^^6 Voyage of the Novara. 



lazy and vicious, and when they make their appearance, with 

 a theatrical attempt at assmning a dignified deportment, clad 

 in the yellow costume of a mountebank, and with a tinsel 

 crown upon their heads, they present a most ludicrous aspect. 

 Not one of these so-called kings understands the Mandarin 

 dialect, so widely diffused among the educated classes ; — ^not 

 one, except Hung himself and Kan-wang, has a better educa- 

 tion than one of his coolies.* They have linguists at their 

 elbow, who do their reading and writing for them. 



^' The arms of the Tai-ping are very wretched, and the bare 

 fact that they are able to make head against the Imperial 

 troops, speak volumes for the utter helplessness and incaj)acity 

 of the Imperial Government. I have not the slightest ex- 

 pectation that any advantage will accrue to civilization or 

 Christianity from the religio-political movement of the Tai- 

 ping. No Chinese will have anything to do with them. 

 Their whole activity consists in burning, murdering, and 

 devastating. They are universally detested by the people ; 

 even those inhabitants of the city who do not belong to the 

 ^ Brotherhood ' detest them. For eight years their head- 

 quarters have been at Nankin, which they destroyed, nor 

 have they as yet made the slightest attempt to rebuild it. 

 Trade and industry are forbidden. Their taxes are three 

 times higher than those of the regular Government. They 

 take no measures to staunch the wounds which they have 



* Nankin accordingly is usually called now-a-days the " City of the.Coolie-Kings." 



