ment
grew rapidly. From all sides recruits came to the rebel ranks, among
them two women chiefs, each at the head of about two thousand men. Hung
now proclaimed himself as sent by Heaven to drive out the Tartars--whom
he declared to be examples of all that was base and vile--and to place a
Chinese emperor on his country's throne.

Putting his forces in march, Hung made a remarkable progress of about
one thousand miles to Woo-chang on the Yang-tse-Kiang and down that
stream, the army fighting its way through all opposition. When towns and
cities submitted their people were spared. Slaughter awaited those who
resisted. Food and clothing were obtained by requisition on the people.
The imperial troops were hurled back in defeat wherever met. Before
battle it was the custom of the insurgents to kneel down and invoke the
protection of God, after which they would charge their enemies with
resistless zeal. City after city fell before them, and the whole empire
regarded their march with surprise and dismay.

The converts professed faith in the Christian Scriptures, of which an
imperfect translation was distributed among them. Hung announced that in
case of success the Bible would be substituted for the works of
Confucius. The Sabbath was strictly observed among them, forms of prayer
to the Supreme Being were in constant use, and Englishmen who came among
them spoke in the highest terms of their pious devotion and their great
kindliness of feeling. They welcomed Europeans as "brethren from across
the sea" and as fellow-worshippers of "Yesu."

From Woo-chang Hung led his army in 1852 down the river towards Nanking,
which he had fixed upon as the capital of his new empire. The
disaffection of the people of Nanking was so great that little
resistance was made except by the Tartar garrison, who were all put to
death when the city fell. Being now in possession of the ancient capital
of the kingdom, Hung proclaimed himself emperor under the name of Teen
Wang, or "Heavenly King," giving to his dynasty the title of the
Tai-ping.

And now for a number of years victory followed every movement of the
Tai-ping army. Four leading cities of Central China were quickly
occupied, and a brilliant march to the north was begun, in which,
cutting loose from its base of supplies, the rebel host forced its way
through all obstacles. The army penetrated as far north as Tien-tsin,
and Peking itself was in imminent peril, being saved only by a severe