The Land of the Boxers, Or, China Under the Allies
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CHARLES WILLIAM WASON COLLECTION CHINA AND THE CHINESE THE GIFT OF CHARLES WILLIAM WASON CLASS OF 1876 1918 The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023140977 THE LAND OF THE BOXERS CAPT. PELL CAPT. rHILLIPS COL. O SULLIVAN LIEUT. STEEL GEN. BAKKOW CEN. sn^ A GASI'.LEt:, IC.C.l; COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF AND STAFF OF THE IJRITISH FORCES IN NORTH CHINA THE LAND OF THE BOXERS OR CHINA UNDER THE ALLIES BY CAPTAIN GORDON CASSERLY INDIAN ARMY WITH IS ILLUSTRATIONS AND A PLAN LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK AND BOMBAY 1903 All rights reserved PREFACE WRITTEN many thousand miles from the ever - troubled land of China, with no opportunity for reference, this book doubtless contains many errors, for which the reader's in- dulgence is asked. The criticisms of the various armies are not the result of my own unaided impressions, but a rdswmd of the opinions of the many officers of the different contingents with whom I conversed on the subject. My thanks are due to Sir Richard Harrison, K.C.B., Inspector -General of Fortifications, who served with the Allied Army which captured Pekin in i860, for his courtesy in permitting me to use some of the excellent photographs taken by the Photo Section, Royal Engineers. THE AUTHOR London, 1903 " ——A CONTENTS CHAPTER I FROM WEI-HAI-WEI TO TIENTSIN Our transport—An Irish padr^—Wei-bai-wei harbour by night The island by day—The mainland—On to Taku—Taku at last The allied fleet—The famous forts—The Peiho River—The Allies at Tongr-ku—The British at Hsin-ho—The train to Tientsin— motley crowd of passeng-ers—The country en route—A historic railway station .... pages 1-16 CHAPTER II TIENTSIN The foreign settlement—The Chinese city—The linguists in the Anglo-Indian army—The Tientsin Club—A polyglot crowd round the bar—The English Concession—The famous Gordon Hall The brawls in Taku Road—Dissensions among the Allied troops —The attack on the Royal Welch Fusiliers' patrol—The siege of Tientsin—Scene of the fighting—Accuracy of the Chinese shell- fire—Soldier life in the streets of Tientsin—Tommy Atkins Peace and War—The revenge of Christianity—The " railway siding incident .... pos'^s iy-33 CHAPTER III THE ALLIED ARMIES IN CHINA The German expeditionary force—Out-of-date tactics—Failure of their transport—Their campaigning dress—The German officer — The French troops—Improved training and organisation of the French army—The Russians — Endurance and bravery of the Russian soldier—Defective training—The Japanese army ——— CONTENTS Its transport system in China—Splendid infantry—The courage of the Japanese— Excellence of their Intelligence Department —Its working—The East sown with their agents—The discipline of the Japanese soldiers—Their bravery in action—Moderation in victory—Friendship for our sepoys—The American troops Continental criticism — The American army of the future — Gallantry of the Americans at the capture of Tientsin—General Dorward's praise—Friendship between the American and British troops—Discomfiture of an English subaltern—The Italians Holland's imposing contingent—The Indian army—^A revelation to the world— Indian troops acting alone— Fighting qualities of the various races —The British officers of the Indian army —Organisation of an Indian regiment—Indian cavalry—Loyalty of the sepoy ..... page^ 34-63 CHAPTER IV PEKIN To the capital—The railway journey—Von Waldersee's introduction to our Royal Horse Artillery—The Temple of Heaven—The Temples of the Sun and Moon—The Centre of the Universe The Chien Mgn Gate—Legation Street—The H&tel du Nord— Description of Pekin—The famous walls—The Tartar City—The Imperial City—The Forbidden City—Coal Hill—The Ming Pagoda —The streets of Pekin—A visit to the Legations—The siege— Pekin mud—A wet day—A princely palace—Chong Wong Foo A visit to the Forbidden City—The Imperial eunuchs—Seated on the Emperor's throne—His Majesty's harem—A quaint notice A giant bronze—The Imperial apartments—The Emperor's bed- room —The Empress-Dowager's pavilion — Musical-boxes and toys—Her Majesty's bed—The Imperial Garden—The view from Coal Hill ..... pages 64-94 CHAPTER V RAMBLES IN PEKIN The Peitan—Defence of the Cathedral—A prelate of the Church militant—A gallant defence—^Aspect of Pekin after the restoration of order—A stroll down Ha-ta-man Street—Street scenes Peddlers—Jugglers—Peep-shows and a shock—A dancing bear Shoeing a pony—The sorrows of a Pekin shopkeeper—Silk and fan shops—A pottery store—A market-place—A chaffering crowd —Beggars—The Legation wall—Visit to the Great Lama Temple —— CONTENTS xi —The outer gate—The first court—Lama priests—Rapacious beggars—The central temple—Colossal statue of Buddha—The lesser temples—Improper gods—Photographing the priests The Temple of Confucius—A bare interior—A visit to a Pekin cloisonne factory—Method of manufacture—Deft artists—Firing —The enamel—The humiliation of China—The standards of the victors ..... pag-esgs-m CHAPTER VI THE SUMMER PALACE Our ponies—The- ride through the streets—Evil-smelling lanes The walls—The shattered gate-towers—The Japanese guard The taking of the City and relief of the Legations—The paved high-road—A fertile country—The villages—A ruined temple Bengal Lancers and Mounted Infantrymen—A ride through the fields—Distant view of the palace—The ornamental gate—The entrance—The sepoy guard—The outer courtyard—Bronzes on the temple verandah—A network of courts—Royal Artillery mess in the pavilion that had served as the Emperor's prison The shaded courtyard—Ofiicers' quarters looking out on the lake —A marble-walled lake—Lotos—Boats—A walk round the lake —The covered terrace—The Bersagliere guard—Pretty summer- houses—The Empress's temples—The marble junk—A marble bridge—Lunch in a monarch's prison—The hill over the lake A lovely view—The Hall of Ten Thousand Ages—Vandalism- Shattered Buddhas—The Bronze Pagoda—The island—The distant hills—Summer quarters of the British Legation—The ride back—Tropical rain—Flooded streets—A swim pag-es 115-132 CHAPTER VII A TRIP TO SHANHAIKWAN long journey—The junction at Tong-ku—Mud flats—A fertile country—Walled villages—Mud forts—Defended stations—The canal—Tong-shan—The refreshment room—The coal mines Hills—Roving brigands—Shanhaikwan—Stranded at the station —Borrowing a bed—Hunting for a meal—A Continental caf^ Spatch-cocks—A woman without pride—A mosquito concert with refreshments—Rigging up a net—A surprise for the British and Russian station ofiicers—A midnight introduction—An admiring Russian — Kind hospitality — Good Samaritans —The Gurkha mess—Fording a stream—A Russian cart—The Great Wall of —A xii CONTENTS China—Snipe—The forts—The old camp—The walls of the city fleet— —On the cliffs by the sea—The arrival of the Japanese shock for a Russian dinner-party—The sea frozen in winter— cricket match—Shooting snipe on the cricket pitch—Dining with my Russian friends—Vodki—Mixed drinks—The wily Russian and the Newchwang railway—Tea i la Russe—Heavy rain—The line flooded—Cossacks on a raft—Cut off from everywhere—An orderly of the 3rd Bombay Cavalry—A sowar's opinion of the Russian invasion of India — Collapsed houses — Friendly scene between Japanese soldiers and our sepoys—The floods subside —The return—Smuggling arms—Lieutenant Stirling, D.s.o. pages 133-168 CHAPTER VIII OUR STRONGHOLD IN THE FAR EAST HONG KONG AND THE KOWLOON HINTERLAND Importance of Hong Kong as a naval and military base—An object- lesson of Empire—Its marvellous rise—The constant menace of famine—Cause of Hong Kong's prosperity—Its geographical position—An archipelago—Approaching Hong Kong by sea First view of Victoria—^A crowded harbour—The mainland The Kowloon Peninsula—The city of Victoria—Queen's Road Shops, hotels, banks—The City Hall—The palatial club—The Brigade Parade Ground—The base Commissariat Officer, Major Williams, i.s.c. —The Naval Dockyard—Sir Francis Powell, K.C.M.G.—Barracks and Arsenal—The Happy Valley—A memento mori—The polo ground—Lyeemoon Pass—The southern side of the Island—The Peak—The cable tramway—View from the Peak —The residential quarter—The floating population of Hong Kong—The sampans—Their dangers in the past—The rising suburb of Kowloon—The Hong Kong regiment—The docks The Chinese city of Kowloon—Street scenes in Hong Kong Social amusements of the colony—Society in Hong Kong and Kowloon—The Kowloon Peninsula—Danger to Hong Kong averted by its possession — Character of the peninsula —The frontier—The Chinese territory beyond it—The taking over of the Hinterland in 1898—A small campaign—The chances of a land invasion of Hong Kong—The garrison of Hong Kong Advisability of mounted infantry , . pages 169-201 — —— CONTENTS xiii CHAPTER IX ON COLUMN IN SOUTHERN CHINA A camp on the British frontier—Fears of outbreaks in Canton—The Black Flags—Alarm in Hong Kong—General Gaselee's troops diverted to Hong Kong and Shanghai—His authority among the Allies weakened in consequence—^Wild rumours in Canton—The reform party in the south—The Triads—Rebellion in the Kwang- tung province —Admiral Ho—Troops despatched from Hong Kong to guard the frontier —The Frontier Field Force — Its composition — The departure of the column —A picturesque voyage—An Imperial Chinese Customs gunboat —The Samchun River—War junks—Our first camp—Admiral Ho's army—Con- sternation among the Chinese troops—They march aviray—No official maps of the Hinterland—A Customs station—Britishers in danger—Chinese-made modern guns—A false alarm—A phan- tom battle—Chinese fireworks—A smart trick at the storming of the Peiyang Arsenal —^A visit to Samchun —A game of bluff Taking tea with a mandarin—Round the town—Cockroaches as a luxury—A Yankee Chinaman—A grateful escort—Terrified Chinese soldiers — An official visit to a mandarin — Southern Chinese soldiers—The Imperial troops in the north—A real alarm —A night raid—A disappointment .