Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 5.djvu/81

 half months, during which time Japan put into the field five columns, aggregating about 120,000 of all arms. One of these columns marched northward from Soul, won the battle of Pyöng-yang, advanced to the Yalu, forced its way into Manchuria, and moved towards Mukden viâ Fenghwan, fighting several minor engagements and conducting the greater part of its operations amid deep snow in midwinter. The second column diverged westward from the Yalu, and marching through southern Manchuria, reached Haicheng, whence it advanced to the capture of Newchwang and Yingkow. The third landed on the Liao-tung Peninsula, and turning southward, carried Talien and Port Arthur by assault. The fourth moved up the Liao-tung Peninsula, and, having seized Kaiping, advanced against Yingkow, where it joined hands with the second column. The fifth crossed from Port Arthur to Wei-hai-wei and captured the latter. In all these operations the total Japanese casualties were 1,005 killed and 4,922 wounded, — figures which sufficiently indicate the inefficiency of the Chinese fighting. The deaths from disease aggregated 16,866, and the total monetary expenditure was twenty million pounds sterling.

The Chinese Government sent Li Hung-chang, Viceroy of Chili and Senior Grand Secretary of State, and Li Ching-fong, to discuss terms of peace with Japan, the latter being represented by Marquis Itō and Count Mutsu, Prime Minister and