Farther to the south the German position has become exceedingly curious.  While from the American marines on the Tartar Wall round in a vast sweep on to the French Legation, each hour sees more defences go up, the Germans have to content themselves with what practically amounts to fighting in the open.  There has been no time to give them enough coolies, and so they have only lookout men, with the main body entrenched in the centre of their position.  But yesterday they surprised some Boxers, who had daringly pushed their way into a Chinese house a few yards from one outwork, and who were about to set fire to it, preparatory to calling forward their regular troops.  The Germans charged with a tremendous rush, killed everyone of the marauders, and flung the dead bodies far out so that the enemy might see the reward for daring.  Being certain that the Chinese commanders would attempt to revenge this blow, what driblets of men could be spared have been lent to make the German chain more continuous.  It is almost impossible now to follow the ebb and flow of reinforcements from one point to another; but it may be roughly said that the southeastern, eastern, northern and northwestern part of our square—­that is, the Germans, French, Austrians, Japanese and Italians—­feed one another with men whenever the rifle fire in any given direction along their lines and the flitting movements of the enemy make post commanders suppose a mass attack is coming; and that the British Legation and the western Russo-American front, together with the American posts on the Tartar Wall, work together.  It is, of course, self-evident from what I have written that the first, or Continental and Japanese lines, are having by far the worst time.  For, apart from the American posts on the Tartar Wall, no outposts in the second section are as yet in direct touch with the enemy.  The strain on those who are within a few yards of Chinese commands is at times terrible.  At night many men can only be held in place by a system of patrols designed to give them confidence....

I have just said that no part of the second half of our irregular system was in direct touch with the enemy, but this, although true enough to-day, was not so yesterday.  The Chinese pushed up a gun somewhere near the dangerous southwestern corner of the British Legation, and the fire became so annoying that it was decided to make a sortie and effect a capture if possible.  Captain H——­, the second captain of the British detachment, was selected to command the sortie, and with a small force of British marines who have been pining at their enforced inaction and dull sentry-go, and are jealous of the greater glory the others have already earned by their successful butchery of the enemy, a wall was breached and our men rushed out.  Being off duty, I witnessed most of the affair.  Of course, the sortie ended in failure, as every such movement is foredoomed to, when the nature of the ground which surrounds us is