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the night before American citizens, when | fortify the crest of the hills in the island; they arose in the morning claimed their all the landing places could not be defønd- rights as British subjects, to die for theed and there was no means of transporting old flag and the bloated monarchy.) After the troops rapidly from point to point, so all the Americans were men who had spent the interior line of defonce had to be adopt- their lives amongst us, had intermarried ed. Detachments of Artillery were to place with us--had a community of language, in position the 40-pounder Armstrongs terature, religion, thought and interest, B. L of the Victor which had been hoisted and as it seemed good and natural to out and landed after the despatch of the them to die with us, we acquiesced. Oldtorpedo flotilla, and were now being drag- Lunt, their Consul, had early betaken him-ged up by hundreds of coolios to various solf to the battle of Doop Water Bay, being pointe. As truck guns they were fairly careful to explain that he was impelled handy, and it was hoped that their heavier thereto purely from old professional inter-metal would keep down the enemy's fire eat, being anxious to witness a practical (which our seven-pounders had been utter- test of the new weapons of precision that ly unable to accomplish), as well as make differed so materially from the arms in use it dangerous for his troop-ships to approach, some thirty odd years ago, when he too had The Surift and Ruttler had been des- been a soldier (on the losing side), that he patched at 7 a.m. to Tytam. Look-outs appeared in a private capacity at a scene and signal-men were placed on all suitable that strictly speaking might by some be points, even to the crests of the hills over- considered as somewhat beside his rigidly looking Mirs Bay, and signals were ar- professional sphere. It must therefore ranged both for night and day. The road have been enthusiasm for professional re- to Tytam was blocked just at the crest in search that induced him to experiment the Wongneichong Gap by a wall of stone, from behind a rock for about an hour and a and the roadway itself just beyond where it half with a dead Pathan's rifle and some dipped blown away for about thirty yards couple of hundred cartridges. In spite of to form the fosse.
scals, the Americans cast in their lot with
Us.
The southern face of the hills all along was scarped as well as time would allow, At a Council of War, held at Head-right along to the Gap, where the Quarry Quarter offices at 8 a.m., General White Bay Sanitarium stood. The Sanitarium expressed the opinion (proved to be correct itself was not occupied, as it could be des- by after events) that the attack delivered troyed by artillery fire from the sea, but a had been premature, and it would be couple of Nordenfelts were placed, one on renewed when the enemy was reinforced. each side, on convenient emplacements, a Their deliberations resulted in the defence hundred feet or so above the saddle. Tho of the Kowloon Peninsula being intrusted road below to the Reservoir being blown to Colonel Tristful and three hundred men up. of his own regiment, with the Gunners of the forts. He was given an Engineer offi- cer, Tundall, to carry out his plans, blow up houses, throw up earthworks, &c.-a very free hand, but was at the same time clearly informed he had only himself to rely on; his force could not be augmented. Col. Yardhill and the Engineers were to
The Wongneichong (Deep Water Bay. and Wanchai Gap Roads, and the Mount Gough and Pokfolum reservoir roads were blown away for large sections, particularly near where they debouched on the hills. Earthworks were thrown up at all the Gaps. Shelter trenches were dug, and a parapet run as far as possible along the whole line)
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Treas and brush etc. in front cut down and than that of tinned and salted meats. The burnt, and as far as practicable all obstacles live stock at the depots was only about in front to the fire of the Defenders three days' supply. The stores of rice in cleared away, blown up and undermined the godowns were also found to be much and rolled down. Pokfolum Gap was depleted. Neither were the Naval supplies, blocked with a wall of stone and the road-except of spirits, large, especially if besides way in front blown up.
the garrison the civil population had to be More than 20,000 men (inclusive of the rationed. Rorges therefore ventured to burial parties, who had finished by 10 a.m.) suggest to General White that greater were at work-all that intrenching tools economy should be exercised, for the wily could be got for, All the civil engineers, old Scotchman had astonished all the Staff Teigh, Lemon, Benison, Ham, and Temm, by the liberality, not to say absolute ex- with their overseers, were assisting the Eu- travagance, of supplies he was ordering up, gineers and the Public Works Department so foreign to his usual pawky, not to say Staffs, superintending sections of the line; niggardly expenditure of government stores. still the scarcity of Royal Engineers much In his own private expenditure he was a retarded the work, and the inconvenience liberal old gentleman. When remonstrated of the loss of the men and officers of this with he only laughed harshly, remarking corps killed in the morning was greatly that there was plenty for our time; his felt. The bulk of the heavy guns (40 poun-fellows should have full bellies if the ders) were placed at Wongneichong Gap to enemy's went empty, Danin them! The command Deep Water Bay, and on the left (old man still stuck to his cuss-words, though by the cross wall to firo down what had he too did not believe in the morrow. been the Tyiam Road; four also were The Home Guard provisioned themselves, placed in position at Pokfolum Gap, two in and the Committee saw to it; it was done Victoria Gap, two on the 'Haicenda com- right royally. Tommy Atkins was in clover, nunding Aberdeen, and one at the Military for the civilians, the great bulk of the men Sanitarium,
in the lines, shared cheerfully. It was Largo luoigens, obtained from the Docks, Tommy's day if a short one, for, as Rudyard were placed in holes some 200 yards in Kipling had it, front of the lines where the principal It's walk up, Mr Atkins, when the band begins to play. assaults were expected, and barrels of The band had begun to play. All day pitch to be fired to expose the enemy in long launches, guarded by armed English- case the attack should be made in the night. men, had been towing over cargo-boats full Food, not only for the troops, but rice, of Chinese women and children to Sam- samshu and Chinese delicacies were sent shui-po, and all the shopmen, clerks, com- up in quantities for the coolies. Ammani- pradores and long-nailed classes generally tion, bedding and baggage of all de- were sent across. By evening we had only scriptions was going up to the works some 30,000 able-bodied men in the town in all directions. Tents and matsheds (Chinese). We intended to keep them to were springing up along the whole utilise their labour to the last, and we line. It was as if the whole city was out fed and paid them well. The people we on one vast picnic. Colonel Borges, who had dumped on Chinese soil were given was in charge of the Commissariat, was three days' rice each-by that time it much alarmed at the smallness of the stock would be settled one way or the other. of food found in the town--not wuch more Whilst the guns of the Victor were being then three weeks' supply of flour, and less hoisted out, the Swift and Rattler were
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