The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-18
THE MONGOLIANS AT HOME.
a Naval Officers Observations During
Three Years. Stay in China.
The Army and Navy of the Celestials
Causes Leading to the Present War
with France.

on the United States flagship Richmond. He in
troduced the reporter to agentleman who If with
him, G. W. Lewton, of Orange county, Florida,
who is here for a few days. having stopped over
on a return trip from California. Mr.. Hunt has
recently returned from three-years cruise in
China and Japanese waters Mr.. Lewton, some
years since, was a United States marshal IN
China, attached to the consular court at Chin
short time, on sailing vessel, teaching Chinese
youth the science of navigation
II joined my ship, said Mr.. Hunt, "at Pana-
ma, in September, 1881, and sailed thence first
to Tahiti, and from there to the Samoan group
While lying in the latter group at the island OF
Upolu the King Of the island came on board, on
visit to the captain, accompanied by his Prime
Minister and q number of tributary chiefs. Now,
while his Majesty was in the cabin with the
captain, what business Of state do you think his
Prime Minister was about Well, he was gath
erins up the soiled clothes of officers and sailors
to take ashore for his wife and daughter to wash.
When the missionaries came to the Samoan
islands they came from the West Just before
arriving they passed the 1S0th meridian, where
time changes They failed to change the date,
and after they had started in with their mission
airy work among the heather, they were afraid
to change their Sunday, because it would give
the heather iokers an idea that Sunday was not
the day God made holy, but the day the mission
aries made.
sThe Richmond was stationed on the coast of
China and Japan We were up at Canton twice.
You understand, Of course, that the present
hofx4- onA China hae hoar
brought about by China having allowed troops
to be sent down to aid the Black flag rebels.
When the French captured Bacninh, which is
over the line between China proper and AMMAN,
there were a number Of Chinese troops
there, and on this account France
claimed che indemnity which China has
refused to pay After that instructions
were sent out to the French admiral to make
such reprisals as he could in order to bring the
Chinese to the payment of the indemnity. There
are two parties in China one the progressive
party, and the other the conservative party,
which hold dissimilar views in regard to this
indemnity. Lii Hung Chang the foremost man
in the progressive party, favors payment Of the
indemnity, and Tso the leader of the other
party holds that it is not the proper thing to do,
and if necessary will carry on war with France.
sThe government of China is so divided up in
it's provincial form that there is little or no
patriotic spirit for the central government OF the
people
sIIl explain the cause Of their lack Of patriot
ism, interposed Mr.. Lewton I'm each of the
principal cities is garrison in fort command
ing tie city. These are in walled places sep
aratS from the remainder of the city
and are always garrisoned by Manchoos-these
are not Chinese but Of the Tartar race They
don't look like the Chinese, and even foreigner
will readily distinguish between these two races,
A. 4.
more angular people. not having the fat good
natured, soft moonlight expression OF the
Chinese. They are brought up to be soldiers
and are never anything else The agriculturists
and the common people generally look on these
soldiers not as being there for the protection of
the people, but to keep them down, and are in
different when the government is assailed. as it
makes no difference in their condition. no matter
who their masters may be. /"
sThe only portion of the government con-
Hnued Mr. Hunt, that is not thoroughly per
meated with fraud is the custom service, which is
run entirely by Europeans aud Americans en-
ployed by the Chinese. The armies of the Chinese
show very we'll on paper but as each command
ing officer draws rationS accOrdingto the number
of soldiers he pretends to havc. Foreigners claim
there are many more men on the rolls than are
actually in the service. The only troops that
amount to anything are those of Ii Hung Chang.
They are well drilled in foreign tactics, armed
with Remington breech- loading rifles and num-
Der between 10000 and $4,000. Cinnamon
Offered and led by Europeans or Americans
make good soldiers, but under their own leaders
degenerate into q mere rabble.
s.As regards their naval power the Chinese
have some fine ships. but they are Differed en-
tirely by Chinese at present, as nearly all of the
foreign officers in the employ of the Chinese
have been required to resign. The ships,
as shown by the recent engagement,
will be poorly handled, A Chnaman
will not fight unless there is,someboay to make
him He will jump overheard and swim ashore
first The Japanese. on the other hand are
brave and warlike people, The French fleet now
in Chinese waters is composed of a large mum
Der of fine vessels, well armed we'll manned and
well otficered In the matter of craftsmanship
the French are far superior to the Chinese, and
that fact Eil give them great advantage The
Chinese. do the mother battle business like it
was done here in the. early days of the great
rebellion Every little skirinish is greatly n a :;
nified in their newspapers, and frequently illus
trated with pictures showing the French vessels
going down to Davy Joness and the Chinese
ships triumphant
81 have seen some remarks in the papers that
the Japanese are much agitatad over the seizure
of the island of Eormosa by the French, but
cant soc what interest they can have in the
island; except that it brings hostilities little
nearer their shore. We reSup and down the
coast all the time that / was there, three years
The Japanese are fine race intelligent,
amiable, ceremonious and polite. Physically
they are rather inferior to Europeans, but they
rank high for Asiatics They have remarkably
high PATRIOTIC feeling, this being especially true
among the educated classes They have a par
ticulary kindly feeling for Americans. There
have been many cases in which Englsnd has
acted toward the japanese in q harsh and arbi-
trars. manner. The boinbardment of Shimono-
sek in 1863, BY Europeans and Americans was
on account Of the refusal of the japanese
to open those straits to commerce. Indemnity
was claimed for this outrage and the Japanese
paid. The money was paid to the United States
several years ago and was recently returned
to the Japanese, so they feel kindly to us that
account as well as for other reasons. No other
nation did So The firing on the ships was done
by the Governor at Shimonoseli. who was in
rebellion against the government and the Jap
nnese while paying the money did not think it
right to do 90.
Another thing interposed Mr. Lewton,
that makes the Japs look with disfavor upon