The
March Was Continued Without Molestation To A Point Beyond The Village Of
Matow, But When Sir Hope Grant Approached A Place Called Chan-Chia-Wan He
Found Himself In Presence Of A Large Army.
This was the first sign of any
resolve to offer military opposition to the invaders since the capture of
The Taku forts, and it came to a great extent in the manner of a surprise,
for by a special agreement with Mr. Parkes the settlement of the
difficulty was to be concluded at Chan-chia-wan in an amicable manner.
Instead, however, of the emperor's delegates, the English commander found
Sankolinsin and the latest troops drawn from Pekin and beyond the wall in
battle array, and occupying the very ground which had been assigned for
the English encampment.
The day before the English commander perceived that he was in face of a
strong force Mr. Parkes and some other officers and civilians had been
sent ahead with an escort of Sikh cavalry to arrange the final
preliminaries with the imperial commissioners at Tungchow, both as to
where the camp was to be pitched and also as to the interview between the
respective plenipotentiaries of the opposing powers. This party proceeded
to Tungchow without encountering any opposition or perceiving any
exceptional military precautions. Troops were indeed observed at several
points, and officers in command of pickets demanded the nature of their
business and where they were going, but the reply "To the Commissioners"
at once satisfied all inquiries and opened every barrier.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 483 of 704
Words from 131341 to 131596
of 191255
