"ملخص لمراسلات، إلخ، تتعلق بشؤون آسيا الوسطى، بلوشستان، بلاد فارس، إلخ، ١٨٧٥-١٨٧٧. مع ملاحق." [ظ‎‎١‎٤‎٧] (٥٦٢/٢٩٩)

( 210 )
Barkul to Hi, in about longitude 87° 05'E„ and latitude 44 15 N ). S o ffle
of the outworks of the insurgents had been taken and destroyed, and upward,
of four hundred of the enemy slain. The loss of men on the Chinese side
was not reported, but four subaltern officers were named as having been billed
in action. , .
Sir Thomas Wade, however, did not believe m any Chinese success. He
rather thought that their troops had suffered some reverse and that Chiaese
Officers having been killed an explanation was necessary.
However on the 11th September the British Ambassador at St. Petersburg
repeated the following telegram, dated 9 Septembers Tashkend which had just been
published in the local press : *
After eio'ht days’ fighting- the Chinese took Manas on the 4th August and occupied
wfl, fmUrcss. Insurgent leader fled to Urumtsi ; troops ordered to take position in
the north fortress. w
Twill Vmvfi to march
According to the Chinese account which appeared in the Pekin Gazette
of the 3rd October 1876, Hwangtien was taken on the 10th August, Kiemuti
(or Tsi-Nwai-Ch’eng) on the 16th, and Urumtsi on the 17th. The result of
these victories was to leave the Chinese with no enemy between their ova
forces and those of Yakoob Beg on the south side of the Tian Shan. But on
I have been unable to neeoneile these eonflieting the north side Manas Still remained in tta
statements as to the date of the capture of Manas. hands Ol the lUUgamS. On tile ZllQ
September the Chinese army arrived near Manas and immediately commenced
active operations. The town was obstinately defended, and it was not until after
two months’ hard fighting that it eventually succumbed on the 6th November.
With the capture of Manas the campaign of the Peh Lu (i.e., the region north
of the Tian Shan range) came to a close. It left the Chinese in a position to
contemplate a victorious advance into the Nan-Lu (i.e., the region south of the
Tian Shan range) extending from Turfan westwards and embracing the whole
of Kashgaria.
Mr. Mayers observed :—
“ The possession of Manas and Urumtsi, independently of the loss inflicted on the Tungani
Mahomedans, is undoubtedly a great advantage to the Chinese forces, as it enables them to push
forward their advance at pleasure either towards Turfan on the south, or in the direction of Hi
and Chuguchak (Tarbogotai) on the north and west.”
In December 1876 Lord A. Loftus reported a conversation with M. de Giers,
in which the latter mentioned the capture of Manas and Urumtsi by the
Chinese, and the massacre of the whole population. Yakoob Beg was said to
he in some alarm, for some of his troops had assisted the Tunganis against the
Chinese and shared their defeat. The Ameer, however, had not applied to the
Russian Governor-General of Turkestan for assistance or protection.
The Turkestan Gazette, No. 1, dated 5-17th January 1877, contaiuedthe
following paragraph on the subject: —
“ The Kashgar Envoy, who is now in Tashkend, says that the military operations of the
Chinese have been put a stop to with the approach of the winter season. The Tso-Tsun-Tang
confined himself to an occupation of Urumtsi (without a blow) and of Manas, which was
taken by force, and in which a great number of the defenders perished. It is said that the
Chinese put to death more than 1,500 Tungans in Manas, without distinction of age or sex.
The heads of the decapitated were exposed on the city walls. Satisfied with their achievements,
the Chinese are in no haste to cross the Thian-Shan and pass into the dominions of Yakoob Beg.
The first town from that quarter is Turfan, and this according to Murad Beg, the Kashgar
Envoy, is an impregnable fortress, having been strongly fortified by Yakoob Beg.
“ The latter is still in the vicinity of Turfan with his army, being resolved to resist the
Chinese energetically. The conflict with the Chinese cannot, however, occur before the spimg
or summer of 1877, and it is doubtful whether the Chinese will be as successful agains
well organised forces of Kashgar as they have been against the unarmed Tungani masses.
a- .ce rurn oured that in the eastern districts of Jitysbahr many of the p eo p|®
disaffected to Yakoob Beg, and have passed over to Hakim Khan Tura (son of Buzruk Khan).
It is reported that Hakim Khan has entered into relations with the Chinese, who are, of course,
highly delighted to find so unexpected and valuable an ally. If the disturbances m ht)