French
troops, were to assist the Chinese army in clearing the district round
Shanghai of the dreaded Taepings. The nature of the country, almost
encircled by water, was such that the help of a good engineer was needed
if the expedition was to be successful, and Gordon was busy all day in
surveying the canals or moats outside the walls of some city they were
about to attack, to see at what point he could throw a bridge of boats
across, or where he could best place his reserves. At the end of six
months the enemy was forced back to a distance of forty miles; but the
French admiral Protet had been killed in action, and Ward had fallen
while leading an assault.

By this time the emperor and his ministers at Pekin understood that if
the Taepings were to be put down the Chinese army must be commanded by a
general capable of opposing Chung Wang, and a request was sent to the
English government that the post might be temporarily offered to major
Gordon. After some hesitation, leave was granted, and permission was
given to a certain number of officers to serve under him. The emperor
was overjoyed--much more so than Gordon, who was promptly created a
mandarin. He foresaw many difficulties in store before he could get his
'rabble' of four thousand men into order, and at the outset he had much
trouble with Burgevine, Ward's successor in command of the
Ever-Victorious Army, but a very different man from Ward himself.
However, by the help of the famous Li Hung Chang, Burgevine was
ultimately got rid of, but not before he had done a great deal of
mischief. Gordon was free to devote all his energies to building a
little fleet of small steamers and Chinese gunboats that could go down
the rivers and canals, and hinder the foreign traders from secretly
supplying the rebels with arms and ammunition.

The strict discipline enforced by Gordon made him very unpopular with
his little army, and they could not understand why he made the act of
pillage a crime, to be punished by death. But when we think how wholly
impossible it is for any European or American to guess what is going on
in the mind of any Asiatic, it is surprising, not that he met with
difficulties, but that he ever succeeded in obtaining obedience. As it
was, two thousand of his men deserted after some heavy fighting, and
Ching, the Chinese general, was jealous of him, and incited the troops
to oppose and annoy him in every way. Besides, Li Hung Chang was
behindhand in paying h