APPENDIX  D  -  421
escort  to  take  us  to  Tai-chow  city.  About  an  hour  later  we
all  were  escorted  to  gunboats,  but  the  head-wind  was  so  strong
that  the  boats  could  not  start,  and  most  of  us  returned  to
the  Protestant  compound.  My  wife  and  little  childien  went  to
hide  in  a  neighbour’s  house.
“On  Sunday  morning,  at  10  o’clock,  those  of  us  in  the  Protestant ­
  compound  were  again  escorted  by  the  Chen-tai  and  his
soldiers  to  three  gunboats.  We  then  sailed  for  the  city,  and  were
escorted  by  two  other  gunboats  for  40  li,  as  it  was  feared  that  the
Roman  Catholics  might  follow  and  attack  us.  We  all  arrived
safely  at  Tai-chow  city  on  the  following  day—Monday.”
Testimony  of  a  Mandarin  who  escorted  a  party  of  the  refugee
Protestants  from  Hahnen  to  this  city  :—
In  reply  to  my  questions  he  said  he  lives  in  Raimen.  He
estimates  the  number  of  the  attacking  party  of  Roman  Catholics
at  about  1,000,  but  says  it  is  very  difficult  to  form  an  exact
estimate.  They  came  in  squads,  and  mostly  belong  to  the
south  of  Haimen.  Each  squad  is  under  a  leader.  The  larger
half  of  them  have  not  rifles  but  carry  clubs.  The  others  have
breech-  and  muzzle-loading  rifles  and  pistols  and  swords.  They
were  called  up  by  the  R.C.  priest  Nyun.  Each  squad  has  its
own  commissariat.
"  The  first  I  heard  of  them  was  on  Friday  morning,  November ­
  9,  when  they  commenced  looting  Protestant  houses
and  shops.  The  town  of  Haimen  was  soon  in  terror  and  all
the  shops  were  closed.  The  following  morning  the  Protestant
church  premises  were  surrounded  by  the  Roman  Catholics.
The  Tong-ling  came  along  on  horseback,  and  one  of  the  Romanists ­
  pointed  his  rifle  at  him.  This  enraged  the  Tong-ling,  who
ordered  his  men  to  seize  the  rifles.  Twenty  or  thirty  rifles
were  seized  and  two  Romanists  were  taken  prisoners.  The
Tong-ling  then  rode  towards  the  west  gate,  and  in  passing  the
premises  of  the  R.C.  church  he  was  stopped  and  invited  to
enter.  He  did  so,  and  the  gates  were  at  once  shut  and  he  was
made  a  prisoner.  Two  of  his  men  were  also  made  prisoners.
Word  was  at  once  carried  to  the  Chen-tai,  who  came  and  had
him  liberated.  The  Roman  Catholics  demanded  the  liberation
of  their  two  men  who  were  apprehended,  and  they  were  set  free.
The  Government  troops  stationed  at  Haimen  number  120
regulars  under  the  Chen-tai,  and  about  three  hundred  Militia
under  the  Tong-ling,  but  these  Mandarins  are  afraid  to  harm  the
Roman  Catholics  because  the  R.C.  bishop  would  accuse  them
to  the  Provincial  Governor  (Fu-tai)  and  they  would  lose
their  rank  ‘  kong-ming.’  ”
The  Provincial  Governor  (Fu-tai)  having  wired  to  settle
the  combatants  without  violence,  the  military  stored  their