tion-hall, where Moh Wang seated himself at the head of the table, which was on a raised dais. The discussion between them then seemed to get animated, the Moh Wang insisting that only Kwangsi and Kwangtung men were to be trusted a proposition naturally distasteful to the other Wangs who belonged to other provinces. As the discussion grew warmer, Kong Wang rose and took off his robes; and on Moh Wang asking him the meaning of this, he drew a small two-edged dagger and stabbed the latter in the neck and back. Moh Wang fell forward over the table, and was soon decapitated by the other Wangs. This was a cowardly assassination of a brave and intelligent man, who had never despaired in the midst of his difficulties, and had always been good to Foreigners, though cruel to his own countrymen. When he was killed, some letters which Colonel Gordon had written to him fell out on the floor, and were found afterwards stained with blood. There is little doubt, however, that if Na Wang and his associates had not thus disposed of this chief, they would have run great risk of being themselves decapitated by him, for he was aware of their intended treachery and it is not impossible that the Moh Wang himself meditated proposing terms of surrender; for a Frenchman, who was present at the murder, mentions that this Wang had directed him to write a letter to Gordon asking for an interview, with the intention of being present at it in disguise.

Colonel Gordon's characteristic letter to this chief (relating to the release of the Europeans in Soochow, of which mention has been made in the previous chapter) is of some interest, and reads as follows, so far as I can make out through the blood with which it is stained :

ASSASSINATION OF THE MOH WANG.

To their Excellencies

CHUNG WANG, MOH WANG.

195

STOCKADES, PATACHOW, 16th October 1863.

YOUR EXCELLENCIES, -You must be already aware that I have on all occasions, when it lay in my power, been merciful to your soldiers when taken prisoners, and not only been so myself, but have used every endeavour to prevent the Imperial authorities from practising any inhumanity. Ask for the truth of this statement any of the men who were taken at Wokong, and who some of them must have returned to Soochow, as I placed no restriction on them whatever.

Having stated the above, I now ask your Excellencies to consider the case of Europeans in your service. In every army each soldier must be actuated with faithful feelings to fight well. A man made to fight against his will is not only a bad soldier, but he is a positive danger, causing anxiety to his leaders, and absorbing a large force to prevent his defection. If there are many Europeans left in Soochow, I would ask your Excellencies if it does not seem to you much better to let these men quietly leave your service if they wish it; you would thereby get rid of a continual source of suspicion, gain the sympathy of the whole of the Foreign nations, and feel that your difficulties are all from without. Your Excellencies may think that decapitation would soon settle the matter, but you would then be guilty of a crime which will bear its fruits sooner or later. In this force officers and men come and go at pleasure, and although it is inconvenient at times, I am never apprehensive of treason from within. Your Excellencies may rely on what I say, that should you behead the Europeans who are with you, or retain them against their free will, you will eventually regret it. The men have committed no crime, they have done you good service, and what they have tried to do-viz., escape-is nothing more than any man, or even animal, will do when placed in a situation he does not like.

The men could have done you great harm, as you will no doubt allow; they have not done so, and I consider that your Excellencies have reaped great benefit from their assist

ance.

As far as I am personally concerned, it is a matter of indif

ference whether the men stay or leave; but as a man who wishes to save these unfortunate men, I intercede.

Your Excellencies may depend you will not suffer by letting these men go; you need not fear their communicating information. I knew your force, men and guns, long ago, and therefore care not to get that information from them. If my entreaties are unavailing for the men in . yourself by sending

down the wounded, and perform an action never to be regretted. I write the above with my own hand, as I do not wish to intrust the matter to a linguist; and trusting you will accede to my request, I conclude, your Excellencies' obedient servant,

C. G. GORDON, Major Commanding.

Immediately after the death of the Moh Wang there occurred certain important and painful events which made an immense noise at the time, which induced Colonel Gordon temporarily to resign his command, and which ultimately led to the withdrawal of her Majesty's Order in Council, which permitted him to serve under the Imperial Government. This officer, his coadjutor General Ching, and Lí, the Governor of the province, held towards each other somewhat indefinite positions. They all acted quite independently of each other at times, while on other occasions their functions were mixed up and confused. The Wangs in Soochow must have been rather at a loss to know to which of these three persons it was they were going to surrender. Gordon was the opponent whom they had most to fear, for it was he who had done almost all the fighting around their city, and, at the same time, he was the man on whose integrity and humanity they could place the greatest reliance. General Ching had also met them in the field, and being himself an old Rebel, had been the principal party engaged in carrying on the negotiations about their surrender. But behind these two there was

THE CAPITULATION OF SOOCHOW.

197

Lí, the Futai, close at hand, and holding a superior position. After the most careful examination of all the accounts available of the occurrence which now took place, it is difficult for me to determine to whom the Wangs did surrender. Surrender, however, they did, on which the following events occurred.

The North and East Gates of Soochow having been given up by the Rebels, and been occupied by the Imperialists on the 5th December, Colonel Gordon withdrew his troops a short way, being anxious to save them from the demoralisation that would ensue if they were allowed to plunder the city. And as almost all the fighting which led to the fall of Soochow had fallen upon his force, he went to the Futai and demanded two months' extra pay for his men as a reward for the services they had gone through, as a compensation for their abstaining from plunder, and as an inducement for them to push on with him and attack Wusieh, while the Rebels were dispirited by the fall of Soochow. On the Futai objecting to this proposal, Colonel Gordon said that unless it was agreed to he could not undertake to keep his troops in hand, and would lay down his own command by 3 o'clock P.M. Till that hour arrived he went into the city to the house of the Na Wang, where he met all the other princes, who informed him that everything in regard to their surrender was going on properly, and that they were quite satisfied. Colonel Gordon then went to the Moh Wang's palace, and tried to get the body of that chief buried, but none of the people near would touch it. Returning to his own force, he found General Ching with an offer from the Futai to give the Ever-Victorious Army one month's extra pay. On this the men made an attempt to march down upon the Futai; but this disturbance was soon quelled, Gor

don determining to remain for the present in command, and, fearing to trust his force in the neighbourhood of Soochow, started it off next morning for Quinsan.

On the 5th, the day when Colonel Gordon went in to see the Wangs, General Ching informed him that the Futai had extended mercy to them all; and on the 6th the former officer again went into Soochow to the Na Wang's house, reaching it about half an hour before noon, when the Wangs were to go out to the Futai and the city was to be given over. At the interview which then took place Na Wang was in very good spirits. He said that everything had been satisfactorily arranged, and promised Colonel Gordon 1000 of his men for soldiers. The other Wangs, who seemed all unarmed, went out laughing and talking. Going down after this to the East Gate, Gordon saw a large force of Imperialists entering the city, yelling and firing off their muskets into the air, and remonstrated with them for this, as such conduct was likely to frighten the Rebels and cause some misunderstanding. Immediately after General Ching came into the gate, and on unexpectedly seeing his English ally, became much agitated, and looked very pale. On being asked as to the result of the interview between the Wangs and the Futai, Ching hesitated and equivocated so much that Colonel Gordon feared something had gone wrong, but could get no definite information on the subject. The latter then determined to go to the Na Wang's palace, in order to protect it and the family of that chief from the Imperialist soldiers who had begun to plunder. On arriving at the palace he found that it had been already gutted, and was accosted by the Na Wang's uncle, who asked him to come to his house and to conduct there the females of the Na Wang's family. Matters now began to look very threat