110 



CHINA. 



curred toward the Eussians at Hi for supplies 

 furnished by them. The central Government 

 was powerless to raise the required amount, 

 and proposed to appeal to the viceroys of the 

 wealthiest provinces. 



Rebellions were reported from various parts 

 of the empire. In the early part of the year 

 two formidable ones broke out, one in Kwang- 

 tung, which had gained great strength, the 

 rebels having been joined by the imperial 

 troops sent to quell them. Several interior 

 cities had been taken and were held by the 

 rebels according to the latest accounts. The 

 other was in Shansi, and was also of consider- 

 able magnitude. Toward the close of the 



BOCA TIGRIS, CHINA. 



year a rebellion in Ohihkiang was suppressed 

 before it was fairly started. The headquarters 

 of the conspirators was the city of Wenchow, 

 while the whole southeastern portion of the 

 province had been worked up by them. A 

 rebellion in Chihli broke out in the spring in 

 consequence of a terrible famine. Famines 

 were also reported from other parts of the 

 empire. One of the most terrible in its con- 

 sequences was that in the northern provinces. 

 Thousands of deaths from starvation occurred 

 daily. Rice had been ordered from the south 

 and from Formosa, and the Peking authorities 

 had given 100,000 taels and 1,000,000 catties 

 of rice for the relief of the destitute. Hamlin 

 College contributed 1,000,000 piculs of rice, 

 and Li- Hung- Chang, Viceroy of Chihli Prov- 

 ince, also sent 1,000,000 piculs of rice. The 

 first rain in nine months fell on July 2d. 



While this part of the empire was suffering 

 from droughts, Foochow and the surrounding 

 country was visited by a terrible inundation 

 from June 10th to June 15th, causing great 

 loss of life, some 5,000 bodies being found 

 near Foochow alone. 



A terrible onslaught was made on July 17th 

 upon the French Catholic chapel at Ning- 

 knoh Fu, in the province of Nganhwui, when 

 a crowd of about 1,000 soldiers and ruffians, 

 under the guidance of officials, burst into a 

 chapel during service-time and murdered 

 members of the congregation. The men en- 



tered the chapel, interrupted the service, 

 forced the officiating priest upon his knees, 

 and demanded that he should cease promul- 

 gating the doctrines of the T'ien-chu sect. 

 The priest declined to make the promise, 

 whereupon a scene of indescribable uproar 

 ensued, during which frightful outrages oc- 

 curred. The priest was tortured and event- 

 ually put to death, being hacked to pieces; 

 a little child whom he had adopted was torn 

 limb from limb, and the corpse of another 

 father was taken from its grave and brutally 

 ill-used. The members of the Inland Mission 

 all left the neighborhood, and the Roman 

 Catholics posted guards around their houses. 

 The chief conspirator was a military mandarin 

 named Wu, who openly expressed his malig- 

 nant hatred of the Christian religion. Anti- 

 Christian riots also occurred in the province 

 of Szechuen. The highways were occupied 

 and the mails stopped. The leader in these 

 disturbances, General Ming, took an active 

 part in the great Taiping rebellion. 



Four new ports were opened to foreign 

 commerce during the year. On April 1st, 

 the port of Kiungchow, on the island of 

 Hainan, was opened at last, this having been 

 promised in the treaty of 1862. The delay 

 was owing partly to the British consul, who 

 considered the commerce of the island as un- 

 important, and partly to the Chinese Govern- 

 ment. The island has become a vice-consulate 

 of Canton ; a British consul lives there, and a 

 custom-house has been built. But as the city 

 Kiungchow is situated a mile up the river, 

 the custom-house was erected at Hoihow, on 

 the coast. The anchorage is shallow, and the 

 port itself is considered the most unsuitable 

 one that could be selected. The other ports 

 are Wanchow, on the coast between Foochow 

 and Ningpo ; Woohoo, on the river Yang-tse, 

 between Nanking and Kiukiang ; and Ichang, 



CHINESE FLOWER BOAT. 



on the Upper Yang-tse, 360 miles farther 

 into the interior of China than the present 

 advanced post of foreign commerce, Hankow. 

 Besides these ports, which will be endowed 

 with consular and custom-house establish- 

 ments, there are to be six " landing-places " 

 on that great river, where steamers will be 



