3882 THE CHINO-JAPANESE WAR. 
became alarmed for their line of retreat and retired precipitately. But 
though their advance had been so far successful, the Japanese now 
found themselves confronted by a deep and wide ditch and the sub- 
stantial walls of Ping Yang itself; difficulties which there appeared to 
be no possibility of surmounting; so orders were issued for the with- 
drawal of the troops to a respectful distance pending the advent of 
more favourable circumstances. 
In the west the advance-guard only of the main column had come 
up and could effect nothing of importance against the Chinese fortifi- 
cations. Its only successes had been the annihilation of two bodies of 
Chinese cavalry which came out of Ping Yang and tried to push 
through the Japanese troops and escape to the west. They came out 
along the road between the lines of the Japanese infantry who were 
posted on the slopes of the hills and were shot down almost to a man, 
and the scene of carnage was described as horrible. 
By the middle of the day therefore the Japanese attacks may be said 
to have temporarily failed—and things looked anything but promising. 
At 4 p.m., however, in the middle of a very heavy downpour of rain, 
white flags were exhibited on the walls at the north end of the town, 
The negotiations which followed strike one as being very unbusiness- 
like. A Korean was sent out with a small piece of paper on which 
something was written ; but the paper had been allowed to get wet in 
the rain and it was very difficult to read it. It was made out, however, 
to mean this: “ In accordance with International Law, we have raised 
the white flag, as we wish to stop fighting.” A Japanese officer 
and some men at once went to the north gate, but found it closed and 
the walls manned. They pushed the gate open a few inches, to the © 
limits of its chain, and a Chinese officer then appeared who handed out 
a piece of paper on which was written: “As night is approaching, 
and it is raining heavily, please come again to-morrow.” ‘The 
Japanese officer replied in writing that, as the white flag had been 
raised, the Chinese must now submit to the orders of the Japanese 
general. The Chinaman then wrote: “ Wait whilst I get the key of 
the gate,” and went away. The Japanese waited, but the Chinaman 
never came back; so they eventually returned to their head-quarters 
in Botandai. 
General Tachimi made the best of the business and gave out that the 
Chinese had surrendered and that he had agreed to postpone the 
occupation of Ping Yang till the following morning. 
During the night the Chinese decamped en masse to the north and 
north-west. Many of them blundered against the Japanese out-posts 
in the darkness and were shot down—and the next morning the 
Japanese marched into the abandoned town, sending a small force 
in pursuit as far as the Seisenko river. They found a quantity of 
rice and stores in Ping Yang and set to work preparing for the next 
move forward; and it was during this time—on the 17th September 
—that the naval battle of Hai-yang-tao was fought. ‘This is generally 
known as the battle of the Yalu; but it took place about half way 
between Hai-yang-tao island and Takushan, where some Chinese troops 
