622 THE CHINESE CRUISER "CHING-YUEN."

CHAPTER XV.

THE SURRENDER OF WEI-HAI-WEI.

SOON after sunrise next morning a Chinese gunboat, flying a flag of truce, was seen steaming out of the eastern entrance of the harbour. She headed forIto's flagship, the Matsushima. Fearing possible treachery, three of the Japanese torpedo boats came rushing through the water andlay between the flagship and the gunboat as the latter slowed down her engines andstoppednear the great cruiser. The gunboat was hailed, and answered that Commander Ching Peih Kwang, of the cruiser Kwang-Ping, was onboard, and was the bearer of a letter from Admiral Ting to AdmiralIto. He was told to lower a boat and come onboard the flagship with the leiter.

further harming theChinese and Westerners in the service of the army and navy of China, as well as the civilians of Wei-hai-wei. In return for thisIoffer to surrender all my warships, the forts on Liu-kung-tao, and all the warlike materialin and aboutWei-hai-wei to theEmpire of Japan." Ting endedby offering to ask that the Commander of theBritish'squadron,which now lay off the port watching the operations, should be asked to guarantee the handing over of the ships and forts, and suggesting that the Chinese soldiersand sailors should not be made prisoners, but should be allowed to return to their homes. He asked for a reply within twenty-fourhours. It proved to be a belated reply to the long letter which Ito had addressed to his brave opponentbefore the first attackson Wei-hai-wei. At the time,Tinghad not evenacknowledgedit. The letterran thus:— AdmiralIto assembled a council on board the flagship, sent word to Marshal Oyama of what had occurred, and after a brief discussion agreed to accept Ting's proposal. So for the first time for nearly a fortnight thecannon were silent on sea and shore. Commander Ching was given a letter from the Japanese admiral to take back to Ting,and with it a few courteous presents, including a box of dried fruits, a dozen of champagne, and a dozen of beer. Ito wrote to the Chinese admiral:— "I, Ting Zu Chang, Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Squadron, acknowledge having previously received a letter from Vice-Admiral Ito. This letter Ihave not answered until to-day,owing to the hostilities going on between our fleets. It had been nay intention to continue fighting until every oneof nay men-of-war was sunk and the last seaman killed. But I have reconsidered the matter, and now request a truce, hoping thereby to save man}' lives. Imost earnestly beseech you to refrain from "Ihave the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter,and to accept the proposal it contains. Ishall,accordingly, take over from you all the men-of-war, the forts, and the material of war. As to the time when this