THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE

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made  by  the  Chinese,  proceeded  to  occupy  them.  As  neither
country  was  anxious  for  war,  negotiations  followed,  as  the
result  of  which  it  was  agreed  that  China  was  to  cede  Langson
and  some  other  places  to  France,  and  that,  in  return,  France
would  respect  China’s  southern  boundary.  Owing  to  a
misunderstanding,  when  the  French  troops  came  to  take
possession  of  these  places,  the  Chinese  garrison  refused  to
evacuate.  Thus  hostilities  broke  out.
As  there  had  been  no  formal  declaration  of  war,  Admiral
Courbet,  of  the  French  Navy,  sailed  with  his  fleet  unopposed
past  the  Chinese  fleet  and  forts  into  the  mouth  of  the  Min
River  at  Foochow.  Then,  without  warning,  he  suddenly
opened  fire  on  the  forts  and  the  Chinese  ships  as  they  lay
at  anchor.  As  the  Chinese  were  taken  completely  by  surprise, ­
  they  were  unable  to  make  resistance.  Their  forts  were
much  injured,  and  a  large  number  of  their  ships  were
destroyed.  The  French  fleet  then  sailed  away,  and  seized
Kelung  in  Formosa  by  a  similar  stratagem  to  that  used  at
Foochow.  The  Pescadores  Islands  were  also  taken.  The
war  dragged  on  in  a  desultory  manner,  and  on  land  the
Chinese  gained  some  successes  over  the  French  troops.  At
length  peace  was  declared  on  June  9,  1885,  by  the  terms
of  which  China  gave  up  all  claim  to  Tonkin,  while  the
French  promised  to  respect  China’s  southern  frontier.
The  Riots  of  1891
China  was  next  involved  in  difficulties  with  foreign
powers  by  the  riots  of  1891  on  the  Yangtze  River.  The
passions  of  the  populace  had  been  stirred  up  by  the  circulation ­
  of  libellous  literature  scattered  broadcast  throughout
this  region  of  the  country.  It  is  generally  supposed  that
it  emanated  from  the  literati,  who  were  bitterly  opposed  to
all  the  changes  taking  place  in  the  Empire.  The  prime
instigator  was  a  scholar  named  Chow  Han,  who  composed
many  diatribes  against  the  Christian  religion.  The  soldiers
who  had  been  disbanded  after  the  suppression  of  the  Taiping
Rebellion,  and  who  had  formed  a  society  known  as  the