Page:The Chinese Repository - Volume 01.djvu/44

 chief rebel, that is, Chaou, the Golden dragon; an epithet since assumed as the royal title of the rebel chieftain. To this man is attributed, by some prisoners taken, the power of working wonders with his sword; of taking water into his mouth and spurting forth fire; of knotting rushes and converting them into cattle, &c.; and these reports are communicated in the official despatches to the Emperor. It is added, that there is among the rebels a female General, who has sent her sister to be married to one of the rebel Chiefs, on the frontiers of Canton.

Chaou is clothed in a jacket, and an emblazoned under-dress, on which are embroidered the three words, Kin-lung-Wang, 'the golden dragon king.' The chief rebels of the Yaou tribes, are clothed in yellow riding jackets; the rest have red cloth turbans. They all can perform demoniacal arts, but with unequal success.—Such is the simple tale of the Lieut.-Governor, to the Emperor, and to this he adds,— "But there are none of the Triad Society among them." To this part of the memorial, the Emperor replies in his own hand-writing, with the vermillion pencil, "'Demoniacal arts' are words which should never appear in a memorial to me. And how know you certainly that there are none of the Triad Society among them? Hereafter, when they are annihilated, and it is found out that there were Triad bandits among them, what will you do! Where will you hide yourself on the earth!"

The Lieut.-Governor represents the hills as covered with snow in February; the cold intense; and the passes impracticable. There were not troops enough in the neighbourhood to act against the mountaineers, who could easily run away, but there was no pursuing them. However, since that, the rebels have been the pursuers; and the Imperial troops have been defeated repeatedly, with the loss of a great many officers, guns, and ammunition. Among the killed is Hae-ling-ah,the Tetuh or Commander in chief of the province of Hoonan.

The progress of the rebels has been rapid, and they have possessed themselves of four large towns, besides several smaller ones. One town they plundered of the treasure and grain laid up in it, and then set fire to the public offices. But the people, who are not found in arms against them, have in no case received any injury or insult. The rebel leader is said to have even issued manifestoes, declaring that he wars only with the armed servants of the government, and intends no harm to any besides.

The rebels have received one or two severe repulses. Loo-kwan, the Governor of Hookwang, having advanced towards the scene of the contest, accompanied by Lo-sze-keu, the Tetuh of Hoopih, to supply the place of the deceased Hae-ling-ah, their joint efforts obtained temporary victory for the Imperial arms. The vanquished rebels retired abruptly to their mountains, which was attributed, for a time, to fear. But their speedy return to the war, with increased ardour and fury, proves the fallacy of that supposition. Among the prisoners fallen into the hands of the government are a son and brother of Chaou-kin-lung; to rescue whom, a vigorous sally has been made, which though it proved unsuccessful, was not relinquished, till many of of the Imperial troops had been slain. Loo-kwan and Lo-sze-keu have been highly praised by the Emperor, for the check (brief as it was) which they had given to the insurgents: but they are, at the same time, reduced to the situation of secondaries; the direction of the war being given to King-shan, General of the Mantchou troops in Hoopih province.

, the Tetuh of Hoonan. This Tartar officer fell into a snare which rebel treachery had laid for him. The Golden Dragon, having heard of the situation and circumstances of the General, sent some of his cleverest people to feign themselves villagers, who desired relief from the rebels, and to offer themselves as guides to the Imperial army, among the hills. The general believed these deceivers, and moved forward, with a detatchment, eight pieces of artillery, ammunition, stores, and money for the purchase of provisions. When they had reached a place convenient for the enemy, the rebels, who lay in ambush, fell upon then suddenly, and shot, at the first onset, the General and upwards of twenty officers. They killed, also, a few scores of the soldiers; and seized the guns,