until everyone felt the task the admiral had attempted, with
his comparatively weak force, in attacking such formidable defences, was
doomed to failure; although not a single man thought of abandoning the
struggle or confessing, as was the case, that we were "licked!"

But, it could not be much further prolonged; for, at six o'clock, the
_Kestrel_ had been sunk, fighting her guns to the last, the _Lee_
obliged to run on the mud to prevent her meeting a like fate; while the
_Plover_ and _Opossum_, which were still in the van, had been pretty
well knocked out of shape.

The _Cormorant_ was ahead of us all, with the sorely wounded admiral
lying bleeding in his cot on her deck, our gallant chief persisting in
watching the battle to its bitter end, in spite of being compelled from
absolute exhaustion to give up the immediate command of the squadron to
his senior officer, Captain Shadwell; though it was as much as the
gunboat could do to keep her prominent position, in face of the terrible
fire on her front and flanks.

To retreat, however, was impossible then, as there was not water enough
in the river for the vessels that still floated to recross the bar
before midnight; besides which, if they attempted to move off while
daylight lasted, they would be exposed to the risk of greater loss from
the terrible fire from the batteries which was certain to be hailed on
them.

Under the desperate circumstances of the case, therefore, it was
determined by the senior officer, who acted in concert with the other
captains present, that a bold stroke should be attempted to save the
honour of the day, which was to try and carry the forts by assault--a
"forlorn hope" in every sense of the word!

No sooner was this desperate expedient resolved on than it was gallantly
set about, the boats filled with the marines and small-arms men, who yet
remained below the barrier at the river mouth being brought to the
front--an operation in which we were generously aided by Commodore
Tatnall, of the United States steam frigate the _Toeywan_, which had
been lying off the Peiho for some time, out of the line of fire.

"Great Scott!" cried this noble-hearted American to his officers as he
saw our poor fellows pulling up the heavily-laden launches and cutters
against stream, under the withering fire of the batteries, with a sort
of dogged resolution, determined to do or die, giving the boats a
friendly tow to the nearest point of land and approaching