Page 261 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

247.

execution & disposed to aid the foreigners in putting it

down. II Eventually the foreign residents convinced the

Mandarins to change the site of punishment.

This decision by the Mandarins would have ended the

affair but for the presence of "some drunken sailors" who

"were disposed to kick up a row." These men created a dist1,1r­

bance with the surrounding Chinese spectators, as "suddenly

they seized the cross ifor executioQ7, smashed it in pieces,

and began to lay them over the heads and shoulders of the

executioners and any Chinaman in reach." Soon the scene deter­

iorated into a general antiforeign riot, with several thousand

Chinese forcing the foreigners to retreat to their Factories

for safety. Totally outnumbered, the residents "for two or

three hours sustained a regular seige." Two American resi­

dents managed to slip out of their Factory and, by transvers-

ing the roofs of other Factories, reach Houqua's Hong. Houqua

informed the Canton authorities, who sent mounted soldiers to

quell the rioters. Foreigners watched from their verandas as

the soldiers dispersed the rioters. "No one was spared, the

sight of the numerous soldiers. .caused a rush towards every

outlet from the Square, .and even to the river, where several

were drowned, not a boatman offering them the least assistance.

Wide open flew the Factory gates, and in an instant their im­

prisoned occupants appeared with looks of relief indescribable."

The soldiers guarded the Factories overnight; there was no