8 GORDON AT GRAVESEND.

When a sum of £10,000 was forwarded to him by the Emperor he divided it all amongst his troops.

Waat The Times Sarp.

In a leading article The Times of August 5, 1864, thus graphically summed up the benefits that had accrued to China by Gordon’s

brilliant operations against the rebels :—

‘* Never did soldier of fortune deport himself with a nicer sense of military honour, with more gallantry against the resisting and with more mercy towards the vanquished, with more disinterested neglect of opportunities of personal advantage, or with more entire devotion to the objects and desires of his own Government, than this officer, who, after all his victories, has just laid down his sword. <A history of operations among cities of uncouth names, and in provinces the geography of which is unknown except to special students, would be tedious and uninstructive. The result of Colonel Gordon’s opera- tions, however, is this: He found the rich and the most fertile districts of China in the hands of the most savage brigands. The silk districts were the scenes of their cruelty and riot, and the great historical cities of Hangchow and Soochow were rapidly following the fate of Nanking, and were becoming deso- late ruins in their possession. Gordon has cut the rebellion in half, has re- covered the great cities, has isolated and utterly discouraged the fragments of

the brigand power, and has left the marauders nothing but a few tracts of devastated country and their stronghold of Nanking. All this he has effected —first by the power of his arms, and afterwards still more rapidly by the terror of his name.”

fr THE HeEAveNty KIna. le

a> Before Gordon left China he had the satisfaction of knowing that Nanking had fallen, and the rebellion was quite at an end. The miserable fanatic, who gave out that he was inspired, and took the name of the Heavenly King, refused to survive the cause for which he had so long fought, and which he had degraded by so many untold

cruelties. It is said that his favourite amusement was to have his wretched captives flayed alive, or pounded to death, and he is con-

sidered by Mr. Hake to have been guilty of greater crimes than almost any other human (?) being! When all was lost he hung his wives and then committed suicide, and thus ended, with the death of

this incarnate demon, one of the most terrible and desolating revolts that had ever scourged poor humanity. How could China sufficiently thank the modest young officer of Engineers who had delivered her from so great a tyrant?

GORDON AT GRAVESEND.

Even more unknown to the public than his Chinese life are the

six peaceful years passed by Colonel Gordon, O.B., at Gravesend,