induced him to send reinforcements to Kahpoo, his most advanced post, and to return the principal part of his siege-ammunition to Shanghai. In the evening three men actually walked into his room and asked for Burgevine, saying they had been engaged by him, and had been told to wait at the "second station," which looked as if neither the Americo-Tai-ping nor his station could be very far off. This movement of Burgevine made Gordon's position an exceedingly difficult and dangerous one, for in addition to attacks from without he was also very liable to attacks from within. The ostensible cause of Burgevine's dismissal-namely, his assault on the banker Ta Kee, in order to get money for the forcehad naturally left an impression on the minds of the men which was favourable to their late commander, and Colonel Gordon had reason to fear that some European emissary of the Rebels might find his way into the force, and stir it up to revolt. In case of such a result happening, the siege-train was sent back to Taitsan for safe keeping.

In the first part of August, the Tai-pings, reinforced by a number of the Europeans who had come up with Burgevine, made several strenuous but ineffectual attacks on Gordon's station at Kahpoo, which covered his position at Wokong. Indeed both of these places might easily have been captured had Burgevine acted energetically; for they were left in charge of Ching, the Imperialist general co-operating with the Ever-Victorious Army, and that commander was absent at Shanghai when the Rebels attacked, about 40,000 in number. The American adventurer, however, did not direct these operations, being occupied at Soochow, along with his lieutenant, Jones, a fellow-countryman, in trying to arrange about the formation of a Foreign Legion. At

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this time Gordon was reinforced by a small FrancoChinese force, under Captain Bonnefoi, and by 200 Belooches of her Majesty's East India army, whom General Brown stationed in Quinsan for the protection of the heavy artillery.

For some weeks after this Gordon remained on the defensive, but on the 29th September took Patachiao without losing many men; and immediately after, negotiations were opened with him by some of the Europeans in the service of the Tai-pings. Behind the stockades which he had taken there was a bridge, 350 yards in length, with 53 arches, which had been partially cut through, in order to let the Hyson pass into a lake near it; and this bridge was the scene of a curious incident which occurred to Colonel Gordon. He was resting upon its parapet one evening, smoking a cigar, when first one rifle or musket bullet, and then a second, struck the stone upon which he was sitting. These shots came not from the enemy, but from his own camp, where they had been fired accidentally. On the second shot being fired, Colonel Gordon thought it necessary to descend into his boat and go over to the camp in order to inquire into this matter; but he had hardly got half-way across the creek below, when that part of the bridge on which he had been sitting suddenly fell into the water; so that the accidental shots which had endangered his life, probably saved it. Between the opposing forces there was another, a high bridge, which became a kind of neutral ground where friendly intercourse took place between the European officers, many of whom had formerly been comrades in arms, though now serving on different sides. In the interviews which took place on this bridge between the Foreigners on both sides, it appeared that the Europeans and Ameri

cans who had taken service with the Tai-pings were by no means satisfied with their position. The result I was that Colonel Gordon had a private interview with Burgevine himself, when that gentleman stated that he was determined to leave the Rebels, but would not do so unless his officers and men could obtain some guarantee that they would not be held responsible for the acts they had done when with the Tai-pings. On this Colonel Gordon guaranteed that the authorities at Shanghai would institute no further proceedings against those men; and offered to take as many of them as he could into his own force, and to assist the remainder in leaving the country. At another interview Burgevine proposed to Gordon to unite with him, and together to seize Soochow; to keep both Rebels and Imperialists out of it, and then to organise an army of 20,000 men, with which to march on Peking. He said that in Soochow alone there was sufficient money to enable them to carry out this plan; but was at once informed that Colonel Gordon would not entertain any such idea. The situation was complicated by the fact that at this moment General Ching was making attacks of his own on the Tai-ping position, and also by the fear that these proposals for surrender might only be a ruse to cover secret tampering with the disciplined force. While these interviews were taking place, severe fighting still went on, and a desperate attempt of the Rebels to recapture Wokong was repulsed with great loss on both sides. In the middle of October, however, Burgevine and the other Europeans in Rebel employ sent information that they intended, under pretence of making a sally, to throw themselves on Gordon's protection. This accordingly they did, rushing on board the steamer Hyson as if they were capturing it, on which thousands of the Tai-ping

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troops came out to their assistance, only to be driven. back with volleys of shell and shot from the Hyson's artillery, while the steamer turned back and safely landed the deserters in the besieging camp. When these men were landed it was found that Burgevine himself and several other Europeans were not among them. Morton, their leader, made the excuse that the Moh Wang appeared to suspect their intention, and so he had thought it wisest to leave at once, without waiting for his commander. Fearing that Burgevine would be decapitated in consequence of this movement, Colonel Gordon at once sent a letter and presents to the Moh Wang, entreating him to spare Burgevine's life, and also returned all the Enfield rifles with which the deserters had been armed. It is highly honourable to the Taiping chief that after these events he sent Burgevine off in safety; and that worthy, after being received in Gordon's camp, was sent down to Shanghai. In this bloodless way the Tai-pings lost the greater number of the Europeans who were ranked on their side; and Colonel Gordon must have conducted the affair with boldness and skill, for the Imperialist authorities, aware of the negotiations that were going on, suspected even his loyalty, and he ran the risk of his own officers being enticed over to the enemy. The majority of the Foreigners who thus left the Tai-pings were seamen who had been taken from Soochow to Shanghai, with very little idea of their ultimate destination. Mr Mayers, the acting British Vice-Consul at Shanghai, who was sent to investigate this affair, states in an official letter,* that at one moment, while offering to surrender, Burgevine proposed to his Lieutenant, Jones, a plan for entrapping Gordon, but the more honest nature of his companion. * Blue-Book, China, No. 3 (1864), p. 169.

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revolted against such treachery. The following extract from the statement of Mr Jones, regarding an occurrence which took place immediately before Burgevine's escape, will give a curious idea of the relationships which existed between these adventurers: "At noon I went to

(Oct.12 Burgevine, who was lying asleep on board a 32-pounder (863) gunboat, and asked him whether I should assist him to get ashore, as many of our officers and men were making remarks on the condition he was in. On his demanding the names of those who had made remarks, I declined giving them, and shortly afterwards again attempted to remonstrate with him, in company with another officer. On my again declining to give up names, Burgevine drew out his four-barrelled pistol, which he cocked and discharged at my head from a distance of about nine inches. The bullet entered my left cheek and passed upwards. It has not yet been extracted. I exclaimed, 'You have shot your best friend!' His answer was, 'I know I have, and I wish to God I had killed you!"" The only reply which Burgevine made to this statement in a letter on the subject which he published in the Shanghai papers, is the following remarkably ingenuous one: "Captain Jones's account of the affair is substantially correct; and I feel great pleasure in bearing testimony to his veracity and candour, whenever any affair with which he is personally acquainted is concerned."

It may be well to notice here Burgevine's further proceedings and unfortunate fate. After his surrender at Soochow the Futai delivered him up to the American Consul, and at the request of Colonel Gordon, that latter functionary waived proceedings against him on condition that he would leave the country. For some time he remained residing quietly at Yokohama, in Japan, where the recalcitrant Daimio, Cho-shiu, who was fighting

(He was sent to Japan in Nov. 1863 (Abend, p. 264)