s of the historical Treaty of
Tientsin being practically, and not merely formally, adhered to.

By the middle of the year 1860, the ten thousand men that comprised the
English contingent, under the leadership of Sir Hope Grant, had
assembled at Chusan, all ready for the campaign.

They were not joined here by the French under General Montauban, who
mustered only seven thousand bayonets, until some weeks later, our
allies being very dilatory in their movements.

On the 1st August, this imposing force, a joint army seventeen thousand
strong, which was conveyed up the Gulf of Pechili in no less a number
than a hundred and twenty transports, escorted by the French and English
fleets, that totalled over ninety sail, landed at Pahtang, some ten
miles to the north of the Peiho river. Here, their disembarkation was
not interfered with, our old friends the Chinese expecting us to make
another assault on the Taku Forts, that had before repulsed us, which
they had rendered much stronger in the months that had since elapsed.

But "once bitten twice shy" was our motto; and, by making a march across
country, we defeated a large army, mainly composed of Tartar cavalry, on
the way, our redcoats, in company with the battalions of Monsieur
Pantalou, made short work of the Chinese "braves."

The advance of the allies, indeed, was like a triumphal march; for we
reached the rear of the Taku Forts on the night of the 20th August and
took the formidable works by storm on the following morning, putting the
defenders to flight and revenging our bloody defeat a year and two
months after that tragic event.

The English and French forces then pursued their victorious march
towards Tientsin, with the intention of penetrating to the capital of
the emperor, should their just demands not be conceded without any
further delay, as well as a heavy indemnity paid for the expense we had
been put to by the evasions and treachery of the Manchurian monarch;
but, I am not able to speak of my own knowledge of the further progress
of the expedition after they had blown up the old forts and thrown open
the entrance to the Peiho.

An adventure happened to me, which not only prevented me from sharing in
the campaign, but very nearly put a stop to any possibility of my ever
telling this yarn.

This adventure I will now relate. As soon as the obstructions across
the mouth of the river, which had previously foiled us, had been removed
by working parties of