The Chinese Repository/Volume 1/Number 1/Journal of Occurrences
JOURNAL OF OCCURRENCES.
The Rebellion, on the borders of Kwangtung, Kwangse, and Hoonan Provinces, which has excited general attention and great alarm, broke out on Sunday, February 5th of the current year. On that day the rebels had predetermined to commence their operations, and actually did so. We have seen an offcial notice of it, sent by the Lieutenant-Governor of Hoonan to the Emperor, in which he gives the above date.
The principal insurgents, called Yaou-jin, are chiefly of Leen-shan, on the north-west frontier of Kwang tung. They are stated, in Chinese books, to be the descendants of a person named Pwan-koo. Who this person was, or when he lived is matter of dispute; but however that may be, it is certain, that the Yaou-jin first appeared in Hookwang and Yunnan, whence they passed over and established themselves in Kwangse. During the reign of Kaou-tsung of the Sung Dynasty, in the middle of the 12th century, some of these men were brought as slaves to Leenchow, in this province; and were sent to cultivate small patches of land among the crags of the mountains. As they increased in number beyond the control of their Chinese masters, they divided themselves into eight tribes, (in Chinese pa-pae): and, although they have since been further subdivided, first into twenty-four, and now into fifty tribes, yet the original division into eight tribes is still retained. Of these eight, three are attached to Leen-chow, and five to Leen-shan.
The hair of the men is braided up in a tuft on the top of the head; that of the women is matted with yellow wax, and formed like a board placed on the top of the head, somewhat resembling the European college caps. Both men and women ornament their heads with green beads, pheasant's feathers, &c. Their garments are made of a sort of linen or grass-cloth, are loose, and of divers colours. The young men and women sing in response, and select wives and husbands from those whose songs please best. The length of each other's waistband or sash being measured, fixes the nuptials.
The natural disposition of these people is ferocious and cruel. They delight in quarrels and murder; but are very true to their promises; and fear gods and devils. They can endure hunger, and prosecute their battles with perseverance. Their armour consists of long swords suspended on their left sides, and large crossbows slung on their right: in their hands they carry long spears. They run up and down hills, and in the most dangerous places, with great speed and intrepidity. In battle they support each other with bows and spears, and so rush forward; those who hold spears leading the van: they do not long defend themselves with bows. When shooting, the archers hold their swords in their mouths. If hard pressed and unable to use their spears and bows, they lay them aside, and take to their swords, with which they make a most desperate resistance. They put themselves in battle array at some dangerous pass; and if they run, are sure to have archers lying in ambush.
As soon as the chidren are able to walk, the soles of their feet are seared with a hot iron, to enable them to tread upon thorns, stones, or spikes, without being hurt. These people rush forward in crowds, just like a herd of wild beasts or wolves;—hence their name Yaou-jin, which denotes a wild-dog, or wolf-man.—In addition to the above particulars, derived from a topography of Leen-chow, published under the Emperor Keen-lung, the Chinese of Canton strenuously assert, and firmly believe, that the mountaineers have short tails behind, like dogs or monkeys. But Keen-lung was not the man who would sanction the publication of such an absurdity. To return to the rebellion, from which we have so long digressed; Woo-yung-kwang, the Lieut. Governor of Hoonan, names as the chief rebel Chaou-Kin-lung, that is, Chaou, the Golden dragon; an epithet since assumed as the royal title of the rebel chieftain. To this man is attributed, by some prisoners taken, the power of working wonders with his sword; of taking water into his mouth and spurting forth fire; of knotting rushes and converting them into cattle, &c.; and these reports are communicated in the official despatches to the Emperor. It is added, that there is among the rebels a female General, who has sent her sister to be married to one of the rebel Chiefs, on the frontiers of Canton.
Chaou is clothed in a jacket, and an emblazoned under-dress, on which are embroidered the three words, Kin-lung-Wang, 'the golden dragon king.' The chief rebels of the Yaou tribes, are clothed in yellow riding jackets; the rest have red cloth turbans. They all can perform demoniacal arts, but with unequal success.—Such is the simple tale of the Lieut.-Governor, to the Emperor, and to this he adds,— "But there are none of the Triad Society among them." To this part of the memorial, the Emperor replies in his own hand-writing, with the vermillion pencil, "'Demoniacal arts' are words which should never appear in a memorial to me. And how know you certainly that there are none of the Triad Society among them? Hereafter, when they are annihilated, and it is found out that there were Triad bandits among them, what will you do! Where will you hide yourself on the earth!"
The Lieut.-Governor represents the hills as covered with snow in February; the cold intense; and the passes impracticable. There were not troops enough in the neighbourhood to act against the mountaineers, who could easily run away, but there was no pursuing them. However, since that, the rebels have been the pursuers; and the Imperial troops have been defeated repeatedly, with the loss of a great many officers, guns, and ammunition. Among the killed is Hae-ling-ah,the Tetuh or Commander in chief of the province of Hoonan.
The progress of the rebels has been rapid, and they have possessed themselves of four large towns, besides several smaller ones. One town they plundered of the treasure and grain laid up in it, and then set fire to the public offices. But the people, who are not found in arms against them, have in no case received any injury or insult. The rebel leader is said to have even issued manifestoes, declaring that he wars only with the armed servants of the government, and intends no harm to any besides.
The rebels have received one or two severe repulses. Loo-kwan, the Governor of Hookwang, having advanced towards the scene of the contest, accompanied by Lo-sze-keu, the Tetuh of Hoopih, to supply the place of the deceased Hae-ling-ah, their joint efforts obtained temporary victory for the Imperial arms. The vanquished rebels retired abruptly to their mountains, which was attributed, for a time, to fear. But their speedy return to the war, with increased ardour and fury, proves the fallacy of that supposition. Among the prisoners fallen into the hands of the government are a son and brother of Chaou-kin-lung; to rescue whom, a vigorous sally has been made, which though it proved unsuccessful, was not relinquished, till many of of the Imperial troops had been slain. Loo-kwan and Lo-sze-keu have been highly praised by the Emperor, for the check (brief as it was) which they had given to the insurgents: but they are, at the same time, reduced to the situation of secondaries; the direction of the war being given to King-shan, General of the Mantchou troops in Hoopih province.
Death of General Haelingah, the Tetuh of Hoonan. This Tartar officer fell into a snare which rebel treachery had laid for him. The Golden Dragon, having heard of the situation and circumstances of the General, sent some of his cleverest people to feign themselves villagers, who desired relief from the rebels, and to offer themselves as guides to the Imperial army, among the hills. The general believed these deceivers, and moved forward, with a detatchment, eight pieces of artillery, ammunition, stores, and money for the purchase of provisions. When they had reached a place convenient for the enemy, the rebels, who lay in ambush, fell upon then suddenly, and shot, at the first onset, the General and upwards of twenty officers. They killed, also, a few scores of the soldiers; and seized the guns, ammunition, &c, The General's remains were afterwards obtained:—his left arm was cut off; his eyes both dug out; his head clove in two; and he had a sword-cut on his forehead. Lieut.-General Ma fell at the same time: his body was found, without its head.—The Emperor, while he blames the precipitancy of these two officers, directs posthumous honours to be conferred on them and others who fell with them. He also directs that rewards be given to the families of the slain, in consideration of their having suffered in the service of the country.
The Emperor Kang-he earned on an exterminating war against the mountaineers now up in rebellion, and was at last obliged to desist, without effecting his purpose. It is rumoured that Taoukwang has declared it his resolution, to use every effort to put the whole race of Yaou-jin to the sword. So that some look forward to a long continuance of bloodshed, and all the miseries attendant on such operations. The only necessary of life for which the Yaou-jin are dependant on the Chinese is salt, and this they are said to have been laying up largely for some years. Government has directed its servants to say as little as possible, publicly, about these rebels, the preparation of troops, &c. And many of the people are afraid to speak or write to their friends, upon such matters. Some of his Majesty's privates have pleaded filial piety, as a set-off against military duty; and represented that they are only sons of aged mothers, whom they cannot leave. About a score of these poltroons were punished with twenty blows, and dismissed the army.
Opium in the army. Of a thousand men sent by the Governor of Canton, to act against the rebels, the commanding officer has sent back two hundred, rendered totally unfit for active service, by the habit of opium smoking.
Peking. In the northern division of the city, a secret Society, called the 'Wonderful association,' has been discovered. The head of the combination sent thither an old man, in the humble garb of a manure-gatherer, which is considered the meanest occupation in China. But this degraded person had money, which he distributed to poor soldiers, and people in distress, in order to win their affections, and induce them to enter the Wonderful association, by taking certain prescribed oaths. Wang-laou-tow-tsze, or old King, as the man was called, had an associate named Tang-Pa-urh, who, having in his hand some defect of old standing, which disabled him from opening his fingers, pretended there was something wonderful in this, and was in consequence called, the "Lion, the recumbent Budha." The associates were to enter Peking, the first moon of the present year, to join their brothers there. But the plan being discovered, old King and the Lion were, by last accounts, both in custody.
Two other associations of a similar nature are mow before the criminal courts, at Peking, but no decision having yet been passed, we are unable to give the particulars.
Famine. In consequence of the extensive innundations of last autumn, many towns and villages, in the provinces of Ganhwuy, Keangse, Hoopih, and Chekeaug, are now suffering for want of food. In the three former of those provinces, the Emperor has directed a remission of a portion of this year's taxes, on the suffering towns. He has also commanded that the starving people be supplied, from the Imperial stores, both with rice for their present wants, and with seed to sow. These presents are not always wholly gratuitous; restoration is usually required, as soon as a better harvest gives the poor people power to do so. A similar boon has been requested on behalf of Chekeang, which was also afflicted with drought and inundation.
Cochinchina. Accounts have been received of a rather serious affray on the borders of Cochinchina, in Tae-ping-foo, on the southern frontier of Kwangse province. It was occasioned by a dispute about some coal-pits in that neighbourhood; the result was unfavorable to the Chinese government party. Two officers, civilians, and about a hundred soldiers were killed. The Lieut.Governor of Kwangse has written to his superior, Governor Le of Canton, and has at the same time sent a detachment of troops to suppress the rioters.
These people are said to be connected with 24 districts of barbarous Meaoutsze, who yield a very partial obedience to the Chinese government, and who are quite similar to the Yaou-jin, of whom we have already given some account.
Du Halde gives a very tolerable description of these Meaoutsze, but does not explain the meaning of their name, for which his English translator reproves him, and tells his reader that Meaoutsze means the offspring of cats. In this, however, he is quite mistaken, and had better have left his reader to grope in the dark as Du Halde did, than so mislead him. The word Meaou denotes a plant springing from the earth; to bud forth; and perhaps, in its connection with these mountaineers, the term may denote, that they are the aborigines, the natives of the soil.
Robbery. The Imperial stores at Peking have been robbed of 222 cases of vermillion, weighing 11,090 catties. A strict inquiry is instituted.
Retirement of aged Statesmen. Chin-jo-lin, President of the Criminal Tribunal being aged and infirm, is commanded by the Emperor to retire. He is permitted to carry with him his original rank.
This person once begged his bread in the streets of Canton. He had an early education, and inherited a good patrimony, which he squandered in vicious courses, and reduced himself to the actual want of food; for his friends forsook him in the day of his calamity. The manager of a band of play-actors took a fancy to his appearance, and wished him to appear on the stage. He declined this, but became an assistant to the manager, for a few years, and obtained a little money to appear at the public examinations. He was successful and rose rapidly to the rank of Hanlin, and from thence he entered on the civil service.
In Canton Province, the scene of his early debauchery and disgrace, he afterwards appeared as Criminal Judge, and then as Foo-yuen. He afterwards became the Governor of the two 'Lake provinces,' i. e. Hoopih and Hoonan. And eventually he settled down in Peking as a President of the College Han-lin-yuen.
Our native correspondent remarks that Chin-jo-lin, in the course of his life, has experienced the vicissitudes of bitterness and joy. In this world generally, when a man's destinies have run their round, he ought to perform appropriate duties, and leave the rest to the decree of Heaven. Whether a man have adversity or prosperity does not depend on his own schemes. It it not by force that he can get rid of adversity; nor can he by covetous wishes attain prosperity.
So moralizes our heathen friend. He refers all to a mysterious course in nature; the revolution of events, a numerical destiny. The government of an infinitely wise and just God, the mercy and grace of the Father of the Universe, are ideas which have no place in his mind.
Another aged Minister, Sun-urh-chun, for several years Governor of Fuhkeen and Chekeang, has also retired, on account of illness. Having been very successful in quelling insurrections on the island of Formosa, His Majesty, after some hesitation, has allowed him to retire, with very high honours.—He is since dead and additonal posthumous titles have been conferred.
May 26th. As the reports, respecting the insurgents, continue unfavorable to the Government party, it is expected that Governor Le will soon repair to the seat of war in command of a body of 2000 men, who have already been ordered to proceed thither.
The continuance of the war is considered very injurious to the inland trade of Canton, as, it hinders all business between this city and the merchants of Szechuen, Yunnan, and Kweichow.
Arrival of new officers. "The new Poochingsze, Keih-hang, and the Foo-Tootung, or Lt.-General of the Tartar troops, Yuh-wan, lately arrived to take possession of their new offices. The arrival of Yang-chin-lin, the new Anchasze is daily expected.