In a letter addressed the same day to Jung Lu, the substance of Sir Claude’s previous letters was repeated, and a suggestion was made that communications would be facilitated if a responsible official were sent to the legation. In response to this suggestion, a yamen secretary arrived this afternoon with a card from Jung Lu. He had no special message, but promised to see whether Peking “Gazettes” could be procured and a market established for ice, fruit, eggs, etc., and also to ascertain whether telegrams could be transmitted on behalf of the foreign ministers to their governments. He mentioned that telegraphic communication was interrupted. He expressed the concern of the Chinese government at the deeds of the Boxers, who had caused the whole difficulty between China and the foreign powers.
July 19. A very quiet day. No firing on either side. About two hundred and fifty eggs and a few vegetables were brought in by Chinese soldiers for sale. The yamen sent another message asking that the ministers leave here for Tientsin.
July 20. Several copies of the Peking “Gazette” of the past month were procured from the Chinese. Translations of a number of edicts contained therein are given in another chapter. The ministers replied to the yamen’s request of yesterday, saying that, as the Boxers were so numerous outside the city, they would not dare to trust themselves on the road. Four cart-loads of watermelons and vegetables were sent to the ministers by the yamen as a sign of good feeling (?). No firing all day, except for a few shots fired by Boxers in the south city against our men on the wall.
July 24. Mr. Narahara, second secretary of the Japanese legation, died in the early morning, of lockjaw from a wound.
Same date, 7 p.m. The following was received from Colonel Shiba: “A Chinaman who came to our barricade this afternoon says that on the 17th of this month Yangtsun was occupied by the foreign troops, and on the 19th a battle took place around the same place. About one hundred and fifty wounded of Tung Fu Hsiang’s troops have just been brought to Peking; the foreign troops were about forty li this side of Yangtsun when the wounded men started.”
July 26. Colonel Shiba reports: “A Chinaman states that about 11 o’clock on the 24th instant the Chinese troops under General Chang were attacked by foreign troops thirty li south of Hoshiwu (half-way between Tientsin and here by road) and driven back at midnight to the latter place. At 10 a.m. yesterday Hoshiwu was attacked, and the Chinese troops driven back with heavy loss to ten li north of the latter place. The force of 4,800 men who came from the west with nine guns left Peking at 6 o’clock yesterday morning for Hoshiwu.”
Since the beginning of the truce, on July 18, the soldiers of Jung Lu have observed the truce and refrained from firing; but those fronting us on the north wall and on the west of the legation have started sniping again. The latter are Tung Fu Hsiang’s troops.
July 25. Chin Tsu-hsi, a messenger who left our lines eight days ago carrying an official letter to Jung Lu, returned to-day. He says that he delivered the letter at Jung Lu’s headquarters, and was locked up there seven days. Jung Lu goes to court every day. The Emperor and Empress Dowager are still in the city. Boxers patrol the streets in small bands.