THE LOOT OF THE IMPERIAL SUMMER PALACE AT 



PEKIN. ' 



By Count D'Herisson, 



Secretarij and interpreter to General Montauban. 



\^Note. — While China is occupying so much attention it seems opportune to repub- 

 Hsh a document of great ethnological value, both for its most interesting description 

 of the great summer palace and the treasures it contained, its apparently fair account 

 of the mental processes of the Chinese ruling classes and their attitude toward for- 

 eigners, and the frank statement of the uncontrollableness and barbarism into which 

 trained European soldiers may relapse under temptation. 



The Imperial Government of China was at this time (1860) under great embarrass- 

 ment from what was known as the Tai-ping rebellion, and the rebels were ravaging 

 the country in armies so powerful as to threaten the safety of the dynasty. Mean- 

 rthile an expedition of French and English troops was sent to Pekin to insist upon 

 the ratification of the treaty made in 1858 with the English commissioners at Tien- 

 tsin, with the understanding that it would be concluded at Pekin in 1859. Baron 

 Gros and Lord Elgin were the diplomatic representatives of France and England, 

 and General Montauban and Sir Hope Grant were the immediate heads of the French 

 and English armies. 



During 1859 an armed English force started for Pekin, ])ut was repulsed at Taku 

 in its attack upon the forts, and returneil to Shanghai to wait for the arri\-al of a 

 larger army. 



On August 1, 1860, the allied armies landed at Pei-tang, a village 12 miles north 

 of Taku. The forts were taken, and again the Chinese endeavored to persuade the 

 allies not to move in force upon Pekin, but to send diplomatic representatives with 

 a small escort. The French v^^ere inclined to agree to this proposal, but the English 

 disapproved. Events proved the correctness of the position of the latter, since in 

 the course of this march they encountered a Chinese army of nearly 60,000 men, 

 arriving on the outskirts of the Imperial City on October 6. It was the intention of 

 the generals of both armies for the moment to preserve the great palace, but while 

 commissioners were deciding upon the disposition to be made of the treasures fomid 

 in it, and as the result of a shot tired and a panic, the French troops and some Eng- 

 lish troops, the coolies, and camp followers rushed past the guards, and the unau- 

 thorizeil pillage described in the article, and lasting over the 7th and Stii of October, 

 ensued. 



The reader should note these dates in connection with the date of the quite sub- 

 sequent destruction of the palace authorized by Lord Elgin on October 18. 



'Extracts translated from the "Journal d'un Interprete en Chine, par le Comte 

 D'Herisson. Nouvelle edition, Paris, 1901." 



SM 1900 42 gQj 



