Letter from Hattie to Father and Mother, July 22, 1871
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Father and Mother, July 22, 1871
Subject
Letters; Social Movements; Drug traffic; Gunboat; Law enforcement; Hong Kong (China)--Politics and government
Description
In this letter to her parents, Harriet Noyes details her desire for more frequent mail steamers to and from China. The whole of the letters is composed of her detailing the turn of events in China, specifically with some kind of serious social unrest. She mentions a type of possibly dangerous powder that is being circulated through the country despite government interference, which may be the opium trade. The powder is exciting people and is supposed to be medicinal, called "Shan Sin Fan". The public unrest may cause the missionaries to no longer be welcome in Canton.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #1
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1871-07-22
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
chi (b) (Chinese)
chi (b) (Chinese)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_058
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
July 22nd 1871
My dear Father + Mother [u]Saturday[/u]
We have an opportunity
just now of surprising you with a
letter from China. The "Alaska" which
came out some months since expecting
to run on a semi monthly line of steamers
between San Fransisco and Hongkong,
as that project is abandoned for the
present returns to America next Tuesday
and will take over a mail. Hope
still points forward to a time in the
future when there is [u]really[/u] to be a
semi monthly line, the last mention
I saw of it in the newspapaers was
that "It is not probable now that the
steamers will commence running
twice every month between America
and China before next October."
But October is not far from July
and even if they should not commence
then I imagine they will before
very long it has been talked of so
much. I am afraid we have
not any good news to send by this
mail but I suppose we may just
as well write exactly how it is here
now as you will probably get accounts
in the newspapers that will be worse
than the reality so there is no temptation
^ to concealment I am very glad that we can send
you better news than if the mail had
gone yesterday for matters seem to
have taken a turn now for the better
and we hope order will soon be restored.
The past week has been one of intense
excitement in the city and the
surrounding country. Dr Happer
says that he has never known anything
like it during the years that he
has lived here, not even during the
war when the militia were gathered
in to prevent foreigners from entering
the city. I do not know whether I
can give you a clear account of it
all or not indeed there is so much
talk and so many false stories
circulated that it is very difficult
and oftentimes quite impossible to
know what the truth is. The present
excitement [u]seems[/u] to be the result of a
cunningly devised deeply laid and
well executed plot to excite the people.
against foreigners and the native
christians. But who the originators are
is a question as yet unanswered and
will probably remain so. Some think
that is the work of the Literate others
that it is that of a secret organization
of desperadoes known as the [?"Sam Hap Ui"?]
or the old Triad Society which has been
in existence many years the same society
that originated the rebellion that swept
over China some years since. If it is
the latter it might perhaps seem designed
as an attack upon the existing government
and as the policy of the authorities is to
protect foreigners an attempt by exciting
the foreigners to excite them against their
present rulers. But I will by try to give
you some account of it and leave you
to [u]guess[/u] who planned it and with
what motives as I cannot tell you.
The first we heard of any disturbance
was just a week ago last evening we
were at Mr Whiteheads and he had
just come down from Fatshan bringing
with him copies of placards which were
posted all about the streets there. I will
enclose a translation which Henry has
made of one or two of them so that you
will see their purport. Little has been
talked of in the city the past week
excepting this "Shan Sin Fan" the
literal translation of which is "God's
+ Genii Powder" The the Chinese is pronounced
as if spelled [u]shun-seen-fun[/u], and the
people are terribly excited and it cannot
be wondered at. It is really pitiable
the state of fear in which they are
hardly daring to eat any thing for
fear there will be some of the dreadful
Shan sin fan concealed in it. Of course
with a people less ignorant and superstitious
it would not be possible by the same
means to excite such a state of feeling
but it cannot be wondered at when
they are in constant dread of being
poisoned by the wholesale. We saw
some of the powder to-day for the first
time some of it diluted with water
had a reddish look and some made
into little cakes was quite white but
had a very offensive smell something
like yeast perhaps however because
it was old . It seems that it has
been circulating among the
people for nearly six weeks and
multitudes have eaten it and although
"they say" that a great many have
died [--mtl--] from the effects of eating
it it is always some one a long way off
and no one knows positively but has
only [u]heard[/u] so. It may be some of the
powders were poisoned but probably
most of it is harmless. The foreigners
as you will see by the placards are
accused of circulating it or rather
[u]employing[/u] Chinese to do so. We have
heard of the excitement as extending
100 miles from Canton + whether
any farther or not we do not know.
Someone has been caught on the
streets nearly every day and beaten
on suspicion of being employed in its
circulation. Yesterday a man was
caught throwing something into a [u]well[/u]
near one of our chapels and they
beat him to death. He declared that
he was employed to do it by foreigners
and said he belonged to the church to
the last said that foreigners paid him
for doing it + several of the others that
have been taken here said the
same. I do not know why they do
it unless they think if they say so the
people will let them off.
The authorities were petitioned by the
foreign consuls a week ago with
reference to the matter but day
after day went by and we heard
of no action on their part until
last evening when we heard that
proclamation had been issued
and soldiers sent to Fatshan
so now we begin to hope that the
worst is past for if the authorities
[u]can[/u] put it down they will no
doubt be glad to do so. You remember
the chapel in Fatshan that was
destroyed last year. It has been
rebuilt by the government + is now
nearly finished ready for use and
it is with regard to this that the
excitement reaches its highest point.
and where the question of whether
the power is with the authorities or
with the mob will be brought to a
test. Placards are posted all over
Fatshan naming two days on
one of which the chapel is to be
destroyed. If the authorities can
prevent that it will perhaps put
a stop to their wicked plots but
if they succeed in destroying that
it will perhaps encourage them to go
on and pull down the chapel in
Canton as they threaten doing.
Monday morning. We hoped
that by this time the excitement would
be allayed so that the latest news we
sent you would be better but tidings
received last night from Fatshan
were not very satisfactory. The
viceroy has issued very good proclamations
but whether they will be of any use or
not remains to be seen. We hear that
in several places they have been torn
down the one nearest us it is said
was torn off the wall by a petty official.
Saturday we supposed that a large
force of soldiers had gone to Fatshan
to keep the peace but yesterday learned
that it was only a very few, a few tens
the Chinese say. If the authorities really
have not the power to control the people
I suppose it will not help the matter much
for them to make a show of authority.
Our Consul seems to remain in blissful
ignorance of the real state of affairs says
that [u]such disturbances[/u] were quite common
among the colored people at the south.
The English Consul who has been in China
longer however appreciates the situation
and seems to be energetic in doing
all that he can. Yesterday an
English gunboat came up from
Hongkong, but I imagine the
[u]American[/u] gunboats are all at the
north on account of the Corean troubles
and I suppose if any were available
our Consul would not think it necessary
to ask for one. Now I am afraid
you will feel very anxious until you
hear again I am glad we shall
have another mail in about two weeks.
I have told you just how it is
thinking you would receive worse
accounts from other sources.
We do [u]not[/u] anticipate any personal
danger although it seems quite possible
that [u]we may be obliged[/u] to leave Canton
for a time. Such a high state of
excitement cannot continue long
without a change in some way
either for better or worse. If there
should be an open outbreak it would
be known in all probability in time
for us to go on board a vessel or to
some place of safety.
July 22nd 1871
My dear Father + Mother [u]Saturday[/u]
We have an opportunity
just now of surprising you with a
letter from China. The "Alaska" which
came out some months since expecting
to run on a semi monthly line of steamers
between San Fransisco and Hongkong,
as that project is abandoned for the
present returns to America next Tuesday
and will take over a mail. Hope
still points forward to a time in the
future when there is [u]really[/u] to be a
semi monthly line, the last mention
I saw of it in the newspapaers was
that "It is not probable now that the
steamers will commence running
twice every month between America
and China before next October."
But October is not far from July
and even if they should not commence
then I imagine they will before
very long it has been talked of so
much. I am afraid we have
not any good news to send by this
mail but I suppose we may just
as well write exactly how it is here
now as you will probably get accounts
in the newspapers that will be worse
than the reality so there is no temptation
^ to concealment I am very glad that we can send
you better news than if the mail had
gone yesterday for matters seem to
have taken a turn now for the better
and we hope order will soon be restored.
The past week has been one of intense
excitement in the city and the
surrounding country. Dr Happer
says that he has never known anything
like it during the years that he
has lived here, not even during the
war when the militia were gathered
in to prevent foreigners from entering
the city. I do not know whether I
can give you a clear account of it
all or not indeed there is so much
talk and so many false stories
circulated that it is very difficult
and oftentimes quite impossible to
know what the truth is. The present
excitement [u]seems[/u] to be the result of a
cunningly devised deeply laid and
well executed plot to excite the people.
against foreigners and the native
christians. But who the originators are
is a question as yet unanswered and
will probably remain so. Some think
that is the work of the Literate others
that it is that of a secret organization
of desperadoes known as the [?"Sam Hap Ui"?]
or the old Triad Society which has been
in existence many years the same society
that originated the rebellion that swept
over China some years since. If it is
the latter it might perhaps seem designed
as an attack upon the existing government
and as the policy of the authorities is to
protect foreigners an attempt by exciting
the foreigners to excite them against their
present rulers. But I will by try to give
you some account of it and leave you
to [u]guess[/u] who planned it and with
what motives as I cannot tell you.
The first we heard of any disturbance
was just a week ago last evening we
were at Mr Whiteheads and he had
just come down from Fatshan bringing
with him copies of placards which were
posted all about the streets there. I will
enclose a translation which Henry has
made of one or two of them so that you
will see their purport. Little has been
talked of in the city the past week
excepting this "Shan Sin Fan" the
literal translation of which is "God's
+ Genii Powder" The the Chinese is pronounced
as if spelled [u]shun-seen-fun[/u], and the
people are terribly excited and it cannot
be wondered at. It is really pitiable
the state of fear in which they are
hardly daring to eat any thing for
fear there will be some of the dreadful
Shan sin fan concealed in it. Of course
with a people less ignorant and superstitious
it would not be possible by the same
means to excite such a state of feeling
but it cannot be wondered at when
they are in constant dread of being
poisoned by the wholesale. We saw
some of the powder to-day for the first
time some of it diluted with water
had a reddish look and some made
into little cakes was quite white but
had a very offensive smell something
like yeast perhaps however because
it was old . It seems that it has
been circulating among the
people for nearly six weeks and
multitudes have eaten it and although
"they say" that a great many have
died [--mtl--] from the effects of eating
it it is always some one a long way off
and no one knows positively but has
only [u]heard[/u] so. It may be some of the
powders were poisoned but probably
most of it is harmless. The foreigners
as you will see by the placards are
accused of circulating it or rather
[u]employing[/u] Chinese to do so. We have
heard of the excitement as extending
100 miles from Canton + whether
any farther or not we do not know.
Someone has been caught on the
streets nearly every day and beaten
on suspicion of being employed in its
circulation. Yesterday a man was
caught throwing something into a [u]well[/u]
near one of our chapels and they
beat him to death. He declared that
he was employed to do it by foreigners
and said he belonged to the church to
the last said that foreigners paid him
for doing it + several of the others that
have been taken here said the
same. I do not know why they do
it unless they think if they say so the
people will let them off.
The authorities were petitioned by the
foreign consuls a week ago with
reference to the matter but day
after day went by and we heard
of no action on their part until
last evening when we heard that
proclamation had been issued
and soldiers sent to Fatshan
so now we begin to hope that the
worst is past for if the authorities
[u]can[/u] put it down they will no
doubt be glad to do so. You remember
the chapel in Fatshan that was
destroyed last year. It has been
rebuilt by the government + is now
nearly finished ready for use and
it is with regard to this that the
excitement reaches its highest point.
and where the question of whether
the power is with the authorities or
with the mob will be brought to a
test. Placards are posted all over
Fatshan naming two days on
one of which the chapel is to be
destroyed. If the authorities can
prevent that it will perhaps put
a stop to their wicked plots but
if they succeed in destroying that
it will perhaps encourage them to go
on and pull down the chapel in
Canton as they threaten doing.
Monday morning. We hoped
that by this time the excitement would
be allayed so that the latest news we
sent you would be better but tidings
received last night from Fatshan
were not very satisfactory. The
viceroy has issued very good proclamations
but whether they will be of any use or
not remains to be seen. We hear that
in several places they have been torn
down the one nearest us it is said
was torn off the wall by a petty official.
Saturday we supposed that a large
force of soldiers had gone to Fatshan
to keep the peace but yesterday learned
that it was only a very few, a few tens
the Chinese say. If the authorities really
have not the power to control the people
I suppose it will not help the matter much
for them to make a show of authority.
Our Consul seems to remain in blissful
ignorance of the real state of affairs says
that [u]such disturbances[/u] were quite common
among the colored people at the south.
The English Consul who has been in China
longer however appreciates the situation
and seems to be energetic in doing
all that he can. Yesterday an
English gunboat came up from
Hongkong, but I imagine the
[u]American[/u] gunboats are all at the
north on account of the Corean troubles
and I suppose if any were available
our Consul would not think it necessary
to ask for one. Now I am afraid
you will feel very anxious until you
hear again I am glad we shall
have another mail in about two weeks.
I have told you just how it is
thinking you would receive worse
accounts from other sources.
We do [u]not[/u] anticipate any personal
danger although it seems quite possible
that [u]we may be obliged[/u] to leave Canton
for a time. Such a high state of
excitement cannot continue long
without a change in some way
either for better or worse. If there
should be an open outbreak it would
be known in all probability in time
for us to go on board a vessel or to
some place of safety.
中国广东
1871年7月22日
亲爱的父亲母亲
这周六，我们刚刚有个机会
给你们一封惊喜的来信。
自从我们盼着它半个月跑一次，
就几个月出来一次的Alaska号轮船
在旧金山和香港之间跑，
因为这个作业放弃了
去美国的线路
下周二会带走邮件。
当它真的变成半线的时候
希望以后还是可以准时
最后我注意到
报纸上说
十月份之前
轮船在中美间
一个月开始跑两次
是不太可能的
但是十月离七月不远
即使不开
我也能想象
很久之前我们说过很多。
我恐怕我们这趟邮件
没有好消息
但是我猜
就像我们写的那样
它现在很可能在报纸里写着
这会比现实更坏
所以没有诱导取消
我很高兴我们还可以传递更好的消息
这比邮件昨天发出
再转一圈
要好
而且我们希望我们的订单可以被保存。
上周是这个城市比较骚动的一周
周边城市也一样。
Happer医生说
他这些年住在这
从来不知道这些事
即使在战争的时候
军队集合
去对抗外敌入侵城市。
我不知道
我能不能跟你说清楚
或者说
人们的流言蜚语说太多了，还有很多错误的信息
这很困难
很多时候，
不太可能知道真相。
现在的骚动看起来是
阴谋地策划
和即将让计划泡汤引起的人们骚动。
反抗外国人和当地的天主教。
但是一起骚动的人是谁
依旧是个问题没有解决
而且很有可能遗留下来。
有些人认为其他牧师
是暴徒的
秘密组织
知名的组织或者老三社
存在了很多年
来自于几年前扫出中国的
反抗工作。
如果晚一点，这会看起来像是故意为之
就像反对政府
而且官员制定的政策
都是保护外国人的
把骚动的外国人平息。
但是
我会试着给你一些关于这个的报告
然后让你猜一下计划人和计划动机
因为我不能告诉你。
仅仅一周前
我们第一次听说动荡，
昨晚我们和Whitehead先生在一起
他刚从佛山下了
带着他的复印版的报告
贴遍大街小巷。
我会贴近Henry做出的一两个翻译
这样
你可以看到他们的意思。
说一点这座城市上个星期的事
除了这个“酸锌粉”
意思是“神的守护粉”，没有别的话题聊。
中文的发音是
“神仙粉”
引起人们非常严重的骚动。
非常可惜
他们不敢吃任何来源不明的东西
他们担心里面藏有神仙粉。
当然
人们少一点无知和迷信
就不会有这么大的骚动
就像一个联邦的感觉
但是它不知道
在这个批发中
他们会持续感到害怕。
我们今天第一次看到一些粉
有一些被水稀释
变红了，还有一些
被放进了小蛋糕里，相当白
但是有一股和冲的味道
就好像酵母菌，但是那是因为时间长。
看起来它
在人群中传递了六个星期
有一些已经被吃掉了
听说
很多人因为吃它死了
都是不可信的
因为没有人很清楚地了解只是听说。
它可能是一些有毒的粉
但是很大一部分是无害的。
你会在海报上见到的外国人
被指控传播
或者雇佣中国人去做。
我们听说骚动
向广东蔓延100英里
而且不知道会不会更远。
几乎每天
都会有人在街上被抓
而且因为被怀疑被雇佣运输而被打。
昨天有个男人
被抓到朝教堂附近的井里扔了些东西
然后他们把那个男人打死了。
他宣称
他被外国人雇佣去做的
而且他说他是教堂的
最后一个说外国人花钱雇他做这个
其他很多人也说了同样的。
我不知道他们为什么做这个
除非他们认为
如果说了人们让他们走。
一周前外国领事向官员们请愿了
他们也说明了问题
但是第二天过去
我们听说他们那部分不会有什么行动
直到昨晚
当我们收到公告
军队被派去佛山
所以现在我们开始希望
最坏的情况已经过去了
如果官员可以解决
他们毫无疑问会很高兴地做。
你们还记得佛山去年被毁掉的小教堂吗？
政府已经重建了
而且
现在已经完工了
可以用也可以看作
一个骚动到达的最高点。
而且问题在于
权力是否在官员
或者是人民会被带来测试。
佛山到处都有广告牌
以被毁掉的小教堂之一命名。
如果官员可以阻止
也许它会停止
他们邪恶的阴谋
但是如果他们成功摧毁了
这也许会鼓励他们继续
并且拆掉广东的小教堂
因为他们威胁。
星期一早晨，
我们希望这次的暴乱可以被支持
以至于我们最好把最后一次的消息
发给你们
而不是收到佛山昨晚的消息。
/
总督提议了一个很好的公告
但是会不会被采纳还不知道。
我们听说
很多地方的公告被撕掉了
离我们最近的
被官方撕掉了。
星期六我们认为
很多军人出发去了佛山
去维持平静
但是昨天听说一小部分的中国人说了没去多少人。
如果官方真的没有权力控制他们
我认为那对给他们做展示是不会有帮助的。
我们领事馆看起来对现实情况的公告事务
很快乐的无知
说这样的骚乱很正常
所有南方的有色人种都这样。
在中国时间长一点的英国领事馆
反而感谢这样的情况
看起来很有精力去做他们能做到。
昨天
一个英国的炮艇从香港来了，
但是我想象
美国的炮艇都在韩国
而且我认为如果有闲置的
我们的领事认为那不重要。
现在我害怕
您会非常焦虑
直到您收到我下一封信
我很高兴我们可以两周后寄出另一封。
我只是告诉您我在想
您可能从其它地方
收到更坏的消息。
我们不会有人生危险
即使看起来我们有可能
我们可能不得不离开广州一段时间。
如此大的动荡
不会持续太久不变
随着时间的流逝
总会变得更好或更坏。
如果爆发了战争
你们会及时知道所有可能
对我们来说，我们去个大轮船
或者去安全的地方。
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Father and Mother, July 22, 1871,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed November 21, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/111.