They were such poor marksmen, however, that not one in a thousand of their rifle shots took effect, and the Russian losses all told amounted only to four killed and eighteen wounded.
Their outposts commanded the entire Mongol market, overlooking the southwestern wall of the British legation, and they alone commanded this district until August 5, some weeks after the active shelling had ceased, when Lieutenant Von Strauch took up a new position in the extreme north of the Mongol market, and drew some of the snipers’ fire in another direction.
The Chinese, early in the siege, planted a Krupp gun on the Chien Men or main gate of the city, and from this position of vantage shelled the minister’s house and other buildings of the legations very severely; but their aim was so bad that many of their shells passed not only over the Russian legation, but over the British legation and Su Wang Fu as well, finally falling or exploding among their own people more than a mile away from their intended target.
Doubtless more Chinese have been killed by their own shells and rifles than we have killed. As they always fired high, and completely surrounded us, the balls that have constantly whistled over our heads for two months must have fallen among themselves.
They attribute to our good shooting a large mortality that we know is a result, certainly in part, of their bad shooting. In the sortie made on the city wall the night of July 3d under Captain Myers, which resulted in capturing the Chinese barricades, several banners, and some ammunition, the Russian sailors ably seconded the United States marines.
Captain Wroublevsky on one side found it impossible to pass in, and joined the marines in forcing entrance into the other side. In this sortie Baron von Rahden was struck on the head with a brick and two sailors were wounded. Of the Americans, Captain Myers was severely wounded and two marines killed.
ON THE TOP OF CHINA’S GREAT WALL
Wall destroyed by the Russians after the Boxers got it. This picture gives a good idea of the width of the Great Wall, and looks almost like a field with vegetation growing, and the block-house or fort erected upon it. The method of reaching the top of the wall is shown by the driveway up the side, which it will be observed, is completely commanded by the block-house. This wall extends several thousand miles, and is said to represent the sacrifice of millions of lives, and labor beyond comprehension.