Wretched Condition of Canton. 381 



half in ruins, lialf burnt. The stately European factories, 

 which had adorned the banks of the river up to the walls of 

 the Chinese city, were heaps of ashes. The floating town 

 upon the river itself, the renowned flower-boats of Canton, 

 with their marvellous splendour and their luxurious beauty, 

 had entirely disappeared, leaving no trace. Whoever had 

 anything to lose had fled the country. English sentinels 

 patrolled the walls and occupied the streets of the interior 

 of the city, and only the very poorest of the mob remained 

 behind, watching every op2:)ortunity of getting the " head- 

 money," which the Mandarins of the province of Kuang-Tung 

 had offered for every head of a "barbarian" brought in. 

 " The state of matters in Canton gets worse and worse every 

 day," said the latest issue of the Hong-kong journals. Since 

 the Americans and Russians had concluded jorivate treaties 

 with the Imperial Government, and the English and French 

 allied fleet had gone north to the Gulf of Pe-Cheli, to treat at 

 Tien-Tsin with the Imperial commissioners, the Chinese of 

 Canton had been plucking up corn-age. They conceived the 

 allies to be isolated ; the Russians and the Americans they held 

 to be hostile to them. The Mandarins and Imperial com- 

 missioners launched proclamations by the dozen at the 

 " foreign devils," * set on foot organized Guerilla bands, 



* We give the following translation of one of these proclamations : " Listen, O 

 Ustcn, ye detestable barbarians ! We, patriots and honourable subjects of the reign- 

 ing djmasty, wnsh to hold up a mirror to you, that ye may see what ye are doing, and 

 what like you are ! Only in speech, and in no other respect, do ye differ from wild 

 beasts ! We have understanding, we observe laws and commandments ; but you are 



