892 CHINO-JAPANESE WAR. 
ridges bordering the harbour on the south so as to cut off the defenders 
of the eastern forts, whilst the 6th division, which was marching by 
the other road, was to hold the defenders of these forts in check and 
guard against any counter attack. 
Whether the order was misunderstood or whether it was changed 
afterwards I cannot say, but the officer commanding the 6th division 
ordered his troops to attack and capture the eastern forts, instead of 
merely making a demonstration. 
These forts were defended on the land side by a ditch and parapet 
running over the hills south of them and culminating ina commanding 
redoubt called Matenli. 
The attack of the 6th division was accordingly made on Matenli. 
Matenli very soon fell in spite of the fire from the next fort Yohori, 
which enfiladed the attackers to a certain extent. But as soon as the 
Japanese occupied the redoubt they were assailed by a storm of shell 
from the coast forts and from some of the ships in the harbour. This 
fire, however, was not really very effective and did not prevent the 
Japanese from making use of the field guns they found in the redoubt 
and turning them against Yohori, which was their next objective. 
It was at this time that General Odela was killed. He was directing 
Operations in Mateli, was hit by a splinter of a shell,and died soon 
afterwards. 
The Japanese fleet had meantime steamed into Three Peak bay and 
was shelling the coast forts. 
The ships moved slowly in single column line ahead, describing a sort 
of figure 8, and as each ship arrived at the turning point nearest the 
forts, she began to fire, bow guns first, then port broadside, then after 
guns, and the next time round, bow guns, starboard broadside and 
after guns. 
I doubt if much damage was done as the range must have been over 
5000 yards. This bombardment ceased at half-past 11. 
At about half-past 12 fort Yohori, which had been undergoing a 
bombardment from the captured guns in Matenli and from two moun- 
tain batteries placed on a hill north of Kosango, caught fire and was 
abandoned. 
The next fort—Shakasho—was evacuated almost at the same time 
and five minutes later a huge column of smoke rose from Chobokushi 
and that was also abandoned. 
One Japanese battalion had captured a small work north-westward 
of Matenli and as the defenders of the coast forts retreated westwards, 
they had to cross the front of this battalion, and few of them escaped. 
The ground was strewn in all directions with dead bodies—many of 
them burnt to a cinder probably owing to their clothes having caught 
fire either in Yohori or Chobokushi. 
- he 2nd division had advanced from the river in three columns, 
over the hills, chasing the Chinese from ridge to ridge, and had reached 
the last pass by 9.30 a.m. A battalion then made the mistake of 
pursuing the Chinese along the beach, and the Chinese ships in the 
harbour were not slow to take advantage of it; three or four of them 
moved in as close as they could and opened fire on the pursuing 
