The official account of the Chinese rising, transmitted from Pekin
to the Foreign Office, is probably the most accurate yet received. It runs as follows :—" An outbreak has taken place to the west of Jehol, beyond the Great Wall. It is led by the brigands, who are always present in the northern parts of the Province of Pecheli, and who are no doabt in this case assisted by the Secret Societies, and possibly by Chinese Mahom- medans from Mongolia. The rising is said to have attained certain proportions; two or three important towns are alleged to have been captured; and some hundreds of natives, among whom were a considerable number of Christian converts, are reported to have been murdered. There is, however, no reason for believing that the lives of any Europeans have yet been sacrificed. Six thousand picked soldiers, commanded by the chief officer of the province, have been sent by the Govern- ment to suppress the rising, and the Government are confident that this will be done. The soldiers should be now near the scene of the outbreak, and should be able to deal with it." It will be observed that this account admits the seriousness of the rising, and derives its explanation as to " brigands" from Chinese authority. It also admits the massacres, though it implicitly confirms the assertion of the Belgian Government that the Belgian pastors got away to the hills.
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