, yet with 1000 good Chinese troops Gordon routed more than
20,000 of them.

Chung Wang had begun his march towards Chanzu, but after some slight
successes met with a rude repulse at Monding, where he also lost the
steamer _Kajow_, which was sunk by an accidental explosion. He then
established his headquarters at Wusieh, a place on the Grand Canal,
about twenty-five miles north of Soochow. Here he hoped to effect some
diversion that might relieve the increasing pressure on Soochow
itself.

In the meantime that pressure had greatly increased, owing to the
bolder measures to which Gordon resorted after the European contingent
abandoned the Taeping side. His first step was to attack and capture
the stockades at Wuliungchow, a village two miles west of Patachiaou,
which commanded a passage leading from the Taiho Lake to the south
gate of Soochow. Gordon managed to conceal the real object of his
attack from the Taepings, and to capture the stockades with little
loss. The wet weather and the unexpected nature of the attack
explained this easy success, for the stockades were strong and well
placed. Chung Wang returned from Wusieh with the special object of
retaking them, but he was repulsed with some loss, and then hurried
back to that place. A few days later part of Gordon's force, under
Major Kirkham, was sent to Wokong, which was again being threatened by
the Taepings, and obtained a brilliant success, capturing 1300
prisoners and not fewer than 1600 boats, including sixteen gunboats.

Having achieved this success on the south, Gordon proceeded with his
plans to secure an equally advantageous position on the north side. He
left two regiments at Wuliungchow, which he greatly strengthened, and
with the remainder he went to Waiquaidong, where he proposed to
deliver his attack on the Leeku stockades, only a short distance in
front of the north gate of Soochow. This operation was carried out
with complete success, and it was promptly followed up by the capture
of the rebel positions at Wanti, which enabled the forces round
Soochow to join hands with the other considerable Imperial army that
had been placed in the field by the energy of Li Hung Chang, and
entrusted to the command of his brother, San Tajin. This last force
was opposed to Chung Wang, but although numerically the stronger, the
want of the most rudimentary military knowledge in its commander
reduced this army of 20,000 men to inglorious inaction. At this stage
of