Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter viii the attacks on gyantse and kangma posts, and operations at gyantse till arrival 05 relieving force The attack on Gyantse Post was delivered in the early morning of May 5 by 1,600 armed Tibetans. About 1,000 actually participated in the attack; the remainder, thinking the reoccupation of the jong, which was not held by our troops, of greater importance, went into the jong, making themselves comfortable there. The attack was quite unexpected by the garrison, no news of the Tibetan movements having leaked out, even to the Tibetan dooli-bearers and servants with the garrison. Several of these slept in Gyantse town that night, and were caught by the Tibetans and savagely murdered. Captain Parr blamed the Chinese General Ma very much for this, and considered that he must have been aware of the enemy's intentions, but refrained from giving any information to the British garrison for his own revengeful reasons. Captain Parr and Ma, the Chinese General, had differences over political matters, Ma posing as the representative of the Amban, though never authorised by the latter, nor able to show any credentials. As Parr lived in Gyantse town, Ma, thinking it a good opportunity of letting Parr be murdered in order to get him out of his way, is supposed to have withheld information about the intended attack, of which he must have known if he had been a good Chinese official. He was afterwards dismissed from his appointment by the Amban. Parr had been an officer in a British regiment, and although now in the Chinese service, yet obta