CHINA. 



125 



whether they desire to rotnrn to China or not 

 ID those coolies who desire to return, tho (m\- 

 rnment guarantees a free passage, either com- 

 pelling tlmso employers \vlio ensured to send 



liaek to I 'liill.'l. In fllllill their c.ili- 



. or in tin' other oasoa defraying itself tliu 

 necessary expenses. Tlie treaty proper con- 

 >f nineteen articles; the first five regulate 

 mutual diplomatic representation at Pe- 

 nid Lima, tho appointment of consular 

 nN in ill.' treaty-ports, the tariff, etc. The 

 iirration of Chinese to Peru is to be en- 

 tirely voluntary, and every kind of force and 

 fraud is to be punished. Peru promises to 

 appoint otlieial interpreters in all working dis- 

 riets, and to deal out impartial justice to all 

 Chinese complainants in case the Chinese con- 

 suls in Peru are unable to adjust the difficulty. 

 'I'll.- Peruvians in China are under the jurisdic- 

 tion of Peruvian consuls. The treaty is drawn 

 up in Spanish, Chinese, and English ; and in 

 oases of doubtful meaning the English text is 

 to be regarded as decisive. The treaty is to 

 remain in force for ten years ; if changes are 

 then to be made, they must be announced six 

 months before the expiration of the treaty ; if 

 no such announcement is made, the treaty re- 

 mains in force for ten years more. 



In October a dangerous conspiracy was dis- 

 covered among the Chinese soldiery at Tien- 

 tsin. Rumors of the most alarming character 

 were in circulation among the foreign commu- 

 nity, and a general feeling of insecurity was 

 everywhere manifest. The district of Tien- 

 tsin, since in 1873, has been the scene of great 

 military activity. It is estimated that ever 

 since that time there have been frpm 20,000 

 to 60,000 troops within two days' march of 

 Tien-tsin. These troops are principally from 

 Honan, and constitute the flower of the army 

 of the Governor-General, Li Hung Chang. 

 They are strangers in this province, but none 

 the less masters of the soil, and they live on 

 the fat of the land. It was not, then, a matter 

 of surprise that these vagabonds, weary of 

 inactivity, corrupted by idleness and lust, and 

 restrained by no power but their own will, 

 should engage in any game, however desper- 

 ate. The leader of the revolt was supposed to 

 be General Whang, who was thought to pos- 

 sess the confidence of large numbers of officers 

 and southern troops at present without em- 

 ployment. A number of the rebels were ar- 

 rested by order of Li Hung Chanir, whoso fidel- 

 ity to foreigners was not doubted. One of 

 the rebels confessed that the object of their 

 attack was to plunder Tien-tsin, and to kill all 

 the foreigners. The Chinese said that the or- 

 ganization was not political, being got up by a 

 band of bad characters for purposes of looting. 

 The local authorities professed ignorance of 

 the movement. Three gunboats were at the 

 time at Tien-tsin, and the consuls asked for re- 

 enforcements. 



The expedition undertaken by the Govern- 

 ment of Japan against the native tribes of the 



Mand of Formosa (M JAPAN), in order to pun- 

 ish them for adH of piracy aguirmt JupaneM 

 subjects, led to h.-rii.n- eiiiupiirji! ;,!,. 1.,-tween 

 Japan and China, as Formosa is <!;. 



imient of China as a part of it* domin- 

 ions. It belongs to the pro\ineo of Kuhku-n, 

 has an area of 14,982 square miles, and a 

 illation of about 8,000,000. The western and 

 ni"-t fertile part of the inland is inhal./ 

 Chinese colonists, who have emigrated to the 

 island in large numbers during the last two or 

 three centuries. The eastern and mountainous 

 part is virtually independent of Chinese rule, 

 and is inhabited by a copper-colored race of 

 barbarians, who number only about 2o,ooo, hut 

 have thus far defied the Chinese authorities. 

 They were in the habit of killing all the ship- 

 wrecked crews thrown on their shores. Tim-, 

 in 1867, the captain and crew of he Ameri- 

 can vessel Rover* were killed, and, as the Chi- 

 nese authorities failed to give the desired sat- 

 isfaction, Admiral Bell, the commander of the 

 United States squadron in the Chinese waters, 

 sent an expedition against the savages, which, 

 however, did not meet with the expected suc- 

 cess. Subsequently General Legendre, United 

 States consul at Amoy, had an interview with 

 Toketok, the head-chief of the southern sav- 

 ages of Formosa, and concluded with him a 

 kind of treaty, in which the savages promised 

 to spare in future the lives of shipwrecked per- 

 sons and to surrender them for ransom. For 

 several years the treaty seems to have been ad- 

 hered to ; but, of late years, Japanese fishers 

 were repeatedly massacred by them. Thus, in 



1873, fifty natives of a group of islands belong- 

 ing to Japan were killed by them. An envoy 

 was sent to China to demand satisfaction. He 

 was admitted with the representatives of the 

 European powers to an audience with the 

 young Emperor, but was unable to obtain the 

 redress demanded, as Prince Knng, the head 

 of the Foreign Department, replied that the 

 Chinese Government had not sufficient control 

 of the southern portion of Formosa to be able to 

 reach and punish the guilty. The Japanese Gov- 

 ernment then concluded to take the punishment 

 of the savages into its own hands, and in May, 



1874, sent against Formosa an expedition, which 

 was a brilliant success. As the Japanese showed 

 an inclination to occupy part of the island per- 

 manently, the Chinese Governor of Formosa 

 issued a proclamation, in which he said : " The 

 Japanese have come into our land to make war 

 against the tribe of the Bootans for having 

 murdered some of the natives of the Lieuchew 

 Islands. They have taken revenge ; but, as the 

 army of invasion does not appear willing to 

 leave the island, the Emperor has sent two high 

 officers to command the Japanese to go home. 

 While the negotiations with the Japanese gen- 

 eral are pending, they have commanded the 

 native tribes to lay down their arms." At an 

 interview held in Formosa, in June, between 



* Ret AMERICAN AJCXCA.L CTCLOPJEDIA for 1867. Art. 

 CHINA. 



