Letter from Hattie to Mattie, September 26, 1883

Letter from Hattie to Mattie, September 26, 1883

Riots; Presbyterian Church--Missions; Embassy buildings--England; Fire; Boarding schools; Inebriates; Death; Firearms

Together with this letter, Harriet sends a pamphlet with accounts of the recent riot in Canton to Martha. The riots started after some drunk men shot some Chinese. Now their trial is being held on Shamin, where the riots are taking place. Akwai thought that the protesters had set the British consulate on fire, but this was not true. In light of the circumstances, the missionaries started thinking of ways to protect themselves. They relied on their Chinese neighbors who agreed to use their influence to keep the mob at bay. They thought of going to Chinese officials for protection but then realized that it would not be safe to be on the streets. The missionaries were about to embark on a steamer but they ended up staying.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #3

Unpublished

1883-09-26

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English); chi (b) (Chinese)

Text

noyes_c_cor_335

Canton China
Sept 26th 1883
My dear Mattie,
I send by this mail
a pamphlet which has been
published in Hong Kong giving
full accounts of the recent riot
in Canton. The letters written
by "our Canton correspondent"
are by Mr Masters who
writes regularly for the China
Mail has suspended Mr
Nye, who now contents himself
with the honor of being
Vice Consul. The letter near
the close signed "Canton" Dr
Graves wrote. Mr Masters
puts things in rather a
strong light, but it was a
very exciting [?forenoon?] and
he & his family with Mr
and Mrs Hearst really

had about the worst place
of all. They spent most of the
day in a Chinese printing shop
back of their home just in the
rear of the scene of action on
Shameen. It was quite evident
that the mob had no wish to
take life as they could easily
have done so had they been
so disposed. I do not remember
whether I gave you by the
last mail a full account of the
day from our point of view or
not. We saw the commencement
had just gone out for prayers
in the school and when up in
the verandah of the third story
saw the servants up on the roof
and they told us of the trouble
and soon we saw the smoke
and fire as the wharf was set on
fire. We thought no more of it as
we supposed it would end there
But after prayers we saw smoke
beginning to rise from different
points on Shameen and
then we knew it was becoming
serious. AKwai soon came in in
quite a state of excitement

and said they had set fire
to the [u] British [/u] [u] Consulate [/u] This
however was a mistake as that
was not burned. Then we
began to think what was best
for us to do under the circumstances
the "Kai Fong" (our neighbors) met in Dr
Kerrs study and agreed to use all
their influence to keep the peace
in case the mob should come in
this direction. At first Dr Kerr &
Mr Henry proposed that we should
all go to one of the Chinese officials
residence & claim his protection
but afterwards decided that
it would not be best as we would
have to go in chairs & would get
separated in the streets necessarily
The parents began to come for the
scholars & we told them to go
away as quietly as possible and
before night nearly all of the seventy
who were here in the morning
had left. About Captain [?Calder?]
who is Capt of one of the Chinese
gun boats came to take us off
to one of the steamers We
packed up a few things in
baskets and satchels and
started out but before we

were embarked other counsel
prevailed and we came back
to await further developments
The scholars nearly all went
home as quietly as possible.
Toward evening, the gentlemen
thought we had better go out &
spend the night on a large
boat that they had procured
in case the attack should
be reported at night and
made more general. We
were rather reluctant to go but
of course did what was thought
best. Mrs Kerr seemed quite
pleased with the idea of having
a visit that would last all
night. After about an hour
longer it was concluded
that we might as well come
into the home and stay and
only go out on the boat if it should
become necessary an arrangement
which suited us much better.
The next night word was
sent down from Shamin
for us to be on our [--guard--]
guard, but nothing further occurred
[Note: ink blot with note written vertically, "Excuse blot"]

[Continued vertically on the first page]
The trial of
the man who
killed the
Chinaman
which was the
commencement
of the trouble
is now being
held on Shamin.
I suppose the
excitement
will not quiet
down entirely
until that is
settled and
the rumors of
war keep every
one of the "[?guitire?]"
Yours aff
Hattie

中国广州
1883年9月26日
我亲爱的Mattie，
/
我寄给你一本在香港出版的小册子，
/
它完整地报道了最近在广州发生的骚乱。
/
广州记者写的信是Masters先生写的，
/
现在Nye先生被《中国邮报》停职，
/
Masters先生代替Nye先生的工作为他们写文章。
他满足于担任副领事。
/
署名“广州”的文章是Graves医生写的。
/
Masters先生对骚乱的描述非常发自内心，
/
但是他和他的家人和Hearst太太在一起，
/
他们对骚乱的经历非常糟糕。

/
他们在房子后面的一家中国印刷厂度过了一天，
/
在那里他们可以看到发生在沙面的一切。
/
很明显，
暴徒不想杀任何人，
他们有这么多人，
如果他们想杀人，
他们很容易就能杀人。
/
我不记得我是否告诉过你我们在骚乱中的经历。
/
我们看到它开始了，
/
因为我们刚去学校参加一个祈祷会，
/
三楼的仆人看到烟雾，
/
他们告诉我们码头被放火了。
/
我们认为这一定是意外，
以为一切都结束了
我们忽略了它，
/
但后来我们看到沙面周围的不同地方冒出烟雾，
/
我们知道情况非常严重。
/

A Kwai进来告诉我们英国领事馆着火了。
/
原来他弄错了，
英国领事馆没有被烧毁。
/
然后我们开始思考我们应该做什么。
/
我们在Kerr医生的书房跟街坊邻居开了个会，
他说，
如果他们朝这个方向走来，
他会尝试利用自己的影响力平息暴徒。
/
Kerr医生和Henry先生建议我们去一个中国官员的住所请求他的保护，
/
但我们认为这不是一个好主意，
/
因为我们有必要会在街上分开。
/
学生的父母来接他们，
/
我们告诉他们尽可能安静地离开，
/
夜幕降临前，
70名学生全部离开。
其中一艘炮艇的船长来救我们，
/
并带上了其中一艘轮船。
/
我们在篮子和书包里装了一些东西，
/

但在我们离开之前，
我们改变了主意，
留在原地，
看看情况如何发展。
学生们都尽可能安静地回家了。
晚上，
/
男人们认为我们应该乘坐他们租来的大船过夜，
/
/
以防我们遭到袭击。
/
我们不愿意去，
但我们做了我们认为最好的事情。
/
/
Kerr太太认为过夜的想法听起来很有趣。
一个小时后，
我们决定呆在家里，
只有在必要时才上船。
/
/
/
这种安排对我们来说更好。
第二天晚上，
我们收到沙面的消息，
告诉我们要保持警惕，
但没有其他事情发生。

/


/
所有这些混乱的原因是外国人杀死中国人的踪迹。
/
/
/
/
/
他的审判正在沙面举行。
/
/
/
我想只要有审判和战争的传闻，
/
/
紧张局势就会仍然很严重。
/
/
/
/
你的
Hattie

Letter