206 KITAN. and large armies were ordered to be mustered and sent from east and north of the Whang river to exterminate the regicida Bot the first army was insufficient^ and another was marched two years after. As soon as the van appeared, the west Kitan retreated, "not^^' as one Chinese officer said, from fear, but to entice the van after them. This officer counselled caution ; but the commander thought he knew better, and marched on. He at length came upon them at Baishan, a short distance north of the modem Eaiyuen in Liaotung; and though his main army was thoroughly defeated, with a band which he had kept in order, he fiercely attacked their right, and stopped them in their victorious career. A short time thereafter he gained a complete victory over the Kitan, Kotoogan fleeing with only a few men ; and 5000 Elitan tents submitted to the conqueror. The Chinese then returned home. The Kitan again gathered their forces, against which the Taotai of Towchow* marched, but his army was broken up, and he lost over 6000 of his mea The result of that battle was that the Kitan marched up to Ytigwan. Thenceforward Kotoogan became the terror and scouige of the border, defeating all the armies sent against him. At length Jang Showgwei, the JidooahUy or commandant of Yowchow, was pitted against and defeated him, in several engagements, pressing him so hard that he pretended to be willing to surrender. Showgwei sent the officer Wang Whi to receive his allegiance, but the messenger found that the Yajcmg had no intention of surrendering. Instead of yielding himself prisoner, he moved his army towanls the north-west in the direction of Tookiie, from whom he prayed for assistance, designing to put Whi to death ; but the latter was aware of the treachery. Dividing the command of the army, both cavalry and infantty,
- It wQl have been observed thut the official in chaige of any IMrtrict or Fk«-
f ecture on the border, is bound to exert his utmost endeavours to defeat any hostile demonstrations from beyond his part of the border. He must appeal for assistsnca less or more, from the interior of China^ only when he is called upon to fasa ovei^ whelming odds.
