ored, which did not
take place till the gates of the city were about to be blown in. The
Chinese were compelled to pay L10,000 for each European and L500 for
each native soldier captured, in addition to having their famous Summer
Palace, valued by some at the almost fabulous sum of L4,000,000,
destroyed.

* * *

Gordon at this time was adjutant of engineers at Chatham, a post a good
deal esteemed by officers of his rank. He had lost the opportunity of
seeing active service in India, but he was determined that it should be
no fault of his if he were not sent out to China. He resigned his
appointment at Chatham, an act which greatly annoyed his father and
many of his friends. Even a high official in the War Office considered
that he was damaging his prospects for life; whereas it turned out that
by going to China he got that opportunity of exercising his talents and
displaying his abilities which he might otherwise never have met with.
Not leaving England till the 22nd of July 1860, he was too late to take
part in the principal action, the taking of the Taku Forts, which were
assaulted on the 21st August. He writes to his mother from Hong-Kong,
"I am rather late for the amusement, which will not vex you." He
arrived at Tientsin on September 26th, and marched with Sir Hope
Grant's force to Pekin. The following is his description of the only
part he was allowed to take before the Chinese surrendered:--

"We were sent down in a great hurry to throw up works and batteries
against the town, as the Chinese refused to give up the gate we
required them to surrender before we would treat with them. The
Chinese were given until noon on October 13 to give up the Anting
gate. We made a lot of batteries, and everything was ready for the
assault of the wall, which is battlemented and forty feet high, but
of inferior masonry. At 11.30 P.M. on the 12th, however, the gate
was opened, and we took possession; so our work was of no avail."

The English and French armies left Pekin on November 8th, a little over
three weeks after the fall of the city, and returned to Tientsin, to
take up their quarters for the ensuing cold weather. Captain Gordon was
the senior engineer officer left behind, and he remained till the
spring of 1862, performing the ordinary engineer duties of providing
accommodation for men and horses. During his stay at Tientsin there is
little of any int