On July 13, at 6:45 P.M., the Chinese made a furious attack, commencing with rifle-fire and shouts of “Kill! Kill!” This was intended to draw all the defenders into their positions, and nearly succeeded, for after a few moments the rifle-fire suddenly ceased and two mines exploded with a great report, blowing up Mr. Morisse’s house, where Dr. Von Rosthorn, Lieutenant Darcy, and Mr. Destelan, with four French sailors, were stationed. Two of the sailors were never recovered, but all the others were able to extricate themselves from the ruins with but slight injuries. Earth, stones, and dust were thrown high into the air, clouds of heavy, sulphurous smoke rose from the hole in the ground, poisoning the dust-laden air, and, at the same moment, to add to the horror of the situation, two three-inch guns opened up on the main gate house, sending in their contingent of iron hail from a distance of only eighty yards. This explosion compelled both the Austrians and French to retire about thirty yards eastward behind a cover they had already partly erected in preparation for a stubbornly contested retreat; but upon the shell-fire ceasing, the combined forces made a rush later on, drove the Chinese out of the main gateway, and reoccupied it. Never in history has there been a more stubbornly contested few acres than those occupied by the Austrians and French in the French legation compound. The buildings, however, taking fire, the French were compelled to retire again behind their intrenchment in the western part of the garden, the Austrians retreating to the chapel and earthworks connecting with the _Pavilion des Etrangers_, a small building with very thin walls. One small house was burned by the Austrians to prevent the Chinese from using it against them. At first this entire new line of defense was very weak, but it was rapidly strengthened by adding bricks and sand-bags. Yet even to the end all visitors considered it a very precarious defense. One American marine remarked, “Our place is bad enough, but this is worse.” As the Chinese barricaded themselves in the western part of the legation captured by them, they also made use of the shrubbery and trees to shield their force, and these the Austrians had to clear away under hot fire. Until July 17, day and night, the enemy in the opposite barriers poured in a steady fire, which the Austrians only returned by an occasional shot, as their ammunition had to be husbanded. The so-called truce did not last very long, for on the 23d the firing was nearly as bad as before, and at night often worse. To cut off any further mines, a trench sixty yards long and ten feet deep was dug in front of the _Pavilion des Etrangers_. As was afterward seen, the Chinese had really attempted two further mines, but for some unknown reason had given up before they were completed.