[Illustration: DEPARTURE OF RED CROSS NURSES FROM ST. PETERSBURG FOR THE FRONT ] [Illustration: THE CZAR REVIEWING AN INFANTRY REGIMENT ON ITS DEPARTURE FOR THE FRONT ] [Illustration: PROCESSION IN HONOR OF THE CHEMULPO SAILORS MARCHING TO THE WINTER PALACE ] The Russian sailors were treated as heroes wherever they went after their return from the disastrous engagement at Chemulpo. There were fêtes and processions in their honor at Odessa, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. A banquet was held at St. Petersburg, the officers received costly mementos and the sailors souvenirs and money rewards. The welcome was like that given to a victorious army [Illustration: TWENTY-THIRD ARTILLERY BRIGADE ABOUT TO LEAVE GATCHINA FOR THE FRONT ] [Illustration: THE CZAR BIDDING FAREWELL TO COMMANDERS ABOUT TO LEAVE FOR THE FRONT ] [Illustration: GRAND DUKE ALEXANDROVITCH LEADING HIS MARINES IN REVIEW BEFORE THE CZAR PREVIOUS TO LEAVING ST. PETERSBURG ] [Illustration: CAPTAIN VIEDUSTOIPE OF AUSTRIA AND HIS WIFE SURROUNDED BY RUSSIAN OFFICERS ] [Illustration: ASCENT OF RUSSIAN BALLOON WITH GENERAL WARINOWSKY IN THE CAR ] INTERNATIONAL BALLOON CONTEST AT ST. PETERSBURG CHAPTER IV WITH THE JAPANESE IN KOREA Having secured a safe landing-place at Chemulpo, Japan poured troops into Korea and along the old Peking Road through Seoul to Ping-Yang and on to the northward toward the Yalu. Russia abandoned all hope of effective aggression by sea with her crippled fleet, and, except for the elusive Vladivostok squadron of four powerful cruisers, Japan was free to rush her troops into Korea. Russia bent all her energies toward hurrying her levies and supplies into Manchuria. Seoul was occupied and the Russian minister invited to leave. He complied at once. Moving at the rapid pace of from fifteen to twenty-five miles a day, the mobile Japanese pushed on to Ping-Yang. No opposition was met with, the native Koreans staring dumbly at the invaders without much curiosity and with no desire to make resistance. The march from Seoul to Ping-Yang was made along the ancient road to Peking, which was a quagmire most of the distance, crowded with cavalry, infantry, pack-trains, bullock-carts, and long trains of white-clad natives burdened with bags of provisions, plodding knee-deep through slush and mud. Half-frozen at night, stumbling and slipping all day, each soldier carrying sixty pounds of equipment, this infantry column swept along at a speed of from fifteen to twenty-five miles a day. That such speed was possible was due to the lightness of the Japanese baggage and wagon equipment, which had been specially prepared for the heavy Korean and Manchurian roads.