WAR WITH THE BRITISH.--NARRATIVE OF THE SUFFERINGS OF THE MISSIONARIES
DURING THE WAR.
In 1824 news reached America of the breaking out of war between Burmah
and British India. This of course excited the most anxious interest for
the fate of the Americans in that country. At length anxiety was
somewhat relieved by the intelligence that Messrs. Wade and Hough with
their families, who had remained at Rangoon, were, after dreadful
sufferings, safe under British protection. But over the fate of Mr. and
Mrs. Judson hung the silence of death, or of a suspense worse than
death, for more than two years, until hope itself died in the hearts of
their friends and kindred.
But although in this long period of doubt and darkness, busy fancy had
pictured many scenes of terror and many forms of violent death, as the
possible lot of the missionaries; yet in her wildest nights she never
could have conceived of the terrible reality which they endured, not for
days and weeks only, but for _eighteen_ weary months. The wildest tale
of fiction has never depicted more cruel anguish, more appalling
suffering borne with more heroic energy, and more sublime fortitude--the
wildest fiction would not dare to portray woman's love and faith and
Christian hope, so long triumphant over insult and outrage, and torture
and death itself. Who after reading the following narrative of an heroic
female's unparalleled endurance, will ever say that woman's is a feeble
nature, incapable of withstanding the rude shocks of adverse fortune?
Nay, who will not rather say, that in woman, hope and faith, and
fortitude and energy, make even the frail _body_ immortal, till her
labor of love is accomplished, and its cherished object is rescued from
peril?
* * * * *
"The war which now broke out between the Burman government and that of
the English in Bengal, forms an important era in the history of the
mission.
"Its first effect was to put an end to the labors of the missionaries,
and involve them in unspeakable sufferings, yet in accordance with a
mysterious though beneficent law of human affairs, its ultimate issues
have proved favorable not only to the interests of that particular
mission, but also to the further extension of Christian civilization
among the thickly peopled countries of Eastern India. The war had its
origin in feuds which had long existed on the frontiers of Chittagong."
Some Burman criminals had escaped to that territory, where as it was
alleged they were protected by British power. The Burman monarch
determined to chastise the English by making war on their government,
and had raised thirty thousand troops under the command of his greatest
warrior Bandula; but the East India Company anticipated his movements,
and landed their forces at Rangoon so suddenly and unexpectedly, that
the city fell into their hands with scarcely a show of resistance. This
was the first news that reached Ava of the commencement of hostilities.
It surprised the court there, but by no means alarmed them. Never having
come into collision with the English, and having the most extravagant
conceit of their own invincibility, they did not for a moment doubt
their power to drive the invaders from their country; and even sent by
one of their generals a pair of golden fetters with which to chain the
governor-general, and bring him captive to Ava.
The first effect of the intelligence of the war upon the situation of
the missionaries, was an order that no man wearing a hat should enter
the palace. This was somewhat startling, still nothing of importance
occurred for several weeks, during which Mrs. J. continued her school,
while her husband went on building a house. But at length suspicion
having been excited that the Englishmen who resided in Ava were spies,
they were seized and put in confinement. Dr. Price and Mr. Judson were
strictly examined also, but nothing being proved against them, they were
left at liberty. They might probably have escaped further molestation,
had it not been found in examining the accounts of one of the
Englishmen, that he had paid over considerable money to the
missionaries. Ignorant of money transactions as carried on by
foreigners, this was an evidence to the natives, that the teachers were
in the pay of the British, and probably spies. This being represented to
the king, he gave an angry order for their arrest.
On the 8th of June, Mr. Judson's house was rudely entered by an officer,
followed by eight or ten men, one of whom, by the hideous tattooing on
his face, they knew to be the executioner, or 'son of the prison.' On
seeing Mr. Judson--"You are called by the king," said the officer, the
usual form of arrest. In an instant the spotted-faced man threw him on
the floor, and drew forth that instrument of torture, the small cord.
Mrs. Judson tried in vain to bribe him with money. "Take her too," said
the officer, "she also is a foreigner." But this order Mr. Judson
prevailed on them to disregard. All was now confusion and dismay, the
children crying, the neighbors collecting around and in the house, while
the executioner bound Mr. Judson with the cords, and took a fiendish
pleasure in making them as tight as possible. Mrs. Judson gave Moung
Ing money that he might follow and procure a mitigation of this torture,
instead of which, Mr. Judson was again thrown down, and the cords so
tightened as almost to prevent respiration. Then he was hurried on to
the court-house, thence to "the death prison," into which he was hurled,
and Moung Ing saw him no more.
We may imagine the intolerable agony of Mrs. Judson when the faithful
disciple returned with the sad news of his master's fate. Retiring to
her room, she tried to find consolation in casting her dreadful burden
of fear and suspense on her covenant God. But soon her retirement was
invaded by the magistrate of the place, who ordered her to come out and
submit to an examination. Of course she was obliged to obey, but before
doing so she destroyed every writing she possessed, letters, journals,
everything, lest her correspondence with her British friends should
confirm the suspicions of their persecutors. When the magistrate had
satisfied himself with the examination, he placed a guard of ten
ruffians about the house, with orders that no one should enter or leave
it on pain of death.
Taking her four little Burman girls into an inner room she barred the
door, and obstinately refused to come out, although the guard, bent on
tormenting her, threatened to break the door down if she did not. She
prevented this outrage by a threat to complain of their conduct in the
morning to higher authorities, but in revenge they bound her two
Bengalee servants fast in the stocks in a most painful posture. By
bribes and promises she at length induced them to release the servants;
but their dreadful carousings, and horrid language, combined with her
suspense in regard to her husband's fate, rendered that long night one
of unmitigated wretchedness.
In the morning, Moung Ing, whom she had sent to the prison, returned
with the intelligence that all the white foreigners were in the
death-prison chained with three pairs of fetters each to a pole, to
prevent their moving! "The point of anguish now was," she says, "that I
was a prisoner myself, and could make no efforts for their relief." She
earnestly but vainly begged the magistrate to allow her to go and state
the case to some government officer; she even wrote a letter to the
queen's sister, who was civil, but afraid to interfere in their behalf.
"The day," she says, "wore heavily away, and another dreadful night was
before me. I endeavored to soften the feelings of the guard, by giving
them tea and segars for the night; so that they allowed me to remain
inside my room, without threatening as they did the night before." But,
haunted by the idea of her dear husband's tortures, which she was
neither permitted to share nor alleviate, she of course passed another
night of anguish.
The next day she sent a message to the governor of the city, to allow
her to visit him with a present. This was successful, and the guards had
orders to permit her to go into town. She was pleasantly received,
stated the situation of the teachers, and assured the governor that
being not Englishmen but Americans, they had nothing to do with the war.
She was referred to a head officer with whom she might consult as to the
means of making the prisoners more comfortable; _but their release was
out of the question_. The first sight of this officer, whose face
exhibited the working of every evil passion, inspired her with dread,
but he was the only one who could assist her. "He took me aside, and
endeavored to convince me that myself, as well as the prisoners, was
entirely at his disposal--that our future comfort must depend on my
liberality in regard to presents--and that these must be made in a
private way, and unknown to any officer of government! What must I do,
said I, to obtain a mitigation of the sufferings of the two teachers?
'Pay to me,' said he, 'two hundred tickals, (about a hundred dollars,)
two pieces of fine cloth, and two pieces of handkerchiefs.' At length
however he consented to take what money she had about her, which was a
considerable sum, and promised to relieve the teachers from their most
painful situation. She goes on:
"I then procured an order from the governor for my admittance into the
prison, but the sensation produced by meeting my husband in that
_wretched, horrid_ situation, and the scene that ensued, I shall not
attempt to describe. He crawled to the door of the prison--for I was
never allowed to enter--gave me some directions relative to his release;
but before we could make any arrangement, I was ordered to depart by
those iron-hearted jailers, who could not endure to see us enjoy the
poor consolation of meeting in that miserable place. In vain I pleaded
the order of the governor for my admittance; they again harshly
repeated, 'Depart, or we will pull you out.'" The same evening all the
foreigners succeeded, by the payment of money, in being removed from the
common prison to an open shed, where Mrs. Judson was allowed to send
them food, and mats to sleep on, but for some days was not permitted to
see them.
Nothing but her own eloquent words can do justice to the transactions
that followed. We copy as before from her letter, written two years
subsequent to these events, to her brother-in-law, Dr. Judson.
"My next object was to get a petition presented to the queen, but no
person being admitted into the palace who was in disgrace with his
majesty, I sought to present it through the medium of her brother's
wife. I had visited her in better days, and received particular marks of
her favor. But now, times were altered, Mr. Judson was in prison, and I
in distress, which was a sufficient reason for giving me a cold
reception. I took a present of considerable value. She was lolling on
her carpet as I entered, with her attendants around her. I waited not
for the usual question to a suppliant, 'What do you want?' but in a
bold, earnest yet respectful manner, stated our distresses and our
wrongs, and begged her assistance. She partly raised her head, opened
the present I had brought, and coolly replied, 'Your case is not
singular; all the foreigners are treated alike.' But it _is_ singular,
said I, the teachers are Americans; they are ministers of religion, have
nothing to do with war or politics, and came to Ava in obedience to the
king's command. They have never done anything to deserve such treatment;
and is it right they should be treated thus? 'The king does as he
pleases,' said she, 'I am not the king, what can I do?' You can state
their case to the queen and obtain their release, replied I. Place
yourself in my situation--were you in America, your husband, innocent of
crime, thrown into prison, in irons, and you a solitary, unprotected
female--what would you do? With a slight degree of feeling, she said, 'I
will present your petition; come again to-morrow. I returned to the
house, with considerable hope that the speedy release of the
missionaries was at hand. But the next day, the property of Mr. Gouger,
(one of the Englishmen,) amounting to 25,000 dollars, was seized and
carried to the palace. The officers on their return, politely informed
me, that they should _visit our house_ on the morrow. I felt obliged for
this information, and accordingly made preparations to receive them by
secreting as many little articles as possible; together with
considerable silver; as I knew if the war should be protracted, we
should be in a state of starvation without it. But my mind was in a
dreadful state of agitation, lest it should be discovered, and cause my
being thrown into prison. And had it been possible to procure money from
any other quarter, I should not have ventured on such a step.
"The following morning, the royal treasurer, the governor of the north
gate of the palace, who was in future our steady friend, and another
nobleman, attended by forty or fifty followers, came to take possession
of all we had. I treated them civilly, gave them seats, and tea and
sweetmeats for their refreshment; and justice obliges me to say, that
they conducted the business of confiscation, with more regard to my
feelings than I should have thought it possible for Burmese officers to
exhibit. The three officers with one of the royal secretaries alone
entered the house; their attendants were ordered to remain outside.
They saw I was deeply affected, and apologized for what they were about
to do, by saying that it was painful for them to take possession of
property not their own, but they were compelled thus to do by order of
the king. "Where is your silver, gold, and jewels?" said the royal
treasurer. I have no gold or jewels, but here is the key of a trunk
which contains the silver--do with it as you please. The trunk was
produced, and the silver weighed. This money, said I, was collected in
America by the disciples of Christ, and sent here for the purpose of
building a kyoung, (the name of a priest's dwelling;) and for our
support while teaching the religion of Christ. Is it suitable that you
should take it? (The Burmans are averse to taking religious offerings,
which was the cause of my making the inquiry.) "We will state this
circumstance to the king," said one of them, "and perhaps he will
restore it. But is this all the silver you have?" I could not tell a
falsehood. The house is in your possession, I replied, search for
yourselves. "Have you not deposited silver with some person of your
acquaintance?" My acquaintances are all in prison, with whom should I
deposit silver? They next ordered my trunk and drawers to be examined.
The secretary only was allowed to accompany me in this search.
Everything nice or curious which met his view, was presented to the
officers for their decision whether it should be taken or retained. I
begged they would not take our wearing apparel, as it would be
disgraceful to take clothes partly worn into the possession of his
majesty, and to us they were of unspeakable value. They assented, and
took a list only; and did the same with the books, medicines, &c. My
little work-table and rocking-chair, presents from my beloved brother, I
rescued from their grasp, partly by artifice, and partly through their
ignorance. They left also many articles which were of inestimable value
during our long imprisonment."