THE CANTON RIOT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 11, 20 November 1883, Page 4

THE CANTON RIOT.

The China Mail of the 11th September contains the following particulars of the riot at Canton on the 10th • We have passed through one of the most terrible days I remember. Nearly half of Shameen has been wrecked and looted by a Chinese mob. A row began about six o'clock this morning on the steamer wharf. In the usual pushing to get through the gate leading to the wharf a man had been pushed into the river and drowned, The corpse was recovered and placed on the s.s. Hankow. Thereupon a crowd gathered and commenced to pelt the Hankow with stones, and finding themselves unable to do any serious damage to the steamer in this way, they got large quantities of kerosene oil and set fire to the wharf. The Hankow at once loosened from her moorings and got away, The mob thereupon made for the Foreign Settlement, leaving the wharf a mass of flames. Without any warning some thousands of roughs poured through the gates in a yelling surging mass into Shameen, carrying everything before them. They first made for the new Ice House, which was soon in flames; then they made for Messrs Thomas and Co.’s junior mess house, which was also soon in a blaze. Other houses followed, and an hour or so passed without any signs of assistance from the Chinese officials. The English and French consuls had early tried to send telegrams to Hong Kong, but without success, the wires having been cut. Meanwhile the firing and looting went on. It was pitiable to see ladies and little children fleeing from their burning homes, and mothers, deserted by amahs, carrying their babes in their arms with no other property than what they stood up in. Some were pursued by savage fiends armed with knives, and it is a perfect marvel how they escaped. The gentlemen quickly armed and made a brave stand for their homes and property, after having seen the ladies safely ofi to the s.s. Niugpo and Hankow, which were fortunately in harbor at the time. The pluck with which our young men kept the mob at bay in several places deserves all praise, and makes it very evident that, had they known in time what was about to happen, the rioters would never have have crossed the bridge at the north of Shameen. About 11 o’clock a detachment of military arrived, but the force was too small to be of any service, and the officers and man were pelted with stones and taunted for helping the hated foreigner. Presently a whole batallion arrived with the ling ki or warrant flag, which, after being held up in the-presence of the mob, authorises the military to fire upon any rioters who refuse to disperse. The blowing of the mandarin’s horn acted like magic, and they fled in all directions helter skelter.