272 REMINISCENCES OF 



and after going a mile was joined by Parkes, and 

 rode into a village that commanded the road along 

 which our army had to advance. In passing through 

 it we found it filled with soldiers, and a heavy masked 

 battery of twelve guns pointing down the road. We 

 here got on to the road again and joined Colonel 

 Walker and the others. Our position, as also that 

 of our army, was a very serious one. We had now 

 arrived at the front of the Chinese army ; their 

 infantry were lying down behind an embankment 

 that ran along the bank of a stream which ran in 

 a semicircle and protected and concealed the whole 

 Chinese army. In this semicircle there were up- 

 wards of a hundred guns in masked batteries. We 

 tried to communicate with some officer in command, 

 but failed to do so. After a short consultation it 

 was decided that Parkes with one of the K. D. 

 Guards should return to Yung-chow to try and 

 get out those who had remained behind, and also 

 if possible to see the Prince of Tsai, who was the 

 senior commissioner, and learn from him the cause 

 of the threatening attitude the Chinese army had 

 assumed, and attempt to delay hostilities until those 

 in Yung-chow could escape. Colonel Walker was 

 to remain on the outskirts of the Chinese army 

 until Parkes' return, unless he found it necessary 

 for the safety of his men to gallop for it — which he 

 could do at any moment with the open country in 

 the direction of our army — and I was to try and 

 get out to the army and inform Sir Hope Grant 

 of the state of affairs, and delay the action that 



