FURTHER ALARMS OF RIOTS

Viceroy expected from Chengtu — Sixty thousand men arriving for examinations — Scuttling of Europeans — Martial law — Ladies leaving Chungking — Agent of Scotch Bible Society — Shut up in a

yuDen — Viceroy's attempt to stop, telegram to Consul — Question of firearms — Viceroy's departure deferred — Fighting priests — A dozen spears stop the way — The defence of Ta-tien-sze — Students arrived — Inspecting the rioting of your own house .217

騷亂進一步警報

預期總督從成都到達 — 六萬人前來參加考試 — 歐洲人倉皇逃離 — 戒嚴令 — 女士們離開重慶 — 蘇格蘭聖經公會代表 — 被關在

浴室中 — 總督試圖阻止，發電報給領事 — 槍支問題 — 總督延遲出發 — 好鬥的神職人員 — 十幾支長矛擋住去路 — 大天寺的防禦 — 學生抵達 — 檢視自己房子的騷亂情況 .217

218 IN THE LAND OF THE BLUE GOWN

IN July 1895, when we heard the Taotai, who had so determinedly adopted every means within his power of enforcing order, was summoned to Peking, when we saw the grand arches at the Gate of Great Peace to welcome the Viceroy coming from Chentu, and did not know who might not come in his train, but knew that Chentu was once again placarded with antiforeign placards, although there was no longer a foreigner there, we felt as if we had good reason to feel afraid. The examinations were to begin in five days. People said, though it seems incredible, that twenty thousand students or thereabouts might be expected. That means at least sixty thousand men, mostly between nineteen and thirty, might be expected in Chungking in the course of the next few days, counting them and their attendants. Many of them would, of course, be believing the bad reports that had been lately placarded about foreigners, many must be at least a little excited by the thought of how American and English men had scuttled and run before them. It must be conceded we nations of the West had hardly taken up a dignified position in the west of China, and that it would be hard for any Government to ensure order amongst such a band of new-comers, men who had heard all about the riots, and could not thereby have been led to feel more afraid of foreigners. There was, however, the proclamation : — "Whereas a number of evil characters have assembled scattering evil rumours, I have already memorialised (the Emperor) and you may put them to death without discussing (the matter)." Thus under the protection of Chinese martial law we read quietly that there was no idea even of England's sending us any assistance nearer than Ichang, a month's journey away. Nor would there have been any need for protection had the British government, when opening this port, asked what then the Chinese were most ready to grant, that there should be a concession set apart for foreigners, they saying that it would be easier to protect them thus, as is most obvious. We on on the other hand wished for a concession, because if but a few of us lived together, we could protect ourselves. As it was, there was no talk even of defending women and children in Chungking, should anything occur, the women, feeling long before that they would but handicap the men, had all made ready to go down before martial law was proclaimed. The children no longer came to school, the sick no longer came to the dispensaries, everyone shunned them except their few trusty Chinese, who implored them to fly while there was yet time. It may be fancied how each mission called its committee, settled which man was most needing a change, and had therefore better go down in chatge of the ladies, and how the poor ladies packed, selecting which treasures must be left for the mob. Of course, in every case the senior missionaries were to remain, and equally of course their wives had to settle who were to share boats, and what each should take when they started next morning, and then arrived the weekly prayer meeting. Already there had been those terrible weeping adieux of the Chinese Christians and inquirers, the friendly few. Very litde was said at the prayer meeting — ^people felt too much, "for we knew we should think a riot was happening, and our husbands in danger all the time, if we went away and left them," said one lady. " So I was afraid to speak to Mrs , because I knew she was feeling the same, and we sat side by side and said nothing to each other, till at last she said to me, ' Someone said you wanted to speak to me.' Then I asked her what she would provide, and that made us feel better, just settling. She thought we ought to take no beds for fear of rousing suspicion, but just rugs to lay on the floor."

1895年7月，當我們得知那位一直堅定不移、竭盡全力維護秩序的道台被召回北京的消息時，當我們看到大平門的宏偉牌樓，迎接從成都來的總督的到來，而不清楚隨行的人會是誰，但知道成都再次貼滿了反外國的告示，儘管那裡已經沒有外國人，我們感到害怕的理由似乎是充分的。考試將在五天後開始。據說，雖然聽起來難以置信，但大約兩萬名學生可能會到來。這意味著在接下來的幾天裡，至少會有六萬人，主要是年齡在19至30歲之間，連同他們的隨從一起湧入重慶。當然，他們中的許多人會相信最近貼出的有關外國人的不良傳言，許多人肯定因為想到美國人和英國人在他們面前慌亂逃竄而感到興奮。必須承認，西方各國在中國西部的立場不算高貴，而任何政府都難以保證在這樣一群聽聞過暴亂的新人中維持秩序，而這些新人顯然並不會因此而對外國人產生更多畏懼。然而，仍有一份公告指出：「鑑於一批惡棍散佈不實謠言，臣已上奏皇帝，允許將其就地正法，不必討論（此事）。」就這樣，我們在中國戒嚴法的保護下，平靜地讀到英國根本沒有打算派任何援軍，最靠近我們的援軍在宜昌，那裡距我們有一個月的路程。而且，如果英國政府在開放這個港口時，向當時中國最願意提供的要求進行談判，那麼也不會有保護的必要。中國曾表示，如果能為外國人劃定一片專區，他們會更容易保護外國人，這點顯而易見。而我們另一方面也希望有專區，因為如果有幾個人住在一起，我們可以自己保護自己。當時在重慶，根本沒有人談及如果發生什麼事情，如何保護婦女和兒童。婦女們早在戒嚴令頒佈之前，就已經準備好離開，因為她們知道自己只會拖累男性。孩子們不再來學校，病人不再來診所，除了少數忠誠的中國人之外，所有人都避開他們，這些忠誠的中國人懇求他們在還有時間的時候逃走。可以想像每個傳教會如何召集委員會，決定哪位男性最需要換個環境，最好是護送婦女們下去，還有那些可憐的婦女們如何打包，選擇哪些珍貴物品要留給暴民。當然，資深的傳教士都會留下來，同樣，他們的妻子們必須決定誰和誰共乘一艘船，每個人該帶些什麼，然後第二天早晨出發。接著是每週的祈禱會，已經有過那些中國基督徒和探求者可怕的告別場景，只有少數友好的中國人參加。祈禱會上話不多，因為每個人都感觸頗深。「因為我們知道，如果我們離開，留下丈夫在這裡，我們會時刻擔心暴亂發生，並擔心丈夫的安危。」一位女士說，「所以我不敢和某某太太說話，因為我知道她也有同樣的感受。我們並肩坐著，什麼都沒說，直到最後她對我說，『有人說你想和我說話。』然後我問她會準備什麼，這讓我們感覺好些，只是簡單地討論應該帶什麼。她覺得我們不應該帶床，免得引起懷疑，只帶地毯鋪在地上就行。」

FURTHER ALARMS OF RIOTS 219

220 IN THE LAND OF THE BLUE GOWN

Next day, quite early it seems, it was that most militant agent of the Scotch Bible Society, who rode round upon the wonderful horse that carried him to Bhamo and back and still thrives — so many horses die on that journey — ^and told the ladies martial law was proclaimed, and he thought they might stay now. They had packed what they dared take and put their boxes in the boats, thinking they could get on board more quietly in the night; some who were joining fugitives from Sui-fu had already gone down river, for the Consul would permit no fugitives to remain from other places in Chungking. As the days went by the Chinese began to say the authorities were so vigilant now, they thought it was safe to remain. So after a while the women got their boxes back. But the boats still were there waiting till the examinations should be over, and we had all learnt whether we might hope to pass the summer there, or had got to fly shoeless, as people always seem to do in riots.

FURTHER ALARMS OF RIOTS 221

Let any one picture, if they can, what was still the life of those shut up at the yamen at Kiating. Some members of the China Inland Mission had arrived in Chungking after a month there. It is a small space, of course, with no oudook, not even protection from the sun. Those who fled there lost aU they had. There is a litde courtyard in which they could take exercise, that is all.

It was on June 4, during the examinations there, the missionary houses were looted and plundered, one of the men nearly torn in two by the mob catching hold of his girdle at both ends, and all as we understand more or less roughly handled. Englishmen are far too manly not to admire the courage of the women, who, after passing through a husding like that, held out in their confinement of already a month and a half. It is a thing no man would like to go through, and women's nerves are apt to g^ve way sooner than men's. Yet they held out, though whether it is wise to expose them to such a strain is a question. One difficulty is if people go down from Chungking they cannot return till October, because the river is at its height in summer. And even after that the journey up from Ichang takes nearly a month, and to Kiating, even if you brave an overland journey, you cannot get in less than about a fortnight more.

次日，似乎是很早，那位蘇格蘭聖經公會（Scotch Bible Society）的頗具戰鬥精神的代理人來了。他騎著那匹神奇的馬，這匹馬曾載著他來回巴莫（Bhamo）而仍然健康繁茂——很多馬匹在這段旅程中會喪命。他告訴婦女們，戒嚴法已經頒布，他認為她們現在可以留下了。她們收拾了能夠帶走的東西，將箱子放進了船中，打算在夜裡悄悄上船；有些與來自綏符（Sui-fu）的難民會合的人已經順江而下，因為領事不允許來自其他地方的難民留在重慶。隨著日子一天天過去，中國人開始說，當局現在如此警惕，留在這裡應該是安全的。所以過了一段時間，這些婦女把她們的箱子拿了回來。不過，船仍在那裡，等到考試結束，我們才知道是能夠希望留在這裡度過夏天，還是要像暴亂中的人一樣光著腳逃走。

進一步的暴亂警報

讓任何人想像一下，如果他們能的話，那些被困在嘉定衙門中的人的生活是什麼樣子。中國內地會（China Inland Mission）的一些成員在那裡待了一個月後來到了重慶。衙門內的空間當然很小，沒有視野，甚至沒有遮陽處。那些逃到那裡的人失去了他們所有的財物。那裡只有一個小小的庭院可以供他們活動，僅此而已。