THE EVE OF THE BATTLE. 555 volunteers swam the river under fireandbrought back five largejunks from the other side. Thus the attention of the Chinese was riveted on the immediate neighbourhood of Ping-yang, and they knew nothing of the passage of the river near its mouth by the main body. This was a tedious operation extendingover three days, for the river was 1,000 yards wide,its muddy banks werenot easy of access, and the number of boats available wasinsufficient for rapid transit.

the 15th, the day originally fixed for the attack. On the afternoon of September 14thNodzu sent orders to Oshima to continue to engage the enemy's attention during the following day, but to postpone the real attack till the 16th. Unfortunately there were no means of communicating this counter-order to Sato and Tachimi. Though they were so close at hand, connection had not been established with them either by messengers or signallers. The commanders of the other columns only knew that they must be not far off to the northward. With a more enterprising enemy than the Chinese this want of connection between the columns might have had fatal consequences. As it was, General Oshima saw the obviousdanger of deferring the attack, and, " in acknowledging the receipt of the order, pointed out that, in all probability, the Gensan and Sak-riong detachments would attack on the 15th as previously arranged,and that if this were the case he would feel bound to give them all the assistance he could, especially as the main column would be unable to cooperate."

The small column,advancing from Sak-riong under General Tachimi, crossed the Tatung River some miles above Ping-yang on the 13th, after dispersing by long-range rifle volleys a Chinese detachment that tried to hold the opposite bank. On the 14th Tachimi's vanguard came in sight of Ping-yang, but he kept his men concealed in the hills to the north of the town. Colonel Sato, with the Gensan column, was near at hand on Tachimi's right. Duringhis advance,Sato had only encountered some small cavalry detachments of the enemy. On the eveningof the 14th the Japanese forces were thus close in toPing-yang;but theChinese system of outposts was so hopelessly bad that they were only aware of the presence of Oshima's brigade, which they took to be the vanguard of the main attack, coming as they expectedfrom the south.

The night was fine and clear, the full moon shining brightly in the sky. An hour before dawn Oshima, who was eager to attack at all hazards, hadgot his men ready to advance, and at half-past four his guns renewed the bombardment of the southern forts. From the hills to thenorthward beyond the river could be heard the booming of another cannonade. Tachimi and Sato were in position, and as soon as Oshima's guns opened fire they had brought their batteries into action, and had begun to form their infantry for the attack. Oshima in his turn, on hearing their fire, ordered his brigade to advance against the Chinese forts, and so in the grey dawn of September 15th tlae battle of Ping-yangbegan.

On the night of the 14th, the eve of the battle,the position andstrength of the Japanese forces were:— (A) South-east of Ping-yang on left bank of the Tatung.— General Oshima's brigade (five battalionsofinfantry, a squadron of cavalry,and two batteries of artillery ;the infantry of this brigade had not yet received all their reserve men);totalstrength, 3,500 menandtwelveguns.

(B) On the right bank, north of Ping-yang.— (1) On the left, General Tachimi's column (two battalions, one battery, two troops of cavalry) ; totalstrength, 2,160 men and six guns. (2) On the right, Colonel Sato's column (three battalions,one troop, two batteries);total strength, 3,640men and twelveguns.

As soon as the firingcommenced,GeneralYeh andhis staff went to the gaily-painted pagoda at the north gate. His banner,of bright crimson cloth, twelve feet square,and bearing his name in huo-e characters, hung over the outer wall. Close by he had a largebody of Manchu cavalry ready to charge out on the Japanese if they failed in their attack. He had about 2,500 men in the works on the left bank, 3,600 in the northern defences, and about 6,000 of LiHung Chang's drilledtroopsholding the town walland the southern defences near the river.

(C) Onthe rightbank, south-westof 'FHng-yang. — General Nodzu with the main body (four battalions, two squadrons, two batteries); total strength, 5,400 men and twelve guns.

Thus the entire force available for the attack amounted to about 14,000 men with forty-two guns. But on account of the long delay in the crossing of the TatungRiver the greater part of General Nodzu'scolumn was so far away that it could not hope to come into action till late on Oshima's attack on the forts of the left bank was intended to be a mere feint,but such was the eagerness ofboth men and officers that they