; coats richly embroidered in silk
and gold thread, in the imperial dragoa
pattern; boots. head-d-esSes, fans. &c.: ia
fact. rooms all but filled with them; store
rooms of manufactured silks in rolls, such
a. may be bought in Canton al twenty 10
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 rrampled on-and the flo r
covered thickly with them men were
throwing them AT each other, and all TAX
ing as many as they could carry. They
were used instead of rope to ~erure the
Loading of carts filled with them. Through
out the French camp we're hundreds Of
;.ieces, some heaped up, others used TO
make tents or beds and coyerlets. In the
afternoon yesterday, party Of French
went through the apartments with sticks,
breaking everything that remained-rnir-
r Rs, screens, panels, &c. Ii is said that
they did so in revenge for the barbarOus
treatment the released prisoners, their
couutrymen, had received"