Mr. Davis's Extracts Jrom the Peking Gazette. 401 



XX. Seizure of a Convict "who had escaped from his place of Banishment 



Imperial Decree. 



5th moon, 4th day (31st May). 

 " LUh-ching and his colleagues have made application for some rewards to 

 be conferred, as an encouragement to others, on those soldiers who appre- 

 hended the convict that lately escaped from banishment on the frontier. 

 Saou-tan-paoii, who was convicted of an unsuccessful attempt to ravish his 

 niece, and condemned to distant banishment on the frontier, made his 

 escape on the road while being conveyed to the tribunal to receive sentence, 

 but was apprehended one year after his flight. Let Saou-tan-paou, accord- 

 ing to law, be condemned to a higher grade of punishment, and banished 

 to sei-ve with the troops in an unhealthy station, after having first worn the 

 wooden collar for one month. Let those soldiers by whom he was appre- 

 hended be promoted when an opportunity occurs, in preference to all others. 

 Tlie proper board will take cognizance of it. 



" Khin-tsze." 



XXI. Forging the current Coin. 



5th moon, 8th day (4th June). 



An address is respectfully presented from the office of the general of in- 

 fantry for the Imperial consideration. 



" Heang-yung, Chaou-tsemn, and others, officers and soldiers attached 

 to the police of the city, discovered and seized two offenders, since con- 

 victed of secretly coining (or casting) the current tchen. The two crimi- 

 nals, together with the counterfeit coin, the moulds, and other instruments, 

 being brought before us (the general and his colleagues), we instituted a 

 strict examination. Chow-urh, one of the criminals, deposed as follows : 

 * I am a native of Fuh-san-heen, in Shan-tung province, aged forty-four. 

 I came to PeJcing and lived in ' Handkerchief Lane,' beyond Tmnrr-wdn 

 gate. I get my living by making ornaments for women's hair. About the 

 beginning of the 4th moon, being in great want, I, in concert with a former 

 acquaintance, Tang-shih, contrived a plan for counterfeiting old worn-out 

 tchen by casting lead : we wefe to put them in circulation and share the 

 profits. Being both agreed upon it, I procured a piece of stone, and made 

 a mould for the coin ; at the same time providing other instruments for tJie 



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