THE FRANCO-CHINESE WAR.

Evening Star, Issue 6761, 28 November 1884, Page 4

THE FRANCO-CHINESE WAR.

The following items of late Chinese news are taken from files to hand per s.s. Timor up to 21st October : FIGHTING IN TONQUIN. Reports from Tonquin state that the French gunboat Mossue, while going up the Lcchnan River, was attacked by the Chinese, who were lying in ambush. In attempting to swing, the vessel got aground, and became a target for the Chinese rifles. Captain Challier was shot dead, his head being pierced, while twenty-one of the crew and ten marines were wounded, The gunboat was rescued by the Haichee and Mosquito. This occurred on October 3rd. General Negrier proceeded at once from Hanoi to Phu Lang Thuong in the Carabine, all the available infantry being sent overland at the same time to Bacninh, taking up there some more spare troops. In the meanwhile, 400 European soldiers, under Colonel Kaulieng and two companies of Tonquin Tirailleurs, were despatched in the gunboat Eclair, accompanied by two or three smaller gunboats, to enter the Lochnan, in order to prevent a junction by way of that river between the Chinese on the Hongsam road, who had formed a line of defence on Lang Thuong, and those about Dongtrien, whose line of defence was on the Lochnan. When General Negrier arrived at the point where the Mossue was attacked, he attempted a landing, but when about half his force were landed they were attacked by about 3,000 Chinese. The French disembarkation waß completed under cover of the gunboat, and Bevere fighting ensued, lasting fully six hours, from ten in the morning to four in the afternoon. The Chinese ve:e driven back with a loss of about 1,000 killed. The French loss included one officer killed and six wounded, and six men killed and twenty-six wounded, The French had no artillery with them, while the Chinese had Krupp guns, firing double shells full of grape-shot. They succeeded in carrying them all off. The Chinese made a good stand, and charged several times. The Tonquin Tirailleurs were utterly useless, and a large number of them ran away during the fight, General Negrier left Phu Lang Thuong on the 7th October, the day after the engagement, with about 3,000 men. They marched along a dreary narrow rpad to Hangswon. On their approach to Ban Loch, the Chinese headquarters, the Chinese forces withdrew towards Hong Kep, the French following. Next morning they encountered there about 6,000 Chinese regulars, who had fortified the position. This force made some violent attacks on the French, but were continually driven back with heavy losses. After five hours' hard fighting the Chinese fled towards Dao Quan, and disbanded, being cut off from China by the Lan Son road. They left with the French all their stores, as well as horses and mules. The Chinese losses in this battle are estimated at 2,000. The French lost Captain Phante, a young officer recently promoted, and fifty men, while eight officers and twenty men are returned as wounded. Among the wounded are General Negrier and his aide-de-camp. The general has a bullet wound through the ankle. The French were bravely led on, and General Negrier and his officers were complimented by the commander-in-chief. The former has returned to Apcan for medical treatment. He was replaced by General Briere de Lisle, who pursued the Chinese towards the Lochnan, forming a junction with Colonel Danlier on the 10th. They found the Chinese at Thon strongly entrenched in pits, protected by earthworks, The enemy made desperate efforts to retake their lost position, but the French, having put their ordnance in position, repulsed them with heavy loss, driving them back to tho mountains. CHINESE COWARDICE. The ' Daily News's' Foochow correspondent charges the Chinese troops with rank cowardice. He says: "Their defeat was expectod, but not the utter collapse which took place, for anything more miserable than the show of fighting the Chinese made is not conceivable. . . .Of course before tho action commenced the guns on board the Chinese vqssels were loaded, and all the Cliineso did was to fire off these guns one by one, and without a single thought of reloading them jumped into tho water. All tho time the bombardment went on not. a living thing Chinese was to be seen anywhere, although immediately behind the arsenal there rises a steep hill, from the top of which riflemen could have made it very

uncomfortable for the French, as the distance from the hilltop to their position could not have been more than 500 yards. This is another proof of either the incapacity of Chinese leaders or the utter cowardice of the Chinese themselves, for within a quarter of a-mile of the hilltop thousands of Chinese soldiers were stationed armed with Snider rifles, and a heavy musketry shower from the hilltop must have driven the French away ; yet not a single shot was fired."