A marked feature of the revolution is the determination of
the rebels to destroy the Manchus. The old test of the shib- boleth is employed against them. Suspected prisoners, ac- cording to a telegram in the Dailj Express, are shown a certain Chinese symbol. If they say " loc," which is the Southern Chinese pronunciation, they are redeemed. If they say "Ion," they are instantly " decapitated." The action and the cry of "Heads off !" are indeed marked features of the revolution. For example, in the National Assembly the demand for Sheng's dismissal was accompanied with shouts of " Decapitate him !" As a curiosity of language it is interesting to note that in matters Chinese English writers never seem to use the good English phrase "behead," but always the pedantic " decapitate." We can only presume that this pompons word got into the English column of the Chinese dictionaries and vocabularies in the eighteenth cen- tury and has remained there.
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