The Volunteers turned out under their commandant Major T. E. Trueman en Sunday for a field day in the western district. A very interesting plan of operations had been drawn out, and its execution gave scope both to officers and men for the use of individual enterprise and initiative. At the same time the work showed up points for criticism and amendment.
For the event the Volunteer Corps was divided into two. The Eastern Force, commanded by R. W. Davis, was as fol-Artillery, Machine Gun Ca., American Ca., Portguese Ca. Japanese Ca., Chinese Ca. and Shanghai Scottish. 'The Western Force, which was under the command' of Captain A. W. Dixon, consisted of the Engineers, Maritime Ca., Italian Ca. with two machine-guns, "A" and "B" Ca British, and the Customs Ca.
Tae Serrtevent THreateNnep-
It will probably be easier to follow the course of events if the operations orders are translated into narrative form. Thus we start off with the assumption that on Saturday a considerable force of infantry with machine-guns had been discovered approaching the Settlement from the west. This was the Western Force, and overnight it encamped west of the Rubicon Creek. The main body having settled there, an advance guard (the force under Capt. Dixon) was thrown forward, and the latter proceeded eastward by boat along the Soochow Creek, taking with it stores, ammunition, ete. During the night a hard frost occurred, so on Sunday morning, when this advance party was probably imbued with the notion of raiding the Settlement, it had the misfortune to find its boats frozen This was the position with the Western Force when a start was made with the field day. By 11 am. the ice in the creek had sufficiently thawed to admit of the boats being moved, and the commander of the Western advance guard was then ready to carry on with the scheme of advancing on the Settlement.
But meanwhile other events had been in progress which altered the situation. The main Western force, having become aware of the presence of the Eastern force at Siccawei Village, and events suggesting the advisability of caution, decided to retire in a southerly direction. All thought of a raid on the Settlement had now to be abandoned, and the Western advance guard, at this time looking after its stores at the depot on the Soochow Creek, received per-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.