Among the passengers who arrived here Thursday evening from Taku by the S. Hsinfung was Mr. W. Stafford, an engine driver on the Chinese railways who accompanied Admiral Seymour's column on their fateful march to Peking. Mr. Stafford says that the train was only six hours out when they were attacked by Boxers between Lafa and Yangtsun, but they were repulsed. When 20 miles from Tientsin a raid was made by Boxers armed only with swords and spears, and they were beaten off with a loss of 70 killed. The British attended to some of their wounded and one Boxer was found with no less than seven bullets in his body. The train then went on to Langfang, a watering place, where at noon a rush was made by a mob of Boxers. The troops fought them from the steps of the train, killing over 100. At this place wa fort called Fort Endymion, as it was manned by 60 British seamen and marines from H.M.S. Endymion. On the following day hundreds of Boxers together with Imperial troops made another attack, and to make sure that soldiers were amongst the attacking force, Mr. Stafford and others went around amongst the dead and wound ed afterwards and amply satisfied themselves that such was the case. Four British bluejackets ame up to the train from Langfang for help, after having travelled 12 of 13 miles on a trolley through country infested by enemies. The troops on the train went back and reached Langfang in time to save the small garrison there from being entirely exterminated. The result of the fighting on this occasion was that about 200 of the enemy were killed. Out on the plain, about 3 miles off, were hordes of Boxers flourishing their weapons, but taking care to keep out of range of the Gatling and Colt's gons. An attempt was made to get back to Tientsin, and they got nearly to Yangtsun. One train was left at Langfang where the Germans had a fort. 'Then the Imperial cavalry and infantry, with the Boxers, made an attack in which many British' were wounded and one German officer was killed. The wounded were brought back to Yangtsun in the Admiral's train, the place being within 17 miles from Tientsin by rail. "Yangtsun is a big Chinese city, full of Boxers. The column now determined to abandon their trains, some six in number. The Americans took the lead in the march, the wounded were put into junks, and the bluejackets hauled the guns through the villages. O. the following morning fighting again started, and continued every day until the troops reached the Arsenal. The americans one day opened on one of the villages, where hostile indications were noted, firing with " 4 in, gun and the marines kept up a rifle fire from entrenchments for two hours. When the village was entered not one dead Chinese was to be seen. There must have been fatalities from the heavy fire, and it is believed the dead were thrown down wells or into the river. After this there was further fighting with the villages and after a quiet night the troops yot on the march again and half an hour after starting the enemy began firing shrapnel at them. A large body of cavalry and infantry were seen on neighbouring hill and at first it was thought they were Russians coming to relieve the column. They were Chinese, however, and soon opened fire on the battered party of Europeans, a fight ensuing that lasted for five hours. It' was in this en-ment that Captain Jellicoe was wound-the Admiral's coxswain killed.
night the men had a welcome rest d respite. All next day shrapnel was a used by the enemy, and one of their 1b. Hotchkiss guns was captured. The enemy had a lot of wounded as well as the Europeans. A large number of rifles were left behind by the Chinese and a number of dead bodies were seen in the wells. In the evening there was more shrapnel-fire by the Chinese, and about 1 a.m. the Chinese again attacked the devoted band. A charge by the British and German mar-inex, however, soon cleared them out, and the column proceeded along the river bank. At 5 a.m. the Hsikou forts were reached, the people there declaring themselves to he loyal soldiers. About a mile before reaching the forts a junk with the field guns, ammunition, ete., of the column sank and the men had only their rifles. The forts opened with Krupp guns killing some of the European wounded. The fight lasted an hour and then 130 British bluejackets and marines charged the forts and turned the guns on the enemy. That night the commissariat turned out for the forts and arsenal were occupied and the
wounded. Guns were placed in position and attempts were made to get rumers through to Tientsin, from which pli after five days 1,500 men arrived.
Since leaving Peking the British had buried 61 men and had 200 wounded whom it took 400 to carry. The Germans had lost nearly as many'aud the other nationalities also suffered severely.
In the fort the troops had a quarter of a pound of biscuit per day, some horse and donkey flesh and a little "bully" beef. There was, however, a good vegetable garden at the fort which afforded a welcome variety in the meagre bill of fare of the war-worn troops. The story of their entry into Tientsin has already been told.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.