102 THE CHINESE AND THEIR REBELLIONS. [June 23, 1856. 



Three other large and important cities, also, on the Yang-tsc river, were 

 taken and occupied without resistance ; and the rehel army now amounted to 

 about 70,000 men. 



From the taking of Nanking commences a new era in the history of the 

 Tae-ping rebels ; for henceforth, instead of moving from place to place in one 

 united body, they permanently occupy an extensive position in the heart of 

 the coimtry, and send out separate armies in different directions. In May, 

 1853, a detached army landed on the north side of the Great liiver, defeated 

 two bodies of Tartars, and took Fung-yang, whence they advanced to Kae- 

 fung, the capital of Honan ; but here, as well as at Hwae-king, they were 

 unsuccessful. In the course of the autumn, however, they captured upwards 

 of twenty cities, and advanced so far towards Pekin, as greatly to alarm the 

 court and capital. Loo-chow was taken Jan. 14, 1854 ; -Luh-gan, Feb. 17 ; 

 and Ling-sing, April 1 ; thus taking city after city as they progressed north- 

 wards. Another army, meanwhile, was despatched up the Great Eiver to 

 Nan-chang, the capital of Keang-se, to which they laid siege in June, 1853, 

 but without success, though detached forces took two other cities to the west- 

 ward, and pillaged several others. Yo-cliow, Chang- ti, and Tao-yuen were 

 taken during the summer ; and Woo-chang, the capital of Hoo-pih, sur- 

 rendered after a siege of 80 days. They shortly after withdrew, but returned 

 in greater force the ensuing year, when they took Han-kow, and again took 

 Woo-chang by storm. Such is a brief sketch of the successes effected by the 

 Tae-pings till the spring of 1855 ; and now the valley of the Great lliver has 

 again become the exclusive scene of war, on a much more extensive scale 

 than when they first fought their way through it to Nanking ; in fact, 

 hundreds of thousands of men, both in the far-east and the near-east, are 

 engaged in deadly strife for the highest earthly prizes, (p. 189.) 



In Chapters xv., xvi., and xvii., are detailed and interesting accounts of the 

 intercourse of the Tae-pings with the Western foreigners, including Mr. 

 Meadows's diary of an excursion on the Grand Canal in quest of information 

 respecting the rebels ; the result of the whole being, that while the author 

 condemns all foreign intervention whatever, either for or against the Tae- 

 pings, he considers their establishment in China will contribute essentially to 

 the peaceable extension of free intercourse and commercial privileges ; whereas 

 from the present dynasty they can only be obtained by disastrous wars, 

 calculated to engender long national hatred, and to destroy that very industry 

 which alone makes commercial intercourse valuable, (p. 325.) 



Chapter xviii. contains a very elaborate account of " the philosophy, 

 morality, and polity of the Chinese, as well as of the religion of the governing 

 class." There are three great prevailing systems of philosophy in China — 

 Taouism, Buddhism, and Confucianism ; but the last, more ancient by 

 centuries than either of the others, has always succeeded in maintaining the 

 chief ascendency, and is now deemed the orthodox creed throughout the 

 country. Confucius, or Kung-tsze, however (who was born B.C. 551), was 

 by no means the originator of Chinese learning, for both metaphysical and 

 ethical doctrines can be traced more than 2000 years prior to the Christian 

 era, Fuh-he being considered the founder of Chinese civilization generally. 

 Confucius, indeed, was rather a commentator and expounder of more ancient 

 systems than the founder of a new one ; but by him and Mencius, or 

 Mang-tse (b.c. 317), the whole was amalgamated. After this period the 

 study of philosophy seems to have been almost dormant, till the invention 

 of printing in China (a.d. 932), by causing a circulation of the sacred 

 works, led to a revival of literature and philosophy. Hence we date a 

 second philosophic epoch, commencing with Chow-tze, a.d. 1034, and closing 

 with Choo-tze, who died a.d. 1200 ; the last of whom is " the fashioner 

 of the Chinese mental life as it now exists, and, in virtue of the vast 

 practical eifect of his labours, may fairly claim to be considered one of 



