own people, is the only foreigner with whom the Japanese have
not parted, and in China there are none. Of all of those who have
gone none served his employers more faithfully than did McGiffin.
At a time when every official robbed the people and the
Government, and when "squeeze" or "graft" was recognized as a
perquisite, McGiffin's hands were clean. The shells purchased for
the Government by him were not loaded with black sand, nor were
the rifles fitted with barrels of iron pipe. Once a year he celebrated
the Thanksgiving Day of his own country by inviting to a great
dinner all the Chinese naval officers who had been at least in part
educated in America. It was a great occasion, and to enjoy it
officers used to come from as far as Port Arthur, Shanghai, and
Hong-Kong. So fully did some of them appreciate the efforts of
their host that previous to his annual dinner, for twenty-four hours,
they delicately starved themselves.

During ten years McGiffin served as naval constructor and
professor of gunnery and seamanship, and on board ships at sea
gave practical demonstrations in the handling of the new cruisers.
In 1894 he applied for leave, which was granted, but before he had
sailed for home war with Japan was declared and he withdrew his
application. He was placed as second in command on board the
_Chen Yuen_, a seven-thousand-ton battleship, a sister ship to the
_Ting Yuen_, the flagship of Admiral Ting Ju Chang. On the
memorable 17th of September, 1894, the battle of the Yalu was
fought, and so badly were the Chinese vessels hammered that the
Chinese navy, for the time being, was wiped out of existence.

From the start the advantage was with the Japanese fleet. In heavy
guns the Chinese were the better armed, but in quick-firing guns