Our fellows all got into the city eatly this morning, with little opposition, four Swpanese wounded on the way in, and as I write, the Japanese, French and American flags are clearly seen on the walls and high buildings. We Britishers are there too, but our men took no bunting.
We anticipate now s determined attack on the Shui-sze-ying this afternoon; it is close to the N.E. angle of the walled city, and will be exposed to cross fre. Nur sole fear is to find it evacuated and the guns of position removed.
T may add that a Chinese official told me two days "go that this antiquated, useless old fort has, during the last. year, secretly modernised with a deliberate view to the present crisis, although this post hoc opinion, T think it very probable tha it istiue. There are too many proofs of Chinese military efficiency and prepatation to think them equal. was chiefly occupied in searching Chinese The evening was comparatively calm, and
houses for arm real refugees there are clear! ins, who are playing us false, both informing the enemy of our doings, and promiscuously sniping us from unexpected places.
The women caught with Boxer documents on them were to-day shot on the Bund.
The refugees especially put in a fine day's work to-day: these poor people are really grateful for all that has been done for them. They are peculiarly abhorrent to the Boxers, who are still infusing a strong fanatical element into the Chinese attacks. They smuggle spent bullets into their mouths and spit them out with all the self-aplomb of a conjuring cheap Jack: at least we are told so by Chinese who profess to have seen it.
The Ewo compound has been generously placed at the disposal of all refugees, ud Mr. Edward Cousins is indefatigable in his efforts to mitigate the sorrows of the poor people who have lost everything, and who tremble for their lives.
I took the chance of a run in French town to-day; its appearance is indescribable; wreck, ruin, death and pestilence are all brought vividly before the mind. The compound of the Cossacks is littered with bodies of dead horses, dead cows, with evil smells: the guns, possibly now' short of ammunition, grimly look.adown each thoroughfare, and seem to threaten that worse is still to come. The Consulate and most of the houses have suffered far worse than ours, and the ghastly remains of fire are seen in many places. I thought our case bad enough, but that of our neighbours is infinitely worse. The reactionaries in Peking will surely have a heavy bill to pay for all this avoidable suffering and loss. I met the brother of Huang, the Customs Taotai, to-day, and Learned that the reported suicide of the Taotai is not true. It originated in the knowledge that the Boxers cherish a Farticular odium against him from his liberal views, I must here correct a former statement that he got out of his chair to kao tao their Boxerships., ¥as not he but another Taotai called Huang, who did so. Huang escaped the indignity by pretending to be asleep in his chair, and bs the acuteness of his coolies in dipping the chair as he passed.
The evening search party, in consegiience of information received from Mr. Chang Yen-mao, visited a godown and found cases of rifles, and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition—a very valuable find for contingent troubles, as our own supply, though good, was not laid in for a month's siege.
Two bright lights, which flashed like search lights were seen.
14th July.
I say doubtfully because to-day; for the first time in 27 days, there has been neither shriek nor explosion of the dreaded shell, and. even the sound of the ubiquitous rifle bullet is absent. It seems abnormal, and there is a curious feeling of a Sabbatic calm about us. This is intensified by the marked absence of troops, of the steady tramp, tramp, of relief companies, and the hurry-scurry of gallopers. I' note, too, that most of the flags are at half-mast, in honour of the brave men who Paid their last account yesterday in the attack on the city. We cannot yet appreciate the change and are all prone to. think it the prelude of a coming greater storm, of which, however, there are no signs." I have just come down from one of our towers, and beyond huge and numerous fires in the city, I can seo no evidence of War in any form.' These fires are dificult to defend, except on the ground of urgent military necessity; unfortunately, nations! characteristic seems to be the chief factor in deciding this necessity. Our people told the feeing Chinese to return to their houses, as they have no intention of injuring them, but when this advice was followed the poor wretches fell on to the bayonets of the—and the—, who promptly begin to. burn as wellasslay. After atime, the people fied universally, though whither they went was a puzzle, and looting became general. The capture must have been unexpected, for large quantities of sycee were found lying exposed in many of the houses and hongs, Valuable silks, articles of clothing, curios, were brought away in large quantities, but with amazing inequality to the finders. One sailor was seen struggling with a use. less, old, eight-day clock, while his mesa. mates were on boxes of silver. This will doubtless yo on for two or three days, but, of course, with ever-decreasing success in spoil.
I hear that a native was last night caught red-handed in the act of trying to fire the Tientsin Club (General Hospital) he was in foreign clothes, and was instantly reported, taken to the edge of the river and shot dead into the stroam. This is probably another version of the story that the Barfleurs' Barracks were again ate tempted and the man caught and shot, Wounded men have been coming in all day. These are, of course, the casualties of yesterday, as the only loss this _morning was four Japanese wounded, I have just met a gang of 100 coylies, under the direction of Brother Forest, of the Lazarist mission, returning from' a hugo grave-digging duty. The returns are not in yet, but it is believed the number of dead given yesterday—fifty—will be far exceeded. The wounded alrendy number 600, ie. the casualties are xbout 10 per cent, The walled city is held by four parties of our troops, numbering well over one thousand each, viz., Japanese, French, Americans, British, with head-quarters near the angles of the wall, and with pickets reaching half way along each wall. The Russians hold the North and-Eastern suburbs, outside the city proper—probably the richest quarter, after all. The fort is cut off, but we do not yet hear that it has been taken, Friends of mine who have just come down from the city report the number of native civilian casualties as awful; itis extremely probable the Chinese soldiers, more Sinico, are responsible for this far more than the foreigners, Unless prompt measures are taken to bury the dead, pestilence will be certain; but the difficulty will probably be solved by the more drastic measure of fire.
Sunday, 15th July.
The Russians in the approach from the NE. were greatly delayed, on Friday and Saturday, by the appearance of a large body of men, tivo or three miles away to their west and north, apparently. fixing up field-batteries. A large body was immediately detached to attend to thi hence the delay in reaching the Shui-sze-ging, or fort near the Viceroy's yamen, We fully expected this would fall to the Russians, but news has come. that the enterprising Japanese crossed the Grand Canal from their part of the walled city, and rushed it, capturing all the guns, We shall now, therefore, be free from shell, and may consider the siege at an end, unless the unexpected happens.
The Chinese are in full retreat towards Peking, and as beaten Chinese army is deliquescent, we may imagine it will be much less when it reaches the capital. The Viceroy Yti Lu fled the yamen on the twelfth, and General Nish is said to have committed suicide; a bit of news more inherently probable than it is authori. ticated. "Ma is said still to be with men, the latter fairly intact,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.