of the troops carried bows and arrows, others had swords whose handles were three feet long, while others could outstrip the fleetest horse. Holding their shields aloft, they charged the enemy's positions, and fought utterly regardless whether they lived or died. All these wore metal armour. There were also a few riflemen and artillery. This army was not considered at all equal to the Dutch forces either in training and discipline or in equipment; but when Koxinga arrived, the inhabitants of the whole island rose up against the Dutch, the savages uniting with the Chinese, and all exulting at the prospect of freedom. All the Dutch outside the castles had their property destroyed, and they themselves were subjected to the greatest indignities, the women being dishonoured and many of the men crucified. Being thus assailed by the entire native population of the island, the Dutch saw that they could not retain their position, and abandoned Fort Providentia without fighting. Koxinga then proceeded to besiege Fort Zeelandia, the last stronghold of the Dutch, but here they made a stubborn resistance. Only after nine months did they capitulate, and even then only upon Koxinga's agreeing to the following conditions, viz. :—

1. The Dutch shall be allowed to take all necessary provisions, as also gunpowder, bullets and fuses.

2. All private movable property may be taken to the ships after inspection.

3. The Dutch shall be allowed to take away a certain sum of money.

4. The Dutch soldiers may retire with loaded rifles, flying banners, burning lint, and may embark to the accompaniment of beating drums.

5. All prisoners to be returned within eight or ten days, and those in China as soon as possible.

6. Koxinga will return the four ships' boats which he captured.

7. Fort Zeelandia and its outworks, artillery, war materials, merchandise, treasure and other State property to be given up to Koxinga.

8. All papers and books belonging to the Government may be taken to Batavia.

The Dutch Governor Coyett with the remnant of his soldiers, now reduced to 1,000 men, together with all the Dutch officials

and merchants who still remained alive left for Batavia in September, 1662. Thus the Dutch occupation of Formosa came to an end after having lasted for thirty-eight years, and the fruits of their wise policy and praiseworthy efforts rapidly disappeared.

When Koxinga found himself in full possession of the island, he established his court at Zeelandia, and at once appointed numerous civil and military officials. Volunteer corps were formed in different parts of the island. Agriculture was encouraged, no plot of ground being allowed to lie waste without good and sufficient reason. Official discipline and social order were also strictly enforced. His eldest son, Cheng Ching, was placed in command of the military and naval forces at Amoy, while an able officer was stationed at the Pescadores and instructed to co-operate with the Amoy forces.

Koxinga had become acquainted with a Dominican friar from Spain, who lived in Amoy and bore the name of Vittorio Riccio. This friar he now sent to Manila with despatches threatening an attack unless the colony paid him a yearly tribute. The Spanish authorities, suspecting something of the kind, as soon as they heard that an envoy had arrived from the King of Formosa, prepared 8,000 footmen and 100 cavalry, and then received the ambassador with due ceremony. At this time the Chinese residents in Manila were extremely numerous, and even before the envoy's arrival, were greatly excited over the news that had reached them of how Koxinga had succeeded in expelling all the Dutch from Formosa. Their excitement was much intensified when the friar arrived as the King's envoy, and they also heard, by private letters from their friends and acquaintances in Formosa, the real object of his visit. When challenged by the Spanish officials, they were all found to be insurgents and were at once put to the sword, a few only being spared to act as tradesmen and mechanics. Being quite unprepared for such a result, Riccio returned to Formosa. When the Formosan Chinese heard how their friends had been killed, they became furious, and it seemed as though they would not be satisfied until, under Koxinga's leadership, they had killed every Spaniard in Manila.

At this juncture, however, Koxinga fell ill and, though only thirty-nine, was unable to throw off the disease which had

attacked him. He breathed his last in July, 1663. Although brought up among pirates and freebooters, he was by no means a common pirate. Inheriting tact and talent from his father, and a sound judgment and daring from his mother, he was full of great ambitions roused by the tendencies of the age, and proved himself to be a hero, gifted with great governing and organising powers. If he had been born in Nanking among high courtiers, he would assuredly have taken a prominent part in the civil war then raging in China, in connection with the coming in of the Tartar dynasty. As it was, his deeds in Formosa proved him a statesman of no ordinary mould. He was indeed the leading spirit of the Government, and he alone gave life and vigour to the whole institution.

As he died before the people had come to understand the spirit of his ordinances, chaos succeeded. He had left directions that his eldest son, Cheng Ching, should succeed him, but as this son had once displeased his father greatly, the generals in Formosa said Koxinga had passed him over, and they made Koxinga's brother Shu king instead. This the Amoy army would not consent to, but maintained that the son was the rightful heir and went over to the island, where they found that nearly all the Chinese residents held the same opinion. Having dethroned the usurper without striking a single blow, Cheng Ching returned to Amoy and again took up his military duties.

But the Dutch, wishing to retrieve their defeat and regain Formosa, fitted out an expedition consisting of sixteen warships, 1,386 sailors and 1,234 soldiers, which they despatched from Batavia, after having made a compact with the Governor of Fokien that his forces should unite with theirs, drive Cheng Ching out of Amoy, and then conquer the whole of Formosa. Several fierce battles were fought, and finally Cheng Ching retired to Formosa, where he devoted all his energies to commerce, agriculture and education. He fostered so many new industries that the inhabitants were enabled to live in comfort and become independent of supplies from abroad. But all the time he could not forget his father's plans. In 1679, he again entered Amoy with 20,000 soldiers and proceeded to attack the Fokien strongholds. These held out month after month while his enemies' hosts gathered, until at last he was obliged to fight on three sides at once, and was again forced to retire to Formosa. Realizing

then, that his plans for continental conquest were impossible of attainment, he turned his attention solely to home government and became greatly loved by his people. He died of some disease in 1682, in his thirty-second year.

His bastard son Cheng Ko-tsang should have succeeded him, but Cheng's mother hated him and, refusing to acknowledge him as her grandson, had him secretly strangled in the palace. She loved Cheng Ko-shwang, the second son, and set him on the throne. The Tartar governor of Fokien succeeded in sowing discord among the king's courtiers, bribing some and threatening others. In 1683 the Tartar admiral occupied the Pescadores, where through his spies he received secret reports as to the conditions in Formosa. The king's army fought valiantly, but was at last forced to surrender. Thus after being governed by Koxinga and his descendants for twenty-one years, the whole island came under Chinese control.

CHAPTER III. (Continued).

FORMOSA IN THE PAST.

SECTION IV.-STRUGGLES BETWEEN CHINESE AND

SAVAGES.

Chinese methods in Formosa-Savages and immigrants-Twenty-two rebellions -Brief history of Choo Yihkwei-His rebellion-Count de BenyowskyClan fights-Civil war.

IN 1683, as soon as the Chinese had conquered Formosa, they made it a part of Fokien Province and called it "Taiwan," the name once given by the Dutch to one small island, the present Anping. The capital was called Taiwan Fu, as the seat of the central Government, and the whole island was divided into three prefectures, Taiwan, Shora and Hozan. The Chinese Government never allowed any of the officials to remain long in the island, or to take over their families, fearing that a lengthy stay might make them too independent. Indeed, the Government had no wish to civilise the island, they simply wished to retain it as it was. This spirit showed itself in all they did, and thus the Government was even more careless and irresponsible than on the mainland.

We find nothing noteworthy in their administration for two hundred years, until we come to Liu Ming-chuan, who at one time seemed likely to accomplish something. Whatever social or industrial improvements were effected before his time, were entirely due to the private efforts of the Chinese emigrants from the interior of China. This emigration movement was too strong to be checked by the Government edicts, which forbade any one to emigrate without express permission. Furnished as they were with better weapons, these new-comers plundered the native tribes, stealing their lands, wasting their farms, and cheating them out of their crops. They even went