During the night the guard at the Belgian legation was attacked, but beat off the Chinese. A patrol caught some suspicious people, who were handed over to the Chinese authorities. A part of the French detachment assisted them in their night watches at the barracks. On June 20, the detachment was ready for marching, to escort Dr. and Mrs. von Rosthorn, as no notice had been given to Dr. von Rosthorn of the ministers’ new decision not to leave. On arriving, about 3 P.M., at the French legation, Dr. von Rosthorn was shown by Mr. Pichon a letter from the tsung-li-yamen to the ministers, promising them protection. Upon this, Dr. von Rosthorn returned with the detachment to the Austrian legation. While all the posts were being reoccupied, and the bluejackets began to re-erect the fortifications, which had been pulled down before leaving to prevent the Chinese from using them, Tung Fu Hsiang’s soldiers, who were well hidden in the neighboring houses, opened a fierce firing from two sides at about 3.30 P.M. The Austrian legation being entirely exposed, and untenable against any serious attack, it had been understood that the _chargé d’affaires_ and the detachment were to retreat to the French legation. This was done under a galling fire, but there was only one man wounded. The Austrians immediately hastened to a position in the barrier erected by the French some one hundred yards south of the customs compound. From that day they defended with the French the French legation. The Austrian legation, after having been looted, was burned by the Chinese on June 21. On June 22, the fire extended to the houses on both sides of the barricade, and the latter had to be left. Another one was built near the corner of Customs and Legation streets commanding Customs street. On June 22, owing to a false alarm, the Italian, French, and German legations were left, but were almost immediately reinhabited, with the exception of the Italian legation, which was already burning, as was also their wall of defense commanding the east end of Legation street. From that date Captain von Montalman directed the fighting of both the French and the German legations, Sir Claude MacDonald having at that time been elected by the ministers as their commander-in-chief. The attacks on the French legation were, from the beginning, extremely vehement, as the Chinese fully recognized the high importance of its position. Had it been lost, the German legation, the Hotel de Peking, and the Su Wang Fu would have been no longer tenable. The Austrians shared in all the various services which the garrison of the French legation had to perform. A strong barricade was built to command East Legation street, and a sort of block-house was erected at the main gate. Together with the French and Germans several successful dashes were made in the neighborhood, killing and wounding a number of Chinese each time.