GENERAL GORDON IN CHINA. 29

as I am, with only a small degree of admiration for military

exploits, I esteem it a far greater honour to promote peace than

to gain any petty honours in a wretched war."

Li Hung Chang, of whom Gordon had said that he was the ablest man in China, had risen to the highest position in the

empire, and was now little less than prime minister, but with the suspicion in the Celestial court that he was possessed of an overweening ambition, and of a damaging inclination to adopt

the methods and progressive policy of foreign teachers, even to

the extent of seeking the permanent aid of foreign arms, and yet

fortunately he and Prince Kung, of whom he was guardian, were

in favour of peace, while his rival minister Tso and Prince Chun

were advocating war General Gordon arrived at Hong-Kong on the 2d of July, and after a short stay with Sir John and Lady

Hennesey at Government House, went to visit the viceroy at Canton, where he distinctly told his numerous friends in answer

to their inquiries that his visit was unofficial, that he was there

on a holiday to see his old friend Li, and that his views would be

opposed to a proposal to form an Anglo-Chinese military force in case of war, as he should strongly advise the Chinese to use their own army. He spoke in the same way at Tientsin and at Pekin, where Li Hung Chang received him with effusive welcome, falling

on his neck and kissing him, with the conviction that he had now

a powerful supporter in the man who, seventeen years before, had

earned a right to speak in Chinese councils. Gordon lost no time

before conferring with the nobles and mandarins, he himself being one of them by the imperial rank bestowed on him after the

suppression of the Tai-ping rebellion He was resolute and outspoken in advising peace. His voice prevailed, and perhaps mainly because he gave formal expression to his advice in a memorandum which strongly opposed the employment of a foreign

force, as he contended that China possessed a long-used military organization, a regular military discipline which should be lelt

intact, as it was suited to her people, who in numbers had the advantage over other powers, were inured to hardships, and could

be made formidable by being armed with breech-loaders, to the