Directory_and_Chronicle_1912 — Page 844

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PEKING

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with Col. Shiba, the Japanese commander, and Dr. Morrison of the Times. This loss was irreparable in more senses than one. Captain Strouts had shown himself a hero among_heroes, and had the complete confidence of everyone, civilians and military alike. It would be no injustice to say that he and his gallant Japanese colleague, Shiba, were the active heroes of the siege. The gallant Colonel on this occasion had a narrow escape, getting a bullet through his cont, while Dr. Morrison was severely wounded in the leg. After this the British Minister, Sir Claude Macdonald, resumed his military rank and took a leading part in the defence as a military man as well as British Minister.

Trench digging to countercheck the possibilities of further sapping was noW extensively undertaken; still it did not prove altogether a success. The very day the relief was effected, a deep mine was discovered under a portion of the Students' Quarters with the boxes to receive the powder ready in position; another two hours more and there would have been a tragedy of unexanipled magnitude. About July 16th the news of the capture of Tientsin reached the high Chinese authorities, and at once modified their attitude: their attack slackened, and on July 18th hostilities practically ceased, as far as fighting was concerned, while attempts were made to reopen com- munications between besiegers and besieged, though the latter were as rigidly as ever secluded from all news of the outside world. Chinese soldiers came inside the Su Wan'g- fuh and wished to fraternize with Colonel Shiba's men, offering them protection: the Colonel refused; thereupon they sent in small quantities of fruit and food. Similar offers were made in other parts of the lines, but there was a just suspicion of the Dangos et dona ferentes. With a few exceptions the gifts were rejected, especially so the bag of flour hoisted over the barricades in one place. The Chinese made much of this offer of supplies in their attempts to delude the World as to the real nature of the position in Peking. About this time the besieged received their first news of outside affairs, and learned that Tientsin had been attacked and relieved, and that a Relief Column was being organized for them. The paucity of information was one of the most curious features in a situation that was full of surprises. China is a country where news nay as a rule be bought for money easier than in any country in the world, as spies abound; yet for weeks the World knew nothing of Peking, foreign-Peking nothing of the World. For the next ten days active hostilities were in complete abeyance, though vigilance on both sides was unremitting, and the defences were

continually being strengthened.

On the 22nd of July the attack was renewed at the Pei-tang or Northern Roman Catholic Cathedral, where the Catholic Fathers under Bishop Favier had assembled more than three thousand native Christians, and where, with the help of fifty French and Italian marines, one of the most pathetic and desperate resistances of modern times had been carried on. They were short of food, of ammunition, of medicines, and of every thing but calm courage and Christian fortitude. These people were the special object of Boxer hatred and fanatical effort, and had to conduct their defence amidst inconceivable conditions of overcrowding, disease and famine; during the last few days of the siege their daily allowance of food was four ounces of rice, and at the very last this had to be reduced to two. The children and aged died like flies. They were not only in utter ignorance of the outside world, but also of their lay countrymen in the Legation part of the City.

Now that the relief column was leaving Tientsin at once came to the American Minister on August 2nd. This was somewhat premature, as the Column did not finally start tili August 3rd ; butit served to reanimate the defenders. At this time there were 883 people within the enclosure of the British Legation, that being the refuge to which all had recourse when they were driven from other positions in the defence. Of this number 527 were Europeans and Japanese. The reports of the defeat of the Chinese at Pei-t'sang and Yang-tsun, and of the swift advance of the Allied army, had the effect of making the Chinese more resolute to gratify their hatred, even at the last moment, consequently the attacks of the 12th and the 13th were the most desperate of the whole siege; but as the heavy guns of the Relief were distinctly heard from Tung-chow, the defence knew the meaning of it and were more resolute on their part to beat the enemy off. The Japanese and the Russians were at the eastern gates of the Tartar City on the 13th of August, and to these localities the Chinese withdrew their best forces leaving the eastern Gate of the Chinese City all but unguarded. Here Sir Arthur Gaselee and General Chaffee leading the British and American contingents of the Column found an easy entrance. After seizing the Temple of Heaven, they swiftly pushed along in a direction parallel to the South Wall and found a way on through the Water Gate, by which the waters of the Imperial Canal flow under the Wall.