Friday, 29th June.
Nothing of importance occurred after dispatching my notes of yesterday.* We had a quiet uneventful night, and garrison and civilians had a very welcome night's rest and, still better, sleep. To-day has been a day of supply and of organisation the military chiefs have been in con: sultation about the formation of a column
stand that a very great Russian military for the relief of Peking, but 1 under official hay this morning arrived in Taku, viz,, the Commander-in-Chief of Eastern Siberia,.and that pending his arrival they were unwilling to take decisive measures, as ho may have ome information re reinforcements. From the lay point of view this delay is of unutterable sadness as a scout came in from Peking with a tragic brevity from Sir Robert Hart. The paper itself is a document 4% by 2} and Not yet receivod.—Ep. contains the following, "To the Officers Commanding any European tro] Foreign Community besieged British Legation. Situation desperate. Make haste!!""
The messenger has been submitted to a rigid examination by Mr. C. W. Campbell, and Major Wingate (of the First Chinese Regt. and now organising the Intelligence Department) and the following facts were elicited. The German Minister has been killed, on his way to the Yamen, and his secretary badly wounded, but the latter got back.
The foreign guards held the Chienmén, while Tung's forces held the Hataméa (I may add that some reverse these two statements).
All the Legations had been burned, except the French, German, and British ards were holding the two former. Food fair, ammunition very low and being carefully saved.
Much of the Chinese city has been burned, and tracts of the Tartar city between the Chienmén and the Legations had also gone.
Princes Ching and Tuan (this latter is surely a mistake) had small armed forces and were fighting the Boxers. The latter were going in largely for incendiarism.
The Empress had gone to the Summer Palace.
This Poking news has profoundly depressed our spirits; it was dated five days ago and not one, step has been taken to relieve them, We all fear the very worst, but hate to give utterance to our pessimism, As far us human prevision can see there can be but one issue to the terrible position of affairs, If there be a glimmer of hope it lies in imputing a little worldly wisdom to the Manchus—surely they must-know that the violation of the law of embassy means the knell of their dynasty. On the other hand most of us fear-their inability to save the foreigners, even if they have the desire to do so. The wild lawless ruffians who disgrace the name of soldier under Tung Fuchsiang are not the men to obey the Civil power, and such a Civil power.
We all think it must have been these scoundrels, and not the Boxers, who have fired the densely populated districts in the Chinese city outside of the Chienmén. Those parts of the Tartar city near the Tegations which are burned' may have been done purposely by our guards to remora cover,' or accidentally by spread of the Legation fires; hut, of course, all is guess work. It is one of the most curious features of the situation that Tientsin is more ignorant of what is transpiring in the North thay you are in the South. The farce of telegraphic communication being cut is played out; we know it is hot. A gentleman jue arrived from Hongkong, which he left on the 18th inst., states that he heard the news of von' Ketteler's death there, It is a possibility that this was a mere canard which has conte to pass since im any case it isa very extraordinary circumstances. If it actually occurred twelve days ago, it is astounding that we should know nothing of it when we are within 80 miles. In ordinary crises there has never been a want of native runners and secret couriers, but here in 20 days all the information we have had has been two minute scraps from the Inspector-General. The Jesuits, Protestants, and Commercial Chinese seem equally unfit to cope with the crisis as regards news. It really looks as if the vapourings of the Boxers as to our certain, absolute and utter destruction within three days had been received as truth, and as if the Peking natives though us dead men. 7 today that the bombardment was to Ye had a very net impression begin again at 12 to-day. Had this been done, it would have had one prompt and terrible issue—a counter-attack on and bombardment of the native city. As 'Tientsin has at least three-quarters of a million people the consequences can hardly be imagined. It is plausibly given out that the leading native merchants combined to buy the gunners off—this is probable, but it would' be unwise to tabulate it as history.
I do not think I have yet referred to trade matters, so here let me chronicle that just before the shelling began a lot of stuff was shipped. This has been destroyed in the river, and the Taku Tug and lighters and 4 (7 3) tow-boats, "This has Lighter Company has lost some 8 or 10
had and will have a most prejudicial effect on the landing of troops, and will be felt severely later. on.
There are ten large Japanese transports at Taku this morning, so we presume at least 5,000 men have arrived; many say 10,000. Two thousand five hundred arrived three days ago, and are now on their way up, so that we may expect the Island Empire to assert itself at once.
T may add that the people at the German Consulate here are by no means despondent: as to the fate of their Minister.
The last two days have witnessed the arrival of those stormy petrels, the war correspondents; we already have five, and I think T am right in saying it ly the wish of the authorities to place them under reasonable censure, such as no man will resent. The "Times" has two men on the spot, besides the able Dr. George Morrison in Peking. Reuter's have two, the "Daily Mail" one and the American Press three.
Tmay also chronicle the following notice, as it states formally that we are now under martial law; we have of course been virtually so for 12 days, but it is far better that the naval and military people should assume the entire responsibility of all rheic acts and orders towards civilians Lhave been directed by Vice-Admiral Sie Edward H. Seymour K.C.B., Commander-in-chief, to remind the British inhabitants of Tientsin, that the place is under martial law, and that any person doing any act to the prejudice of the public good or the hindrance of the expedition now being formed will be at once arrested, and dealt with according to circumstances.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.