UL aes July 1st.—Day of acute sadness, At the French Legation, where I was at nine o'clock in the morning, the German military attache hurriedly came to announce that the Americans had been obliged to leave their barricade on the wall, by the Chienmén, and the Germans theirs near the Hatamén. In view of the seriousness of this news I hastened back to the British Legation to ask that reinforcements be sent and necessary orders be given with a view to retaking the abandoned positions. These orders had scarcely been written by Sir Claude Macdonald before a volunteer from the French Legation, M. Picard-Destalan, came to inform us that. a cannon-shot fired 150 metres away, at most, had broken down the wall of the Legation in the Customs Street and killed M. Wagner, son of the former Consul-General at Shanghai.
1 Our detachment had fallen back on the Peking Hotel. Happily, almost immediately.afterwards I was informed that this retreat was only momentary and that we again occupied the ground from which we had retired.
Besides, the Americans had, under the instruction of the Defence Committee, and with some reinforcements, returned to their barricade on the wall. But the Germans, being so much shaken by their losses, and of too small number to hold out, had made no further attempts to regain the post they had evacuated. During the whole day there was artillery fire in the French Legation. Great holes were made in the peristyle, called the Hall of Bees; shells passing over the British Legation} continuous firing. More dead and wounded wore brought in than at any other time. A plucky sortie was made from the Fu under the command of the Italian captain Paolini, in the hope of capturing the gun which was battering down the wall. The little force, which included five of our lors, found itself confronted by a strong Chinese barricade from which it received a heavy fire. Two Italians werd killed, and Captain Paolini and a French corporal were wounded.
Lattended the funeral of M. Wagner with the greater part of the staff of the Freach Legation and the Customs Service, to which he belonged. It was a sad and painful ceremony, carried out amid general depression. The bullets whistled around as we stood in the cemetery and the cannon added its deep thunders repeated by the echoing wall The attack on the French Legation was kept up until the evening. The defence was successful. We suffered no fresh loss and killed about 20 Chinese. The night jas comparatively quiet here, but on the other hand was very disturbed at the British Legation, where heavy firing was kept up from eight o'clock at night till four in the morning.
About ten o'clock the British Minister July 2nd. A quiet day so far as the Legations were concerned, but disturbed near thd Fu, in the walls of which the breaches increased under the steady fire of two guns. The most advanced position, which had been occupied by the Japanese, was evacuated, and Colonel Shiba told me in the evening that he did not know whether he would be able to hold out another day. During the night the Americans and Russians took possession of a barricade which the Chinese had constructed on thd wall, opposite theirs, and had brought gradually nearer until it was only 25 yards away. This remarkable piece of work is stronger than ours, which is not to be wondered at, considering the number of coolies the enemy has at his disposal. It had to be taken by storm, and we cause the Chinese rather heavy losses, including their standard-bearer, On our side two sailors were killed and the American captain was wounded. The operation was brilliantly conducted and great honour is due to those who took part in it. The barricade has since been occupied by the Americans and Russians, and it promises to be one of our principal defences. While this was happening on the wall the British Legation was being unsuccessfully attacked. Danger was still greatest at the Fu. At fiveo'clock in the morning the guns began to thunder, and rain was falling in torrents. We woak dered with growing anxiety if the troops were coming to our aid, how far they were from Peking, and whether the floods which were likely to follow the incessant rain would stop them.
July 3rd.—Quiet all through the day with the exception of a few isolated cannoishots without any serious consequences. In the evening the Chinese surrounded the French Legation with eight unfurled banners. At eleven o'clock they made a violent attack, causing a breach above the great gate, and making a hole in a, barricade across the street in front of the Peking Hotel. But, after some sharp firing, which touched no one in our garrison, the attack ceased.
Guns were fired all round the British Legation from half past nine in the evening to three in the morning, accompanied by a fair amount of shells. A lively attack was made against the American barricade, which was able to withstand it, July 4th.—Very little musket firing during the day. On the other hand thera were about 200 cannon-shots directed mostly against the Peking Hotel. Some of them reached their mark and made large holes in the rooms on the ground floor.
The night was fairly quiet excepting for three-quarters of an hour's musketry firing at the French, and half an hour's at the British Legation. Up to the present time the losses to forces defending the Legations (counting only those who have been killed) amount to 38 men: 7 French, 6 Germans, 6 Italians, 6 Americans, 5 Japanese, 3 Austrians, 3 Russians, and 2 English." Tt is noticeable that we pay the greatest trio bute to this war. disease as it circulates through the organs of the human body—Lungs, Heart, Stomach, Brain. Clarke's World-famed Biovd Mixture is warranted to cleanse the Lov from all impurities from water ever cause For Scrofula, Scurvy, Eczema, Bad and Blood Diseases, Pimples, and inds its effects are marvellous. acarids of wonderful cures have been elected by it. Sold everywhere at 22. 94.
Beware of worthless imitations and sub-observed rockets which had already been seen several times, particularly during the night of the 29th June. He told me they were undoubtedly signals made by an European army on the march. He even said he recognised rockets of the kind sent to Ladysmith by the "Terrible" now at Taku. The description he had read of these signals left no doubt on the point. The army using then could not be more than forty-eight hours from Peking. This news, given in most positive terms, caused profound satisfaction. There were, howerer, come who were incredulous, the disappointments lately having bees 20 numerous, the Hankow and Peking railway brought July Sth—M. Brouillard, engineer of
me a list of the guns which the Chinese are using against us. He his been able to identify' the guns from the fragments of their projectiles, There seem to be four cannons: 1 Krupp, Tem, and another 55mm., a am-Il rifled, 37mm., and a small bore 5mm. There were also some old cannons throwing solid shot weighing three, six, and twelve pounds, Two of these shots did some damage at the British Legation. The firing on the French Legation during the day was fairly good. The chapel was damaged, the roof of the Gining-room was almost entirely destroyed, ited without permission.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.