×

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 3631797 times Last modified on Tuesday, 14 March 2017 09:51

256972 comments

  • Comment Link BobbyHOARM Saturday, 19 August 2023 17:50 posted by BobbyHOARM

    canada pharmacy online medicine online shopping
    viagra generic canadian pharmacy online medicine order discount
    shoppers drug mart pharmacy https://enitdeode.estranky.cz/clanky/canadian-pharmacies.html

    Report
  • Comment Link BobbyHOARM Saturday, 19 August 2023 17:48 posted by BobbyHOARM

    is erectile dysfunction a va disability erectile dysfunction natural remedies
    erectile doctors erectile pills over the counter
    erectile dysfunction doctors http://www.dungdong.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=2527925&do=profile

    Report
  • Comment Link JeromeGal Saturday, 19 August 2023 17:36 posted by JeromeGal

    dark markets 2023 https://netdarkwebmarket.com/ dark web market links

    Report
  • Comment Link StanleyBiz Saturday, 19 August 2023 17:35 posted by StanleyBiz

    onion market drug markets onion

    Report
  • Comment Link JeromeGal Saturday, 19 August 2023 17:34 posted by JeromeGal

    dark net https://darkwebmarketed.com/ tor marketplace

    Report
  • Comment Link evdEn evE nAkLiYat Saturday, 19 August 2023 17:31 posted by evdEn evE nAkLiYat

    An interesting discussion is worth comment. I do believe that you need to write more about this issue, it might not be a taboo subject but
    typically people do not talk about such subjects. To the next!
    Many thanks!!

    Report
  • Comment Link StanleyBiz Saturday, 19 August 2023 17:31 posted by StanleyBiz

    darknet links blackweb

    Report
  • Comment Link Kaaipef Saturday, 19 August 2023 17:31 posted by Kaaipef

    dark web markets darkmarket link

    Report
  • Comment Link ScottsaW Saturday, 19 August 2023 17:30 posted by ScottsaW

    deep web sites darknet market links

    Report
  • Comment Link DonaldInhed Saturday, 19 August 2023 17:29 posted by DonaldInhed

    Адвокат Запорожье (юрист Запорожье) - предоставляет помощь и юридические консультации опытного адвоката по следующим направлениям:номер юриста по военным делам Запорожье

    - услуги адвоката по уголовным делам в Запорожье (защита от предъявленного обвинения по уголовным делам подозреваемым, подсудимым и осужденным, представительство потерпевших от уголовных преступлений и правонарушений, сопровождение свидетелей на допросах в правоохранительных органах и судах, участие при обысках и задержаниях, выезды в СИЗО и колонии, подача апелляций и кассационных жалоб на незаконный приговор суда, обращение в Европейский суд по правам человека, юридические консультации по уголовным делам). Адвокат по уголовным делам Запорожье предоставляет юридические консультации онлайн и по записи в офисе

    - помощь адвоката по гражданским делам в Запорожье (составление исковых заявлений, представление интересов в судах по гражданским спорам, включая кредиты, наследство, семейное право, жилищные споры, земельные дела и иные). Адвокат по гражданским делам Запорожье принимает как в офисе так и в телефонном режиме

    Report

Leave a comment

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