overed 13 miles. So deep was the mud in parts that when, owing to the
rotten harness giving way, a mule would occasionally lurch forward
suddenly and walk away by itself, the body of the cart would be left
floating on the surface. One cart was pulled completely off its axles by
a squad of men, and slid along admirably for a considerable distance.
Seventy Chinese wheelbarrows, however, obtained from a Japanese depot,
rendered invaluable aid on this day. Tsimo, the halting-place, was
reached in the evening, and next day, after the first ten miles, saw
plain sailing. A few days later, on October 30, after the Sikhs had
rested and recovered, the whole British force, now some 1,500 strong,
moved up to the front in readiness for the bombardment of Tsing-tao,
which had been arranged to begin next morning in celebration of the
birthday of the Mikado. Siege artillery, 150 pieces, including six
28-cm. howitzers and some heavy naval guns, had now been brought up and
placed in position. The shelling was timed to start, in royal salute, at
dawn.

[Sidenote: Oil-tanks blaze.]

Men who, stationed upon Prince Heinrich Hill, could look below upon the
doomed town, athwart the narrowing peninsula, with the sea, studded with
grey warships, surrounding, had before them a wonderful spectacle as the
morning sun, rising from the Pacific, slowly dispersed the darkness. The
thunder of the great guns broke suddenly upon that stillness which only
dawn knows, and their discharges flashed redly on the darkling slopes.
The Japanese shooting, it is related, displayed remarkable accuracy,
some of the first projectiles bursting upon the enormous oil-tanks of
the Standard Oil Company and the Asiatic Petroleum Company. A blaze
roared skywards, and for many hours the heavens were darkened by an
immense cloud of black petroleum smoke which hung like a pall over the
town. Shells passing over these fires drew up columns of flame to a
great height. Chinese coolies could be seen running before the spreading
and burning oil. Fires broke out also on the wharves of the outer
harbour, in which during the day a gunboat, apparently damaged fatally
by a shot which carried away her funnel, disappeared. The redoubts and
infantry works particularly were heavily bombarded. On the left of the
German line 100 Chinese in the village of Tao-tung-chien were
unfortunately caught by shell-fire directed on the redoubt close at
hand, while the fort of Siao-chau-shan, near by, was