2-982-377 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Sketches in China - the Burning of Telesio's Store, 1858. Europeans in China. 'Telesio's Store...where sundry beverages and edibles were to be got, where 'brown Windsor' [soup] and 'Rowland's macassar' [hair oil] reminded one of European civilisation - where the weed of Manilla [tobacco] gladdened the sight of our brave warriors - in fact, a temple of chow-chow, where everything was to be got. Well, the Signor Telesio, beginning to feel queer about the neck, packed up his goods, and betook himself to a chop down here. Last week his old store was set fire to, and it burned splendidly. Telesio, seeing his former dwelling in a state of combustion, rushed frantically - sans hat, sans coat - into a boat, and arrived at the scene of destruction in time to witness the lively Frenchmen, with drawn swords, running about in the red glare, making havoc of all Celestial tails [Chinese men] that came in their way, and firing every house near the store, which operation having been performed, they returned, leaving the fire to go out when it liked'. From "Illustrated London News", 1858.