The sham fight on Monday took place in and around -the villages at the back of the road between the Ningpo joss-house and the Race Course. The Naval Brigade, mustering about 200 strony, and havi with them a field-piece, sturted for the scene of action about noon; the Volunteers, who mustered about half the namber of their opponents, setting out about 3 p.m.
On reaching the Ningpo joss-house, th Miholoongs were marched towards. th waste yround on the left, supported by No. 2, while No. 1 (with which had incorporated the only 5 members of No. 3 who turned out) rensained with the Gun on the right. The enemy were first discovered manning the new houses at the top of the French Maloo, and various cover extending thence towards the country; and a lively fire was opened, before which they fell back towards the village, within which the chief straggle took place, from a balloon, could one half the in that happened within that enclosure be descried or described. The dodging of rabbits in a warren is nothing compared to the evolutions perpetrated within those savoury slums. Now, occasional openings in fences enabled hostile ranks to exchange shots across intervening cabbage gardens; and now opposing columns met each other unexpectedly round corners, had pitched battles and mutually retreated like the armies upon a Eh stage. Now the Miholoongs surprised the Jacks; now the Jacks surprised the Gun; now a half Ca. of No. 1 drawn across a bridge enjoyed the pleasure of calmly Sung at a line of atiiers who Gor could have done soit they had were crossing a parallel bridge 100 yards
not expended all their ammunition,—and now a Section of No. 2 was taken in flank by some of the very men whom No. 1 had failed to kill.
Seriously, there was some very close fighting in and about that village; closer in one or two cases than was desirable. It is risky for excited men to get to close guarters, and when theMiholoones captured four or five blue jackets, and the laters' comrades came with fixed bayonets to the rescue, things came very near a real scriinmage. As it was, the only damage we hear reported is to a Miholoong who received a blank cartridge in his eyes at a few inches distance, and suffered rather painfully from the contents. The officers on both sides, however, quickly retired their men, and the business of the day proceeded. How the Jacks got that gun is a mystery. The Miholoongs and No. 2 were under the impression that No. 1 was supporting them and the gun, and No. 1 was under the impression it had scoured every alley and almost every garden along its line of advance. Yet the in does somehow seem to have got isolated in the lane by Probst's Garden and a body of Jacks who must have either deen lying perdu in some cottages and been overlooked, or have doubled round and outflanked their opponents, undoubted ly contrived to reach it. We believe a half Ca, of No. 1 is under the impression it recaptured it, but the Sailors didn't seem to think so, as they added one cheer for the gun to the three flat were heartily exchanged between the late opponents, on dismissal at the Bund.
There was a cool breeze blowing in the open, but the sun was hot; and doubling about, chiefly among houses and under shelter, was decidedly thirsty work. The accustomed beer barrel was attacked with the customary energy; in fact some men declared it was harder work fighting for a drink than for the village. It would perhaps simplify matters if the Companies were marched up seriatim, for refreshment,—On the whole, it seemed to us that the Volunteers did better on this occasion than on the last, Perhaps the courteous arrangement that they were, in turn, to be victors had something to do with this; it is always easier to advance than retreat but we also infer that the previous practice was not altogether thrown away, and that the active drill which has since taken place has had good effect. The Swedes eventually taught Peter the Great to beat them and though we can certainly not assume that the Naval Brigade were beaten yesterday otherwise than by their own consent, we may infer that the Volunteers had learned much from the teaching of their opponents, The more frequently, then, such outings are repeated, the better. We heard only one expression among the Vo-Tantoere—that they had a good afternoon's exercise and drill; and we gladly believe the Sailors also enjoyed the outing.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.