The following account of the outbreak at Chinkiang is given by Mr.
Mansfield, H.B.M.'s Consul at that port At 2 p.m, on the Sth a man said to have been kicked by sikh policeman was brought to H.B.M.'s Consulate. He was examined by the foreign doctor, who said there was no trace of violence. The case was dismissed and as it afterwards appeared, the man was left lying on the boundary road of the concession, until the after no-n of of the 7th when he was removed to the magistracy. He is at present in perfect health, and the Chinese officials acknowledge that the accusation against the police was unfounded. This matter, however, appears to have been made a pretext, and at about 4 p.m. a crowd of boys and mien began to stone three Sikhs off! duty who were in the Police Compound. Being a Chinese holiday, the roads were full of people who joined in and attacked the Police Station and tore it to piece: While so engaged, five soldiers arrived in response ta demand for protection sent by H.B.M.'s Consul. These men never moved a finger to stop the wrecking, looting and shouting. They afterwards' went away a Chinese oficial then came in a chair to the scene but he was hustled and his chair overthrown. The Station being reduced toa wreck the crowd now came out of the compound and an attack on Duff's buildings was begun by small boys, throwing stones at them, wood was piled against the verandah, and kerosene from the Police Station was poured on it. The whole was set alight and the three houses were a mass of flames, While this was going on a further force of some twenty soldiers arrived. They stood at the edge of the road below the British Consulate and looked on, but did nothing to curb the mob, not even going down below at all. When Duft's buildings were burni furiously, the great crowd already collected in the Consulate road increased, but the cry went around that the soldiers were coming, and in accordance with H.B.M.'s Consul's last urgent request, 300 soldiers arrived with fixed bayonets or spears, and were drawn up close to the Consulate gate. An. attack on the Consulate began at about 7 p.m. under the very noses of these soldiers who never stirred or attempted to prevent the crowd getting in at the gate, They watched the whole thing until the house and offices and the constable's house were in flames, The mob then moved on and burned Mr. Hunnex's house next door then Mr. Bryan's, then the Chapel, and last attacked and looted the U.S. Consulate, but did not burn it for fear of setting fire to the neighbouring Chinese houses. This last was accomplished by about 10 or 11 p-m., as far as is known, and it is thought that further destruction was stopped by the arrival of 400 soldiers from Silver Island. When the British Consulate was attacked the U. S, Consul, and his wu there when the gate was burst it whole party consisting of Gen, Jones, Mrs, Jones and child, Mrs. Mansfield and two children, two amahs and a gentleman visiting "them, went to the back door to iry and get out of the premises but were prevented. They tried to get out of: the side door but were stoned and driven back by the mob, and had to retreat up the hill accompanied by the constable and his wite and daughter. In the meantime Mr, Mansfield, who had remained in the Con. sulate, was driven out by the mob and joined the rest of the party as they retiirned from their fruitless attempt in climbing to the top of the hill, They managed to tear down part of the wall, and after a weary walk around of nearly a mile, "he arrived on board the Kiangyit which tunately had arrived before the riot, and was moored to Butterfield & Swire's hulk nearly all the residents were on board except sume Missionaries who sent messages as to their whereabouts, and about one o'clock onthe tha party was made up to go and bring them off from the Chinese house where they had taken refuge. This was effected without difficulty. Early, on the morning of the 6th inst, they collected again and became threatening. They now occupied the Bund opposite the hulk. but the craw-bridge was kept up and they threw stones which barely reached the hulk, They threatened Mr. Bean's house, Mr. Bean having unfortunately ventured out, was obliged to beat a hasty retreat The burning of some small houses occupied by Customs people outside the settlement drew the mob away from the hulk. Towards 2 o'clock a large number of troops arrived and pitched their tents all along the Bund. The night of the 6th Forge crowd was still in the Concession assed quietly, and on the 7th though a
there way no further rioting. On the morning of the 6th the soldiers made a clean sweep of everything left by the mob in the U.S. Consulate. On the afternoon of the 7th' the Mutine arrived and took the place of the Shanghai which had replaced the Ngankin which had in turn succeeded the Kiangyii alongside of Butterfield and Swire's hulk.
On the morning of the 8th the crowd of soldiers were sent out of the Concession and put about the entrances while the Municipal Police aided by a few soldiers cleared the idlers out of the Concession. When the riot happened the Taotai and Prefect were doth absent, while the Tartar garrison was almost in a state of mutiny owing to arrears in their wages. H.B.M.'s Consul had.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.