Under the dragon flag

In Short

James Allan’s memoir records his accidental, perilous voyage into the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895. Having squandered his inheritance in Paris and Monte Carlo, Allan becomes a seaman on the contraband steamer Columbia. Trapped ashore during the fall of Port Arthur, he witnesses the stark brutality of early modern warfare, naval engagements in the Gulf of Pechili, and the collapse of Imperial Chinese forces. The text remains notable as an unadorned, rare eyewitness account of a pivotal Asian conflict from an outsider's perspective.

The Story

Having squandered his inheritance of eighty thousand pounds on European gambling tables, James Allan finds himself destitute. On the advice of an acquaintance named Webster, he hastily adopts the life of a common sailor and boards the Columbia, a vessel secretly smuggling contraband war material to Chinese ports during the Sino-Japanese War.

The ship flies American colors and carries concealed crates of revolver cartridges hidden beneath layers of salt, rice, and cloth. Off the coast, a Japanese gunboat boards and inspects the vessel; despite the crew’s hastily devised cover story, an unstable barrel splits open to reveal ammunition. Through luck and swift sailing, the crew escapes immediate capture and arrives at Tientsin. There, the Columbia is chartered to transport Chinese soldiers to the Liaotung Peninsula.

Allan observes the gathering of China's North Coast Squadron in Talienwan Bay, taking note of its formidable ironclads and cruisers. Soon after, he witnesses the decisive naval Battle of the Yalu River from shore. He watches Chinese warships like the Chao-Yung and Chih-Yuen suffer catastrophic damage and sink under concentrated Japanese fire, exposing severe lapses in Chinese naval leadership and maintenance.

When the Columbia unexpectedly departs Port Arthur without him, Allan is stranded in the heavily fortified naval base as Japanese land forces close in. Taking shelter in a local inn run by a proprietor named Sen, Allan contracts an ague and recovers just as the siege begins. From the vantage point of White Boulders hill, he observes the land assault on the surrounding forts and redoubts.

When the town falls, Allan wanders through the horrifying aftermath of the Port Arthur massacre, dodging roving patrols as non-combatants are killed indiscriminately. Seeking refuge, he discovers his inn ransacked and most of its inhabitants dead. On the roof, he unites with his surviving servant, Chung, and a wounded Chinese mandarin who has lost his family.

Navigating streets strewn with carnage, the three men reach the harbor basin. They board a stranded, body-laden junk to retrieve a small boat, ultimately escaping by sea aboard the King-Shing, a native vessel equipped with a massive suspended rudder and a shrine to the goddess Chin-Tee. After observing the traditional customs and volatile moods of the junk's captain, Allan reaches safety, receives financial aid from his companion, and eventually returns westward via San Francisco.

How It Unfolds

A reckless downfall After spending his vast fortune in short order at Monte Carlo and Paris, Allan accepts a friend's proposal to disguise himself as a veteran seaman. He joins the crew of the Columbia to earn a living afloat.

The contraband discovered While transporting hidden munitions to China under a neutral flag, the Columbia is boarded by a Japanese lieutenant. A dropped barrel reveals revolver cartridges beneath a layer of salt, forcing the crew to plan a desperate run for open water.

Disaster at sea Reaching the war zone, Allan watches the Chinese and Japanese fleets clash near the Yalu River. He sees Chinese warships take heavy damage and sink, revealing the compromised efficiency of the Qing navy.

Stranded in Port Arthur Left behind accidentally when the Columbia weighs anchor, Allan takes sick at a local inn. He recovers just in time to climb White Boulders hill and watch Japanese forces besiege the strategic harbor town.

Horrors of the fall As the town collapses, Allan wanders through scenes of widespread slaughter, witnessing the indiscriminate killing of civilians and soldiers alike. He returns to his inn to find his landlord dead and the building looted.

Escape on the water Joining his servant Chung and a injured mandarin on a rooftop, Allan guides them to the docks. They clear dead bodies from a small boat aboard a wrecked junk, row into the bay, and secure passage to safety.

The People

• James Allan: A former English gentleman of wealth who loses his fortune to reckless gambling. Wanting to survive after his ruin, he adapts to hard labor as a seaman, retaining a pragmatic composure when caught in extreme violence.
• Webster: A dissolute acquaintance who instructs Allan in seamanship and helps him land a berth on a merchant vessel, acting as a loyal companion despite his rough manner.
• Chubb: The determined captain of the contraband vessel, focused strictly on self-preservation and profit, who leaves Allan behind in Port Arthur rather than risk his ship.
• Lin Wong: The Chinese agent aboard the Columbia, whose limited English provides awkward communication during inspections and who is later wounded and taken prisoner by Japanese forces.
• Chung: A young inn servant from Canton who speaks pidgin English, survives the sacking of Port Arthur by hiding on a roof, and escapes the city alongside Allan.
• The Mandarin: An unnamed high-ranking Chinese official whose family is killed during the fall of Port Arthur; despite a broken arm, he survives by fleeing with Chung and Allan.
• Sam-Sing: The opium-smoking captain of the escape junk King-Shing, who alternates between pious worship of the deity Chin-Tee when sober and loud blasphemy when intoxicated.

In Its Own Voice

"The pace was fast and furious; I threw out my ballast liberally as I went along, and the harpies, male and female, who surrounded me, picked it up."

Allan reflects on his early years in Europe, where he rapidly squandered his inherited wealth on gambling tables and frivolous living before going to sea.

"Very good," said he, picking up one of the packages; "very nice--nice to eat."

A Japanese naval lieutenant reacts with sarcastic amusement after an unsealed barrel leaks revolver ammunition onto the deck during an inspection of Allan's vessel.

"In the morning he was sober and pious, in the evening intoxicated and blasphemous, particularly, as I have said, when the weather was bad."

Allan describes the daily shifts of Sam-Sing, the master of the Chinese junk, whose devotion to his onboard idols was regularly upended by his heavy opium use.

What It's Really About

Under the Dragon Flag examines the brutal realities of late nineteenth-century warfare and the rapid shift of power in East Asia. Beneath its adventure-memoir structure, the book highlights the fragility of imperial defense and the human cost when military discipline collapses entirely. Allan contrasts the westernized surface of the conflict—steamships, heavy artillery, and naval tactics—with the raw, unsparing violence inflicted upon non-combatants in the field. The text also explores chance and survival, illustrating how personal errors and minor accidents can plunge an ordinary individual into historical catastrophes far beyond their control.

Why Read It Today

This narrative offers an unvarnished, firsthand look at the Sino-Japanese War through the eyes of an outsider caught directly in the crossfire. Allan writes with a straightforward, observational clarity that avoids romanticizing the horrors he witnesses. Readers interested in military history, late Qing-dynasty East Asia, or classic maritime survival tales will appreciate the book's vivid details regarding nineteenth-century warship battles, Chinese junk construction, and port life.

The prose reflects the period attitudes and racial terminology of the late Victorian era, and Allan's descriptions of the Port Arthur massacre are graphic and unsettling. However, his account remains valuable for its immediacy, historical weight, and clear-eyed recording of a pivotal historical moment.