Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-23
AROUND THE WORLD.
Now Years Day finn CsntOn-The United States ConsulAte-The Fall of sontat- Fronch Cruelty-Chiness Military and Naval ARairs-Proclamati0n
UNITED STATES CONSULATE,


 fashion in this hsathen city of Canton but country and the climate I certainly did.
 At nine o'clock started out from the American consulate, where am the guest of eur provsrbially hospitable consul at this port, Mir. Charles Seymour, and In company with a couple of missionary Buckeyes, start ed by boat on a calling tour. We first did the missionary community, going three miles down the river, and calling at fifteen places. Without exception these were charming homes, embowsrsd in groves of tts scarlet blossomed euphorbia, the banana. loaded with green fruit, and all sorts of tropical plants In some places the ground was literally covered with the pink and white petals which had been waited down from trees and bushes Of course all these places were surrounded by high walls which sepa- rated them from the squslid and filthy native huts on three sides and the river on the fourth. Such walls are necessary here to keep out miscreants and the plaster tops of them are usually strewn with ragged pieces of glass. The hospitality that greeted us within was no less pronounced. Surely cake, coffee. chocolate and fruits taste
 
 where else. The decorations at some of the places were supremsly beautiful The great double camelias and especially the fragrant roses almost broke my heart. After all, New Years calling is supposed to have originated in China, the custom being brought over to New York by the Dutch, and then carried inte Europe from America The only differ ence is that the China New Year is the last day of our January this year. It was evident to me, however, that the Chinese in high places try to recognize our calendar, for when we returned to the consulate Mir. Sey- mour's card table contained several cards of Chinese officials-strips of red paper eight or ten inches long with black characters printed thereon.
 The American consulate here Is not owned, but rented by our government. It is very comfortable place, filled with costly curios, many of which have been presented by native officials Mir. Seymour is the most popular consul here with the Chinese, and at the time of the riot WAS the only one of them all who dared to go into the city freely. I also feel at home when contemplate the pictures of Garfield, Arthur, Webster, Lincoln and other Americans of note, which adorn the walls.
 Inthe rear of the consulate, on the island of Shameen, is the Canton club, 8 splendid structure which escaped the, wrath of the mob of last September, and to which MT. Seymour kindly introduced me, thus securing to me it's privileges for one month, if l remain here that long. It seems good to get at the American newspapers which find place on the tables of the reading room.
 At the present writing matters quiet both in the Tonquin and here in Canton, though no one will vouch for what may hap pen before this letter reaches America The fall of Sontai had the effect of quashing the over-weaning concsit of the Chinese officials, and when the news is generally understood I { kIa. a1I S,,i rance of real facts, it will doubtless tone down their arrogance 8 little. As one of the Tonquin correspondents of 3 Hong Kong rapsr says, the veil should be drawn over the scenes which followed after the occupation of the citadel, when the town was turned over te the soldiers. The French have 8 reputation for refined cruelty that even the Chinese can hardly eclipse. and rumor has it that awful punishment was inflicted upon those left behind of tha Black Flags. Once when French official was killed by China man here in Canton, the French were not content until they had placed guns at each end of the street upon which the murderer lived, and then, going through it's entire length, killed every man, woman and child to be seen.
 But there are several things connected with the capture which are of general inter est. It is said that the Chinese troops did more wounding than killing, for the reason 
 ignorance as to the proper manner of using the rifles with which they were furnished, many of them not understanding the sights on the barrel, and consequently firing low. Some even tore off the sights, considering that they were in the way. Many who were furnished with Krupp guns of special bore loaded them with common balls, thus dam aging their weapons good deal at the first shot. There was evidently no lack of first class death-dealing apparatus, but there was not that acquaintance with the proper method Of using it which is essential to success The supineness and incompetenoy of the officials also contributed to the defeat. Even here in the harbor of Canton notice something of the same thing. The handsome Chinese msn-of-wa are equipped with Gatling guns, torpedoes and the best modern implements of warfare; but these fine weapons are not given the daily care which they should re- oeive.
 see that the French are now contemplat. ing the seizure of Hainau, Formosa or Chusan as 8 guaranty of China's paying the indemnity demanded Of her. This is exactly what would be expected under the circum- stances, and Hainau seems to be the most favorable of the islands named, Surely France does not want to tackle Ohusan, since that would be to offer England a casus belIi. It is one of the provisions of the British treaty with China that no foreign power shall be allowed to occupy Chusan. But nothing could be less injurious to trade and yet more adapted to securing the end desired than this seizure of Hainau or Formosa.
 The truth seems to be that the Chinese have been fitting cut their navy for the last ten years, and 1t looks so metropolitan to them now that they are quite willing to make a test of it. One decade ago there was not g steam vessel in the war fleet of the Flowery Kingdom. To-day it must be admitted that there Is quite a respectable navy, but it by no means follows that it is the part of wisdom to rush into danger. One explanation of the low firing which has been offered is still moro curious It is said that the Chinese purpose ly took low aim, preferr1ng to wound rather than to kill since dead man requires no immediate attention, while a wounded man must be carried of the field by two com rades. The latest estimate puts the French loss at 75 killed and 275 wounded.
 It is reasonably safe to go about the city now, and have taken several trips the entire length in either directions. Several causes have contributed to the bringing about of this state of things At first the gov srnment, although disposed as matter of policy, if nothing else, to sec ure the protec- tion of foreigners in Canton. was practically helpless to do so. The soldiery here could not be relied upon for moment, because 1t was made up of the relatives and friends of those who participated in the riot. Accord ingly the work of bringing in soldiers from the north was begun. and the Cantonese troops were pushed of on to the frontier in the direction of the seat of war. This work has been successfully accomplished and the local magistrates have been tightening the re- striction put upon the people ever since.
 For weeks all sorts of pIacards of an in hammatory nature were posted about town. When the viceroy woke up in the morning, he would find warnings posted on the walls of his own ysmun, in which 1t was set forth that in case he paid back $1 of the indemnity demanded for the sacking of Shamssn, his lifs would be forfeit. When Pun Yu Ling came down from the north 1t was expected that he had come to authorize the driving out of the foreigners and g bogus proclamation to that effect with his name attached vas issued. It is not altogether clear that it had not at first been the intention to issue just such proclamation; but vhen this came out Pun Yu Ling denounced it, and issued 8 contrary pronunciamento, ordering the protection of foreigners at all hazards This turned the tide of favor which had at first attended his coming into one of popular wrath; but the work people have been fol- lowed up with such stern, unrelenting vigor, that the people have been awed into 8 sullen