672 Mr. A. Henry Savage Landor, [May 31, 



I went to help them to lay down the poor suffering creatures, when a 

 shell exploded just above us, and again wounded one of the wounded 

 men on the stretcher. 



The Chinese were gradually slackening their artillery fire, and 

 apparently withdrawing their guns, when General Fukushima sent 

 word to the British, asking that the cavalry might immediately be 

 despatched to co-operate with the Japanese in the advance on the 

 Chinese position. Somehow or other, the British cavalry never arrived, 

 and the Japanese — only one regiment of artillery — marched forward 

 alone. 



The 41st Begiment led the advance with one battalion on the left 

 wing. The fighting was very severe, the Japanese suffering heavily. 



The Chinese made a stubborn resistance, but were gradually driven 

 from their trenches. 



Naturally the Chinese did not confine themselves to firing with one 

 gun. Mauser, Mannlicher and gingal bullets were falling thickly. 

 Moreover, the Chinese were using Maxims with considerable success. 



The Chinese guns were still giving trouble, and the Boyal Ar- 

 tillery bad taken up a second position near the granaries (north of 

 its first position), from which, as the Japanese were advancing so 

 rapidly, it soon shifted again, and occupied a third position still 

 further north. 



In the meantime the Japanese cavalry charged the enemy, now 

 retreating towards Pei-tsang village, and with great gallantry suc- 

 ceeded in capturing eight guns. The Chinese had withdrawn nearly 

 all the artillery from their central position. 



When once the retreat began, it was rapid, success after success 

 being gained by the victorious army. One position after another 

 fell, and the main body of the enemy was retreating even from Pei- 

 tsang itself, but had left sufficient men to cover the retreat. The 

 Chinese heavy artillery ceased to fire on us as we advanced, but they 

 had some vicious Maxims which still poured lead into us. 



One of these weapons was trained on a small bridge, over which 

 we were bound to cross, and many a soldier was wounded in the hail 

 of bullets that could not be escaped. The first soldiers who came 

 unexpectedly into it fared badly. 



A curious incident happened. I saw a number of Japanese coolies 

 running along, following the soldiers, and I had just time to shout to 

 them, " Abunai ! Abunai ! " (Look out ! Look out !). The bullets 

 made a noise just like hail on the wooden boards of the bridge, so 

 the little fellows covered their heads with their blankets, as they 

 would do in a hailstorm, and dashed across. 



When we reached the place where the road crossed a Chinese 

 trench, a commanding position, where the enemy had placed three 

 guns, we found interesting sights. The earthworks and trenches, 

 several miles in length, had been constructed with extraordinary skill, 

 and in them stood the picturesque tents and sheds for the soldiers. 

 We found many dead. 



