July 10, 1884.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



463 



dutible fact, The abregoincs would not perforate sech an 

 act j "because in so a dewin Rjcy would ampitate their own 

 noses off, deer a b< J in' their gret mainstayafice, both inta.ru- 

 aliy an' out-tarnally, that IS r.o say, both food an' rem- 

 uanfs. " 



"Wal,' said Lisha, as lie soused a tap in bis tub, "the' 

 can't nobody say 't ever 1 crusted deer, but the' was 'nough 

 on 'em 't did, twenty, thirty year ago, an'mis'able murderia' 

 business it was, tew. The' was one man, though,'' be con- 

 tinued, after some vigorous pounding of the tap on bis lap- 

 stone, " 'at got cured o' crustin' for "bis life time, wbich it 

 shortened it, tew." 



"It off t' been shortened afore ever he went a crustin'," 

 said the relentless Sam. "Wal, baow was 't, Uncle Lisha?" 



"Wal," said Lisba, taking the last peg from between bis 

 lips and driving it home, "I guess it's gittin' ruther late t' 

 begin a stoiy ('night, hain't it? 'Baout what time 's it got to 

 lie anyway? Pettier, you jes' go t' the kitchen door 'n' ast 

 Jcrusby, won't ye?" 



"HoV on ; I've got my crow monitor," said Solon, tugging 

 at a leathern thong that hung from his fob, and presently 

 dragging forth what looked like a goodly sized copper por- 

 ringer, lie consulted it for a minute and proclaimed the hour 

 to be "agoiii' on tew o'clock," 



"1 want er know! Wal, bein' it's so late, 'n' some on ye 's 

 got quite a piece to go, 1 guess I won't tell 'baout it t'night. 

 Nex' time ye come I will 'f ye '11 put me in mind on 't," 



"Prawberbly, in consequent of the demoteness of the in- 

 habitations of some here and present, and the a-proaebness 

 of the hour for cxpirin' to bed, it would be more judiciouser 

 to prefer the narrowatiou of Uncle Lisha's story ontil another 

 of aour conjovial gathering" — wbicb suggestion of Solon's 

 all fell iu with, and Sam Lovel, taking his gun from the 

 comer and whistling up bis chase-weary bound, all departed, 

 leaving Lisha to snuff out the shop candle and retire to tbe 

 kitchen, where, smoking the last pipe of the evening with his 

 stockinged feet toasting ou the stove hearth, tbe purring of 

 tbe cat, the drowsy song of tbe teakettle, and Aunt Jerusha's 

 monotonous counting of the stitches as she narrowed tbe 

 thumb of a striped mitten, "one — tew — three, narrer; one — 

 tew- — three, narrer," soon set him to nodding. 



"Why, father/' said tbe good dame, casting a side glance 

 at him from her knitting when bis pipe dropped from his 

 mouth, "wby don't ye go to bed, stiddy settin' there a 

 noddin' like a hard's grass head in a July wind?" 



"I wa'n't a noddin J nutber, V haint a bit sleepy," be said, 

 opening his eyes as wide as possible. "I was on'y niedy- 

 tatin'." But he went to bed. 



REMINISCENCES OF SHANGHAI. 



r piIlR'TY years ago the inhabitants of the foreign settle- 

 JL ment of Shanghai, China, awoke to the fact that they 

 as well as their neighbors, the Chinese denizens of the walled 

 city a mile away, had some personal as well as business in- 

 terest in the great movement which, known as the Tai-ping- 

 wang Rebellion, was stirring slow and sedate old China to 

 its very center. 



Tai-ping-wang was one of tbe names of a prophet who bad 

 arisen, and proclaiming himself a true Son of God, and thus 

 younger brother of Jesus Christ, was considered a false cr- 

 ime prophet by about an equal number of bis countrymen. 

 AH government officials, from the emperor himself down to 

 the humblest mandarin, who for income depended upon the 

 process kuowu as '"squeezing," remained unbelievers, for, 

 not content w ith making war on polygamy, joss worship and 

 opium smoking, three of the most important of Chinese in- 

 stitutions, Tai-ping-wang aimed to become emperor as well 

 as sphitual chief, and his progress was thus that of a rebel; 

 and war encompassed his advance. 



Tbe principal scenes of his operations were the northern 

 provinces, which included Pekin and Nankin, and but for 

 the interruption of business by the failures of the tea and 

 cotton growers to produce their usual crops, South China 

 would have shown hardly a trace of tbe effect of the convul- 

 sions going on further north. Like the anvil on the breast 

 of the athlete, the solid, stolid mass of the people of China 

 absorb, with little show of injury, blows wbicb would dis- 

 rupt another nation. It is the soldier's business to fight, not 

 purs, reasons this mass, and until the blows are delivered 

 closer home they do not seem to feel or take interest in them. 

 But the life of the dynasty was at stake, and the hundreds of 

 thousands who joined the army of tbe rebel chief were con- 

 fronted with the greater army of the empire. 



We who were then at Shanghai and who had not business 

 interests at stake were, if anything, rather benefitted by the 

 war, for our sole occupation was to enjoy life as much as 

 possible, and the rather limited circle of foreign inhabitants 

 was greatly enlarged by the addition of the officers of Amer- 

 ican, English, French and German vessels of war and com- 

 merce, tbe former detailed to protect tbe interests and lives 

 of their countrymen, the latter idle through stagnation of 

 commerce; and the long winter had passed merrily. Din- 

 ners, prolonged from 7 P. M. till midnight, private theatri- 

 cals, occasional spasmodic attempts at balls (for to one lady 

 there were a score of men), and rousing games of tenpins — 

 a dozen burly skippers on a side, witL drinks bet on the re- 

 sult of every score — at the one hotel, the Astor House, occu- 

 pied our nights, and the hours of daylight were too short 

 for our field sports, wbich, in addition to fine pheasant, 

 partridge, duck, goose and snipe shooting, from either of 

 which one need seldom return with unsatisfactory bag, com- 

 prised a sport which most thoroughly dissipated the effects 

 of our nightly dyspepsia accumulation. This was rabbit cours- 

 ing. Ourselves the hounds, twenty or thirty of us, armed 

 only with short bard-wood clubs, to be used as missiles, and 

 accompanied by a couple of beagles to start the game, would 

 surround a great cotton field and run many miles a day for 

 a few rabbits and exercise. 



But the war came to us at last, Aling, a bright and intel- 

 ligent young Chinaman, who occupied the position of "boy" 

 to a member of one of the English houses, heard daily the 

 Views expressed at tbe various dinners to which, as was the 

 custom in China, he had accompanied his master, to wait 

 upou him ; and securing a sufficient number of adherents 

 be had started a local rebelliou, having taken good care to 

 put himself and followers in commanding positions within 

 the walled city, proclaimed himself its chief; and after cut- 

 ting off the beads of qidte a number of his countrymen, 

 whose politics differed with his, ornamented with them a 

 couple of hundred spikes, which surmounted the city gates 

 and vicinity, and settled down in the ex-Toutai's palace with 

 his troops Stationed along the wall, to hold the place until 

 Tai-ping-wang and his armies arrived. 



Abng's example was rather extensively followed. Local 

 rebellions began to break out wherever there was a walled 

 town, within whose wails there was sufficient wealth to 



encourage the braves ; and the cause of religion was ad- 

 vanced by unlimited looting of joss houses, tbe gods, jewels, 

 money, carvings, paintings, and other "curios" thus obtained, 

 making quite a comfortable little perquisite for Aling and 

 his imitators. At first we outsiders were able to buy from 

 Ahng first-class gods, richly decorated, at very moderate 

 prices ; but it being discovered one day that built into some 

 of these gods, were secret stow holes, in which jewels had 

 been hidden, the supply ceased, and only quite badly 

 mutilated remains were to be obtained. 



After a while trade reopened, and as a great favor several 

 of us were permitted to buy a number of very fine josses, 

 apparently sound as a joss need be. Of course,' in consider- 

 ation of the chance of tbe possible bonanza which we might 

 be also buying, prices ruled much higher; but we went into 

 the speculation with vigor, and kept it up in spite of draw- 

 ing blanks, until in sawing up a joss the carpenter discovered 

 that the secret cavity had been already probed, opened and 

 reelosed, *o skillfully that we could see no external sign. 

 The rascals had first, knowing approximately the location in 

 the back, bored with very fine bits, and the josses in which 

 we found these holes plugged up, had in such as struck 

 cavities, been thoroughly deprived of any valuables Ibcy 

 may have contained. The "ways that are' dark and tricks 

 not in vain" of those Heathen Chinee were too many for us. 

 So looting exhaustively and living luxuriantly on tbe pro- 

 ceeds, Aling and Co. bad gay times, and were in no hurry 

 for the arrival of Tai-ping-wang with his cohorts, to whom 

 they claimed that they intended "to turn over the captured 

 city, and thus secure recognition as legitimate rebels. In 

 anticipation of this event, a few of the more sanguine had 

 adopted the distinguishing badge of the Christians by having 

 their queues cut off, and ceasing to shave the head, but the 

 more astute had modified this policy and contented them- 

 selves by coiling the tail neatly, and covering it with a cap 

 and such hair as might grow, prepared thus to resume, with 

 slight difficulty, their allegiance. 



They waited in vain though, for in due time, instead of 

 the expected rebel leader, there appeared on the scene an 

 imperial army, some ten or fifteen thousand strong which, 

 having selected an eligible, comfortable and safe location, 

 settled down to besiege the city. I advisedly say safe and 

 settled, for the distance of the spot selected was several gun 

 shots from the walls; and then and thus they too enjoyed 

 life, planting vegetable gardens, setting up shops of all de- 

 scriptions necessary for repairs of shoes, clothing, etc., and 

 following the example of the ancient Romans in dealing with 

 the Sabines, provided themselves with wives ad libitum. 

 Extensive earth works were erected, which inclosed quite a 

 number of the haycock -like mounds which served as look- 

 out stations. These mounds had been erected by an an- 

 cient dynasty as burial places, and were the only elevations 

 visible above the flat plains for many miles. 



And thus the besieged and besiegers might all have re- 

 mained until now, left to the full enjoyment of each other's 

 society, for all tbe interest the foreigners might take in their 

 doings; for trade went on as usual and the surrounding 

 country remained peaceful. It was the soldiers' business to 

 fight, not theirs, argued the peasantry; and Chinamen grow 

 rich by minding their own business. "No belongy my 

 pidgin" in their motto. But the soldiers on both sides be- 

 came addicted to a bad habit; and started a game in wbich 

 we found it necessary to take a hand. Pretending a fight, 

 a body of men from one side or the other would retreat into 

 the suburbs of the foreign settlement; and this produced 

 considerable bard feeling, for tbe fire of the pursuers would 

 be in our direction, and sheltered by our houses, the retreat- 

 ing band would break up into skirmishers, each individual 

 devoting himself to looting and escaping with his booty. 



The foreign settlement of Shanghai consisted of a large 

 number of stone houses, the business houses and residences 

 of representatives of American, French, German and Eng- 

 lish merchants, and were built along tbe banks of the narrow 

 river, extending perhaps a mile inland. The river front was 

 skirted by a broad, smooth road, with a sea wall, called the 

 Bund, and in the rear of the town there was a large and 

 well-appointed race course. The Bund and the race course 

 were the fashionable resorts for driving, riding and promen- 

 ades. The walled city, occupied exclusively by natives, 

 was about a mile higher up the river, which it also fronted, 

 and the space between was covered with squalid Chinese, 

 suburbs up to the edge of the Yan-kin-pang creek, which 

 was the southern boundary line of the foreign settlement. In 

 the rear of the city and about on line with the race course 

 was the Imperialist camp. The four places, viz., the for- 

 eign and Chinese cities, the race course and camp, thus oc- 

 cupied the four corners of a somewhat irregular quadrangle. 

 About midway between the two cities the rebels had 

 erected an earthwork on the water front, from which there 

 was a very frequent exchange of harmless cannonading 

 with an Imperialist battery across the river; and occasion- 

 ally a couple of Imperialist war vessels, one a refitted bark 

 named the Sir Herbert Compton, would take position amid- 

 stream, and give the rebs a very lively time, most of which 

 was, however, generally spent in getting out of reach of the 

 shots. The Sir Herbert was commanded and partially 

 manned by beach-comber white men and Portuguese. These 

 little combats wei - e plainly visible from our quarterdeck, and 

 served to while away our otherwise dull watches, during 

 which there was otherwise little variation; for even the 

 floating by of dead bodies, at first rather interesting, became 

 so common a sight as to attract but little attention, except 

 when the tide swept them across our hawser and we had to 

 bear them clear. We noticed, by the way, a peculiar thing 

 in regard to these bodies. All those of the men floated face 

 down, of the women face up. This probably was due to 

 the buoying effect of the breasts of the latter. One day the 

 exhibition was quite a good one. Through some unknown 

 cause fire entered tbe magazine of one of the attacking vessels, 

 the Antelope, I believe, and in an instant she was flying into 

 the air in fragments, some of which descended uncomfort- 

 ably close to ourselves. 



Several events had taken place which led to an affiliation, 

 to a certain extent, between the rebels and ourselves. 

 Among them was first an affair with the Sir Herbert, which 

 one day saw fit to bring to and seize a pilot boat, owned by 

 two American pilots named Ayres and Linklater, haul down 

 the American flag, and make prisoners of some of her crew. 

 An hour after this event the Plymouth had slipped her moor- 

 ings, dropped down the river, re-anchored between, and with 

 her broadsides bearing on the two Chinese vessels, and the 

 Compton's captain, also the Toutai or imperial governor 

 notified that if in one hour — noon — a salute of twenty-one 

 guns to the American flag was not fired we would sink them 

 both at their anchors; and while this was pending a board- 

 ing party under Lieut. Guest had released the prisoners and 

 made others in their place. At noon the salute was fired, 



and we returned to our moorings. The rebels were, not 

 unnaturally, well pleased with this act. 



It so happened one day that, a little combat between the 

 two forts resulted in quite a success for the rebels, for some 

 shot was actually landed in the fort across the river, an 

 almost unprecedented event, and as these shots paved the 

 way to a warm friendship between myself and Aling, tbe 

 rebel chief, wbich produced among other results this yarn, 

 I refer to them. 



Two or three of us on liberty strolled into this fort, and 

 there having been no firing 'that day owing to its being a 

 holiday of some sort, we were a little careless and mounted 

 the parapets. While looking at the enemies' quarters we 

 were saluted with half a dozen shots in quick succession — 

 all landing in the river considerably short. We were young 

 then and the challenge was not to be treated lightly. We 

 manned the biggest of the rebel guns, and knocking out the 

 quoin, which with Chinese guns takes the place of an ele- 

 vating screw, but which, being immovable, prevents any 

 change in the elevation, pointed and fired, and after a couple 

 of shots, getting the range, we succeeded in landing some 

 shot in the fort, whose defenders fled, and tbe thoroughly 

 silenced battery was abandoned. I shall never forget the 

 absurd mixture of pluck and cowardice we displayed at 

 first, for not one of us dared touch the gun off. From our 

 point of view so dilapidated and rusty an old machine was 

 it, with vent like a teacup, the chances were ten to one that 

 we at tbe breech end would get the worst of the explosion, 

 and it was not till two or three exchanges had warmed us 

 up that we failed, after fitting a long enough piece of slow 

 match, to rush behind a bomb-proof buttress for shelter until 

 the explosion. Although the United States Consul and our 

 Captain endeavored in vain to ascertain who were tbe 

 officers who thus "gave aid and comfort," etc., Aling knew 

 very well, as did all of his following, and was very grateful 

 and hospitable whenever, as we often did, we paid him a 

 visit. 



We were supposed to remain neutral, but were almost 

 forced to take serious steps. To tbe race course all Shanghai 

 foreigners resorted every afternoon, and during these hours 

 there was safety in numbers; but very few dared visit it at 

 other hours when every one was atb\isiness. One forenoon, 

 though, it happened that an invalid English lady, accom- 

 panied by an English gentleman named Caldecott Smith, 

 Wl • there riding in a palanquin. They were attacked, mal- 

 reated and robbed by some bushwhackers from the Im- 

 perialist camp, and probably would have fared even worse 

 but for the opportune arrival of a squad of English sailors 

 on liberty and donkeys, who bad come out for a scrub race. 

 They soon cleared out the Chinamen and escorted the party 

 home. 



Then the music began. As had been arranged, a signal of 

 "assistance wanted" went up to the English Consul's flag- 

 staff, and in less than half an hour, a body of perhaps a 

 hundred men were marching double quick toward the Im- 

 perialist camp. Of this body, the Plymouth, United States 

 sloop of war, and the Encounter and Grecian, English war 

 vessels, with some merchant ships in harbor, furnished four- 

 fifths; the remainder were young men, clerks, partners and 

 others, in the various houses. Without much time wasted 

 in parley, the first of the earthworks reached was attaeked 

 and carried, nearly all of its garrison having fled incontin- 

 ently. About twenty got left, and their detention became a 

 permanent one, for the sailors were ugly; they had been 

 spoiling for a fight. 



One little incident I remember combined to the most 

 extreme degree the horrible and ludicrous. The captain of 

 our after guard, Berry by name, chased a Chinaman, gained 

 on him, until just able to reach him with his bayonet point, 

 the bayonet being fixed. This he thrust into the poor devil's 

 stern about half an inch. The prick quickened the fellow's 

 speed, and with unearthly yells and contortions of face 

 through fright and pain he did his best. Berry, with .his 

 arms and gun stretched out as far as possible, could do no 

 more than just keep up; until at last the fugitive stumbled 

 and in a moment it was all over. It seems heartless to say 

 the sight bad in it aught of luclicrousness, but barring that 

 the contortions and grimaces were due to pain, and that it 

 was a struggle for life, the attitudes, gestures and efforts of 

 both men were exceedingly funny. 



After demolishing the fort the party returned, word having 

 been sent by Captain Kelley, of our ship, and O'Callahan of 

 the Encounter, to the Imperialist leader that the encamp- 

 ment must be at once broken up, and the army removed to 

 the other side of the walled city. Twenty-four hours were 

 given in which to begin this evacuation. 



The next day, April 4, 1854, there occurred the combat 

 known throughout China as " The Great Battle of Muddy 

 Flats." The twenty-four hours grace would be up at 3 P.M. ; 

 and at that hour about three hundred Americans and Eng- 

 lishmen, commanded by Captain Kelley, he being the senior 

 officer present, were posted at various commanding points; 

 and we were awaiting the signal, which should start us on 

 the Herculean task ,of combatting three times as many 

 thousands as there were hundreds of our own men entrenched 

 behind strong earthworks. We were watching anxiously 

 for signs of a movement of evacuation, but none appeared; 

 and at the appointed hour Captain Kelley opened fire. The 

 effect of that first shot was simply wonderful. It was a 12- 

 pounder shell, from a howitzer; and fell a trifle short. In 

 an instant a score of Chinamen sprung over tbe wall, and 

 rushed toward the spot where it had struck; in another 

 moment there was an explosion, and the crowd was torn to 

 fragments, some escaping with life, seeking shelter again, 

 many without it were lying torn and maugled. They bad 

 never seen a shell before, and in attempting to carry out a 

 superstitious belief, that tO return the first shot of an enemy 

 insures victory, they had scrambled for its possession. The 

 fuse of the shell had been cut too long, and the delayed ex- 

 plosion cost them dear. 



A series of deafening yells was heard, and quickly the rear 

 portions of the wall and soon after tbe country beyond was 

 yellow with a terror-stricken, stampeding swarm, and as we 

 afterward found, by counting the dead, not more than three 

 hundred ("just one apiece for us," as I heard a sailor re- 

 mark) remained to fight us. For half an hour we continued 

 firing, then ceased and charged. 



During the firing an amusing episode occurred. The 

 loader of a howitzer, which was worked by volunteers from 

 various English and American houses, disappeared after the 

 first fire. He was a popular man and a noted wag, whose 

 grim humor at times was very eccentric. Hearing that he 

 was hit, for some one had seen him running toward a ditch, 

 several there sought him, and found him, not wounded, but 

 sitting up to his waist in tbe water lighting a cheroot. "My 

 God, Charley, what's the matter?" sung out the first who 

 saw him. "Matter! Why, I found I've made a great mis- 



