to attack the east
gate on the following day. His object was that he had written to
the Futai Li, who had in turn passed the statement on to Peking,
to say that he had his stockades on the edge of the ditch, and
merely wanted a boat to get into the city. This he showed by a
plan. The east gate looked, if possible, more unpromising than it
did before, and I declined to attack it without reconnoitring the
other side of the city. Accordingly, the next day, 29th May, I
went in the _Hyson_ with General Ching and Li Hung Chang to
reconnoitre the west side, and after three hours' steaming came
within 1000 yards of the main canal, which runs from the west
gate of Quinsan to Soochow. At the junction of the creek we came
up with this main canal at the village of Chunye. This place is
eight miles from Quinsan, and twelve from Soochow. The only road
between these two places runs along the bank of the creek. The
rebels had here on its bank two stockades of no great strength,
and about 500 yards inland, they had, near the village of Chunye,
a very strong stone fort. About 1000 yards from the stockades the
creek was staked across. At the time of our arrival large numbers
of troops were passing towards and from Soochow with horsemen,
etc. We opened fire on them and on their boats. The rebels seemed
perfectly amazed at seeing us, and were ready for a run. General
Ching was as sulky as a bear when he was informed that I thought
it advisable to take these stockades the next day, and to attack
on this side of the city.

"At dawn on 30th May the 4th Regiment, 350 strong, with field
artillery, all in boats and _Hyson_, accompanied by some fifty
Imperial gunboats, started for Chunye. The Imperial gunboats
started some hours previous, but had contented themselves with
halting one and a half miles from the stockades. The whole
flotilla--some eighty boats, with their large white sails and
decorated with the usual amount of various-coloured flags, with
the _Hyson_ in the middle--presented a very picturesque sight,
and must have made the garrison of Quinsan feel uncomfortable, as
they could see the smallest move from the high hill inside the
city, and knew, of course, more than we did of the importance of
the stockades about to be attacked.

"At noon we came up t