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224 THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
in the concrete wall, destroyed the caponier, and
filled the best part of the moat with debris, while
those in the western part blew up through the
shafts without doing much damage. The Japanese
had, however, obtained possession of the front
moat, and they at once set to work to construct a
bomb-proof passage across, resting on a frame of
heavy timber, so that, at the next attack, the men
could be safely taken up to the very walls of the
fort.
On November 20th the mines in the counter-
scarp of Erhlung fort were exploded, the two
eastern ones successfully, filling the deep moat
nearly to the top, while the western here also blew
up in the air. The Japanese, therefore, decided
to build a bridge on heavy timber trusses at this
place, while on the eastern side they commenced
to construct a bomb-proof passage, as at Sung-
shuh fort. The bridge was finished on the 25th,
but the Russians on the same day shelled it all to
pieces with 6-in. shells from their battery position
behind Sungshuh. The bomb-proof passage, which
they could not reach, remained intact.
On November 20th we correspondents came
back from an expedition to see the explosions at
Erhlung fort. These from a spectacular point of
view, if not in other respects, had been a great
fraud. On returning, we were surprised by a visit
from General Nogi.
At the entrance of the donga, where we had
pitched our tents, we had put up a signboard,
inviting soldiers of the army who might feel cold
or thirsty to come up and have a cup of tea and
warm themselves, and the invitation was largely
accepted by soldiers passing this way ;
for about
this time it was often bitterly cold. General
Nogi, riding past and reading our signboard, took
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