Boxer Rebellion Journal

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Murmin, Midshipman C.E. NSW Naval Brigade
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19th century wars, Naval Historical Review
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Midshipman Murmin was an officer of the NSW Naval Brigade contingent which sailed in the troopship, Salamis, for China on 8th August 1900. The Australians arrived too late to become engaged in the fighting but shared with the International Force in China the duties of policing the ravaged countryside. Murmin, on his return to Australia in April 1901, resigned from the Naval Brigade and saw service with the British Army in South Africa. This extract covers the journey from Tientsin to Pekin.

Wednesday 10th October 1900.

Left hospital at 9.30 am for lighter to Pekin and had our things put on the lighter and then had to wait till 12.30 before we left, as all the stores were not yet on the lighters. In the meantime the Brigade had marched in from camp and when they arrived lined up in front of the pier, they were then inspected by Vice Admiral Seymour, Commander in Chief of the China Station. The Brigade marched off at 12.00 as they were going to march all the way, meeting the lighters every night and bivouacking for the night, while the sick went in a lighter.

The river presented a scene of confusion and was crowded with junks going up and down and each flying the flag of the nation to whom they belonged. On one side of the river were thousands of bags of white stuff that looked like rice and which belonged to the Russians. We then passed through a pontoon bridge consisting of 8 punts and which had to be frequently opened to allow boats to pass through. We made very slow progress as three Chinamen on shore towed us and three more dug boathooks into the mud and shoved us along. We passed about 500 coolies in charge of 4 French soldiers and they were carrying bricks, each man had five on his shoulder, and they walked in pairs, making a long line. We came to another bridge and had to wait an hour all but 5 minutes before we got through.

I got ashore and had a look at a railway station nearby, and saw about 50 cars that had been shelled, and of most of them only the axles wheels and springs remained, the wood having been burnt off. Passing up the river we passed numerous Chinese villages and a very strong fort held at present by the Japanese, and from the river we could see 15 guns. We next passed the ruins of a cathedral, which had been a very fine building but was now in a state of ruin. The next fort we passed was also a strong one and was held by the Russians who when we passed were watering a lot of horses. I served out the men’s blankets at 5.00 and posted sentries for the night. We saw the Brigade who passed us at dark but we could just see a body moving and heard them singing. We anchored at 8 p.m. and seeing, no-sign of the main body we turned in, but got very little sleep as it was very cold and draughty.

Thursday 11th October 1900.

Turned out at 4 am and got under way and after having gone about ¼ of a mile we met one of our own junks that had been left with some bread and water for us. We then went on and after passing a Japanese camp we saw the remainder of the junks anchored at Peitsang and we hove-to and went onboard the mess junk for breakfast. Just as we commenced breakfast the Brigade marched up, having lost their way the day before and marched about 9 miles out of their way. We served out fresh meat to the men and remained at Peitsang till Friday morning. Two Indian officers (English but with Sikhs) dined with us and another passed with about 70 Sikhs while we were at dinner.

Friday 12th.

I joined the Brigade and we marched off at 7.30. We passed through several villages and cotton fields and after marching 14 miles through very pretty country arrived Yangtsen at 2 p.m. and had dinner. There was a party of Sikhs and then a regiment of Americans camped there. We bought some provisions from the American Commissariat and got some very nice tinned fruits. As the junks did not arrive till late at night, we had to sleep ashore and two of us shared one blanket, and found it very cold!

Saturday 13th.

Turned out at 6 a.m. and it was very cold. We found that one of the junks had been stove-in and hence the delay. We left camp at 9 a.m. and marched 9 miles through very good country and saw a lot of tobacco plant and cotton growing and arrived at Nantsaitsun at 1.00 and found a party of Madras Pioneers in camp here. We got plenty of water from a well and the junks arrived at 4.30.

Just near us there were some Japanese soldiers in camp and I went over and had a look at them and they showed me their rifles and ammunition and Japanese books and gave me some Japanese sweetmeat that tasted like a mixture of preserved fruits and sugar.

During the night it came on to blow and rain very hard.

Sunday 14th.

We pitched our tents at 5.30 and remained in camp till next day. I went through two villages in the afternoon to see if I could get some curios but did not get much. There were a lot of temples in them and they were full of images, some about 9 feet high and others about 6 inches, but all the places had been ransacked and there was nothing valuable left. I got some pictures off the walls and some Chinese notebooks and envelopes and a wooden trunk and after having a couple of shots at a dog with my revolver returned to camp. Field Marshal von Waldersee passed us at 12 a.m.

Monday 15th.

I was up at 3.45 a.m. to see my Company’s blankets stowed and tents struck and was then told to go in charge of the Hospital Junk. The junks left camp at 5 a.m. and the Brigade left at 8 a.m. We were passed by the Brigade at 12 and as we had 20 miles to go we had to push on. I got 5 rifles and 200 rounds of ammunition on deck in case of an attack as we never knew when we would meet some Boxers.

I did some signalling for an hour and arrived at No-Su-Wu at 3.30 and found Russians, Americans, Japanese, Germans and English in camps there. I went through the village and bought some eggs, persimmons and pears at a very small cost, and went over to the Japanese camp and had a look around. After I had returned to camp I was standing with Gillam when we saw a Russian knocking a coolie and we found out that the Russian had robbed the coolie, who belonged to one of our junks, of six dollars, so the Captain and Gillam and myself went to British Headquarters to see about it, but the Port Commandant was out and we came back to camp and the Captain gave the coolie six dollars.

Tuesday 16th October 1900.

Struck camp at 5 a.m. and left at 7 a.m. having had to put fresh water on all the junks. We marched all the way alongside the river so as not to lose sight of the junks, and after marching for 12 miles halted for the night at 6 p.m. While on the march, we passed some Russian Artillery and some Americans, but nothing of event happened. We were now camped between Hsiang-Ho- Tsien and Matou.

Wednesday 17th.

Left camp at 7 a.m. We followed the river all the way and marched 12 miles, arriving at Matou at 12.20. Matou is just a Chinese village and there are British, German, French, Russian, American and Japanese posts there. The junks arrived at 4.30 and made fast.

Thursday 18th.

Left camp at 7.15 a.m., marched along the Pekin road to Tung-Chao, the distance being 15 miles. We passed through several villages on the way and saw some Russians and Japanese. We arrived at Tung-Chao and found British, American and Japanese camped there. The British were Welsh Fusiliers and Sikhs. The junks did not arrive till next morning so we slept ashore.

Friday 19th October 1900.

The Commander told off 60 men and 3 officers to go to the Llama Temple at Pekin, and 50 men and 3 officers including myself to go to the British Legation, the rest to go to the Tartar City. The junks arrived at 7.30 a.m. and we unloaded them and loaded up our carts which amounted to 58 and there were also 40 mules which we loaded next day.

Saturday 20th.

We turned out at 4.30 a.m. after having spent an uncomfortable night on account of a gale springing up in the night at 1 o’clock and blowing our tent open and as it came on to rain it was very cold. We had some breakfast and left Tung-Chao at 7.30 a.m., it still being very cold and wet. On the march we passed several convoys from Pekin, there being one Italian, two French, one American, one German and one Russian; one man of the Italian soldiers had dropped behind his convoy and 10 coolies had set upon him and taken his arms from him, he was in a terrible way when we met him and was frightened of his life. We had seven Sikhs in front to lead the way and after going about a mile we came across some of the coolies and the Sikhs went for them and after an exciting chase amongst the corn which was about 14 feet high, they caught two and came along at a canter, dragging the coolies by their pigtails; they handed them over to us and we put them both in the Maxim Gun’s crews, of which we had two, and made them do their share of pulling.

After a very cold and dreary march of 15 miles we entered Pekin at 2.30 p.m. and marched to the British Legation, headed by two Sikh bands which picked us up about a mile back, and halted there. The rest of the Brigade marched off then to their Headquarters at the Tartar City and Llama Temple, our party dismissing, after which the Welsh Fusiliers gave them a jolly good dinner. The officers of our party (Lieutenant Roberts, Sub-Lieutenant Gillam and myself) were invited to lunch with the Welsh Fusiliers which we did and then went to our quarters which were very fine, each of us having a large bedroom and reading room. Sir Ernest Satow who is to relieve Sir Claude Macdonald as British Ambassador passed us while we were halted for lunch at 1 p.m. We dined with the Royal Artillery at 8 p.m. and enjoyed ourselves very much, being treated very well.

Sunday 21st.

We accepted the kind invitation of the officers of the Royal Artillery to mess with them for the day as they were leaving next day at 9 a.m. The Welsh Fusiliers fell in at 8.50 a.m. and marched off for Tientsin at 9 a.m., we gave them three cheers and they returned it. Rode off to the Tartar City, which is 2 miles from our quarters, to leave some papers and arrange some matters with the Commander, and returned at 11 a.m. to the Legation. I saw the Carriages and Sedan Chairs that the Emperor and Empress used and they were very gaudy being covered in gold, but all the silk hangings had been torn off. I spent the rest of the day in drawing the men’s rations, and went to bed at midnight.

Friday 26th.

I went through some drill with a guns crew with two 12-pdr QF guns that were used by the Naval Brigade at Ladysmith and then brought up and used here. Lieutenant Roberts, Gillam and myself dined with General Barrow at 8 p.m. and he told us a lot about an interview he had with Li Hung Chang this afternoon.

Saturday 27th.

Gillam and myself had a look at some Chinese houses which we were to move to in about 10 days, they were Chinese built and are very small but the Royal Engineers are doing them up as well as possible.

Sunday 28th.

Was ordered out at 6.30 to take charge of a foraging party consisting of about 80 packmules and forty mule-carts and I had a guard of 20 of the 21st Baluchistans who were armed with rifles, etc. We left the Brigade outside the Legation at 8.30 and the string of mules and carts was nearly 500 yards long.

We went about 2 miles outside Pekin and I then split the party into three and sent them in different directions telling them as best I could (they were all Indians and could not speak English) to meet at the place, they left each other, when they were loaded up. Lupthen took two Sikhs with me and they charged their magazines and I went through five Chinese houses to see everything was all right and I picked up a few curios. It took about an hour for the coolies to load and when they were all together again we started back and reached the Legation at 1.30.

In the afternoon I went for a walk down the Chinese part of the city. Gillam and I with 3 men and 2 carts went out to the Emperor’s boatshed and found two large junks in one basin; I went onboard one and had a look around her, there being nothing in her except a little furniture. In the next basin there was a steam launch of the very latest pattern with paddle wheels and a very modern set of engines. I went in the cabin and found it very beautifully finished and the furniture was very nice. There were four pulling boats near here and I got two flags out of them. Lieut Roberts, Sub Gillam and myself dined with General Gaselee at 7.30.

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This article was originally printed in the Naval Historical Review - March 1976 edition.
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