The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-02-23

Chinese and foreign, be uninjured, and
that they be allowed to return to their
homes. If this be acceded to. the com
mander-in-chief of the British naval
squadron will become guarantor. !
submit this proposal and shall be glad
to have an early reply.
Ting Zhuchang, Titu of the Pei
yang Fleet, 18th day of the LIST month
of the 22nd year of Kwang-su."
The terms granted We're generous
and chivalric. After the surrender,
which Ito required on the day follow
ing, the officers and men were to be
paroled. Admiral Ito renewed his in
vitation to his opponent to visit Japan,
but left him free to take any other
means of retirement from the war.
With the letter went a gift of cham
payne and food.
Admiral Ting replied, asking a little
more time ITO enable the military and
naval folk to exchange their uniforms
for travelling garments" which was
granted. He also returned the Jap
anese presents with thanks. Then the
old Mandarin, stoutest of all the Chi
nese combatants, bowed to the customs
of his country which compel a beaten
officer to kill himself or take death
with all his kindred at the hands of
the public executioner. He babe his
subordinates farewell and, preceded by
village priests and q guard of seamen,
walked to a easement of a fort, where,
lying upon a kang, the monotone of a
distant japanese salute in his ears. he
took a lethal draught of opium. At
the same hour and in the same way
died the Chinese General, commander
of the garrison, and when the Japan
csc landed upon the island they found
both bodies deserted and robbed,
awaiting burial at the hands of the
enemy.
1t was said early in the war that the
japanese We're barbarians, but the
closing scenes of the. Wei-ha- Wei
were as full of consideration
for the beaten as the last act at APP
pomattox. The four thousand troops
of Liu-Kon-Tau and the sailors of the
fleet were landed on the mainland and
fed only enough japanese soldiers
being in sight to care for and direct
them. There We're no parades of VIC
tors, no exultation, least of all any
to deprive the humbled SOL
diers of the personal property they
We're taking away. After eating and
resting, the army was set in motion
towards the city of Chefoo and it
that day twelve miles to the
japanese outposts. There the tired
men threw themselves on the snow,
unable to go farther. Save for the
troops of the Mikado, they might have
frozen, but by building fires, opening
houses, lending blankets and the like,
the victors kept them alive and started
them in the morning to their own
friends.
For the higher officers more was
done. captured gunboat was strip
ped of its armament, provisioned and
given to them out Of hand with the
that they should escort
the coffined bodies of the Chinese Ad-
niral and General to Chefoo. High
and naval honors We're paid
when Ting's funeral cortege moved to
the wharf of Liu kon-Tau and went
on board the ship. Then, as the vessel,
with its freight of living and dead,
steamed out of the harbor, the flags of
"B''ii "N'c tiPpNu anu guns
were fired. But the example was
wasted on the Chinese, for when the
body of the brave Admiral fell into the
hands of the Government that he had
served with distinction for thirty
years, the head was severed from the
body and nailed above a temple gate.
The last l saw of Weihai-Wei was
when, on the 22nd of February,
transport bound for Japan carried the
out of the eastern
channel. Behind were the familiar
'ity walls; to the left We're the wrecked
mainland forts, the dismounted guns
IF which We're then being blown up; at
Liu- Taus peak flew the Japanese
'olors; on the still waters lay the vic
torious and the captured fleets and
'orty Transports; near by was the Uni
ed States cruiser Charleston and war
ships of Great Britain, France and
Italy. 1t being Washington's birthday,
he Stars and Stripes, flying above a
thousand signal flags, glittered at
very masthead; and as the bay of so
many stirring memories receded the
strains of the American national an
hem came back to me full of memories
md premon.tions of home. The war
vas over. III that remained was to
ign the treaty of peace which Ii Hung
hang was soon to negotiate at Shimo- |
loseki with Count Ito, the Premier of |
Japan,
That was memorable second meet |
ng Years before Count Ito had gone |
o Tientsin to negotiate a treaty of |
commerce with the great Viceroy. He |
lad but little standing there; he was |
# the Wojen, a contemptuous name !
'iven by the Chinese to all the natives |
# Japan. Ii Hung Chang, towering !
n his silken robes above the little man !
n the black frock coat, sneered at his |
equests and turned his back on him |
n the midst of the audience. count |
one of my most interesting experi-
noes in the Orient that I saw this
anne great Chinese statesman, an
bject victim of the irony of fate. en-
er Count Ito's mansion with uncover
d head 10 beg this same little man
Il he f,na l.