the golden chersonese and the way thither-第17章

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as　abject　and　depraved　as　crime；　despair；　and　cruelty　can　make　them。

Within；　the　blackness；　the　filth；　the　vermin；　the　stench；　overpowering
even　in　this　cool　weather；　the　rubbish　of　rags　and　potsherds；　cannot　be
described。　Here　in　semi…starvation　and　misery；　with　nameless　cruelties
practised　upon　them　without　restraint；　festering　in　one　depraved　mass；
are　the　tried　and　untried；　the　condemned；　the　guilty　and　innocent　（？）；
the　murderer　and　pirate；　the　debtor　and　petty　thief；　all　huddled
together；　without　hope　of　exit　except　to　the　adjacent　judgment…seat；
with　its　horrors　of　〃the　question　by　torture；〃　or　to　the　〃field　of
blood〃　not　far　away。　On　earth　can　there　be　seen　a　spectacle　more
hideous　than　these　abject　wretches；　with　their　heavy　fetters　eating
into　the　flesh　of　their　necks　and　ankles　（if　on　their　wasted　skeletons；
covered　with　vermin　and　running　sores；　there　is　any　flesh　left）；　their
thick　matted；　bristly；　black　haircontrasting　with　the　shaven　heads
of　the　freethe　long；　broken　claws　on　their　fingers　and　toes；　the
hungry　look　in　their　emaciated　faces；　and　their　clamorous　cry；
_kum…sha！　　kum…sha！_　They　thronged　round　us　clattering　their　chains；
one　man　saying　that　they　had　so　little　rice　that　they　had　to　〃drink　the
foul　water　to　fill　themselves；〃　another　shrieked；　〃Would　I　were　in　your
prison　in　Hong　Kong；〃　and　this　was　chorused　by　many　voices　saying；　〃In
your　prison　at　Hong　Kong　they　have　fish　and　vegetables；　and　more　rice
than　they　can　eat；　and　baths；　and　beds　to　sleep　on；　good；　good　is　the
prison　of　your　Queen！〃　but　higher　swelled　the　cry　of　_kum…sha_；　and　as
we　could　not　give　alms　among　several　hundred；　we　eluded　them；　though
with　difficulty；　and；　as　we　squeezed　through　the　narrow　door；
execrations　followed　us；　and　high　above　the　heavy　clank　of　the　fetters
and　the　general　din　rose　the　cry；　〃Foreign　Devils〃　（Fan…Kwai）；　as　we
passed　out　into　sunshine　and　liberty；　and　the　key　was　turned　upon　them
and　their　misery。

We　went　into　three　other　large　wards；　foul　with　horror；　and　seething
with　misery；　and　into　a　smaller　one；　nearly　as　bad；　where　fifteen　women
were　incarcerated；　some　of　them　with　infants　devoured　by　cutaneous
diseases。　Several　of　them　said　that　they　are　there　for　kidnapping；　but
others　are　hostages　for　criminal　relations　who　have　not　yet　been
captured。　This　imprisonment　of　hostages　is　in　accordance　with　a　law
which　authorizes　the　seizure　and　detention　of　persons　or　families
belonging　to　criminals　who　have　fled　or　are　in　concealment。　Such　are
imprisoned　till　the　guilty　relative　is　brought　to　justice；　for　months；
years；　or　even　for　a　lifetime。　Two　of　these　women　told　us　that　they　had
been　there　for　twenty　years。

There　are　likewise　some　single　cellshovels　clustering　under　a　wall；
in　which　criminals　who　can　afford　to　pay　the　jailer　for　them　may　enjoy
the　luxury　of　solitude。　In　each　ward　there　is　a　single　unfettered
manalways　a　felonwho　by　reason　either　of　bribery　or　good　conduct；
is　appointed　to　the　place　of　watchman　or　spy　among　his　fellows　in
crime。　　There　is　a　turnkey　for　each　ward；　and　these　men；　with　the
unchained　felons　who　act　as　watchmen；　torture　new　arrivals　in　order　to
force　money　from　them；　and　under　this　process　some　die。

In　the　outer　wall　of　the　prison　there　is　a　port…hole；　just　large　enough
to　allow　of　a　body　being　pushed　through　it；　for　no　malefactor's　corpse
must　be　carried　through　the　prison　entrance；　lest　it　should　defile　the
〃Gate　of　Righteousness。〃　There　is　also　a　hovel　called　a　deadhouse；　into
which　these　bodies　are　conveyed　till　a　grave　has　been　dug　in　some
〃accursed　place；〃　by　members　of　an　〃accursed〃　class。

In　addition　to　the　large　mortality　arising　from　poor　living　and　its
concomitant　diseases；　and　the　exhaustion　produced　by　repeated　torture；
epidemics　frequently　break　out　in　the　hot　weather　in　those　dark　and
fetid　dens；　and　oftentimes　nearly　clear　out　the　prison。　On　such
occasions　as　many　as　four　hundred　have　succumbed　in　a　month。　The　number
of　criminals　who　are　executed　from　this　prison；　either　as　sentenced　to
death；　or　as　unable　to　bribe　the　officials　any　further；　is　supposed　to
be　about　five　hundred　annually；　and　it　is　further　supposed　that　half
this　number　die　annually　from　starvation　and　torture。　Sometimes　one
hundred　criminals　are　beheaded　in　an　hour；　as　it　is　feared　may　be　the
case　on　the　Governor　going　out　of　office；　when　it　is　not　unusual　to
make　a　jail　delivery　in　this　fashion。

In　numerous　cases；　when　there　is　a　press　of　business　before　the
judgment…seat　and　a　dead…lock　occurs；　accusers　and　witnesses　are
huddled　indiscriminately　into　the　Naam…Hoi　prison；　sometimes　for
months；　and　as　the　Governor　or　magistrate　takes　no　measures　to　provide
for　them　during　the　interval；　some　of　the　poorer　ones　who　have　no
friends　to　bribe　the　jailer　on　their　behalf；　perish　speedily。

At　night；　in　the　dens　which　I　have　described；　the　hands　of　the
prisoners　are　chained　to　their　necks；　and　even　in　the　daytime　only　one
hand　is　liberated。　I　thought　that　many　of　the　faces　looked　quite
imbecile。　The　jailer；　as　we　went　out；　kept　holding　out　his　long…clawed；
lean；　brown　hand；　muttering　about　his　promised　kum…sha；　very　fearful
lest　the　other　turnkeys；　who　were　still　lying　on　their　beds　smoking
opium；　should　come　in　for　any　share　of　it。

Mr。　Henry；*　my　host　and　very　able　cicerone；　is　an　American　missionary；
and　as　such　carries　with　him　the　gospel　of　peace　on　earth　and　good　will
to　men。　Surely　if　the　knowledge　of　Him　who　came　〃to　preach　liberty　to
the　captive；　and　the　opening　of　the　prison　to　them　that　are　bound；〃
were　diffused　and　received　here；　and　were　spread　with　no　niggard　hand；
the　prison　of　the　Naam…Hoi　magistrate；　with　its　unspeakable　horrors；
would　go　the　way　of　all　our　dungeons　and　bedlams。　　
＇*I　cannot　forbear　adding　a　note　on　the　extent　of　Mr。　　Henry's　work　in
1881。　He　preached　190　times　in　Chinese；　and　five　times　in　English；　held
fifty…two　Bible…class　meetings；　and　thirteen　communion　services；
baptized　forty…five　adults　and　eight　children；　traveled　on　mission　work
by　boat　2；540　miles；　by　chair；　eighty　miles；　and　on　foot　670　miles；
visited　280　different　towns　and　villages；　and　distributed　14；000　books；
receiving　assistance　in　the　latter　work　only　on　one　short　journey。　His
life　is　a　happy　combination　of　American　energy　and　Christian　zeal。＇

But　this　is　not　all。　From　the　prison　it　is　only　a　short　distance　to　the
judgment…seat；　and　passing　once　more　through　the　〃Gate　of
Righteousness；〃　we　crossed　a　large　court　infested　by　gamblers　and
fortune…tellers；　and　presented　ourselves　at　a　porch　with　great　figures
painted　on　both　its　doors；　and　gay　with　the　red　insignia　of
mandarinism；　which　is　the　entrance　to　the　stately　residence　of　the
Naam…Hoi　magistrate；　one　of　the　subordinate　dignitaries　of　Canton。　　In
the　porch；　as　might　have　been　in　that　of　Pilate　or　Herod；　were　a　number
of　official　palanquins；　and　many　officials　and　servants　of　the　mandarin
with　red…crowned　hats　turned　up　from　their　faces；　and　privates　of　the
city　guard；　mean　and　shabby　persons。　One　of　these；　for　a　kum…sha　of
course；　took　us；　not　through　the　closed　and　curtained　doors；　but　along
some　passages；　from　which　we　passed　through　a　circular　brickwork　tunnel
to　the　front　of　the　judgment　seat　at　which　all　the　inmates　of　the
Naam…Hoi　prison　may　expect　sooner　or　later　to　be　tried。　My　nerves　were
rather　shaken　with　what　I　had　seen；　and　I　trembled　as　a　criminal　might
on　entering　this　chamber　of　horror。

In　brief；　the　judgment…seat　is　a　square　hall；　open　at　one　end；　with　a
roof　supported　on　three　columns。　In　the　plan　which　I　send；　No。　1　is　the
three　pillars；　No。　2；　the　instruments　of　torture　ranged　against　the
wall；　No。　3；　four　accused　men　wearing　heavy　chains；　and　kneeling　with
their　foreheads　one　inch　from　the　ground；　but　not　allowed　to　touch　it。
These　men　are　undergoing　the　mildest　form　of　tortureprotracted
kneeling　without　support　in　one　position；　with　coarse　sand　under　the
bare　knees。　No。　4　is　a　very　old　and　feeble　man；　also　kneeling；　a
claimant　in　an　ancient　civil　suit。　No。　6　indicates　a　motley　group　of
notaries；　servants；　attendants；　lictors；　alas！　The　table　（No。　5）　is　of
dark　wood；　covered　with　a　shabby　red　cloth。　　On　i