FROM TONKIN TO INDIA 



general of the Chinese forces had guaranteed the lives of the 



inhabitants. "The promise was yours, not mine," remarked 



Tsen ; and, having invited the leading Mussulmans to his 



quarters, he had them all butchered, while, at the same time, 



a cannon shot gave the signal for an indiscriminate massacre 



in the town. This bad faith is quite a familiar feature among 



Chinese of all ranks and of all time; Li- Hung -Chang only 



just escaped being pistoled by Gordon for a like falsehood. 



At the period of our sojourn the town was tranquil. The 



people seemed scarcely even aware that China was at war with 



Japan. 



Our presence, however, started some sinister rumours in the 



direction of renewed massacres of the Christians. Happily, 



these received no further expression at the time ; but there is 



little lasting confidence in the safety of either life or property. 



The murder of Father Batifaut in this province was still 



sufficiently in mind. He was killed in 1874 at the gate of 



Pien-kio, while visiting a Christian convert. His assailants were 



rebels, with whom he had refused to associate himself, so that 



he actually lost his life through a respect for the Imperial 



authority. The matter was not carried to Pekin, and was 



allowed to drop. The next victim was a convert, Kieou-Japine 



by name, sacrificed out of spite against Father Charrere, who 



had gained the hatred of the mandarins by the determination 



and success of his work. This death also is to be laid to the 



charge of the Viceroy Tsen. The Father himself only eluded a 



similar fate by the timely warning of Father Leguilcher, and 



effected his escape, with a small band of disciples, just before 



the gates were shut. On this occasion forty Christians fell, the 



church was destroyed, and the funds confiscated. About the 



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