The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-09-02
FER0CI0US
BLACK FLAGS.
Dreaded by Chinese and
Foreign Devils"
Alike.
THEY'RE IN REVOLT AGAIN
In Formosa They Go Head
Hunting As Our indians
Roam About for
ScaIps.
THEY'RE IN REVOLT AGAIN

Dispatches from China tell Of the
revolt of the Black Flags in the south
-ern provinces, and the effect Of these,
and other interior rebcllions, added to
the assaults OF Europe on the mari
time provinces, BODIES Ill for the Chi
nese dynasty and the integrity of the
Chinese Empire. When the tide OF
the China-Japan war turned against
the Celestial Kingdom, rioters rose all
over the empire, including the island
of Formosa, where, for year, the
Black Flags gave trouble to the victo-
rious Japs. After while these revolts
were put down, but, with the tidings
of German and other incursions on
the shore of the empire, the rebels
have risen again.
Dreaded more than all the others are
the Black Flags Of the Quang prov
inces. Quang Sc is the southermost
province Of China, and lies directly
north of Tonquin. Quang Tung bor-
ders the South Sea, and lies east Of
Quang Sc. In these two provinces,
and in the island of Formosa, north
east of Quang Tung, the Black Flags
have their homes. Until after the
China-Japan war was over, and China
was whipped, the Black Flags on the
mainland did not figure much, except
as rioters. But In Formosa, which
passed at that time into the possession
of the Japanese, there was long and
hard fight with them.
The Black Flags are the most des
perate of the survivors Of the Tai
Ping rebellion, which General Gordon
put down, earning for himself the
name of Chinese Gordon, which
stuck to him to the day of his death
in Khartoum. They are guerrillas. on
whom the Chinese Government can
place little dependence. When France
went to war with Tonquin, twenty-five
years ago, involving China, most of
the Black Flags stuck by China
though some of them, called afterward
the Yellow Flags, split from the main
body, having been bought by the
French, whose arms they support
ed.
In 1873 the Black Flags aided In
forcing the French from Hanoi, and,
under Liu-Yung-Fu, their leader, they
defeated the French under GARNER,
killing that officer. In 1882 they used
up the French expedition of Riviere,
killing that officer also. In 1884 they
destroyed the French missions, massa-
cring 10000 men, women and children.
At that time the Black Flags are esti-
mated to have numbered 5000, and
the Yellow Flags, peaceful then, are
said to have been twice as strong.
Since then their numbers have been
put at fabulous figures, some state
ments giving them from 100000 to
100000 fighting men. Their leader in
1885, when the French finally got the
upper hand, was Watsong, one of Tai.
Ping Wings lieutenants. The Yellow
Flags were under Chief uwang-Tsong
In. The principal settlement of the
Black Flags was at LaOkai, on Red
River, while the Yellow Flags had
their principal settlement at Hagiang
farther east.
The Black Flags Of Formosa whose
characteristics are like the Black
Flags of the mainland are described
lin George Leslie Mackay's book
I"From Far FOrmosa," published by
IRevell. The insular Black Flags are
head hunters, which pursuit they fol
low with passionate greed. Our North
American Indians are content if they
can bring back the scalp of the enc
my, but nothing other than the whole
head satisfies the Formosa Black
Flags. The savages held the island
before the coming of the Chinaman,
and the conqucror took possession in