THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND We learn that the Italian transports, Giava | There is also some talk of a 4.7 coming, but I and Minghetti, are expected to arrive at Hong-doubt it; though the Algerine will probably kong on the 25th Angust, bringing 2,000 troops send up some of her battery. to reinforce the Italian force in the North.
TIENTSIN UNDER SIEGE.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
* Tuesday, 3rd July.
At the military Council held yesterday, it was resolved to make a strong attack on the western and southern suburbs of the city, with the view of clearing out the enemy from his sniping cover. It is not expedient to state in detail what, and how it was to be done, as the operations may be postponed indefinitely, and undoubtedly the Chinese have telegraphic com- munication with the South. Suffice it to say that after all arrangements were made, the Russian general asked for a postponement till his reconnoitring party of Cossacks should return. They went far afield yesterday after noon, and up till midnight had not come back.
The Chinese seem to have had some divination of our intentions, for at 10.30 or 11 p.m. the fiercest fusillade of the whole siege began up in the north-east, in the vicinity of the railway station. For half-an-hour it raged, as if hell had broken loose, with indescribable intensity. It was clearly directed against the Russians, both at the station and in the north end of the French Concession, although to us residents at the extreme south of the British Concession, a mile distant, it seemed to be in the direction of our outposts, to the N.W. I hear the gallant Russians took it with the finest sangfroid and held their fire, only shooting when they saw & human object to fire at. The enemy, failing completely at the upper pontoon bridge (Railway Station approach), moved away to the south and east and poured heavy volleys into the eastern side of the French settlement under the cover of the salt heaps; the French marines from Tangku repaid them in kind, and the dreadful row con- tinued till 1.30 or 2 a.m., apparently with very little damage on either side. It was pitch dark and raining hard; now and then the boom of a fieldpiece joined in the din; it was certainly the most determined move the enemy has made since their onset this day fortnight (19th June). The British Settlement escaped most of the firing, although not a few bullets found their billet in the Barfleur barracks at Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's north godown.
I grieve to say the gallant. Midshipman, Donaldson, of the Barfleur, died in the Tientsin Club just before midnight-our first fatal issue from a wound.
one
This morning heavy cannonading has been going on all round our lines; and once again our good neighbours the French have been badly in it. The Imperial Maritime Custom House and the adjacent Cathedral Church of St. Luke have been hit over and over again— the latter crowded with Christian refugees. The shells are bowling fiercely over our heads as I write, though, with two exceptions, none have fallen in the residential parts of the Con-
in cession. The exceptions are,
the premises of the Taku Tug and Lighter Co., which took fire-promptly extinguished;- the other fell alongside of three Companies of Japanese infantry marching along Victoria Road. The quondam Long Toms, up in the city fort, have been moved out to the banks of the great Lutai Canal; they have been aptly rechristened the Empress Dowagers, and it is they which are now playing the old game of long bowls. I was fatuous enough to think we should be troubled by them no more, crediting the Chinese with the commonsense view that they would wish Tientsin City to get its own chance of ever being shelled and destroyed; but it only shows how inept a cautious observer can be when he attempts prophecy.
[July 28, 1900.
I recite these views not for their inherent value, which is very small, but because the very act of doing so buoys me up out of utter des pair, and may do the same for your readers.
4th July.
especially on the question of food supply. He stoutly holds to the view that the mercantile classes are smuggling in food to the besieged At p.m. yesterday our first serious settle- and will continue to do so that it is only the ment fire came off. The south godown of the Boxers who will attack them, and that there Ocean Steamship Co. (Mesars. Butterfield and are already signs that the Boxer craze is abst- Swire, agents) gave out volumes of dense, dirtying, if not becoming unpopular; and that Prince amoke; before the fire finished both that godown Ching is taking active measures against the and the central one were destroyed. The first one Boxers, and quarrelling with Prince Tuan for contained much sugar (and, I think, peanuts), the his partiality to them. second was a subsidiary building to British Naval headquarters. I hear that it contained abundant stores and some ammunition, but in any case, whatever it contained, was salvaged. Of course, nearly everybody says 'incendiarism, and the over-suspicious are advocating strong, if not blood-thirsty measures to meet the case the total expulsion of all Chinese, etc., etc. I must confess myself unwilling to believe that a Chinese| incendiary who would venture into the jaws of the tiger, viz., British handquarters; it is at least equally probable that it was due to ac- cident, mere shifting cargo and dropping a match. As the fire adjoined much British ammunition it was carefully watched, and once more we had to bewail Tientsin's inability to cope with fire in the absence of adequate gear.
2.30 p.m.
I have had to desist from writing by shell fire for two hours the Empress Dowagers have been pelting us with a steady persistency hitherto un- known during the siege. After seeing the ladies and children snug in the cellars, I counted the shells which passed within the line of my own residence between 11.30 a.m. and 1 p.m. There were 31 (of which number ten failed to explode) 3.5 common shell, and eight 2.25; the gunners get their direction wonderfully well but here praise ends. Nearly every shot was badly timed and badly elevated, most of them going clean outside, but close to the Weitze, or mud wall, which limits the Municipal Extension. Only two houses were struck, though there were showers of segments in a few cases.
|
There was nothing to relate of yesterday afternoon and evening-the chief event of which was the burial of Mr. Donaldson of the Bar- fleur.
The big reconnissance of yesterday issued in 47 casualties, mostly Russian and Japanese -16 killed and 31 wounded. To-day, so far (11 a.m.) has been a day off. The Chinese have been re-inforced by 6,000 men, and we can see 9 new guns mounted on the south wall of the City, so that if they begin to batter us, it will be very hot business. It is possible, however, it may only be intimidation to keep our metal off the City.
War illustrates the stitch in time apothegm -had the scheme of attacking the City been carried out last week, we might have been spared yesterday's ordeal and (possibly, much worse. The cry of the hour is heavy guns: our 28 field-pieces are ridiculously inadequate to deal with the modern Krupps in the possession of the enemy, hence we are passionately await. ing the arrival of the naval twelve pounders, One at least is hoped to-day.
Sniping was again active last night and the Centuriou's blacksmith was shot while asleep in the Jenchi (W. Forbes & Co's) godown.
The anxiety to get the women and children away is increasing, but at present the only way out is vid towboat journey down stream -a very risky business, though it has been done several
Noon.
times with success.
At the moment I resume writing (3 p.m.) a big thunder-storm is raging, and it is just a little difficult to discriminate between nature's and man's artillery. Large forces are out in
The steamer Heron has arrived with 80 Ter- several directions, and in the lulls of the storm one can hear distant ride firing and the pom-ribles and two of the greatly-to-be-desired pom of the Allies' guns also at a distance, but I | twelve-pounders. The officers report the river understand that once more only a reconnaisance is being made.
The Japanese infantry have to-day taken over the defence of the West and South, re- lieving the British and German naval pickets. I may add here that the perfect equipment of their battery of six-pounders has attracted uni- versal admiration.
Admiral Seymour has to-day issued the following notice:-
"All women and children whose houses have not got good cellar accommodation are at once to go to the Gordon Hall and Astor House. Furthermore all women and children are to be sent away by the first opportunity of water transport to Tangku or Taku, thence on board ship and away from the vicinity of the Peiho."
This is as significant as it is self-explanatory. I understand a small deputation of people con- nected with the shipping interest has waited on the Admiral to-day to suggest that the exodus be properly organised, that steamers be take all the sent up from Shanghai to women and children, and over 2,000 Can- tonese refugees, and that that they be sent to Taku under proper guard and protection. The few ladies who chose to go down steamer yesterday in the Fawan got down safely enough. but there is no guarantee that the next journey will have a similar happy issue: e.g. a launch coming up yesterday ran aground, and was for some hours sniped at all round. We roughly estimate the ladies at 150 and the children at If they go to (or below) the same number. Shanghai, I feel sure it is a work of supereroga- tion to ask Shanghai to be kind to them.
There is a good deal of enteric' among the men who were with the Admiral. ·
I am now of opinion that the city will be
The Allies have al- The chronicle of the rest of 3rd July is sum- attacked, and that soon. together 28 field-pieces, besides Maxims, Gat- med up in one word-rain. Rain such as we lings, etc. Of these the most formidable is have not seen for ten months, and which is un- the Terrible twelve-pounder, with its Scott-doubtedly the herald of the damp season. mountings. Capt. Scott has four of these beautiful weapons all ready to land; why only one was put ashore is doubtless known to some responsible person, but I know that Admiral Seymour is only too eager to have all four now. * Delayed in transmission.
I had an opportunity to-day of finding out the views of the fairly intelligent runner who brought in Sir Claude's note two days ago. He did not have such pessimistic views as ourselves about the foreigner's situation in Peking-and
all quiet, and fairly negotiable; she returns to Taku at once, with 4 ladies and 12 men. The Fawan is returning up stream, and will tow down a lighter with most of the ladies and children (250 in all), and a guard of Volunteers, to-morrow at 9 a.m. They will pro tem find refuge on board H. M. ships. No shelling up to date. Deo gratias.
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Later.
At 1 p.m. to-day, when I closed my last notes, everything was fairly calm; we were lost in astonishment that the Chinese did the punishment they gave us not renew
more BO 85 we counted yesterday-the
newly-placed Krupps bristling on We expected the south wall of the City. the worst bombardment We have yet had, but nothing but a demonstration has come to pass. A violent thunder and rain storm be- gan at 2 p.m. Coming up as usual against the wind, it passed over the City towards us and has literally deluged our roads with rain water. Before it began the Chinese issued from the south gate in some force, and immediately steps were taken to meet them if they meant attack. The Terrible's twelve-pounder was reinforced with another and both pounded away, while the Japanese infantry opened on them with Maxim and rifle, and the Asiatic Artillery joined in with their muzzle-loading screw guns. The din of the battery at times rivalled that of the hea vens, which were pealing out heavy thunder for three consecutive hours.
If the Chinese really meant business they wisely postponed it. I noted that our gunners carefully forbore from firing into the City proper. While this was going on, on the west side, I hear the Barfleurs were hardly pressed at, or near, the Railway Station, and sent in for reinforcements. The Chinese retaliation or demonstrations did not seem to include the deliberate bombardment of the Settlement to- daya happy augury, let us hope, for the des- patch of the ladies by boat and lighter to-morrow.
The tropical rain will make the lines and camps a perfect quagmire, and our friends the
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