24
30
Way to
Knutsford Terrace. Bowcroft place that they anticipated was in Tytam seized the Observatory and Banderson Harbour. The Heungshom, which had re- Chater's bungalow; there they fought turned during the night from Mirs Bay, with savage stubbornness from house to was loaded with men and run right on to house in the Terrace, from room to room in the beach in Stanley. The Fatshan and the Bungalow and Observatory, till it Honam were also respectively run into seemed that assailants and assailed would Chunghom aud Tsimshui Wan bays; at be annihilated together. In hand-to-hand the latter place the landing proved to be fighting the under-sized Crapauds were but difficult, but as it was unopposed delay All the steamers were ac- a poor match for the long lean Pathans and only ensued. beaf-fed Britishers; moreover, the slight shelter our fellows hat prevented the enemy overbearing them with weight of numbers and fire. About 10.30 the enemy drew off, when a few rounds from one of the Hung Hom forts crushed Bungalow, Observatory and Terrace into shapeless rains as if they had been built of cards.
companied by torpedo boats. The life rafts and pontoons of the captured vessels were of the greatest assistance in rafting guns and ammunition ashore. The Pasig, escorted by six torpedo-boats and followed by the Eclaireur, entered Tytam Bay; the Eclaireur searching the crest of the hill with shell to see if the redoubt had been
In the duel between the forts the West-re-armed. As soon as it was light the Pasig ern had all been silenced, and only one 10" crept close round the Peninsula forming guu in the Eastern could be fought when it the inner harbour (all the river steamers was over. The torpedo dopot was in ruins, wore most useful to the enemy on account the Admiralty coal depot, the Kowloon Go- of their light draught enabling them to downs, and Tsim-Tea-Tsui Police Station transport large numbers of men so close to were all one roaring mass of Banies. Gi- the shore that the boat and raft journeys gantic pillars of fire were soaring up from became insignificant). the petroleum tanks at Tai-kok-tsui, cano- pied by a dense pall of black smoke,
Directly the Pasig was round the point she was met by a storm of shell from the Swift; with her bows blown in, she sank within 50 feet of the stem of the Swift.
The fow survivors of the British forces from the ruins attempted to make their way to Kowloon West; before, however, they This of course was what the enemy expect could reach its shelter, the swarms of theod, and the torpado-boats made their rush. enemy closed round and surged over the One struck the Swift on the port quarter--- little scattered groups as they died fighting a slanting blow-and was sunk herself ; an- desperately, the victorious enemy rushing other also, as she shot past for the Rattler, on to the ruined Western forts to be met was cut in two. The Ruttler herself sauk by a feeble musketry fire from the remnants one, and another running over the chain of the garrison. Directly, however, that the from the Swift's port quarter, lost her port Jack was down, Rookshank from Stonecut-propeller, and swinging round to port ter's East opened on them, literally blow- broadside on to the stern of the Swift was ing the enemy out of the fort--then, turn- sunk by her fire.
ing his attention to Hung Hom, soon silenced the sole surviving heavy gun there.
THE FINAL STRUGGLE.
The two other boats both struck the Rattler abaft the funnel. That he would be torpedoed De Horsey had fully expected From the island about 3 a.m. the evony and made his preparations accordingly; one wore observed to be moving out of S.E. of his reasons for hauling his crafts into bay. The only resistance at any landing such shoal water, where they had scarcely
taut
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a foot of water under their keels, he had Horsey's last orders having been to cut further moured his vessels head and stern some of the lashing of the port shores, part- with anchors laid out brond on cach bowly to heel the ship so as to elevate the guns and quarter, and hove his chains
more, and partly to make the bulwarks af- as bars. In addition he had ford more shelter to the men. The lashings lashed spars at intervals of about 30 feet of too many shores had however been cut, perpendicularly to the side, through the and the ship rolled over to port in deep ports, with their heels resting on the mud, water, swamping one of the cutters of the so that the ships were practically on stilts French as they boarded, killing and drown- The Swift had a great hole blown in her jag boarders and boarded.
port quarter, but the blow having been a
By 7 a.m. the allies had 8000 men lauded. glancing one, the torpedo had not gone The Demurtes and Triomphante were vigo- through her, or blown off the poop. The rously engaging the batteries above Deep water rushing in the ship settled, tautening Water Bay, and searching the crest of the lashings of the shores as she took the the hills with time shell and shrapnel. ground upright; still as a fighting machine Taught by experionce the 'Hacienda' gun or stationary battery she was uninjured. (only one had been replaced) did not reply The Rattler, on the other hand, was cut in and indicate her position till the Tai On two and her after guns disabled.
entered the Aberdeen Passage, when it The first discharge from the Swift had opened with such excellent effect that the been the signal for the enemy some thou-vessel had to be beached on Aplichau sand strong to push along the Shaukiwan Island, from whence the troops she convey- Road, when they were met by a fierce fireed had to be ferried across to Hongkong. from the Nordenfelt in the redoubt belowresulting in much delay and heavy loss. the crest of the hill and from the gun in Landing was also effected from two of the the fore top of the Rattler. The remain- troopers in Telegraph Bay; here, however, ing torpedo boats backing and turning, dis- the enemy suffered severely from the fire charged their torpedoes again, struck the of light guns sent forward by Col. Rordon, remains of the Rattler, bringing down her who commanded at Pokfolum, Col. Yard- foremast, blow up the remainder the hill commanded on the Tytam Road, where wreck, and were themselves sunk by the the heavy attack was expected. General Swift's fire. The Eclaireur had a number White in the centre.
of troop boats in tow, but dared not let Rordon was left severely alone till about them proceed till the Swift's resistance had 8 a.m., when the men-of-war appeared off been overcome. The enemy extending up Sandy Bay, battered his earthworks and the hills on both sides speedily silenced the dismounted his 40-pounders without suffer- Nordenfelt on shore, and opened a heavy ing commensurate loss. By 9 the allies fire down on the decks of the Swift, who had every available moan ashore,- 8,000 vigorously replied with hor quick-tirers, and French regulars, 2,000 Russians, and near- with her larger grins shocked the advancely 1,000 seamen and marines from the of the main body along the road with show ships of war and transports. Far from ers of grape and canister. The combat was, underrating the resistence, General Mor- however, too unequal, and the Stiff's fire bleu rated it high, and his estimate waxing feeble two large cutter loads of sea- was amply justified. The main assault men from the Eclaireur sweeping round was on Yardhill's position, the enemy the point, boarded and carried the Swift as coming up the Tytam Road and along she was settling down on her port side. De the crest of the castern hills bounding