2/8 REMINISCENCES OF 



have, and they would not believe any correct in- 

 formation that he did give them. To bring this 

 painful examination to an end, Parkes pretended 

 faintness. We were then removed into a small 

 farm-house, where we were searched and had our 

 watches, papers, etc., taken from us. We were left 

 in this place for half an hour, when we were removed 

 to a temple close by. We were left here alone for 

 twenty minutes, and being tired and having probably 

 a hard day still before us, we lay down for a short 

 sleep. We were roused by the soldiers coming to 

 take us before other examiners, who we found 

 were members of the Prince Tsai suite, men of 

 inferior rank, who had been present at the nego- 

 tiations of the previous day, but who then would 

 not have presumed to have sat down in our presence 

 without our permission. Now we were on our knees 

 before them, the soldiers cuffing and beating us if 

 we attempted to resist. The examiners were very 

 brutal, especially one man, who insisted that I could 

 speak Chinese, abused Parkes when he said I could 

 not, and had me kicked when I could not reply. In 

 the middle, however, of these proceedings a messenger 

 arrived and gave a message which seemed to create 

 a panic, for they left the room, and Parkes and I 

 were left almost alone. But in a few minutes a 

 number of soldiers rushed in and bound us with our 

 hands behind our backs, and from their cries Parkes 

 was led to believe they intended beheading us. We 

 were led into a courtyard, the guard shaking their 

 spears and brandishing their swords at us. Parkes 



