×

Warning

JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 1064
Tuesday, 14 March 2017 05:26

Devils on the Loose

Written by
Rate this item
(0 votes)
Chinese junk Chinese junk Painting origin unknown

In my latest book, Dragons, Devils and Rebels, there's a chapter on what Chinese and westerners thought of each other in the early days of contact. The book's finished, but I've since been reading a biography of an Englishman who lived in Shanghai in the mid 1850's. To his shock, when he first arrived Shanghai had been overrun by rebels, and was under siege from imperial troops. Still, he was an intrepid traveller. One day he went on 'an interesting excursion' to Wusong, by boat down the Huangpu. He and his companions sailed into trouble on the way home.

 

He writes:

'...in the evening we were puzzled to know how we should pass the Imperial fleet in safety. They are somewhat random with their fire after dark, and might easily have taken us for Chinese, if not Rebel spies. Mr Edkins came to the rescue, proposing that we should sing as we passed them, that they might know we were foreigners. This suggestion seemed good and the boatmen were pleased with the idea... We approached some ships we took to be the fleet, and passed them singing lustily. But just as we were about to congratulate one another on our success, the boatmen shouted to us to recommence, as we had been mistaken in what we supposed to have been the fleet and were just coming within range of their guns. 

'So now we had to tune up again without delay...We concluded just opposite the largest ship of the fleet. It was now quite dusk.

'"What now?" cried Mr Edkins, as the alarm-gong struck on board the ship. 'There is not a moment to lose."

'He then commenced singing I know not what. Quaterman struck up a truly American tune...while I at the same moment raised a third with all the voice I could command. The men on the warship were shouting loudly, our boat's crew outdoing them if possible, and the whole thing was so ludicrous that I could control myself no longer. I burst into a fit of laughter most inappropriate to the occasion. 

'"Who goes there?" shouted a voice from the Imperial ship.

'"Bai-gui [white devils]," yelled our men, while we cried simultaneously, "Da Ying-guo" [Great Britain] and "Hua-qi-guo" which means Flowery Flag Country, or America. 

'After a little further explanation we were allowed to pass, upon which my companions began to lecture the boatmen for having called us 'white devils'. The poor men, who had not yet received their day's pay were very penitent.'

This story is taken from a letter by James Hudson Taylor of 20 September 1854, in Biography of James Hudson Taylor by Dr and Mrs Howard Taylor, Hodder & Stoughton, London 1983, pp111-112. 


Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/alisonll/public_html/templates/rt_metropolis/html/com_k2/default/item.php on line 248
Read 1803133 times Last modified on Tuesday, 14 March 2017 09:51

171079 comments

  • Comment Link buy cipro online no rx Saturday, 04 May 2024 05:09 posted by buy cipro online no rx

    cipro tablets buy

    Report
  • Comment Link https://ranipool.ru/ Saturday, 04 May 2024 05:00 posted by https://ranipool.ru/

    в формуле комиссии работали представители Украинского и Британского ядерных страховых пулов, Национальной ассоциации страховщиков.

    Report
  • Comment Link Xvtkco Saturday, 04 May 2024 04:46 posted by Xvtkco

    Xnsrpr wredh https://canescholest.com/ Gxjjde Ylherc Ifpatp

    Report
  • Comment Link Crown Casino Saturday, 04 May 2024 04:42 posted by Crown Casino

    Keep on working, great job!

    Report
  • Comment Link canadian pharmaceuticals for usa sales Saturday, 04 May 2024 03:53 posted by canadian pharmaceuticals for usa sales

    Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I've really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I will be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!

    Report
  • Comment Link post2715096 Saturday, 04 May 2024 03:36 posted by post2715096

    Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up.
    The text in your article seem to be running
    off the screen in Opera. I'm not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I figured
    I'd post to let you know. The design and style look great though!

    Hope you get the problem solved soon. Thanks

    Report
  • Comment Link Arhewo Saturday, 04 May 2024 03:31 posted by Arhewo

    Irbasu fhnqv https://cadbiot.com/oxytetracycline/ Tytnrd Fqfifg Rfuaxr

    Report
  • Comment Link cost astelin Saturday, 04 May 2024 03:24 posted by cost astelin

    Medicine information sheet. Short-Term Effects.
    astelin
    Some information about medication. Read information here.

    Report
  • Comment Link click resources Saturday, 04 May 2024 03:20 posted by click resources

    I am sure this post has touched all the internet visitors, its really really pleasant piece
    of writing on building up new webpage.

    Report
  • Comment Link forum-add-msg Saturday, 04 May 2024 03:18 posted by forum-add-msg

    Heya i am for the first time here. I found this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out a
    lot. I hope to give something back and aid others like you helped me.

    Report

Leave a comment

Make sure you enter all the required information, indicated by an asterisk (*). HTML code is not allowed.