Chap. VII. 



IMPERIALISTS BURN SHANGHAE. 



137 



attacks of the Imperialists, and deserted by nearly 

 all their friends, at length came to the deter- 

 mination to evacuate. 



When the rebels evacuated the city, the brave 

 Imperialists entered it and immediately set it on 

 fire in various places. The evening on which this 

 took place was perfectly calm, and the scene must 

 have been one of the grandest and at the same 

 time one of the most painful ever beheld. The 

 fire was first seen running along the ramparts and 

 destroying tent after tent — these having been oc- 

 cupied only a few hours before by the insurgents. 

 Then the city was observed to have been set fire 

 to in several places, and, owing to the construction 

 of the houses (they are built chiefly with pine and 

 bricks), the fire spread with fearful rapidity. The 

 whole city, about three miles in circumference, 

 appeared to be in flames — guilty and innocent 

 were perishing together, thousands were rendered 

 houseless and driven from their homes, and where 

 to go they knew not. In the midst of all this 

 terror and confusion the imperial soldiers were 

 plundering what had been left by the rebels, which 

 I believe was not very much, and hunting down 

 the imfortunate, in order to cut their heads off 

 and claim the promised reward. Some of the 

 latter, as a last resource, hid themselves in coffins, 

 hoping thus to escape their ruthless pursuers. 

 Many of them were discovered and slain, and then 

 the soldiers used this as a pretence for breaking- 

 open the coflins of the dead, in order to get the 



