CHINO-JAPANESE WAR. 385 
retreat of the garrisons ; and that a Chinaman does not like. I saw 
no works or entrenchments of any kind on the high ground south of 
Kinchou, which would have been the natural place for the Chinese to 
make a stand. The newspapers said there were regular lines of forti- 
fications across this isthmus, but there were none at all. 
The head-quarters of the 2nd army moved on from Kinchou on the 
17th November; and on the 19th when we landed we had a long 
march of 85 miles to join them at Dojoshi. The road was so crowded 
with the various supply columns of the army and with the Siege 
Artillery, that we had to push on, leaving our baggage behind ; and 
even so we only arrived at Dojoshi long after dark. Here we found 
Marshal Oyama, the Commander-in-Chief, occupying an apartment 
about eight feet square and dirty beyond description. We were 
billeted on the village schoolmaster, who was about the only inhabitant 
left in the place and seemed a most respectable old man. Fortunately 
it was not at all cold and we did not miss our blankets, 
The next day, the 20th, we went out to the front to have a look at the 
country. ‘The Japanese occupied some hills about two and a half miles 
north of the Chinese forts ; and from here we looked across the interven- 
ing low ground to the hills protecting Port Arthur. During the after- 
noon a sortie was made by the Chinese against the Japanese right, but it 
was repulsed without any loss; and there was also a slight skirmish on 
the extreme Japanese left. 
The positions of the Japanese for the night were as follows: Ist 
brigade and main part of Ist division at Bekashi, 2nd brigade at 
Sekisishi, General Hasegawa’s brigade (that is the half of the 6th 
division) on the hills east of the main road but with one battalion west 
of it. There was also another detachment further east, known as the 
left column, which had been marching by a separate road; and the 
Siege Artillery were passing to the south of Dojoshi along the main 
road. The Siege Artillery had very hard work to get along; they 
were not properly horsed and they had a great deal of trouble to get 
their guns to the front. 
The great attack was to begin at daylight on the 21st, so we turned 
in early and arranged to start at 2 a.m. in order to be on the ground 
in time. 
__ It was very fortunate that we made an early start as we had no map 
that was of any use, and we had to pick our way as best we could over 
an unknown country by moonlight. 
As day broke the battle began, and we found ourselves on a hill 
looking down on the Japanese Field Artillery which was on a lower 
ridge in front of us. 
Beyond the artillery was Isuzan hill with its line of works along the 
crest; and this was the first objective of the Japanese. 
The infantry of the 1st division with two mountain batteries had sct 
out at 1 a.m. and keeping well to the right beyond the hills, arrived 
about one and a half miles west of Isuzan as day broke. 
The Siege Artillery who, as I have said, bad the greatest trouble in 
moving to the front, managed to get a few guns mounted just north of 
Suishiyei and commenced firing very nearly simultaneously with the 
