As will be seen from the accompanying diagram of the British legation, the eastern side and the southern side required no watches kept so long as the Japanese retained possession of the Su Wang Fu and the Russians and Americans held the wall and Legation street. But the Hanlin Yuan in the north and the entire western wall covered long stretches of space that required a constant watch to be kept, as the Chinese were intrenched in numerous and heavy barricades in their front, from which they maintained a constant fire from rifles, Krupp guns and smooth-bore cannon. Until the 18th of July the cannons boomed from morning until night, sending their solid shot and shrieking shells into our midst, tearing the brick houses to pieces, and crushing the tiles on the roof to fine powder, at the same time sending their fragments in every direction. The very shortness of range prevented their dropping with any force, and saved us much damage; and when the muzzles of their pieces were raised to pass over the first row of buildings, which they had failed to batter down, the projectiles flew harmlessly over our heads. The building that has suffered most has been the constable’s house, in the south stables. This place has borne the brunt of most of the attacks made upon the British legation and is literally converted into a sieve. Under the direction of Mr. F. D. Gamewell all the walls of the legation have been so strengthened, often to a thickness of eight feet, that one is perfectly safe behind them, except at the loopholes, and in these large bricks are kept, except when the openings are being used for observation or firing. The Chinese have been remarkably bad marksmen, and have usually fired by holding their guns up so that the point barely projected above their barricades, and then, pressing the trigger, immediately withdrawing the gun, having never ventured their lives in the least. But this method of firing does no damage. Thousands upon thousands of bullets have been sent whistling far over our heads. Doubtless when we hear the history of the outside we will learn of hundreds having been killed and wounded a long way from the legation district. [Illustration: A Chinese cart] On July 5 Mr. David Oliphant, of the legation staff, while serving in the Hanlin Yuan, was shot in the abdomen and died from shock and internal hemorrhage in about an hour. Brief mention of his death has previously been made. He was born on July 12, 1876, and had been three years in the consular service. Passing first in his examination, he soon showed a special aptitude for acquiring the Chinese language, so much so that when he finished his term of student interpreter he was retained to work as consular assistant in the chancery of the British legation. Here his services have been appreciated most highly by those under whom he worked, and his loss is a most grievous blow to all those who came officially in contact with him.