New-York tribune., 1902-01-16
IN CHINA.
A DIARY AND A HISTORY.

DIARY OF THE SIEGE OF THE LEGATIONS
IN PEKING DURING THE SUMMER OF 1900
Lang. octave, PIP tx, 22 Longmans. Green q Co.
CHINA. HER HISTORY. DIPLOMACY AND @ COM M
MERGE FROM THE EARLIEST "a r E3 Tin TINES WIZ Tp
Maps. Octave, PIP. Xxx, 1872. K. P. Dutton q Co
Nigel OIiphant. who writes diary of the
siege Of the Peking legations. comes of a fam
fly accustomed to seges. The founder of the
family saved the life Of David I, King Of Scot
land, at the siege of Winchester. in 1141, and in
1904 Sir William Olphant held Stirling Castle
against Edward l for weeks. The present rep
resentative of the family tell Of exciting
things. Here is "actuality" from his pages:
20th June. This morning. when the ministers
were to have gone to the Yamen, they were
warned by friendly Chinese not to go. baron
Ketteler and his interpreter. however, went.
starting about 9:1J with a small guard, which
he sent back on meeting some Chinese soldiers
in the Ha Tia Men street. Shortly afterward he
shot in the head by a soldier who was fol-
lowing behind his chair, and must have been
killed instantly.
The diary contains occasional odd bits of in
formation regarding the daily life of the be-
sieged and, well. stray pieces of striking his
tory which have escaped most other historians
of the siege. He says for example:
Curiously enough. the Chinese secretary
yesterday lighted on an old pamphlet written
by General Gordon at the request of the Chi
nese Government, a time when they ex-
pected war with Russia, and containing advice
as to how they should conduct war against for
efgners. Among other things ne strongly
recommended them never TO show themselves in
an open attack, but to gradually wear out their
enemy by constant firing at night, so that the
men should get rest. 1t would be very in
teresting to know if il is in pursuance of this
advice that the Chinese favor with their
erratic and annoying fusiIades.
China: Her History, Diplomacy and Com
merce" may seem a pretty big subject to cover
in single volume of something like three hun
dred pages, but z. II. Parker attempts It, The
facts contained in this volume were acquired by
the author by means of long residence in China
and his description of his work as IAN indicator
or facts TO be examined rather than a book Of
facts TO be accepted" appears to fit the case.
He has tried TO suggest, for the benefit Of those
who may need it, guide through the intrica-
cies Of Chinese trade RELATIONSHIP short a prac-
tical handbook for the man who is to be forced
to visit China on business and needs a counsel
partial critic of Chinese manners and customs
will appear from what he has to say of some of
their characteristics:
The stupid, gaWky, clownishness or rudeness
or the English rustic factory hand is quite
unknown in China. There are no his 10 leave
out and no man is ashamed either of his own
relations or his friends. There is a natural
ease or manner among all degrees. which the
classified" British mind cannot even conce,v.
IL is akin 10 the outspOken franl1ness and ready
VIII OF the French, which contrasts so pain<rlfy
INT Parker is English with our self-conscious-
ness starchy snobbishness and mauvaise honte