[svecian ro Tue "x.-c. pany SEWs."]
We are privileged this week to publish the only detailed account of the ill-fated attempt to relieve Peking by Admiral Seymour which has yet appeared in apy paper.
The writer is Mr. W, Whittall, of Poking, who was actually the last European to leave that city—aud that uninteutionaland by the purest good luck. His ary, kept religiously day by day, reads as follows The expedition, under the command of Vice-Admiral Seymour, left Tientsin by train at 9.30 am. on the 10th of June, Until Yangtsun was passed there were n0 traces either of the Boxers or their work, but three miles above that place the troubles of the expedition began. The bridges had been partially burnt and in many places rails torn up and the sleepers burnt. On'the afternoon of the 12th we had our first brush with the Boxers. I had accompanied Major Johnstone with a party of six marines up the line in advance of the trains, with a further arty of about ten marines under Midshipman Davies half a mile in our rear. Until we had gone nearly two miles ahead of the trains we saw nothing alarming, but just as we had decided to endeavour to push on to Langfang, we saw a body of Boxers, whose numbers we estimated at about 1,200, streaming out of a large village on the left of the line and making for another village lower down with the intention of cutting us off from the trains. We kept up a running fight with them for a distance of a milo and a half, dropping some thirty of them. When within 700 or 800 yards of the trains we halted on the railway embankment, and gave them so hot " magazine fire that we drove them across the right front of the bluejackets, where they were exposed to a severe fire from the Centurion's maxim and rifles. No men, however brave, could have stood the punishment, and the Boxers fled, leaving some 150 dead on the field.
13th June.
We left headquarters (Langfang) at 8 a.m. and arrived at Tientsin at 12.20 without incident. We left Tientsin at the Chinese officials declined to take the responsibility of affording protection, so we took them on with us. At Lafa we found three trucks derailed so remained there all night, outside "Fort Endymion."
14th June, We left Lafa about mid-night for headquarters. Drawing near to the scene of the skirmish of the lith, saw track on fire, but found it to be an accidental business. Found headquarters had been moved further up the line from Langfang just above the station. Yesterday a party of Americans foraging rau across a band of 150 Boxers, and fired on them, killing six and wounding many others. The " Aurora's" advance party was attacked about G4 miles up the line by a large force of Boxers, who tried to rush them, but the bluejackets kept them off, killing and wounding some 150. At 10'p.m. last night " courier arrived from Peking and said that everything was well in the city when he left, but that many Boxers were openly showing themselves in the city. At ten this morning a most determined attempt was made to rush the headquarters train by a large body of Boxers. The small bore rifle bullets seemed to have no effect in stopping the rush, and the fanatics came on most gallantly. A maxim was got into action at a range of about 50 yards, and mowed the enemy
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.