Blessed are the Peace-Makers.
Mr. Ferguson writes thus："
Tai-wan-fu, October 2nd, 1895.
" For about ten days or so many of the
Tai-wan-fu(台灣府)
people have been coming imploring us to try and mediate between
them and the Japanese, who were gradually approaching. We felt
almost powerless in the matter. We also thought a matter of that
kind ought to be done by the Consul. We knew our Consul had
already tried to mediate between Liu Yung (劉永福)and
the Japanese. The Japanese had shown a willingness to treat with
Liu. They appointed Saturday, October 12th, at 12 noon, as the
day and hour when they would be willing to consider the matter
with Liu on board their flagship off An-ping(安平).
The day and hour came, and at 1 p.m. the Admiral's ship anchored
off An-ping. Liu himself would not go out, but sent a
subordinate, who had no power. With this subordinate the
Japanese refused to treat. They sent Liu a message that they
would remain off An-ping till 10 a.m. on Sunday, October 13th.
If Liu came out, good and well; if not, they would regard him as
hostile. Liu did not go out. He was afraid if he went on board a
Japanese man-of-war that he would not come off with his head on
; he also dreaded showing himself to the Japanese, because
afterwards it would be much more difficult for him to escape.
" On Sunday, 20th inst., forenoon and
afternoon, Mr. Barclay (巴克禮)
and I (宋忠堅)were
besieged by merchants and other leading men, imploring us to do
something. Mr. Ede (余饒理)went
to An-ping to see what could be done on the arrival of the
fleet, then expected there. On the Sunday afternoon a large
number of merchants and chief men of the city came to us again.
They said that Liu and all their magistrates had fled, and that
soon the city would be in the hands of the rabble. Mr. Barclay
and I agreed to act as their messengers to the Japanese, now
marching north from Ta-kao.(打狗．高雄)
Sixty men were sent to protect our compound during our absence.
We had with us an escort of seventeen Chinese ; two Christians
also accompanied us. We had just started from the compound
when a man came along leading three Japanese
horses as presents, which no Chinaman dare accept. One of the
horses had a saddle, so we took him with us and rode in turns.
Near the little South Gate(小南門)
a ' black flag ' was fluttering before an officiars house. Some
of our company ordered its immediate removal. Outside the gate
there was a man carrying a gun and a belt full of cartridges. He
was promptly
disarmed, and sent into the city.
" About a mile from the gate we came across a
dead Japanese horse. The Japanese and Black Flags had been
fighting there that morning. We came soon to a house, where
preparations were going on for the evening meal. When the people
saw our lights they ran off, evidently thinking we were the
rabble. We went on a little bit farther, when some of the
Chinese complained they had not had any supper, and proposed to
stop for the night ! We told them they must go on till we came
to the Japanese lines. A little farther on a Japanese horse
began following us. We had walked about five miles, and were
approaching a village called Ji-chhian-hang, when suddenly we
heard a peculiar
summons. Barclay and I at once knew it was
the Japanese sentry calling on us to halt. We ran forward with a
light, held up our British flag, and called out we were English,
" A lot of soldiers came running forward,
fixed bayonets, and stood pointing at us .Soon an officer, who
could speak a little English, came forward. We managed to make
him understand our mission. Then the Chinese were bound together
by their turbans tied round their waists. One Chinaman said to
us he was tied very tight, and if he got any supper that night
he would be very uncomfortable I We were then conducted to an
officer. By means of an interpreter he got all our information
about Liu(劉永福)
having run off, and the people of Tai-wan-fu inviting them to
enter in peace. Then we were handed on from one officer to
another till 3 a.m. on Monday. We were then told by General No-gi
(乃木將軍)that
the army would start at 5 a.m. for Tai-wan-fu. We had about an
hour's sleep before the start. Mr. Barclay (巴克禮)and
fifteen Chinese were put in front to lead the army and tell the
people to open the gates. I and four Chinese were placed in the
centre of the army. It was a lovely morning — clear and cool.
The sight of the thousand Japanese infantry and cavalry,
marching in single file, following
Barclay and his barefooted Chinese, was one
to be remembered.
" I was accommodated with a Japanese charger,
for which I was grateful. The road into Tai-wan-fu usually is
very busy, but that morning over the whole five miles I only saw
one man, and he was a good distance from the road. It was with a
thankful heart that, as we approached the city, I saw the
Japanese flag hanging over the South Gate, and knew that the
occupation was to be accomplished without loss of life.
" When I got to the South Gate (南門)
I considered my part of the work was finished, so I dismounted :
but the General called on me to remount and come on to Liu's
yamun.
There was nothing for it but to obey. A
Scotch Missionary riding through Tai-wan-fu streets among
Japanese cavalry was to my mind a little too ludicrous. Every
few steps some long-robed gentleman, who on the previous day
would almost gladly have signed my death-warrant, came forward
and with a deep bow thrust his card into my hand. And so
Tai-wan-fu and Formosa are now in the hands of the Japanese. I
am
thankful to think that in God's hand we
Missionaries have been the means of saving many lives.
" Liu, who had resisted the Japanese in
Formosa when the Chinese Government gave in, kept the enemy at
bay for months with a handful of followers and showed what could
have been done if the Chinese had been properly led by patriotic
men.
These are hard to find under a foreign
despotism. We are glad he escaped.
" It is said that Liu went on board a steamer
or a junk, at 5 a.m. on Sabbath morning, disguised as a woman
nursing a baby, and thus escaped the vigilance of the Japanese.
It is only fair to add that during his six months' rule in South
Formosa, he has treated us foreigners most kindly, and in the
city he has kept perfect order."
