Page:Europe in China.djvu/328

310 community gave great offence and the irritation increased when the fleet retreated from Canton, foiled by Yeh's obstinacy, and more particularly when his placards appeared at every street corner calling upon all loyal Chinese residents of Hongkong to avenge his wrongs and to make war against all Europeans which they could do only by dagger, poison or incendiarism. The European community now felt the enemy lurking in their midst, the British flag successfully insulted, the navy defeated, the Governor indifferent to their danger. What measures the Governor did take, served only to increase the excitement which now commenced to take hold of the community. On 30th December, 1856, a general rising of the mob being apprehended, H.M.S. Acorn was anchored near the Central Market to overawe the Chinese rowdies congregating in that neighbourhood. On the same day an auxiliary Police Force was organized and an attempt was made to enrol volunteers as special constables. The new-year opened with the news that the S.S. Feima, having been attacked by Chinese soldiers, was hulled in several places, and that incendaries had been at work in different parts of the town. The Governor now issued (January 6, 1857) in great haste a draft Ordinance for better securing the peace of the Colony. But the measures it resorted to, greater stringency as to night-pass regulations, deportation of suspected emissaries or abettors of enemies and compulsory co-operation for the extinction of fires, gave no satisfaction to the community in the absence of a Draconic form of compulsory registration. It was once more suggested that every Chinaman not carrying on his person an official badge and registered voucher of his honesty should be deported. The feeling of insecurity increased. Jardine Matheson and Company found it necessary to obtain a detachment of blue-jackets and marines to guard their premises, and the local papers now published a 'daily chronicle of Chinese atrocities.' Within the first fortnight of 1857 this chronicle contained daily items of local outrages such as 'shooting of four men with fire balls upon them; temporary stupefaction of three Europeans after eating poisoned soup; discovery of a headless body in the