At about half past three the column started with drums beating and colours flying, and We marched up the line of the Maloo, which wag then but a narrow roadway through the fields. Arrived at the point where the Hupeh road (which was then the eastern side of the Race Course) cuts the Maloo, a halt was ordered, to await the reply of the Chinese General"in-chief to the dispatch which had been sent by the Consuls in the morning. 'The general opinion was that. if he had been doubt before, the rather formidable do-monstration we were making would induce him to yield to the Consular demands: n' withdraw his troops to a, point further in the interior, and that we would simply have to march back as we had marched out. A few moments however decided the matter, as word passed rapidly along the line th-t courier had arrived from headquarters, and soon it was known that the General refused to move hig forces. At this intelligence there was a marked decline in the exuberance which had characterised the march out, and faces generally assumed a much more serious look, and I have no doubt most of the company wished themselves well out of it. for myself, after the experience of the previous day, I must confess that I did not feel eager for the fray, but the word wes given to advance and there was riv holding Pack. The force than divided into tw" portions: the English went straight on. and Took up a position in a little grove of firs sshich stood at the end of the Maloo, opposite what is now the Lloyd Road. The Amerie=ns fumed to the left, following the Race course along what are now Hupeh and Pakhoi Roads until they reached a point on the Course near the present Polytechnic building. Here we came in full view of the long line of Chinese entrenchments, their pets: decked with innumerable flags which flute tered gaily in the breeze, and one could hardly realise that instead of these gaudy preparations having been made for some brilliant féto_ab which we were to assist, as their appearance might betoken, they were indica tions of hostility and defiance. At this point our little band came to a halt, the guns were unlimbered and prepared for action, and we who had rifles were sent out to occupy a position to the left and act as sharpshooters, for which duty the ground was well adapted, being covered with mounds. My post happened to be on the extreme left close to the Yang-king-pang Creek. At four o'clock precisely fire was opened simultaneously, by the two howitzers of the American and the one gun of the British party. upon the Imperial camps and defences on the opposi side of the creek. Meantime our skirmishers worked gradually forward until we were con siderably in advance of the shelling party, but as the enemy kept well under cover there was little for us to do. From my position on the extreme left I had an excellent Opportunity to notice what was taking place fon the other side of the Yang-king-pang. Hardly had our guns commenced firing when saw the dreary waste of graves and mounds in that direction begin to brighten up with scarlet spots moving rapidly in and out of the intricacies of the ground, and it became at once apparent that the rebels in the city embraced this heaven-sent opportunity to make a sortie and attack in force the wor in front, Thicker and thicker grew scarlet tarpans, and the rebel swarm ce tinued until the whole space between the city wall and the Yang-king-pang was covered with them. and 0 close were they to me that J could readily have exchange! communications with the nearest of them. Then with shouts, and waving of flags. and firing of guns, and brandishing of swords, they darted from mound to mound gradually working up to the enemy's position.
Looking next in front of us, it was evident that the" flags which had "decorated the parapets so brilliantly at the outset were now rapidly disappearing, and, as their toys could be seen moving across the country in the distance, it was manifest that Imperialists were in full retreat. The shell ie fof the camps had continued for about th: hour, when word was passed to the skirmishers to fall in with the main body for a charge to the front. I must say T thought this was a bad move. T woe very comfortable where I was, and much interested in watching the movemente of our unexpected allies, the rebels. It was evident that the Tmperialists were running away as fast they could, and it appeared to me the best plan to let them do so quietly. Howerer, orders must be obeyed, and we of the skirt mishing party bad to take hold of the runes and help drag forward the guns. The orle= was given to Charge! and away we all wear a round trot, hurrahing as if it were the greatest. fun imaginable, straight for the Defence Creek and the fortified camp on the other side. As is the case at, the present day. there was then a gentle rise from our position to the creek, and the parapets beyond were six or seven feet high, so that 1! was impossible to see what was going on behind them. Thus far. T had not seen any of the enemy nor had I heard a single shot from the works, but though it was evident: the foe were in full retreat. I thought stobable that a sufficient to deal with us might have been left, behind. As we advanced with our glad hurrahs. the thought occurred to me that we could no' reach the defences in front, which were evidently the objective- of our commoner. without wading waist deep through the creek, and this prospect of a cold wad Muth, with perhaps a taste of cold steel at Inst 35 we crawled up the opposite bank. was not particularly attractive. However I thought "in for x penny in for a pound," and continued my cheers with the rest. Now at Tencth we neared the precipitous bank "of the creek, and I prepared myself by a pre liminary shiver for the cold plunge I nected to make the nest instant, when suddenly the order Halt! was siven'and echoer by several voices. At once it flashed throuch my mind that our gallant old commander thought it was all plain sailing right up to the foot Gt the parapet and was gatiraly ignorant of the existence of the little obstacle that now confronted us in the Defence Creek with about four feet of mud and water. It also occurred to me that if any of the enemy were behind those works, we were in an extremely awkward plight, as we were not more than fifteen or twenty feet from them. At the
ping, ping, ping, lets, and turning round same instant the air became lively with the Tvdod whet others seemed to think of it, I found a blucjcket. lying curled up just behind me, and hearing one sailor remark to another' " Poor fellow, he has lost the number of his mess," realised whut had to him: Next there was G. G. Gray, of Ruscell and Ca., being carried off with & bullet through each leg, and 2 marine close by with his face covered with blood. At the some time I saw many of the party executing flank movement to the left, leaping a ditch on the side of the course, and seeking the friendly shelter of the inva mounds. A glance was sufficient to show mo the wisdom of this movement, and without waiting for special orders I executed it myself as rapidly as possible. The mound which sheltered me was close to the verge of the creek, and I found there a lieutenant of the Plymouth. We crawled to near the top of the mound from which we could look over the parapets in front, and I saw only one Chinaman and. could not see indications of the provence of any more, After a time the humming of bullets ceased and our somewhat scattered force was collected together again.
While all this was going on the English vera by no means idle, "After sheling the camps from their position, a portion of their force, including the volunteers, was detached to made " detour and attack' the enemy in flank; and following up a creek at the north of Here Bazaar, they crossed some distance further up. and inarching across country' with little if any opposition the flying Imperialists. took possession of" the abandoned camps. in front of us. As for the works to the left, including the mud forts and the entrenchments extending to. Tunkadoo, they were captured rimd ocoupied by the rebels. Thinking all was now over, our party marched along the Race course to the old Grind Stand, just onvosite where the Horse Bazaar is, but hardly had we reached that point when the air again became alive with sound, but this time of screaming shot, ud once more we had to seek the best cover oblinsble. These missiles we learned afterwards came from the junks which had escaped up the creek in the morning, and anchored off the present Gas works, Their crews fired broadsides of shalted suns at us and then jumping overboard all swam ashore and retreated to positions of safety. Soon after this episode the Fnglish ports joined us and together we marched back to the settlement, many of the sailors decked with strings of cash and other spoils which they had secured.
AFTER THOUGHTS, The general feeling however was not one of unalloyed satisfaction. The Imperialist lid been driven from their camps. it is true, and thus far the object of the expedition had been achieved, but it. had been at, a considerable sacrifice of life on our side. Then our success had not been accomplished single-handed. as the rebels had been an important factor in the result, Indeed I have often doubted if the Imperialists would have left their camps at all, except perhaps in our immediate front. had it not been for their un assistance. Then again the Imperialist. fore was estimated at 10,000 fighting men, and it seemed not at all unlikely that they would return and attack the settlement as soon as they recovered from what must have been to them 2 great surprise. I doubt very much. if many of them were killed, as our shells appeared to range too hich, exploding a long way in their rear, and the rifle shots could hardly have pere ted the thick walls of mud. for the shower of bullets which greeted "us when we cine to a halt at the edge of tha creek, and which did so much mischief in our ranks, I never could understand whence it came. "Although I was close to the Impenalists works, I did not hear the report of a single gun or see one puff of smoke coming from them. The bullets must have come from a distance as I saw many of them strike
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.