THE CHINO-JAPANESE WAR, 1804—95. 556 pushed it home, and actually got possession of some of the outworks, in the first dash made before the sun rose. But for hours they made no further progress. The Chinese, armed with Mausers and well supplied with cartridges, kept up a heavy fire, andonly for the advantage that their well-served artillerygave them they would Meanwhile, Tachimi and Sato's columns had been more successful in their attack on the northern forts, five in number, three in the outer line and two others nearer the city, the larger of the twocrowning theMount ofPeonies famous as the scene of Konishi's defeat three hundred years ago. The first fort wasrushed in HIRADA SC\LING THE WALL ON THE NORTH SIDE OF PING-YANG {see fi. 558) PRIVATE 'From a Japanese Sketch.)

have been driven back. As it was, they were barely able to hold their ground, and at one moment the outlook was so doubtful that oneof the regimentsburiedits colours lest they should fall into the hands of tlae Chinese. The only portionof Oshima's command thatobtained any decided success was a detachment of two companies underMajor Okuyama,which crossed the river below tlae town, in order to get in touch with Nodzu and the main attack, and succeeded in setting fire to the straw-roofed houses of the southern suburbs of Ping-yang.

the twilight ; the second, after being heavily bombarded, was stormed at half-past seven, and the third was takenhalfanhourlater. Covered by their artillery, which was well placed amors the pines on the ridges to thenorth of the city, the Japanese now advanced against the two inner forts. The Chinese abandoned the smaller of them, and tlae Peony Fort was stormed at half-past eight, the Japanese, to use their own expression, swarming up three sides of the hill like ants. The guns were then brought up to the Mount of Peonies and opened on the city