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crests), with Nordenfelts, Gardiners and his own won, all of whom were familiar by Maxims, here and there, especially below the experience of many a field day with Rifle pits every gully and nullah in the sand hills, where the Hacienda had stood. were sunk where the soil permitted. If we and 100 of the Home Guard (English and had had a week we would have made the Portuguese), choosing those whose snipe place impregnable, but though we had only (and tiger) shooting excursions had often beon in possession 50 years, like the foolish taken them over this very grond--he divi- virgins we slept, till it was too late; still, ded them into three mixed parties, under even at the eleventh hour, we did our best respectively Capt. Rerger, and Lieutenants
to provide a fitting welcome. The French, now that all chance of surprise had passed, and taught by the rough experience of the Russians, wore evidently going to play the game by rule.
Bowcroft and Banderson, with a Native and a House Guard officer each, and de- spatched them to heat up the French. Banderson was given 20 minutes' start of the others, leaving at 9.40-going to the The sight of Yaumati burning, the fre-N. W. with orders to go as far round the quent explosions as the Docks were destroy enemy's right as possible without alarming ed, and what they learned from the aliens the outposts, Rerger and Bowcroft went in the Powan, demonstrated that the re-off at 10-all the officers having compared sistance to be still overcome was not their watches-Rerger for the French cou- likely to be feeble or wavoring. The tre and Boweroft for their left. At 11.15 Lion's whelps were savagely at bay. No p.m., having approached the camp as close- attempt was made at any time to forcely as possible, Rorger and Boweroft were either pass into the Harbour-perhaps the to fire on them, and whilst the enemy were naval force was too slender,-the fact re-assembling to repel the supposed attack on mains the front door, fortified with such their left and front, Banderson was to care, was never knocked at, whilst all the attack their right. Hung Hom North and time the proverbial scullery window at the Kowloon West were to drop shell wher- back was left open for the burglar to enter ever the enemy burnt lights or fired rockets in assembling. The expedition was very by.
Before 5p.m. the French, under General successful. Two sentrics were seized with- Renard, in Mirs Bay, had landed 2,000 out the alarm being given by Pathans crawl- wen, and were joined by the 300 Russiansing on them, and many others were crept guarding the line to Tolo Harbour, as well past, but the relief guards were so close to as the detachment from Capsuimoon. By the outlying pickets, smoking or sleeping six our scouts, after exchanging shots with round their firos, that the camp itself was the French skirmishers, scampered down not fired on. the bills and back to our lines. A few shell were fired from Hung Hom North at the crest of the hill, but in the dark the fire was doubtless wasted and soon dis- continued. The enemy were close down to the frontier, and bivouacked for the might by 9 p.m. amongst the sand hills north of our territory.
Tristful, however, had no mind that they should have a quiet night's rest to recover from their sea sickness. Selecting fifty of
The enemy's lose must, however, have been considerable, apart from the sentries and those slain by our men round their fires--the firing from the camp was very wild, and the shells from the forts caused so much loss and confusion they were glad quickly to extinguish all blue lights. In our retreatour knowledge of the country enabled us to inflict considerable loss on the pursuers. Tristful moved out with 100 men and two quick-firers to cover the retreat, but neve
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came into action, the enemy not daring to jed, desultory fire from the gullies been pursue any distance in the dark. Our kept up, but no more rushes being made. parties were back by 1.30 a.m. The He still had some 300 men, having com- enemy remained on the alert all night.menced the action with 400 (Pathans and Nine of ours were missing, two Pathans Home Guards). The enemy's loss, how- and seven of the Home Guard, also Jemadar ever, as could be seen, had been six or Ghulam Jilani.
seven times as great half his field guus
Towards daylight the enemy were report were blown to pieces and the rest had to ed on the move, and our pickets were driv. be withdrawn to avoid a similar fate. Our en in. By 5, when it was fairly light, the people were in excellent spirits, they could assault was delivered in real earnest, the see the fruits of their labour. On the storming party coming on with great gal. island, on the other hand, the tide of battle lantry to the attack of the bill, the key of seemed to be louder, rolling higher and Trietful's position. A very large number nearer.
About 8, the assault on Tristful was re- newed with great fury, and the Hung
of guns were also brought into action by the French. The enemy suffered severely, es pecially from the fire of the Hung Flow Hom guns, both large and small, again batteries, numbers of their guns being opened on the enemy; suddenly they destroyed by the heavy 10' shell. Had ceased, and Tristful was horrified to find it not been for the broken nature of the when they reopened that the 10 shell and ground they would not have had a field hail of Gardner bullets were turned on piece in action by 7 a.m. 'Time after time his own men--there was only one explan- they swept up bravely, only to be mowedation; the French had sent back some 300 down and torn to pieces, by musketry, the men to Kowloon City, where seizing some quick-firers from Tristful's hill and the junks they had sailed amongst the others,
run their craft ashore under the forts and flanking fire from the forts. Red breeches Jay in rows in the open, right back to the climbing up the sea front whilst the men gullies where the remains of the stormers were busy tiring N. W. on the storming ro-formed after each assault. Faumati was party attacking Tristful, rushed the forts Bat, the enemy could not make a direct and exterminated the Garrison. assault on Kowloon West, and to atterupt
Tristful's position was untenable, with the Hung Hom forts along the open shore overwhelming odds in front; the Hung would have been suicidal insanity.
Hom guna were raking his lines from East All this time the roar of battle from the to West, smashing his quick-firers and kill- island could be heard. Both attacks were ing his men. Rerger, his second in com- being simultaneously delivered. A light and, was already dead; the Subadar- Northerly wind was blowing, and numbers | Major (Firoz Khan), and four native off- of junks were getting under way from Sam cers had been killed; the hill had to be ab Shui Po and Kowloon City, escaping West andoned. Tristful retreated Westwards in (Lycomoon was blocked). The junks from squares. Once off the hill they were shol- Kowloon City were running close round tered from the awful fire of the Hung Hom the Dock Point. Tristful had stationed 25 guns, and then began a duel over their of the Home Guard in the Hung Hom forts heads. In Kowloon West they had seen and 25 at Kowloon West, to assist and how things had gone--the evacuation of the cover the Gunners.
hill and the cause of it--and at once turned their fire on the Eastern forts, who very readily returned it. Tristful fought his
For nearly three-quarters of an hour the assault on Tristful's position had slacken-
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