very soon sent detachments on the other road. On the 4th Major Saito sent his company of cavalry on the Fuchow road to cut the telegraph-line: a messenger was also captured bearing despatches from Port Arthur to Fuchow announcing the approach of the Japanese. This Chinese prisoner attempted to kill himself by dashing out his brains against the stones. Major Saito, admiring his courage, informed him that the Japanese never killed their prisoners, and asked if he had a father and mother. The Chinaman was moved at these words, and answered that he had a mother who was praying day and night for his return.

On the 5th of November the Japanese came upon the first defences of the Chinese; these consisted of two forts built on hills flanking the road, and each mounted with four guns. At first the Japanese only made a reconnaissance and retired. General Yamaji being informed that the Chinese position was very strong in front, while comparatively weak on the Fuchow road, diverged towards that road with the bulk of the division; the remaining forces were partly on the Pi-tzu-wo road and partly between the two roads. The detachment which had first engaged the forts renewed the fight at noon, and firing continued until 2 P.M., when the Japanese, finding their position too disadvantageous, retired. Of course these slight checks had elated the Chinese, who considered them as victories.

During the night orders were given that a general

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attack should be made on the following morning (6th). At 4 A.M. Major Saito led his detachment over the mountains to turn the right flank of the first fort. This was reached about 6 A.M., and the Japanese stormed both forts in about half-an-hour. Major Saito himself took part in the fight, for, seeing a Chinese soldier about to fire a mine, he rushed into the fort amidst a hail of bullets and, with one blow of his sword, cleft the man's skull to the teeth.

It was probably during this engagement that the French military attaché with the Japanese troops remarked that they had manoeuvred in a way that would have been creditable to the French Alpine troops.

After the capture of the forts the Pi-tzu-wo road to Chin-chow was open. General Yamaji in the meantime had advanced from the Fuchow road, and at 8 A.M. began to plant his batteries against Chin-chow. In a short time thirty field pieces were thundering on the town. The Chinese answered with Krupp guns for about fifty minutes, when their fire stopped. General Yamaji then galloped through the ranks and ordered the assault. Chin-chow, like most towns of northern China, is a perfect square with its sides to the four points of the compass. The assault was delivered on the northern and eastern sides. The walls are 30 feet high and very steep, so the Japanese could not climb up, but the engineers were brought forward to blow up the gates. On the northern side there is the Yung-an-Men (Eternal Tranquillity Gate),

which is 50 feet high and plated with iron. Lieutenant Yanome rushed towards it, commanding the detachment which was to blow it open. Private Onoguchi carried the case of gun-cotton and advanced while the Chinese from the loop-holes were raining

bullets upon him. He was wounded in the arm, but though dripping with blood he took his burden to the gate, which was shattered to pieces by the explosion. The Japanese rushed through the gate

and right across the town to the eastern side, where they opened the gate to their companions, the Chinese in the meanwhile escaping by the western gate to Port Arthur.

During this attack there was a curious episode. Major Tseiji had advanced at first to the gate, but

finding it could not be stormed he retired about 120 yards, when he remarked on the ground a cross30 feet long. Not liking these suspicious marks he advanced again, and, the gate having been blown up, entered the city. Afterwards the engineers dug up

the place and found a mine which by its explosion might have killed nearly 100 men if the officer had not withdrawn in time. The Chinese put great faith in such contrivances, which require great labour and waste of powder, and seldom produce any effect. At the taking of Feng-Huang-cheng the Japanese had a mine exploded right in front of them, but which only killed a luckless dog. Another in the same place was exploded by lightning.

The Japanese pursued and killed some of the Chinese, who, in their hurry to escape, even threw themselves from the walls. But the fighting around Chin-chow on the 5th and 6th of November was very tame, as the Japanese had no killed, and only a few wounded. They remark themselves that it was an event unparalleled in military history, but it was surpassed by the events of the next day.

After the capture of Chin-chow the next object of attack was Ta-lien Bay, the anchorage of the Chinese navy, whose land forts protected the narrow isthmus of the Regent's Sword peninsula. As this place was considered next in importance to Port Arthur and Wei-hei-Wei, the Japanese made elaborate preparations for an attack on the morning of the 7th of November. Three detachments, each consisting of a regiment of infantry, besides cavalry and artillery, were to advance on the various forts. The soldiers, in high spirits after their victory, swore they would die rather than retire without taking the place. These noble resolutions were, however, quite unnecessary,