316                          FOREIGN     RELATIONS.

from the South Cape, and forty miles from Takow. There are a few Chinese
villages
in it. Communication with the north is generally by junk, as the path through
the
hills is not safe from attack.
   The Japanese have lately been busily, occupied in changing the position
of their
 camp. The old one was on an open level plain, that answered capitally till
the rain
 began to fall, when the unfortunate soldiers found themselves sleeping literally
in
 water. The new camp is on a line of sand-hills nearer the shore, and less
regular, but
 far more healthy and comfortable. In spite of the work and the rain, a few
small
 parties have managed to get away into the bush to try their breech-loaders
on the
 savages. Two or three men have thus fallen on both sides. Oa one occasion
such a
 large party of savages jumped out upon six Japanese that they had to run,
leaving
 one of their number on the ground. His head now decorates some savage hut.
Let
 us hope that it will be the only trophy of the kind that the savages will
gain in the
 war. The tribe against whom proceedings are carried on are supposed to be
the actual
 murderers of the Lewchewans, and are called the Bawtan, or the "peony"
savages.
 There are two American officers here, Commodore Cassell and Colonel Wasson.
Such,
 at least, is the rank which they bear while serving the Japanese. They seem
to have
 had hitherto, in an unofficial way, the general direction of the expedition;
and, unless
 they belie their reputation, they will do good service in the war. These
two gentle-
 men the other day went, unattended by an escort,-to a neighboring savage
village to
 see the chief. It had been agreed that they should meet in the open country;
but, the
 savages not appearing, the officers went on to the village. This was an
act requiring
 more nerve and real courage than some dashing exploit on the battle-field.
A peace-
 able arrangement was made, which included all the villages south of Langkiaou
 except one, which is to be-punished for some a.ct of hostility.
                                                                        
MAY 22.
   This morning early the later sleepers among us were awakened by a salute
of several
 guns. This announced the arrival of General Saigo, the commander-in-chief
of the
 expedition. He came in the Delta, which also brought 1,200 troops. A Japanese
gun-
 boat came in at the same time, and an hour or two 'afterward the Shaftesbury,
with
 600 soldiers, raising the number to about 2,500. Three thousand are expected
in all.
 The Delta is said to have been bought standing, with her fittings and stores,
and appa-
 rently officers as well, for they are all on board, though a new captain
commands her.
 A fine Chinese corvette, the Yang Woo, and a small gunboat, have also come
in, bring-
 ing three Chinese mandarins from Taiwanfoo to visit the Japanese commander-in-
 chief. With the four Japanese vessels and Her Majesty's steamship Hornet,
which
 have been here for some days, there are, therefore, ten steamers anchored
together in
 the bay.
 A small party of troops bivouacked last night in the mountains, about four
miles
 away. Early this afternoon two. men were seen coming in wounded. At the
same
 time about one hundred men hurried off to take part in the fighting. They
were in
 irregular detachments, apparently without auy officers. They went along
at a half
 run as eager and delighted as possible. Many of them were carrying their
two-handed
 swords as well as rifles. The swords are awkward enough for scrambling through
the
 bush; but the Japanese cannot bear to leave them behind, hoping that some
time or
 other they may come up with the-savages. If they do there will be fearful
work. It
 is a common sight to see men employing their leisure moments in sharpening
and re-
 sharpening their sabers or sword-bayonets. They think breech-loaders are
excellent
 weapons for fighting at a distance, but they have a most blood-thirsty longing
for
 hand-to-hand work.
                                                                        
MAY 23.
   We hear this morning that the result of yesterday's fight was fifteen
savages and six
 Japanese killed on the spot. A visit to the hospital showed ten wounded
men there,
 one, and perhaps two, mortally hurt. The Japanese brought in all their men
who
 were killed, and cut off and carried back the heads of the savages, which,
however,
 were immediately buried. One of the savages killed was a chief, and in his
pouch
 was found a quantity of percussion-caps; but he was fighting with a matchlock.
The
 work was severe. The savages generally waited under cover, rising up suddenly
and
 firing first, and then runningaway to take up a fresh position. In one place
a slight
 stockade was erected across a ravine, and a stand was made there. The Japanese
are
 extremely brave. The only fault to be found with them is that they are too
regardless
 of their own lives, preferring to rush in rather than to adopt the savage
tactics, and
 make the most of the cover.
   The Chinese inhabitants are both delighted and astonished at this slaughtering
of
 their enemies. They are on excellent terms with the "Japanese, who,
with equal jus-
 tice and wisdom, pay well for everything they want. The Chinese do not well
under-
 stand the big copper coins, but thoroughly appreciate the new silver currency.
   The Chinese mandarins came on shore to-day, at noon, to see the commander-in-chief.
 They were received by a guard of honor of two hundred soldiers. The visit
was very