Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-29
BESlEGED IN PEKIN.
Extract From American Girls Diar,
of That Exciting ENperiencc.

Extract From American Girls Diary
of That Exciting Experience.
Miss Cecile f. Payen In the Century
June 90. Sir Robert Hart director of
customs) makes us call every day. He
says we cheer him up, although we do not
stop our sewing. We look forward to his
visits, for he is full of anecdote tells us
about the Chinese and recites poetry of his
own composition.
July B. This morning. at 3 o'clock. Capt.
Myers. with fifteen Americans. twenty-five
British and fifteen Russians, took the enc
my's strongest barncade on the wall. IL
was an exceedingly bold and daring act.
which meant life or death to US all. IL
they had failed would have had to give
up not only the wall. but also the Ameri-
can legation. The Chinese had built their
barbados so close to ours on the wall that
they were throwing bricks and stones in
upon our men. Capt. Myers was wounded
by spear in the feshy part OF the leg.
They had placed their spears that. in
case of a rush, running up against them
was unavoidable
July T. We Americans In this house are
about as well off as anybody in the COM
pound-more fortunate than many by still
having some of our servants. Mrs. Con-
gers family have two rooms. We six la
dies sleep IN one room on the floor ION mat
tresses. which We roll up against the wall
in the daytime), surrounded by trunks,
boxes. canned fruit, etc. The other room
We use as an eating and living uGom, ana
at night two mattresses are laid on the
floor for Mr.. Conger and DR. Martin. A
table about four feet square holds lie
dishes, while We sit wherever can. hold
ing our plates in laps. with cups and
glasses placed on the floor. picnic fashion.
All napkins have been turned into sand
bags Mrs Squiers has two rooms for her
self, her children and her guest Miss Con-
dit-Smith. One room they for dining
al
night they put two mattresses on the floor.
The other room is used for the children.
Mr.. and Mrs. cambridge have one room.
DIR. Coltman. wife and six children sleep,
eat. dress and live in room. The Colt
mans do their cooking on their own stove.
which is placed in the yard, and the three
other families have to take turns in doing
their cooking stove.
July H. The firing did not cease all
night. During the worst Of 1t coolies
brought lot Of flour and meal in here
which they had been making over in the
Pekin Hotel. Mr.. Chamaut, a Belgian,
think, has been running this hotel for three
years. His wife is from San Francisco.
They are both fearless. They have set up
grinding mills and make all our flour and
bake the bread. which is made of coarse
brown flour. and sours very quickly. MIR.
and Mrs. Chamaut are heroes. 1t is pic
ture to see them drive into the compound.
They have to come quite little way along
legation street, across the bridge and along
the moat which, of course is within our
Mrs. Chamaut sits in the cart, gun in hand.
while Mr.. Chamaut sits out on the shafts
Ia cart holds conveniently only per-
SOM. both smiling and happy with no
signs of fear their faces.
July "A. This is Mrs. Conger's birthday,
Each of us presented her with a little gift.
! made for her a water-color sketch Of the
house we are now living in, which was ex-
ecuted under considera BILE firing. 1t is also
the birthday of the Emperor of China to
whom We send our blessings, and fervent
ones at that.
1t should be explained with regard to oui
food supplies that in retres ting to the Brit
ish legation each family carried in its pri-
waite provisions, and use was also made Of
cation street Mr.. Conger's head boy,
Wang. procured a lot of pigeons On our
way in. June 20. we passed a hock of about
MY sneep' which were taken into the
compound. There were also fourteen cows
These animals were killed first, with the
exception of few sheep. kept for the sick.
for morse meat we had about fifty mules
and perhaps thirty horses, the latter con-
slst1ng mostly of Sir Claude Macdonald's
race horses. One day toward the end five
horses were killed before one was found fl
10 eat as the horses had become diseased.
few pet saddle horses We're brought in
from the other legations. On August l3
the day before the troops arrived. Miss
fierce riding horse was dispatched. Miss
Congers was to have been offered I'D the
next day, but, to its owners great low was
one OF six that survived the siege.
August IA, 10 a-m.-We passed the most
dreadful night Of the whole siege. We were
grouped together closely as possible and
mao to yell at the top of our voices to make
ourselves heard. 1t is one of the mys-
terles OF the siege that We are still of lnis
world. We had our five cannon going md
many large guns were being fired upon us
from the imperial wall. At O'Clock eve~y-
scdy was up. There was welcome sound
lar OFT. making feel that relief was
near, or many would have collapsed (.
TINS terrible moment One German was
Killed, and Mitchell, our crack gunner was
badly wounded during the night Poor fell
low. he has been so brave, and we are so
proud OF him that it is too bad that a
should become disabled just when relief is
at hand.
can be distinctly heard; 1t is like distant
roar Of continual thunder. Everybody in
this compound is SO excited that we hardly
know what We are doing.
August Il. a.m.-Joy, joy! Saved at
last! Our relief came yesterday at 3 pm
The Slkhs, 1000 East Indians, under tee
British. were the first to march into tho.
compound. l do not know who was the
happier. the BELIEVERS the relieved. for
they hurrahed more than We and seemed so
proud and happy to find any of US still
alive. Oh, what sight! Such wild ex-
element, such shouting and such mad Joy
among the people! Never soldiers
more welcome. Following the Sikhs came
the British, then 800 Americans under
General Chaffee How tired and worn our
poor fellows did look! Hearing the dread
full firing upon us last night, they thought
it would be impossible for US to hold out.
SO they forced the marching.