THE DISPERSAL OP THE WEIHAIWEI

Otago Witness, Issue 2152, 23 May 1895, Page 20

THE DISPERSAL OP THE WEIHAIWEI

GARRItON. According to the latest reports to hand the disbandmeut and diipersal of the troops and sailors that surrendered at Weihaiwei was a confused and dismal sort of a ceremony. The unfortunate soldiers and seamen, unpaid and unprovitioned, and many of them without the few personal effects that had belonged to tbeir kits, were carried away in the captured gunboats to a place called Batogai on Hakusan Point, whence they wore escorted on 16th February to the village of Sc-aon, and thence they marched, Heavea knows whither, but pronumably towards Chofoo, to starve, pillage, ravage, or be slaughtered by their countrymen, just as the chances happennd to be. It was originally arranged that the 2200 soldiers and 4000 naval men were to have been trans- j ported from Liuko Island to Cbiku-to under the Kinien Hill, near tbe western entrance to Weihaiwei, on 14th February, but in conEequence of the chaotic disorder, which resulted j from the non-payment of tha men and, in many instances, the detention of their personal effects by their officers, tho programme had to be altered, and they wore not taken away until the following day, when they were landed at Batogai about 8 p.m. They were crowded on board the captured gunho&ts Chenfcung, Chennan, Chenpei, and Ohenpien, all of which, out of courtesy to the vanquished passengers, still carried the Chinese flag. Though the unfortunate Chinamen seemed for the most part happy enough to get off wi(h their lives, tbeir officers appeared downcast and dispirited. The men carried what few effects they owned in bundles. Some packed bedclothes, others lamps, some had umbrellas, others cats. Samahu tubs, bottles, banjos, flutes, all sorts and conditions of portable household treasures they took ; and, strange to remark, the most predominant item was a bird cage ; nearly every second man carried one. Sisme were empty ; in others the little songsters still flitted about and twittered ; but, as line after line of the conquered men trooped by it eesmed as though five men in 10 carried bird cages. When the last man was disembarked the Chinese flag wan hauled down from the captured ships and the sunspotted banner of Japan substituted. As tbeir country's colours" were raised tho voices of the Japanese soldiers went up in a great and thrice-repeated shout of " Tenno Heika Banzai !" Thia pleasing ceremouy over, tho conquered were marshalled into columns and the conquerors fixed bayonets and escorted . them away — tho 6000 men being taken [ towards Lufcao-kin in a body. Food for the surrendered men had been prepared by the Japanese, but, as it was stated that each Chinaman carried two days' rations, the food that had bean intended for them was not given out. Subsequently it was learned that the al'eged two days' rations in each Chinaman's haversack was in most instances a mythical quantify,. and while many a poor devil slept; on an empty stomach that night, many another fell out of the ranks, dropped by the way, and died where he dropped of exhaustion. Eventually, however, the majo-ily of the force reached the Tillage of So-soog at 2 a.m. on February 17, and there the Japswuse left them to their own resources. More thin half the effects they had starttd with were scattered behind them on the line of march ; and when, at the end, the thrall of Japanese discipline was removed, and the Chinese broke ranks uncoinmauded, nearly every man in that shattered remnant of an army sank down in hia tracks where he had halted. Seeing how deplorable was the condition of the unfortunate Chinamen the Japanese officers ordered rice and swell potatoes to be boiled fcr th r m, and even the Japanese men of the rank and file took pity on the unfortunates and unand with them their own mragre rations All along the march the men wera as docile *s Hheep, but their officers declared their intention of eccompsying them as far as Chefoo, as the •soldirrs would raoefc assuredly plunder and pillage the whole country side if let proceed undisciplined aud uncommandid.

Mr Raweon, S.M. at Invercarg.il, is transferred to the Duustan district, Mr Nugent Wood, S.M. and warden, retiring.