A DOG ENVOY.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 27 June 1901, Page 4

A DOG ENVOY.

Sir C. Macdonald on Pekin's Narrow Escape.

The official diary of Sir Claude Mac. donald on the siege of Pekin has just been published as a Parliamentary paper. It, of course, easily holds the field as the best military record yet published, and in even picturesque. There are several amusing points. It is known that the Chinese, who showed remarkable military aptitude, and were almost as " slim " as the Boers, actually got two big guns on the top of the Imperial City wall. •' How they succeeded," says Sir C. Macdonald, " in getting them up to their position it was difficult to ascertain, for the wall was 20ft. high and only 3ft thick "

At another time a round shot fell into the little central garden " where tho children were playing at Boxers and barricades, sorties, and mimic warfare generally."

So close were the rival barricades that " amenities in the shape of bricks, stones, and water melon rinds were freely exchanged." Here is a picturesque touch : " During the early days of the armistice, from their barricades on the east of the Fu, the Chinese adopted a novel way of communicating with the Japanese defenders. One day a large dog trotted into the Japanese barricade with a note tied round its neck. This was from the Chinese general commanding in that quarter, pointing out the futility of further defence, and recommending unconditional surrender. A reply, declining the suggestion in somewhat forcible terms, was tied on the dog's neck, with which it trotted back.

'•This was repeated several times, the advisability of surrender being urged with greater insistance aach time. The answer varied only in the strength of their language. Latters demanding and suggesting surrender were also tied to arrows and shot into the Japanese lines." Sir Claude says that "had the Chinese pressed on after July 13 with the same pertinacity they showed up to that date, they would have captured both positions by July 20 at the latest." Finally Lord Lansdowne expresses at length the warmest thanks of his Majesty's Government both to Sir Claude and Lady Macdonald for tho part they took in the siego. It is indeed a generous and ungrudging tribute.