English admiral on the Peiho, he had been compelled to make a virtue of necessity, and to surrender privileges as deeply cherished as his life and honour. But his forces were gathering to his aid, and a little time would enable him to look to his defences. Should he yield his birthright without a struggle? These were unquestionably the thoughts that filled the mind of the young ruler; and there was to be no long interval before they were revealed. The question of a permanently resident ambassador at Pekin was to remain in abeyance, but in the course of a few months the representative of the English Queen would demand. permission to proceed there for the solemn exchange of the Treaty ratifications. What answer would he receive ?

CHAPTER XIII.

THE PEKIN CAMPAIGN.

The Crucial Point.-Will the Treaty be ratified ?—Mr. Frederick Bruce.-The Date of Ratification.-The Place." All the Arts of the Chinese."-Unsatisfactory Rumours.-Military Preparations.-The Emperor's Commissioners.-The Antiforeign Party.-Pretexts to gain Time.-A legitimate Device. -Arrival of the English Fleet.-The Peiho Forts.-The Barriers.-Demand for their Removal.-A doubtful Promise.Force necessary.-Only the Local Militia!-Preparations for Attack.-Removal of the Stakes.-Fierce Contest.-Protracted Engagement.-Heavy Losses to English.-The Attempt to Storm.-The Chinese Victory.-Failure of Attack.-Withdrawal of Fleet.-The whole Question reopened.-The Peace and War Parties.-Sankolinsin.-A long Delay.-Riot at Shanghai.-The American Minister.-His Reception.-Like a Loochooan or Siamese Envoy.-Navigation closed in the North. The English Demands.-Lord John Russell's Despatch.-Alliance between England and France.-Joint Expedition.-Admiral Hope reinforced.-The English Command. -Sir Hope Grant.-The French Command.-Reappointment of Lord Elgin.-An Indemnity.-Chinese Reply to the Ultimatum.-Pang Wanching's Despatch.-Strength of the English Expedition.-Occupation of Chusan.-Opposite Plans.— Resolve not to attack the Peiho Forts.-Pehtang.-Landing of Expedition.-Difficult Country.-The Fort abandoned.Hidden Dangers.-Preparing for the Advance.-Reconnoitring. The raised Causeway.-Mud Plains.-Attack on the Chinese Camp.-Sir Robert Napier turns Flank.-Desperate Cavalry Charge.-The Battle of Sinho.-Strong Position at Tangku.-How to attack it.-French Precipitancy.-Capture

of Stragglers.-The Capture of the Junks.-Desperate Defence. Tartar Valour.-An Eye-witness's Description.-The Defenders of the Battery.-Hang's Letters.-Request for a Truce.-Impossible to negotiate without Surrender of Taku Forts. The English in their Rear.-Preparations for their Attack. The outlying Fort.-The Chinese taken at a Disadvantage. The North and the South Forts.-Difference of Military Opinion.-General Montauban's Desire.-Sir Hope Grant's Decision.-Stubborn Resistance.-Capture of the Fort.-Grant's Decision justified.-Collapse of the Defence. -Surrender of the remaining Forts.-The Strength of the Forts.-Hope's Failure extenuated.—Mr. Parkes's Adventure. -The Road clear to Tientsin.-Chinese Views.-Policy of gaining Time.-Sankolinsin's last Levies.-Arrival at Tientsin. Kweiliang reappointed.-Chinese Movements always one step behind the hour.-Objection to Advance of English Army. The Commissioners without express Authority.-Advance on Pekin.-Occupation of Hosiwu.-No Treaty save at Tungchow. The Emperor's Nephew.-The Army approaches Chan-Chia-Wan.-In face of a hostile Force.-What had previously happened.-The Promise to Mr. Parkes.-The Interview at Tungchow.-Mr. Parkes and his Companions.-A favourable Incident. The long Discussion.-Satisfactory Ending.-The Return Journey.—Military Preparations.—Evident Treachery. -English Army marching into a Trap.-Decision of Mr. Parkes. His prompt Measures.-Returns to Tungchow.— Double Motive for it.-Mr. Loch goes on.-The rest remain stationary.-Sir Hope Grant warned.-Mr. Loch returns.Captain Brabazon.-Ride back to Tungchow.-Englishmen and Sikhs ready for Flight.-What Parkes had done."There must be War."-The Return Ride.-" I vote, Parkes decides."-The Scene round Chan-Chia-Wan.-Within Ten Minutes of Safety.-The Beginning of the Battle.-Reason for it. Sankolinsin.-His Seizure of the Party.-Sent Prisoners to Pekin.-Indescribable Sufferings.-Mr. Loch's Narrative.-The Battle.-The Chinese stand their Ground.Cavalry charges.-Defeat of the Tartars.-Retreat of the Chinese. Capture of Chan-Chia-Wan. - Halt for fresh Troops. The Fate of the Prisoners.-Ignorance on the Subject. Further Fighting.-The Palikao Bridge.-The French

Battle. The Chinese Government seem yielding.-Prince
Kung. His first Letter.-First Introduction to Public Life.
-No Treaty until the Prisoners restored.-Breach of Faith.
-Prince Kung's finesse useless.-Lord Elgin's Threat.-
Kung's dignified Reply.-Pekin reconnoitred.-Strength of
its Walls.-Difficulty of Military Operations.-March round
Pekin.-Yuen Min Yuen.-The Summer Palace.-The French
arrive first.-Flight of Hienfung and his Court.-Letter from
Mr. Parkes.-Prince Kung complies with Demand.-Sur-
render of Parkes and Loch.-What they had suffered.-The
Fate of the others.-The faithful Sikhs.-Just Horror and
Indignation.-Rapid Progress of Negotiations.-Prince Kung
supreme.-Captain Brabazon's Fate.-That of the others.-A
Summary Punishment necessary. Burning the Summer
Palace. The Question of Loot.-Entry into Pekin.-The
Hall of Ceremonies.-The Ratification of the Treaty.-Prince
Kung's demeanour.-Mr. Frederick Bruce.-The first Minister
at Pekin.-Return of the Allied Troops.-The Emperor's
Edict.-Disgrace of Sankolinsin.-Concluding Reflections.-
A Bitter Lesson well learnt.

THE matter that was to put the sincerity of the Chinese Government to the touch was the reception of the English officer entrusted with the duty of exchanging the ratified copies of the Treaty. Would that envoy be permitted to proceed to Pekin? If he were allowed to do so it would be a proof of good faith. Afterwards there would be room to allow that the objections of the Celestial authorities to residence in their capital were based on some valid reason, and not merely on a sentiment of blind hostility to foreigners. If they would only show on this one special occasion their anxiety to meet the English and other peoples on a footing of diplomatic equality, it would be possible to acquiesce in the reasonableness of their contention that so long as the Emperor's Government was encompassed

by difficulties it would be politic not to enforce the right of permanent residence. The great object, after all, was to obtain some certain proof of the sincerity of the Government of Emperor Hienfung, and that was the point which Mr. Bruce's mission to Pekin was to test and decide.

By the most natural process of selection Mr. Frederick Bruce, who had been secretary to his brother's embassy, and who had returned to England with the copy of the Treaty of Tientsin, was appointed in the early part of 1859 to proceed to China as Her Majesty's Representative for the purpose of exchanging the ratifications* of that treaty. He was instructed to apprise the Chinese authorities that, while the English Government would not renounce the right of having a permanent ambassador at Pekin, it was prepared for the moment to waive it so far as to allow diplomatic relations to be for a time transacted at Shanghai. But with the resolve to insist on the ratification taking place at Pekin there existed also a fear that the Chinese would oppose that arrangement with all the means in their power. "All the arts at which the Chinese are such adepts will be put in practice to dissuade you from repairing to the capital,” wrote the Foreign Secretary to Mr. Bruce; and the result only too fully confirmed the prescience of Lord Malmesbury. Any proposition to exchange the ratifications elsewhere than at Pekin was to be met with a simple and emphatic refusal. That point conceded,

The

* See Lord Malmesbury's letter of 1st March 1859. exchange of ratifications had to be effected before the 26th June.