The Chinese Repository/Volume 1/Number 7/Journal of Occurrences
JOURNAL OF OCCURRENCES.
Leenchow.—On the 16th instant, reports reached Canton from Governor Loo at Leenchow, saying, that the mountaineers had broken forth again in all directions, plundering, and murdering the people. He-ngan the imperial commissioner ordered two forts to be built, on two commanding hills, to awe those who had recently been in rebellion. But the highlanders waited till the commissioners had set off for Peking, and the troops were withdrawn to Canton, when they assembled, and attacked the workmen; and, after putting them to death, laid their works in ruins.
It is further rumoured, that a large party of banditti in the neighbourhood of Shanchow, a little to the eastward of the late seat of the insurrection, have commenced resistance to government, under the appellation of the Yangteefan association; or "the iron bar political union."
On the 26th, it was reported that Governor Loo had sent to the Fooyuen for the Wang-ling, or royal order in his keeping, that he might put to immediate death three hundred members of the Triad society, whom he has seized at the hills. It is his purpose not to leave one of them alive.
Decapitation, &c.—On the 22nd instant, seven men, and on the 25th, several more were beheaded, at the usual place of execution in Canton. In a former number we mentioned the decapitation of seventeen individuals. These executions are performed in the most public manner, and are of very frequent occurrence, amounting to many hundreds, and some say from one to two thousands annually; they are noticed, in the court circular, in the most summary' manner. Without even mentioning the names or the number of criminals, it is simply slated, keue fan jin peih: such and such officers reported that, "the execution of the criminals was completed."
The design of such exhibitions, so far as they are intended to be a terror to evil doers, is very good; but it may well be questioned whether the end proposed is attained. Such gross exhibitions of cruelty, so frequently presented, not only shock the better feelings of the human heart, but tend to render the hardened more hard, and the desperate and cruel still more ferocious. Especialy must this be the case, when there is but little moral feeling, and when there is no fear of omniscience, nor apprehension of a just retribution in a future state of being. Many in China, not only of banditti, but of the "best classes" also, are atheists, and deny the immortality of the soul. With such principles.—or rather with such a want of principle,—oppression, or want, or passion, urges them on to desperation, till they fall victims to the "paternal laws" of the land.
Suicide, which cannot, as in England, be here attributed to gloomy weather, is owing to the erroneous opinions entertained on religion We should tire our readers were we to notice all the cases of this kind, which we hear of. While writing one account, another and another, is reported. A youth belonging to one of the government offices, being prevented by his father from marrying a prostitute, went, and with her took a dose of poison in their wine. He perished; the woman's life was saved by an early emetic. He, probably, was last attended to, and when it was too late. The poison had taken its full effect, and life was extinct.
We hear, also of banditti coming at night, and carrying off young women from lonely houses near the hanks of the river; then, having abused their persons, offering to return them for a ransom. Alas! there is no knowledge of God; no love to His Name; or fear of his wrath in the land.
The young man, alluded to above, died, the report says, at the Hwalin, or "flower forest," as the haunts of prostitution and debauchery are called: for the Chinese, not only in their poetry, but also in their common phraseology, represent the paths of vice, as "strewed with flowers." Thus they lend their literature, and their poetry, to disguise the fact, that those paths, and those abodes are "the way to hell; going down to the chambers of death." Prov. vii, 27.
Fire at Shameen.—By the fire of October 30th, mentioned in our last number, the destruction of property was very great, and several persons lost their lives. Upwards of ten of the pitiable victims of that infamous neighbourhood were lost; a part of whom were burnt to death; and the others were carried off by banditti, to be resold or redeemed. For one individual 300 taels of silver were demanded as a ransom, by the men who stole her. This money not being speedily forth-coming, the depraved men brutally violated her person, till by their crimes they caused her death. This unhappy sufferer was only 20 years of age.
Fires break out at this place almost every year; and although they are officially attributed to accident, yet there is reason to believe they are caused by incendiaries. The local magistrate has issued a proclamation, offering a reward of 100 dollars to any one who will seize a principal incendiary; and 50 dollars, for an accomplice. But the seizure must be made at the spot where the fire commenced, and at the time of the act!! If any seize an innocent person, and bear false witness against him, they will be punished as if they had committed the crime themselves.
Dometic Slavery,—the buying and selling of boys and girls, which is one of the bad effects of the laws of China, is an unpleasant subject of contemplation. We are assured, that by far the larger portion of the eight or ten thousand of that unhappy class of women, referred to above, who have their abodes in, and about Canton, are persons who were bought when mere children. In this situation, they are compelled, by the cupidity of one class of persons, to yield themselves up to the vicious propensities of another class; and to put on a smile, and appear gay, while they possess a diseased body, and an aching heart. Thus they are scorned by society without, while inwardly they are suffering the agonies of a guilty conscience. It has always appeared to us, that, that selfishness, which seeks its own gratification, by sacrificing thereto the happiness of another sentient being, is the very spirit which actuates devils in hell.
The Yellow River.—On the 14th ult., an affray took place at the junction of the yellow river with the Hung-tsih lake, which excited the indignation of the emperor. To mitigate the entrance of the waters of the river into the lake certain, embankments have been raised by government. The rise of the river threatened their destruction, and some workmen were employed to strengthen them. For some reason, not explained in the Gazette, a large party of insurgents, headed by some respectable people, came in boats, and were provided with small arms. They put a stop to the work; tied up the workmen; and before military help could be procured, excavated a passage more than ninety cubits wide and thirty cubits deep, to render the river and the lake one confluence of waters.
When a military force appeared, the insurgents fled away in their boats. On account of this proceeding, the Emperor has ordered all the principal officers, and among the rest, Changtsing, who is styled the Governor-general of the river, to be subjected to a "severe" Court martial.
Death of a family.—One of the Hoppo's custom-house attendants, named Choopayay, had a north country servant, named Yang, who had been with him a long time. Yang was married, and had a daughter about fourteen or fifteen years of age. She was engaged to be married to a man belonging to the government office. Yang owned a house in the city where his wife and daughter lived. On the 20th of the last moon, Yang went round to the neighbouring shops, and paid all his debts, which suggested a suspicion that he had obtained some ill-gotten gains. However there was no proof of this. The next day, the door of his house remained unopened till noon. The neighbours knocked, and called; but no answer was given. At last, they broke open the door, and on entering found Yang and his wife hanging by the the neck, on opposite sides of the bed, and the daughter rouged, dressed in scarlet, and other gay raiment, lying on the bed, a corpse. They were all three quite dead.
The neighbours united their names and informed the Nanhae magistrate, and also Yang's master. The next day, as the magistrate was proceeding to hold an inquest on the deceased, the master, Choopayay, laid hold his of sedan, knelt, and knocked head, entreating him to desist; which, at last, the magistrate did, on the master's promising to have all the bodies decently interred.
The cause of this melancholy catastrophe is not known. Who can but lament the ignorance, or pride, or passion which leads to self murder!
The cause of the girl's being dressed arises from a belief, that after death, the individual will appear among the inhabitants of the invisible world in the attire in which she died. We once knew a case of a young wife, who being offended with her husband, dressed herself, took poison, and died. Even murderers, going to the place of execution, dress themselves, from the same motive, in the best raiment they can procure.
A match.—The bad effects of the system of early betrothing young children, or even infants before they are born, as is sometimes done, was exemplified the other day in a case which occurred in a village of the Pwanyu district. The lad Ho was early betrothed to the lass Seay, of course, without their consent. When this took place, both families were prosperous. Ho's affairs, however, went ill in the world, before the proper age for marriage arrived. On this account marriage was deferred for several years, till the lady reached the age of 24, and the gentleman 26. He appears to have been some spoiled child, which Miss Seay would, of course, know by report, though she was supposed never to have seen him. Her family wished to get rid of the contract, but the poor and the profligate would not consent to give up the match. The unfortunate young woman must marry. Therefore, on the 25th day of the 9th moon, the external ceremonies were performed, and the lady was carried to the house of the husband. When evening came, however, she would not retire; but addressing her husband said, "touch me not, my mind is resolved to abandon the world, and become a nun. I shall this night cut off my hair. I have saved two hundred dollars, which I give to you. With the half you may purchase a concubine; and with the rest enter on some trade. Be not lazy and thriftless. Hereafter remember me." On saying which, she instantly cut off her hair. The kindred, and worthless husband, seeing her resolution, and, of course, fearing suicide, acquiesed, and Miss Seay, who left her father's house to become a wife, returned as a nun.
It is said, young ladies are often reduced to this necessity, and cry, and plead with their parents to permit it, rather than become wives of men reduced to poverty, and perhaps of bad character besides. But few have the resolution to get rid of a bad bargain in the spirited manner of Miss Seay.
A literary graduate.—A young man named Lewtingse, who is a literary graduate, has appeared at the board of general police[1] at Peking, with a sealed document from his mother, complaining of the unjust and tyrannical treatment of certain official people, who contrived to get his father driven from his farm, and then so maltreated his mother and sister, that the sister threw herself into a well and was drowned.
In ancient times a drum was placed at the imperial gate; by beating upon the drum, oppressed persons gained permission to appeal to the emperor in person. Now, instead of this process, the Board of general police are empowered to receive appeals, and to transmit them, if they think proper to his Majesty. In the present instance, according to a regulation established by Keaking, the late Emperor, the young man was compelled to break open his own sealed letter, and after an examination of its contents, was locked in irons, and delivered over to the criminal court, to abide the consequences of an appeal to his Majesty.
An invitation to prosecute.—We were not aware that the Chinese government ever sent forth an invitation to the people to come forward, and give evidence against an individual, who was accused of crimes by common report, till we met with an instance of it in a recent publication. Ye-mengche, of Tungkwan district, called the village tyrant in our last number, carried his atrocities to such a degree, that the people who hated him, were, at the same time, afraid to complain against him. Both the local government, and the supreme authorities in Canton, had heard much of his atrocious proceedings, but there was a defect of legal proof. A proclamation was, therefore, issued by Woo, the magistrate of Tungkwan Heen, saying, that "he had heard rumours of Ye usurping people's lands; getting possession of their houses; seducing their wives and daughters; harbouring banditti; devouring the villagers as if they were fish or flesh; and to raise money, commiting an unheard of atrocity;—opening the graves and carrying off the bones of the dead, in order to obtain a ransom for them."
A new ballad concerning Ye, ridicules him as a man of virtue; for, he put the bones into separate bags, and labelled them, to enable the living to recognise the bones which belonged to their respective ancestors.
The magistrate supposes it possible that some lies may be mxed up with the truth, but he invites all who have truth to tell, to come forward and do it.
New Sect.—There are several hints, in the Peking Gazettes, concerning one Yinlaouseu, who called himself Nan-yang Budha, and drew away several thousand disciples after him, whose ramifications extended to three provinces. His body has been cut to pieces by the slow and ignominious process, and his head paraded about in the place where he taught, as a warning to all. The old man's son, Yinmingtih, for conniving at what his father did, and "assisting his wickedness" was decapitated immediately after. Some others are named, who are to meet the same fate after the autumnal assize.
The interest of Money.—In the Peking Gazette we observe, that the Chinese government frequently puts money out at interest with the merchants, for the purpose of creating a perpetual local fund. On the northern frontier, the following case illustrates the usage, and shews the rate of interest.
His Majesty was requested by Woochunghih to lend ten thousand taels to be given to the merchants at one per cent per month, which would produce 1,200 taels a year. Of this sum one half was to go annually to replace the original ten thousand, and the other half to be applied to the public demands of the station. After fourteen years, when the loan would in this manner be repaid, the whole of the interest and capital was to belong to that station. Then in the event of intercalary years, when there were 13 months, another hundred taels would be forthcoming, and in the same way half was to go to replace the original sum, and the other half for public use. One only wonders what commerce, on the northern frontier, could afford to borrow money at 12 or 13 per cent per annum.
Unburied dead.—It is the usage among the natives, to keep the dead bodies of parents, especially, till they can obtain a lucky place to inter them. The rich being deceived by pretended geomancers, often keep their parents for years uninterred; but they are coffinned and lodged in a building appropriated to them. The poor who cannot get satisfied in regard to the place of burial, leave the remains uninterred about old hills or hedges; not in all cases very well coffined. On the 3rd inst., government issued an order to all such, directing them, either to inter these remains within a limited time in places of their own, or bring them to the charity burial ground,—the golgotha, or Calvi capitis area, the calvary of Canton,—that they may be there buried.
"An angelic remedy for opium-smoking"—Among the many doctor's placards pasted against the wall of the Company's landing-place, there is one with the above title. This "angelic" intimation was received by means of the Ke (see Morrison's Dict., 5300) or pencil, suspended above a table, having sand strewed on it. After certain incantations were performed the angel came, and moved the pencil, so as to write the secret prescription. The materials of which the medicine is compounded, is the secret; the mode of using it, is fully explained in the placard, and is rational enough. It is to diminish the quantity of opium daily; and beginning with a little of the substitute, to increase it daily, till the opium is left off altogether. Then to begin and gradually leave off the substitute, taking nothing instead, till it is altogether disused, and the patient is happily freed from any desire or necessity either for the one or the other.
Hookwang.—A case of adultery and murder having occurred in this province has been carried before the Emperor. The wife of Heewantseang, apparently a person of respectability, carried on an adulterous intercourse with Keayingfang and a servant Lemo, who is already dead,—in consequence, probably, of the treatment he received since the affair was discovered. The master wished the wife to quit her husband, and abscond with him; which she refused to do. It was therefore resolved on by some of the parties to poison the husband. This diabolical plot succeeded. He was poisoned with arsenic. The Courts of Hoonan concluded their trials by reporting to the Board at Peking, that Lemo, now dead, was the sole agent of committing the murder; (hat the other two persons were innocent of this; they even knew nothing at all about it. The Board and the Emperor will not believe this. Dissolving the arsenic required time; it could not be done in a moment; the deceased servant may merely have done what he was commanded to do by the master. It is, therefore, decreed that the trial shall be renewed, and the witnesses and parties be questioned by torture to elicit the truth.
Asylum for the blind.—The Pwanyu magistrate has issued a proclamation concerning this government institution, requiring all the blind to appear in person, and shew their tickets, and be examined. According to his account, there are 2394 blind people, both men and women, who received a monthly allowance. The amount is said to be 4 or 5 mace a month, under a shilling a week. This is insufficient for food, and they are allowed to beg, to sing, &c., for the additional means of subsistence. There is no useful work, such as basket-making, contrived to keep them employed. Nor is there any asylum supported by voluntary subscription. The magistrate suspects that tickets are handed to those to whom they were not originally given, and that people only "half-blind" impose on the government. He threatens such in case of detection.
Thieves.—In another public proclamation he complains, that since the autumn has set in, he has been annoyed by numerous applications on account of petty thefts. These arise, he says, from the district constables and night watch-men receiving bribes to connive at, and protect, opium hotels; gambling houses; and abodes of ill-fame, where stolen goods are received, and thieves and vagabonds "nestle." He calls upon landlords, who may have. "by mistake" let their houses to such people, to expel them; in doing which he will lend his assistance. If they do not, and are afterwards found out, he threatens to confiscate their houses, and punish their persons.
Punishment requested.—The Governor of Peking has requested the Emperor to punish him severely, for failing to detect Yinlaouseu, who had formed a plot to rebel, and obtained thousands of associates in three provinces. The Emperor has granted the governor his request.
- ↑ Too-cha-yuen, means the "censorate," or the court of universal scrutiny. It is appointed to receive appeals to the Emperor.