CONTENTS.

PREFACE.-v—xxi.

PLAN FOR THE UNION OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND THE IMPROVEMENT

OF THE BRITISH EXECUTIVE.-xxii-xlviii.

CHAPTER I.

POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY AND ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY.

The Five Great Divisions of the Chinese Empire, 1. China Proper, 4.

The Independent Mountaineers, 5. The Executive System. The

District Magistrate, 6. The Prefect and the Intendant, 8. The

higher Provincial Authorities, 9. The Army, 12. The Central Im-

perial Government, 13.

CHAPTER II.

THEORY AND PRACTICAL WORKING OF THE NORMAL CHINESE

AUTOCRACY.

The Emperor absolute, 16. Not Sovereign by birth, 17. How rejected

by Heaven, 18. Chief Principle of Good Government, 20. Public

Service Examinations, 21. Principles of Legislation, 22. Right of

Rebellion, 24. Self-Government and Freedom, 27.

CHAPTER III.

ACCESSION, ABNORMAL POLICY, AND WEAKNESS OF THE MANCHOO

Manchoo Conquest, 30.

and Sale of Posts, 32,

DYNASTY.

Chinese Disaffection, 31. Manchoo Officials

English War, 33.

CHAPTER IV.

RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE, CAUSES OF ITS UNITY AND

GENERAL HOMOGENEITY, AND OF CERTAIN PECULIARITIES IN THE SOUTH-

EASTERN CHINESE,

Original Seat of the People, and Modes of Progress, 34. China Proper,

and Chinese Empire, 35. Cause of Unity and Homogeneity, 38.

Meditations on the Great Pyramid, 39. The great Southern Water-

shed, 43. The South-Eastern Chinese, 44.

CHAPTER V.

M. HUC'S OPINIONS OF THE CHINESE.

L'Empire Chinois, 51. Chinese Catholics, 52. Foreign Missionaries,

53. M. Huc's Opportunities, 54. The Two British Embassies, 55.

Opportunities of Foreigners at the Five Ports, 56. Errors of l'Em-

pire Chinois, 59. Character of the Chinese, 63. Scandinavian Sea-

King and Learned Chinese, 67. Chinese Character illustrated from

Language, 68. Various Opinions contrasted, 72.

CHAPTER VI.

HUNG SEW TSEUEN, THE ORIGINATOR OF THE REBELLION, HIS EARLY

BIOGRAPHY AND HIS ADOPTION OF CHRISTIANITY.

Hung sew tseuen's Parentage and Youth, 74. His Vision, 76. Chris-

tian Missionary Tracts, 79. Hung sew tseuen reads them, 80. Is

converted, and believes he has a Mission, 81.

CHAPTER VII.

HUNG SEW TSEUEN'S ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW SECT OF CHRISTIANS IN

KWANG SE, AND CAUSES OF HIS SUCCESS.

His first Converts, and Departure for Kwang se, 84. Society of God-

worshippers established, 85. Hung sew tseuen with Mr. Roberts at

Canton, 87. Acknowledged Chief of Godworshippers in Kwang se,

88. Causes of Spread of Religious Movements, 89. Character of

Kwang se Chinese, 91. Causes of their Conversion by Hung sew

tseuen, 92. Dr. Gutzlaff's Chinese Testament, 94. Godworshippers

destroy Idols, and are persecuted, 96.

CHAPTER VIII.

ORIGIN OF THE GROSSER FANATICISMS OF THE NEW SECT OF

CHRISTIANS.

Alleged Descents of God into the World, 98. Proclamations respecting

them, 99. Will of God communicated by Yang sew tsing, 102. Why

accepted by Hung sew tseuen, 103.

CHAPTER IX.

RETROSPECTIVE ACCOUNT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MANCHOO

POWER IN CHINA.

Chinese Rebel overthrows Native Dynasty, 106.

Chinese General

invites the aid of the Manchoos, 107. They establish themselves in

Peking, 108. Their Second Emperor Kang he, 109. Suppresses a

Rebellion, and conquers Formosa, 110.

CHAPTER X.

FORMATION OF CHINESE POLITICAL SOCIETIES AGAINST THE MANCHOO

DOMINATION, AND ORIGIN OF CHINESE INSURRECTIONS AND REBELLIONS

GENERALLY.

Secret Political Societies in South-Eastern China, 112. Origin of

Chinese Insurrections, 113. Origin of Bandit Rebel Leaders, 117.

Occidentals' Misconceptions on Chinese Robbers, Pirates, and Rebels,

118. Chinese Civilization, 120. Present Rebellions foreseen by

Writer, 121.

CHAPTER XI.

CONVERSATIONS OF THE OLD EMPEROR TAOU KWANG WITH A HIGH

MANDARIN RESPECTING BRITISH PROJECTS AND THE STATE OF SOUTHERN

CHINA.

Imperial Administrative Levees, 123. Their Object, 124. How the

Emperor's Conversations became known, 125. The Mandarin Pih

kwei, 126. Has an Audience with the Emperor, 127. Emperor

inquires about English Barbarians, 128; and their Troops at Hong-

kong, 129. Emperor promotes Pih kwei, and exhorts him to do his

Duty, 130. Concludes the English Barbarians are mere Traders, 132.

Describes his Inner Garments, 133. Speaks about Opium-smoking,

134. Inquires about the Future Conduct of English Barbarians, 135.

CHAPTER XII.

MEASURES OF THE IMPERIAL AUTHORITIES AGAINST THE KWANG SE CHRIS-
TIANS; AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THESE INTO RELIGIOUS POLI-
TICAL REBELS.

English Squadron turns Pirates into Rebels, 137; Bandit Rebels in

Kwang se, 138. Embroil the Godworshippers with Authorities, 139.

Hung sew tseuen rescued by Yang sew tsing, 142. Formal Rise of

Godworshippers as Tae ping Rebels, 143.

CHAPTER XIII.

MILITARY AND POLITICAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE TAE PING REBELS FROM

THEIR FIRST RISING TILL AFTER THEIR OCCUPATION OF NANKING.

Anxiety of the Imperial Government, 145. Despatches the Prime

Minister against the Tae pings, 146. General Nature of the War,

147. Divine Mission of Hung sew tseuen as the Heavenly Prince,

149. Female Rebel Chiefs, 151. Triad Society, 151. Letter of an

Imperial Commander on the Rebellion, 153. Describes Cowardice of

Imperialist Regulars, 155. And Extent of Rebellion, 156. And the

Rebel Leaders and Tactics, 157. Report of a Manchoo General on

the Inefficiency of the Army, 160. Emperor orders Teaching of

Confucianism to prevent Spread of Christianity, 162. Tae pings

take Yung gan, 163. Organization of Tae ping Forces, 164. The Tae

ping Princes," 165. They leave for the Valley of the Great River,

166. Take Woo chang and Nanking, and kill all the Manchoos, 167—

169. Take Chin keang, 170. Their position at Nanking and Chin

Keang, 171. Their Method of Conscription, 173.

66

CHAPTER XIV.

MILITARY HISTORY OF THE TAE PINGS, AFTER THE OCCUPATION OF

NANKING, UP TO THE PRESENT TIME.

Tae Ping Northern Army crosses the Yellow River, and besieges Hwae

king, 175. Raises the Siege, and marches northward to Tsing hae,

176. Shut up there by the Imperialists, 177. Remarkable Nature

of its March, 177. Tae ping Auxiliary Army, 179. Penetrates to

Lin Tsing, 180. Imperialists force the Tae pings to re-cross the

Yellow River, 181. Operations and Position of the Tae pings in the

Great River Valley, 182. Proceedings foreseen by Writer, 185.

CHAPTER XV.

STATE OF THE SEA-BOARD POPULATION AT THE MOUTH OF THE GREAT

RIVER, ON THE APPROACH OF THE TAE PINGS.

Mr. Hamberg's Book, 191. Description of Hung sew tseuen, 192.

Christianity of Rebels at first unknown to Occidentals, 193. The

Shanghae Intendant Woo wants to hire H.M.'s Sloop Lily, 195. And

sends Portuguese Vessels against the Tae pings, 196. Description of

the Great Alluvial Plain, 197. Writer's Canton Boat and Excursions,

199. Boats in the Great Alluvial Plain, 201. Writer's Boat de-

scribed, 202. A Word for the gourmand, 207. Panic at Shanghae,

and British Neutrality announced, 208. Naval Battle between the

Tae pings and Portuguese, 209. Necessity for obtaining Infor-

mation, 211.

CHAPTER XVI.

EXCURSION ON THE GRAND CANAL TO OBTAIN INFORMATION RESPECTING

THE REBELS.

Writer's Chinese Clerk and Servants, 213. Start with him for the

Grand Canal, 215. Reach Soo chow, 216. Boatmen leave, and others

procured, 217. Preparations for repelling Robbers, 218. Risks on

the Grand Canal, 219. Affair with Pirates at Canton, 220. The Seu

sze Custom-house on the Grand Canal passed, 221. Value of His-

torical Lore, 222. Suspicious Spyer at Woo seih, 223. Boarded by

an Old Woman at Chang chow, 225. Army assembling at Chang

chow, and Rebel beheaded on the Canal bank, 226. Chinese Army

marching, 227. A wordy Fight on the Grand Canal, 228. Tracking

against Headwind, 229. Stoppage at Tan yang, and Appearance of

Writer's Agent, Chang, 230. Chang's Apprehension by the Night-

watch, his Examination and Release, 232. Safety in Rain, 235.

Re-pass the Seu sze Custom-house, and Fright of Examiner, 236.

Soo chow and British Peace Party, 238. Return to Shanghae again,

and Report handed in, 240. Mandarin Proclamation, 245. Former

Excursion on the Great River, 246. H.M.'s Plenipotentiary resolves to

proceed to Nanking, 248. The Tae ping Western Prince seizes the

Vessels of a Native Merchant, 249.

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