384 CHINO-JAPANESE WAR. 
Surgeon-Colonel Taylor and I reached Japan the war had arrrived at 
this point. 
We found an American officer, Lieutenant O’Brien, waiting at Tokio 
to go to the front and on the 7th November we all three went down 
to Hiroshima together, accompanied by a Japanese officer and two 
interpreters. 
Hiroshima was not only the base of operations, but was practically 
the seat of government during the war. The Emperor himself was 
there, and most of the Ministers of State; and when funds were wanted 
to carry on the war, instead of holding a Session in Tokio, Houses of 
Parliament were run up on the spot, and a Session was held there. 
It is the present western terminus of the railway, and its isolated 
position assisted the Japanese in keeping their preparations and move- 
ments to a certain extent secret. About three miles off is Ujina, 
which was the port of embarkation. The harbour is an excellent one, 
and has room for about 10 steamers of 2000 to 3000 tons to be loaded 
at the same time. Close by is Kure, one of the naval stations where 
transports could be repaired and sampans and launches built as 
required. 
For the few days we were at Hiroshima we lived in a Japanese 
hotel. It takes some time to become accustomed to sitting on 
the floor, and I personally never arrived at liking it, but what I 
found most disagreeable was having to take my boots off when- 
ever I went indoors and of course to put them on again when I went 
out. Wewere in uniform most of the day, as we had to pay our 
respects to all the generals and heads of departments; and the difficulty 
of putting on Wellington boots and getting one’s overalls strapped 
down by a Japanese girl, though amusing enough at first, especially 
as a dense crowd assembled round the front door to watch the oper- 
ation, became rather a nuisance after several repetitions. The Japanese 
officers themselves have given up the custom as far as regards their 
barracks and offices; and they wear very easy-fitting boots which 
can be kicked off and pulled on without any trouble. 
In the hotel at Hiroshima we were made most comfortable in all 
other respects, and had tables and chairs provided so that we could eat 
and write in the western fashion. 
We left Ujina on the 13th November in a Japanese transport and 
went by way of the Ping Yang inlet to Talienwan where we arrived on 
the 18th. All the transports at that time were making the journey by 
way of the Ping Yang inlet in order that they might be more easily 
protected against the Chinese fleet. 
The 2nd army had already passed Talienwan on its way to Port 
Arthur. It had landed on the 24th October and following days at a place 
called Kayenko, had captured Kinchou without much fighting on the 
6th November, and on the 7th had found all the Talienwan forts 
abandoned. 
It seemed hardly credible at first that all these forts armed with 
modern Krupp guns (15 centimetre and 21 centimetre) should have 
been given up without a shot being fired; but the fact was that the 
moment the Japanese moved south from Kinchou they cut off the 
