n. They came down in force on the next
morning with no end of banners. Upon the principle that inquiring
minds should not be balked, they were allowed to come pretty
close, but then the poor things received a check, and the
beautiful silk banners were furled up and carried back to the
town.

"The next day General Staveley sent us word to come back, since
he would attack Nanjao first, but as there were nearly 1000
villagers depending upon our protection and crowding round our
camp, I was sent back with an armed party, and Captain Willes
remained in front of the town. I went back by a different road
and came on the General four miles from Nanjao. We marched on,
and halted near the town, which was reconnoitred during the
night, and the guns placed in position by 5 P.M. On the 17th we
opened fire at seven, and attacked the place. Here Admiral Protet
was killed; he was among 500 men, and was the only one struck.
The town was a wretched affair, and a good many Chang-mows
escaped. These Chang-mows are very funny people; they always run
when attacked. They are ruthlessly cruel, and have a system of
carrying off small boys under the hope of training them up as
rebels. We always found swarms of these boys who had been taken
from their parents (whom the rebels had killed) in the provinces.

"I saved one small creature who had fallen into the ditch in
trying to escape, for which he rewarded me by destroying my coat
with his muddy paws in clinging to me. I started soon after the
attack for Cholin, and got there on the 18th. The rebels had made
a _sortie_ since my departure, and had got into a pretty mess.
Willes let them come up and then advanced on them; over sixty
were killed, and several taken prisoners. The General then came.
We got our guns in position during the night, opened fire next
morning, and assaulted at seven. The place was miserable and
poor. The Armstrong guns, which enfiladed one face, did great
execution."

The fruits of these successes were lost by the signal overthrow and
practical annihilation of a large Chinese army at Taitsan. One of
General Staveley's detachments was cut off, and with his
communications threatened he found himself compelled to abandon
Kahding, and to retire towards Shanghai. Tsingpu had also to be
abandoned, and the garrison suffer