ve hostilities were renewed, Lord Elgin and
Baron Gros having in vain pressed upon Governor Yeh their demands. On
the 28th and 29th of December Canton was bombarded. The great city was
on two sides enveloped in flame. The allies landed amidst the roar of
the bombardment and the engirdling flames, escaladed certain defences,
drove the Chinese into the city, and occupied with promptitude the
strong positions from which the enemy was driven.

The appearance of matters in Canton was now very strange. The populace
pursued their ordinary occupations; the Tartar army had abandoned the
city and taken post in the country; while the authorities took no notice
of the enemy, made no submission, sought no negotiation, and seemed
to rely only on passive resistance. Thus the year 1857 ended, and the
events of the Chinese war which transpired within it. It is however
desirable, for the sake of consecutive narrative, to continue here the
relation of this war to its close in 1858, notwithstanding the plan of
the History gives a separate chapter to the incidents of each year.

On the 5th of January, 1858, detachments of troops penetrated into the
city. The three most important persons in authority were captured--Yeh,
the viceroy, or chief governor; Pehkwei, governor of the city; and
Tseang Keun, the Tartar general. Yeh was sent a prisoner to Calcutta.
The Tartar general was set at liberty, on condition of disbanding his
troops; and the civic governor was ordered to continue his functions,
subject to a military commission. This last arrangement did not work
well, the Chinese governor continuing to elude the vigilance of
the commission, and perform many hostile and even cruel acts. It is
astonishing that with all their experience of the Chinese, the English
should have expected any other result.

The Emperor of 'China degraded Yeh, and appointed another governor of
the province of Canton in his stead.

The allied plenipotentiaries opened communications with the emperor,
and foolishly awaited a reply, which of course never came. The Russian
ambassador encouraged the plan, and affected to participate,--he knew
well that no answer would arrive, and probably used whatever influence
he had to prevent its arrival. The wearied plenipotentiaries at last
set sail for the Peiho, hoping, by the display of their power nearer the
capital, to compel negotiations. The ambassadors arrived at the Peiho
on the 14th April. They were received in a very flat