Not much remains to be said. How the Rising nearly spread to the Yangtse, but was stopped by the powerful Yangtse Viceroys, is common knowledge. A Fleet, of course, gathered at Wusung at the first sign of trouble, and a few little things are worth recording. For instance, the Chinese were completing the armament of the powerful Yangtse forts with feverish anxiety, and, on one occasion, they found some difficulty with the mounting of a 15-cm. “Krupp.” A certain officer happening to notice this, took charge of the party with the greatest assurance, and, Hey Presto! down came the whole show, much to every one’s disgust. On another occasion two midshipmen managed to crawl into the Forts, and had a good look round before they were discovered and ejected. After this, the Chinese threatened to shoot at any football parties near the Forts, and the Fleet’s playground had also to be shifted. Occasionally the Chinese navy used to show up, and it was a funny sight to see a Chinese cruiser passing up the river, with the guns of one of our armoured cruisers laid for her waterline as she passed, and following her up until out of range. An equally funny sight must have been one of our tiny river gunboats lying under the 12-in. guns of the up-river forts, pretending that she was only waiting for the big ’un to start hostilities, before knocking down the whole place. While things were still a little touchy, Chinese New Year arrived, and it was rumoured that on that night the forts would open on the fleets. Every preparation was made, but nothing happened, and eventually the fleets quietly dispersed to their respective spheres to give that much-needed leave which all their hard-worked crews so thoroughly deserved. The Naval Brigades had done their work. Who shall say it was not as satisfactory as it was important, or that the British Contingent was found wanting in any way from first to last? The same traits which have made it the envy of the World—the initiative, the daring, the dash—found ample scope in China, and were equally conspicuous there, as they have ever been elsewhere, when Duty called for their display, in upholding the glorious traditions of the Senior Service, and of our ever increasing Empire. FINIS INDEX Admirals’ Conference, 22, 306. — Decision of, 25. “Alacrity,” H.M.S. (_See_ British War Vessels.) Alexieff, Vice-Admiral (Russian), 138. “Algerine,” H.M.S. (_See_ British War Vessels.) Allied Troops, 39, 48, 59, 71, 95, 100, 115, 147, 187, 206, 220, 269, 304. — — Relative strength of, 219. American assistance, 310. — War Vessels, “Monocacy,” 31, 105. — Troops, 292. (_See also_ Allied Troops.) — — Arms and equipment of, 292. Arsenals— Hi-Kuan-Su, 47, 157, 200. — Burning of, 115. — Capture of, 146. Hsi-Ku, 47, 89, 200, 206, 213. Pei-Yang, 46, 67, 107, 153. — Taking of, 130. “Atago.” (_See_ Japanese War Vessels.) “Aurora,” H.M.S. (_See_ British War Vessels.)