the Pei-ho were captured by the allied
admirals on the 17th. The situation at Tientsin nevertheless continued
precarious, and it was not till the arrival of considerable
reinforcements that the troops of the allied powers were able to assume
the offensive, taking the native city by storm on July 14th, at a cost,
however, of over 700 killed and wounded. Even in this emergency
international jealousy had grievously delayed the necessary
concentration of forces. No power was so favourably situated to take
immediate action as Japan, and the British government, who had strongly
urged her to act speedily and energetically, undertook at her request to
sound the other powers with regard to her intervention. No definite
objection was raised, but the replies of Germany and Russia barely
disguised their ill-humour. Great Britain herself went so far as to
offer Japan the assistance of the British treasury, in case financial
difficulties stood in the way, but on the same day on which this
proposal was telegraphed to Tokyo (6th of July), the Japanese government
had decided to embark forthwith the two divisions which it had already
mobilized. By the beginning of August one of the Indian brigades had
also reached Tientsin together with smaller reinforcements sent by the
other powers, and thanks chiefly to the energetic counsels of the
British commander, General Sir Alfred Gaselee, a relief column,
numbering 20,000 men, at last set out for Peking on the 4th of August, a
British naval brigade having started up river the previous afternoon.
After a series of small engagements and very trying marches it arrived
within striking distance of Peking on the evening of the 13th. The
Russians tried to steal a march upon the allies during the night, but
were checked at the walls and suffered heavy losses. The Japanese
attacked another point of the walls the next morning, but met with
fierce opposition, whilst the Americans were delayed by getting
entangled in the Russian line of advance. The British contingent was
more fortunate, and skilfully guided to an unguarded water-gate, General
Gaselee and a party of Sikhs were the first to force their way through
to the British legation. About 2 p.m. on the afternoon of the 14th of
August, the long siege was raised.

Siege of the Peking legations.

For nearly six weeks after the first interruption of communications, no
news reached the outside world from Peking except a few belated
messages, smuggle