at disarranged the rudder, and then we were
dodging about from side to side for some ten minutes, the firing
and cheering going on as before. At last we got up to the
junction of the creek, and steaming through the Imperial, and
other boats, we came on the scene of action. The gunboats were
drawn up in line, and were firing as fast as they could. The
stone fort at the village was sparkling with musketry, and at
times astounding yells burst forth from it. The _Hyson_ blew her
whistle, and was received with deafening cheers from the
gunboats, which were on the eve of bolting. She steamed up the
creek towards Quinsan, and at the distance of 200 yards we saw a
confused mass near a high bridge. It was too dark to distinguish
very clearly, but on the steamer blowing the whistle the mass
wavered, yelled, and turned back. It was the garrison of Quinsan
attempting to escape to Soochow, some seven or eight thousand
men.

"Matters were in too critical a state to hesitate, as the mass of
the rebels, goaded into desperation, would have swept our small
force away. We were therefore forced to fire into them, and
pursue them towards Quinsan, firing, however, very rarely, and
only when the rebels looked as if they would make a stand. The
steamer went up to about a mile from Quinsan, and then returned.
Several officers landed and took charge of the prisoners who were
extended along the bank, and at 4 A.M., 31st May, everything was
quiet. The _Hyson_ had fired some eighty or ninety rounds during
the day and night; and although humanity might have desired a
smaller destruction, it was indispensably necessary to inflict
such a blow on the garrison of Soochow as would cause them not to
risk another such engagement, and thus enable us to live in peace
during the summer--which it indeed did, for the rebels never came
on this road again. Their loss must have been from three to four
thousand killed, drowned, and prisoners. We took 800, most of
whom entered our ranks. They lost all their arms and a very large
number of boats. At 5 A.M. on 31st May the troops at Chunye and
the _Hyson_ moved towards Quinsan, and found the remainder of the
force who had been left at the east gate already in the city. The
possession of Quinsan was of immense importance in a strategical