September 15, 1900.] nationalities represented in its working would be tedious. It was fitly named.
The defenders, one and all, have practically lost everything, so far as personal effects are concerned. Those who have reached Shanghai | have little else but the clothes they stand in. All the archives of the Imperial Maritime Customs are destroyed, though Sir Robert Hart has rescued his diary. This last should be in- teresting.
It has been matter for surprise that with the heavy artillery at their command the Chinese were not able to blow the Legations down. Their guns, it seems, were mounted on the city walls, and either were so badly mounted, or so inefficiently worked, that their shot went over the Legations and destroyed Chinese houses be- yond them. The greatest danger was from stray bullets, or an occasional sniper who knew how to use his weapon with precision.
As to the nature of the attackers there can be no doubt. Such dead Chinese as were with in reach were denuded of their clothes, and the defenders have now in their possession hundreds of Chinese uniforms which prove that their as- sailants were regular troops chiefly those of Tung Fuhsiang. The nearness of the respec- tive barricades explains how it was that the defenders could hear the Chinese officers urging on their men to massacre the foreigners.
THE END OF THE SIEGE.
The following account was given by the Rev. A. H. Smith, author of Chinese Charac- teristics and Village Life in China:
The siege had already lasted fifty-four days, The morning of Sunday, August 12th, brought little relief from the long tension which had preceded it. There had been intermittent heavy firing upon the Legations during the night, with brief intervals of quiet. Several Lega. tions had been more severely attacked than usual. An Austrian had been wounded, a Ger- man likewise, but more seriously, and a French- man killed. Besides this there was a Russian wounded on the City Wall, one of the most important posts of all,
་་
One of the rare individuals who contrived to break through the numerous Chinese restrictive barricades, and smuggle a few eggs within the lines (at four cents a piece) brought the story that there had been a great battle yesterday at Changchiawan, and that 3,000 Chinese had been killed. Of course this may be true, and of course, as we have had abundant evidence, it may be a mere fabrication. One of the dis- advantages of a siege is that in the course of it truth and fiction are opposite phases of the same die. It is also affirmed that Jung Lu had taken poison once more. The day was very hot. Early in the afternoon there was a savage attack upon the British Legation from the south-west, as so often before. We are used to them now, and, like Mr. Wilfer with his daughters, merely ob serve: "Oh! here comes another one of them."
The special excitement of the day was another letter from the Tsungli Yamên, asking for an appointment for a meeting with the Ministers to discuss a cessation of hostilities. This of course meant no more attacks, so that we might "rest our hearts down into the abdomen "as the Chinese phrase runs, knowing that all would be peace. Alas! We have had an extended ex- perience of the duplicity of the Tsungli Yamên, and we are never sure just what their next move is to be and neither, to tell the truth, are they. To emphasise the proposals for peace" there came another furious attack in the afternoon, and one of the machine-guns was turned that way with its heavy boom as five simultaneous shots took effect. This always seemed to have a quieting effect upon the rifle firing, but it was less efficient now. The main topic of public discussion was what is to be done about the proposals for an interview with the Tsungli Ya- mên. To many it seemed almost a scandal that in view of past perfidy there should be any talk about even so much as an interview. But the only reason for refusing the repeated and urgent efforts of the Yamên to get the foreign Ministers to leave Peking was the claim that they might be useful at their posts when negoti- stions should arise. To decline now any such negotiations in advance would obviously put the Foreign Ministers in the wrong.
64
A note was sent agreeing to a meeting, but the place remained uncertain. On some accounts the German Legation, now in ruins, seemed the best fitted for the purpose, but to this there were
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
205
native converts, men, women, and children, with 30 French and 10 Italian guards, only 40 rifles in all. When one of the guards fell his rifle was handed to a native convert. The enemy exploded five mines altogether under the be- sieged, in one of which some 80 persons, prin- cipally women and children, and five Italian guards were killed. The Italian officer was buried in it for three-quarters of an hour, and was got out almost unhurt. After the relief, church itself, whose explosion would have caused another large mine was discovered under the
a tremendous loss of life. Electric conductors were found in this mine. The Peitang beat the Legations in one thing, in that the con- verts succeeded in capturing one of the enemy's guns with its ammunition, and in making am- munition for it when the captured supply came to an end. For two months there was no com. munication between the Peitang and the Lega- tions, and neither knew how the others were faring. At the end the rations at the Peitang with a little horse-meat for the fighting men, were reduced to two ounces of rice a day a head,
and if the relief had not come when it did, the majority of the 2,000 converts, the priests and the Sisters must have died of starvation.
TIENTSIN.
L
THE CONDITION OF THE TOWN}
commenting on the "surprise, not untinged with The re-established Peking and Tientsin Times
Elements at the little damage visible, says:- positive disappointment," of visitors to the Set-
objections. There was also good reason for not admitting the Yamên Ministers within the British Legation, especially as they might come largely attended, and it would be difficult to prevent the attendants from seeing more than was desirable. It was decided to meet them outside the British Legation, on the bank of the canal, where a mat-shed had been put up for such uses many weeks ago, and afterwards dismantled when it was seen to be useless. But about half-past ten o'clock there arrived a note from the Yamên to say that inasmuch as the Foreign Ministers had re-opened hostilities, and had killed a captain of Chinese troops and twenty- six of his men, and as the Yamên Minister were "very busy," the Ministers would not come! This was most disappointing, as the only thing expec- ted (or indeed desired) from the conference was a cessation of the continuous attacks, which was indefinitely postponed. A story was in circula- tion that the officer and men alleged to have been killed by us were some of those who have been so furiously assailing us for the past eight and forty hours. As they shoot only from be- hind small loopholes, it is very unlikely that so many have been killed and there is no evidence that their casualties are greater than ours. During the night a still fiercer attack was ex- pected, and we were not disappointed. Early in the evening it began in a storm, and was kept up with brief intermissions all night. If the onsets could be distir.uished the one from the other, there were about six before daylight, but it was practically a continuous and a mur. derous fusillade, evidently with new weapons, and the determination was to do as much harm as pos- We recommend anyone wishing to get a vivid sible. This had been foreseen, and all the avail-impression of the Chinese fire and its effects to able machine guns had been placed in position to go through the French Settlement till they meet the enemy in case there should be a rush. reach the river, and then round the Bund back The long disused gun-platforms on the wall of to Consular Road, and they will see a scene of the Imperial city to the north, were provided ruination and desolation, exclusive of Chinese with a shell-gun which threw shells into the houses, which will astonish them. The British Legation all night, one of which fell in a dres. Settlement does not undoubtedly, outwardly, sing-room of the British Minister's house, and bear evidence of the terrific fusilade of bullet another in the main gate-way of the Legation, and shell to which we were subjected for pre- but in each case without damage. During the cisely a month; but if we are to credit state- continuance of the most furious attack the boll ments, neither did Mafeking or Ladysmith. A in the toll-tower tolled an alarm intended to house may be very badly damaged by shot call every one to his post, the first instance of and shell without its walls falling flat, such an alarm for many weeks, and when this its chimney-pots being prone upon was over without result, the volunteers retired the doorstep. and many residences which once more to such rest as was possible. Three outwardly preserved their symmetry are in- hours later a second alarm more imperative wardly ravaged by shrapnel and perforated than the first was rung, but the Chinese did with countless bullet-holes. Instances of t not make a rush as was expected, and things are the T. T. & Lighter Co.'s offices, Hongkon went on as before. During this terrible night and Chartered Banks, Astor House Hotel, the casualties were severe. Mitchell, the British Consulate, Japanese Consulate and in American gunner serving a Chinese cannon fact the majority of the buildings struck, mounted in the barricades west of the south
not once but time and time again, each shell stables, had his arm badly shattered. A Ger-, wrecking some inner wall and furniture and doing hundreds of dollars worth of damage. In the Hongkong Bank a shell telescoped three upper rooms and wrecked contents; the Astor House had one room literally dismantled, pic- tures and all, by a shell which left the smallest possible aperture in the outer wall, but explod ing, smashed the ceiling, walls, and doors of three rooms more or less. The Gordon Hall stands apparently intact except for a few abrasures of the tower walls which might almost pass unnoticed; but in the residential part of the house the staircase was wrecked in one part, a bedroom wrecked, and various other damage done.
man
was killed in his own Legation, while crossing the yard; the Japanese doctor got a bullet in his leg, and a British marine had a ball through his shoulder.
Two civilians, a French priest and the Belgian doctor, received slight injuries from stray bullets. On every side the assailants were more resolute and more furious than at any previous time. Soon after two o'clock in the morning, our attention was arrested by hear- ing the sharp sound of a machine-gun some distance to the east, apparently several miles distant. This it was held must be the relieving column approaching Peking, as we have never known the Chinese to use these guns during the siege.
Į
or
Buildings damaged seriously; · Hongkong Bank, Chartered Bank, British Consulate, Some time later the booming of heavy guns French Consulate, Japanese Consulate, Messrs. in the same direction confirmed the diagnosis, Philippot & Co., Railway Offices, Messrs. Tallion and it became certain that help was at hand- & Co., Messrs. Watson & Co., Tientsin Hotel, literally at the gates. After breakfast word Astor House Hotel, Clearance House, Taku came from those who had been on the city wall Tag & Lighter Co., W. A. Forbes & Co., that foreign cannon were shelling the Chihua Messrs. Liddell & Co., Mr. Kliene's house, Mr. Gate, namely the one which is entered from Susemihl's house, Messrs. Collins & Co., Tien- Tungchou by the stone road. From the wall tsin Club, Messrs. Wilson & Co., St. Louis itself the shells could be seen falling all about the Cathedral, Gordon Hall, Temperance Hall. gate, and especially under the circumstances it All the above had more than one shell, and made a spectacle well worth seeing. Consider-many up to eight and ten. We do not pretend ing that the walls of the Chinese City are sixty that any of these lists are complete. feet high and forty feet thick, and capable of indefinite defence, the prospect for an early en- trance against the fierce resistance
THE DEFENCE OF THE PEITANG.
The N.-C. Daily News, on the authority of one of the besieged, says that the defence of the Legations pales before the defence of the Peitang, or Roman Catholic Mission, at Peking. There were there Bishop Favier, six or seven priests, some twenty Sisters, and some 2,000
Slightly damaged :— Five "houses Victoria Terrace, Mr McLeish's house, Mr. de Linde's house, German Club, Dr. Irwin's house Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., Mosers, Telge, Shroeter & Co., Mr. Anderson's house, Mesers. Carlowitz & Co., Tientsin Water Works, Jen tsin Gas Works.
Totally destroyed by shell and fire Consulate, Yokohama Spécie. Be Mill, Railway Station Taylor
F