Developments at Taku and Tientsin--A strong Chinese force advancing on Taku--A council of Admirals convened on board the _Rossia_--Mines and torpedoes laid at the mouth of the Pei-ho--A defensive attitude to be adopted by the Allies--The Taku forts the key of the position--Japanese to guard the railway station--A second council on the _Rossia_--Prince Tuan--Chinese friendliness regarded with distrust by naval commanders--Remonstrances--The Governor of Chili commanded to hand over the Taku and Tongku forts--Chinese refusal--Plans for an attack--Big ships of the Allies--Gunboats up-stream--Mines laid across the bar--The U.S.S. _Monocacy_.

While the Seymour expedition was being checked up country in their attempt to reach Pekin, other important developments were taking place, both at the mouth of the river Pei-ho and in Tientsin.

A force of Chinese Imperial troops, about 2000 strong, was advancing on the Taku forts, and it was reported that Imperial troops were concentrating in the neighbourhood of this stronghold of the Chinese, evidently with the object of offering a stout resistance to the landing of any more Europeans--a resistance which, if successful, would place foreigners in Pekin and Tientsin in a very precarious position. In view of the serious events of the murder of the Japanese Chancellor of Legation, and of the appointment of Prince Tuan, the leader of the Boxers, as Commander-in-chief of the Chinese troops in China, and of three other Manchus, equally strong in their anti-foreign views as Ministers of the Yamên, a council was convened (on June 15) by the Senior Naval Officer, Vice-Admiral Hildebrant, on board the first-class cruiser _Rossia_, to consider the situation.

[Sidenote: THE KEY OF THE PEI-HO]

Evidence was produced at this council, not only that the Chinese were preparing for a hostile demonstration towards the Allies, but also that they were already attempting to destroy the railway between Tientsin and Taku, and had been observed to lay torpedoes and mines at the mouth of the Pei-ho. It was resolved that in order to preserve communication with Tientsin, prompt steps must be taken to safeguard the railway and to protect Europeans in the settlement. It was further resolved that a strictly defensive attitude must be adopted by the Allies in carrying out the above resolution, and that they should refrain to the last from taking the offensive, unless absolutely compelled to do so by an attack on the part of the Chinese, in which contingency an endeavour would be made to seize the forts, and render the enemy incapable of inflicting any damage upon our ships.

The Taku forts were the key of the position, if hostilities should break out in North China.

It was also decided that 300 Japanese marines should be at once conveyed to Tong-ku, to guard the railway station.

Matters were getting worse every moment, and another council on board the _Rossia_ was summoned the following morning (the 16th) at eleven o’clock. It was fully demonstrated that, as far as words went, the Chinese Government gave ample assurance that order and law should be maintained in the country, and the lives of foreigners and their property protected; but that when it came to facts foreigners were murdered in various parts of the country and their houses looted and burned. Even foreign officials in the capital itself were actually assassinated by soldiers of the Imperial army, while chapels, churches, mission-houses, and the property of Europeans had been or were in danger of being destroyed, even in Tientsin.

The Chinese Government had nominally raised no objection to the co-operation of foreign Powers in suppressing the Boxer movement, but, practically, every help and assistance in the shape of arms, ammunition, food, and clothes were given to the supposed rebels.

The very fact that the principal supporter of the Boxers, Prince Tuan, and three other anti-foreign Manchus, had now been placed at the head of affairs was significant enough, and quite justified the distrust with which the Naval Commanders regarded the ostensibly friendly dealings of the Chinese.

[Sidenote: AN ATTACK PLANNED]

No doubt upon this point could be left in the minds of the Allies when Imperial soldiers were observed laying torpedoes to obstruct the mouth of the river. Remonstrances were made, with no result. No alternative was left to the Admirals but to request the Governor of Chili and General Lo Yung Kwang, who commanded the Taku and Tong-ku forts, to hand over the stronghold to the Allies. Owing to the warlike preparations of the Chinese, only a limited time was allowed the Chinese General to evacuate the forts, and he was warned that, failing his compliance with their request by 2 +A.M.+ the next day (the 17th), the Allies would make a combined attack on his position.

Some officers, accompanied by a skilful interpreter, called on the Chinese General and fully explained to him how matters stood, but the Chinese held fast and refused to evacuate the forts. In the meantime thousands of soldiers coming from Shan-hai Kuan were seen entering the forts.

A council was held on board the Russian gunboat _Bobr_, at which the plans for an attack on the forts were carefully studied, and that same afternoon (the 16th), at three o’clock parties from the various ships were landed, in order to storm the forts from the land if necessary.

There were 350 British bluejackets and marines under Commander Cradock, of the _Alacrity_; 150 Russian soldiers of the _Siberian_ and _Orient_ Regiments; 130 German sailors, commanded by Captain Pohl; 50 Austrian sailors; 25 Italian sailors, commanded by Lieutenant Tanca; and 230 Japanese sailors, led by Captain Hattori.

The big ships of the Allies were some miles outside the Taku bar, while H.M.S. _Algerine_, _Fame_, and _Whiting_ (the _Algerine_ flying the Admiral’s flag), had previously proceeded up the river and taken up a position off the North fort.

The two Russian gunboats, _Bobr_ and _Giliak_, were near the dockyard in the bend of the river, and the German gunboat, _Iltis_, the French gunboat, _Lion_, and a Japanese gunboat were at Tong-ku.

These six gunboats had gone up-stream and had landed a party of Russians and Germans on the south bank of the river, while a party of British and Japanese had been landed on the opposite bank. Four Chinese torpedo-destroyers (built in Germany) were lying alongside the Taku government dockyard.

All these gunboats had steamed up the river in the morning and afternoon of the 16th, a curious incident taking place before they were despatched to their destination.

A number of junks came from the Taku fort and unconcernedly laid mines across the bar. The _Whiting_ (a twin screw torpedo-destroyer of 360 tons), in fact, in getting over the bar, touched one of these mines, which, however, did not explode.

[Sidenote: QUITE SAFE]

There was no disguising the fact that the Chinese were preparing for a fight, so at 6 in the afternoon the residents and refugees in Taku and Tong-ku received orders that within one hour they must embark for safety on the U.S.S. _Monocacy_. She was lying, well sheltered, near the coal-heaps of the railway wharf, and probably the forts would be bombarded during the night. The position of this old, rickety, paddle-wheel, wooden American gunboat was considered quite safe, and she could not be struck, in a direct line, from any of the Chinese positions--at least, so everybody believed.