ing approached him, but before he
could begin his excuses, "he met with such a storm that he made a
precipitate retreat into the city." Ching then sent an English
officer, one of Gordon's own force, to explain matters, but he did not
know whether the chiefs were alive or dead. He went on to say,
however, that Lar Wang's son was in his tent, and on the boy being
sent for, he said that his father had been executed on the opposite
side of the creek. The steamers had still not arrived, and Gordon
asked one of his lieutenants, Prince F. von Wittgenstein, to cross the
creek in his boat and report what he saw. He returned with the
intelligence that there were nine headless bodies. Gordon then crossed
himself, and identified Lar Wang and several of his companions. There
was consequently no further doubt as to what had happened, or anything
left for Gordon to do than to secure them decent burial. Having done
this he abandoned his trip to the Taiho Lake, and hastened to Quinsan.

The exact mode of this assassination seems to have been as follows:
When the Wangs came out of the city they were met by General Ching,
who did not, however, accompany them to the Futai Li Hung Chang. That
official received them in a stockade near his boat, some conversation
ensued, and then Li left the stockade. Here again reference should be
made to the authoritative narrative that follows. A party of Imperial
troops closed the gates, seized the Wangs, and at once beheaded them.
Li Hung Chang very soon afterwards left his quarters for a different
and remote part of the Imperial camp.

This treacherous act, although quite in accordance with Chinese
traditions, was generally denounced at the time, and has excited much
discussion since. Major Gordon certainly felt it very keenly, for he
considered that his word had been pledged as much as the Chinese
commander's for the safety of the leaders who surrendered. It has been
shown how energetically he acted once he suspected that anything was
wrong, but it seems as if it were going too far to say that he thought
for a moment of exacting a summary revenge on the person of Li Hung
Chang. Sir Henry Gordon, writing with at least a sense of
responsibility, says on this point: "It is not the fact that Major
Gordon sought the Futai with the intention of shooting him. It is a
complete misrepresentation to say he did so. It is true he endeavoured
unsuccessfully to have an explanation with him, but not of the nature
a