LOOT OF THE IMPERIAL SUMMER PALACE AT PEKIN. 605 



white flag- on the .second one and sent representatives to confer with 

 our officers. The two parties met with courteous sahitations, and after 

 the customary ''ching- ching-/' the mandarins asked to be introduced 

 to the ambassadors. The mandarin, who was the bearer of the flag- of 

 truce and who was of an inferior rank, was informed that the ambas- 

 sadors were not there. " It is unfortunate," he replied, " we have got 

 a letter to give them which authorizes them to enter into the Peiho, 

 provided that hostilities are suspended." 



The Chinese are our masters in diplomacy, and they have recently 

 proved it. Now, at that time they were no more stupid than they 

 are to-day. They had used, and they always have used, unlimited 

 postponements, for a Chinaman will be eighteen years in discussing the 

 place of a comma in a diplomatic paper. To him it is all the same; 

 he is never in a hurry, and tinie is nothing to him, and it is this indif- 

 ference to time which constitutes the strength of the court of Pekin. 



The Chinese then began to go through their diplomatic procedures 

 with our officers, but fortunately Mr. Parkes, one of the most skillful 

 agents that England has ever had in the Celestial Empire, took charge 

 of the conversation, and replied that the propositions contained in 

 their letters were simply laughable, and that the officers for whom 

 he was interpreting had only to demand the surrender- of the forts. 

 The mandarins replied that in this case they must retire; that the 

 fort was well armed, and that the Europeans might come and take it. 

 General Montauban was for an immediate attack, ])ut his English 

 colleague proposed to give the Chinese two hours. The allied officers 

 sent to parley were received by a mandarin of elevated rank, a chief 

 of high stature and martial bearing, who endeavored to gain time, 

 but he was assured that if the forts were not surrendered in two hours 

 they were to be attacked. '' Well," said he, '' try it. We have powder 

 and cannon and we will know how to meet you." 



At the end of the time our forces marched on the fort in a solemn 

 silence. We marched on, leaving our tirst conquest behind, expecting 

 that the Chinese would open fire at once, but no cannon shot came; 

 nothing at all happened, and this silence excited the suspicions of 

 our generals, who asked if the enemy was only letting us approach 

 nearer to bring us within the range of grape. The army halted within 

 gunshot; Captain Bovet, of the engineers, advanced and laid planks 

 over the tirst ditch, followed by the general and the assaulting column; 

 everybody followed him, and while we were asking ourselves what 

 infernal stratagem was hidden under this silence, and were expecting 

 to see the formidable artillery which we beheld before us begin to tire, 

 we saw all at once the general and his soldiers on the rampart. Two 

 minutes later we saw the great door of the fortress open; we entered 

 and beheld something unexpected, for all the garrison, 3,000 men, 

 were massed there motionless, the Chinese prisoners havmg thrown 

 their arms in heaps before them. 



