Port Arthur is at present very quiet. The Russians have not taken it, but by all appearances they have taken charge of the Baye dockyard. Their two steam pinnaces are being repaired by the Chinese of the dockyard. They are having built davits for hoist ing up large boats, not ordinary davits but large derricks. Eight hundred tons of coal, for the Chinese ships, have just been landed and one steamer is at present alongside, in dock, discharging 1,000 tons of coal for the Russian ships, and another one is expected to-morrow, with the same amount from Kobe.
The name of the one here now is" the Chowehoufu. The warships at present in the harbour are four Russians, one English, and three Chinese; at Talien Bay one Chinese and two Russians. H.MS. Inmortalité left here on Saturday morning, destination unknown. The Iphigenia still remains outside. There are no of soldiers, but the rumour is that they are coming. The English gunboat came in with The officers of the Jmmortalité invited al Chinese officers to dine on board, but the weather wase bad, that the boats could not be lowered. We had a severe gale which lasted two days, and debarred the officers from visiting the English ship, which they all wanted to see, but if the Immortalité comes back again they will then have it. No leave is given to men of the foreign warships, and an order has been issued that all Chinese sailors are to be on board their ships by 9 o'clock, eneral Sung is still getting more soldiers, a great many joining, and troops are being sent from Talien Bry. On Thursday ast the troops were put through a course of rifle firing, and very bold they were when firing blank cartridge, but when it came to ball they were a bit scared, some of them having never fired a rifle before. The targets they fired at were on the hill, and there was no marking of the shots. the only indication being the ploughing up. of the sand, They were very proud of themselves and lof the grounds feeling that they bad done splendidly.
18th January.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.