Severity of the Chinese Laws. 359 



return to tlicir native country. This ordinance would as- 

 suredly have been disregarded by most of the resident 

 Chinese of the Middle Empire, had not any violation of the 

 Imperial rescripts been visited with such appalling conse- 

 quences. For by the Draconic laws of the Empire, the family 

 of the criminal expiate his offence, should he take to flight 

 and get beyond the reach of the arm of Chinese justice. 

 For any such absentee from justice, some other member of 

 the family is substituted, who may be still on the spot ; as for 

 instance, tlie father, mother, or brother, who is punished 

 exactly as though he had in person been guilty of the crime 

 or misdemeanour. With such terrific means of repressing 

 disobedience impending over him, no Chinese would venture 

 to set at defiance the orders of the Mandarins ; and accord- 

 ingly, during the summer of 1858, 10,000 Chinese returned 

 home at once ; others, who did not dare to return, but could 

 not endure that the ruthless doom should be executed upon 

 their relatives, committed suicide. The position of European 

 ladies in Hong-kong became anything but enviable, as they 

 had at a moment's notice to take up the pot-ladle for them- 

 selves, and get through the various fatiguing details of their 

 households with what skill they could. Moreover there was 

 good ground for ajiprehension that the Mandarins might cut 

 off all communications with the neighbouring provinces, which 

 move, as the greater part of the every- day necessaries of 

 life are supplied from the mainland, might have exposed the 

 population of Ilong-kong to the severest straits. 



