9
230
!
8
River, but called here the Ho-ti-kiang. Below Manghao, on the banks of the river, in Annamite territory, is situated the town of Laokay, two days' journey from the Tonquin capital, Hanoi. The Song Koi, or Red River, divides into various branches; the two southern ones meet above Hanoi. On one of them stands the town of Niuh-brinh; on the other, that of Nam-diuh and Hung-yen. These two branches communicate by canals, on one of which is situated the town of Fouli. Another branch of the Song Koi is the Thai-binh River, which passes by Hai-duong. Between it and the Hanoi branch of the Song Koi, or Red River, runs the Longchi Canal; and a third and very important branch to the north of the above named is the River Cam, which passes Haiphong; the mouth of the Cam is called the Cua Cam. The three northernmost mouths by which the Song Koi falls into the sea are called Dai, Lak, and Balat. The distance from the mouth of the river to Manghao in Yünnan is as follows:--
From the mouth to Hanoi Miles 110 Ilanoi to Soutay " 32 Soutay to Annamite advanced posts " 87 Lackay to Manghao " 115 Annamite camp to Laokay " 70 Miles from the sea to Manghao 414It is necessary to give this detail of the river communications through Tonquin in order that the position of affairs may be better understood.
The borders of Tonquin and Yunnan have for a long time been in a very disturbed state, being in possession of two clans or bands of Chinese distinguished as the Black and Yellow Flags. The men comprising them were originally under the Chief Tienti, the head of the Kwangei rebellion, and, having escaped into Tonquin, captured the town of Laokay, on the Red River; but the two Chiefs having quarrelled, they separated, and one portion took possession of Ko-yang, a tower lower down on the Red River, which places they still occupy, but are at war with each other, and each levies black mail upon all boats and goods passing into Yunnan, and thereby stopping the lucrative trade that had existed between Hanoi and that province.
In 1864 there resided at Hankow, in China, a M. Dupuis, who was engaged in the business of selling arms and ammunition to the Chinese then engaged in suppressing the Mahomedan rebellion in Yünnan. The distance, however, was long and the road difficult, and he was impressed with the idea that a shorter and better route could be found. He started for Yunnan, but the disturbed state of the country prevented him from following the course of the Song Koi, or Ho-ti-kiang, as it is there called, into Tonquin; but later on, in 1870-1871, he was more successful, and found the river was navigable from Manghao; and having ascertained that fact, he returned to Yunnan, and obtained large orders for arms and ammunition, which were to be brought viâ the Song Koi through Tonquin.
It was necessary, however, to obtain permission from the Annamite Government to cross Tonquin with these arms and ammunition, and Dupuis' Agent, M. Millot, explained his plans to Rear-Admiral Krantz, the Chef de Cabinet of the Navy Department, who obtained for him an audience from the Minister, Vice-Admiral Pothuon. Dupuis requested, as there was no regular communication with Annam, a passage to be given him in a gun-boat to Hué, to obtain this permission, and after some delay he received, under date the 9th April, 1872, a letter from the Directeur des Colonies, saying he had written to the Governor of French Cochin China to comply with his request if compatible with his duties, and MM. Dupuis and Millot having returned to Saigon, it was arranged that the despatch-boat "Bourayne," Captain Lencz, should go to Tonquin to afford them protection. Two condemned British gun-boats---the "Firm" and the "Cockchafer"---had been purchased at Shanghae, and put under the French flags under the names the "Hoong Kiang" and the "Lao Kay."
Mr. Dupuis left Hong Kong on the 26th of October, 1872, with the "Hoong Kiang," towing a steam-launch, and the "Lao Kay," towing a Chinese junk with coal and artillery. Including Messrs. Dupuis and Millot, the expedition numbered twenty-three Europeans and ninety-six Asiatics, Malays, Chinese, and Japanese.
On the 9th of November, they arrived at the Cua-cam River, in Tonquin, where the "Bourayne" was, but Captain Lenez had gone to Hanoi. Dupuis then went to the southernmost mouth of the Song Koi, but was recalled by a note from Captain Lenez, requesting him to return as soon as possible to be introduced to the Royal Commissioner Li, who had military command of the Provinces of Quang yen, Hai dzong, and Hung yen. On the 19th Li arrived, and the object of the expedition was explained, and the official Chinese documents were shown to him; but he said, though all was in order, he must refer to Hué for instructions. On the 4th of December no answer had been received from Hué, and Li hinted that none would be received for several months. Dupuis then decided not to wait any longer, and he wrote to Commissioner Li that, as the waters of the Cua-cam were very bad, he would go up the river.
After several attempts to find a channel, the way to the Red River was discovered, which the expedition entered on the 18th of December, with a salute. Their proceedings were detailed to me by a very intelligent man called Captain George, a Greek by birth, who was with the expedition. The Annamites were greatly excited, and large bodies of troops were out. An attempt was made to erect a barrier across the canal, flanked by a fort, which opened fire upon the vessels; but that was soon silenced, and they arrived at Hanoi on the 22nd of December without further opposition. There the Mandarins promised to assist them up the river, but, in fact, prevented M. Dupuis hiring the boats he wanted; and on discovering this he determined to continue the journey, but was unable from want of water. Finally, he succeeded in hiring four boats, and on the 18th of January, 1873, he started with three of them, the steam-launch, and a Chinese interpreter, leaving the remainder of the expedition with M. Millot at Hanoi, and taking with him altogether twelve Europeans and twenty natives.
On the 1st of February, the expedition passed the last Annamite camp, reaching the head-quarters of the Yellow Flags on the 10th. Here he was entertained by their Chief Hoang Tsong-yu, and after leaving his territory he entered, on the 20th, that of another Chief, Lun vinh-pline, the Black Flags, who lives in the city of Lao Kay; and on the 25th he left this-the last town in Tonquin-and finally arrived at Manghao, in Yunnan, on the 4th of March, and leaving his material behind, he reached Yunnan-fu on the 10th. Here he found he had arrived too late with his arms, for the Mahommedan stronghold of Tali-fu had been surrendered to the Imperial troops on the 8th of January, and Ma, the Chinese Commander-in-chief, did not require them, and said, moreover, he had not the means of paying for them, but there was a quantity of tin from the mines which he might have, and which Dupuis accepted, but was able to remove but little of it for want of means of transport; and finding his expedition a commercial failure, he returned to Hanoi, which he reached on the 10th of April, and found the Annamites preparing to attack the Expedition, having closed two branches of the Song Koi and barricaded the river above Hanoi to prevent its escape. By mistake, however, the Longchi Channel, which begins a little above Hanoi, and runs into the Phai-binh River, was left open, and Dupuis, who had enlisted about 100 Chinese, was able to make good his retreat, though occasional skirmishes took place.
The Ministers of Tuduc, the King of Annam, seeing no means of getting rid of M. Dupuis, wrote to Admiral Dupré, who sent him, through the Annamite authorities, an order to leave Tonquin at once, saying that his presence in the country was a source of annoyance, and if the command was not obeyed, he (Admiral Dupré) would not consider himself responsible for the consequences. In reply, M. Dupuis stated that he had neither coal nor funds, and could not leave the country. M. Millot, however, arriving at Saigon on the 13th of July, with a relation of the Titu of Yunnan, and a Mandarin named Li (whom the Viceroy of Canton told me he would behead if he could get hold of him), called on the Admiral, and so represented the matter that he suggested a delay of three months, and assisted M. Millot in obtaining a loan from a bank under the guarantee of the Colonial Secretary. M. Millot then returned to Hong Kong and purchased a small steamer, and named her the "Manghao," and a junk, which he called the "Lao Kay," and sent them, with ten men from Hupih, to Tonquin.
After the departure of M. Millot from Saigon, Tuduc, the King of Annam, sent two Envoys to Admiral Dupré (August, 1873) to tell him Dupuis refused to obey his order. To this the Admiral replied by telling them they ought to have expelled him themselves. They answered they were unable to do so, and requested the Admiral to send a man-of-war to Tonquin to assist them.
The action of Admiral Dupré in this matter was calculated to mislead both M. Dupuis and the Annamite Government. He certainly gave assistance to the former both by steamers and money, and at the request of the latter he recalled Dupuis from Tonquin, and when the Envoys sent by the King Tuduc requested the fulfilment of his order, he hesitated to enforce it; and it was this hesitation which brought about the complications that resulted in grave responsibilities to the French and loss of independence to the Annamites. I may here mention that, during the interval which
[608]
9
230
!
8
River, but called here the Ho-ti-kiang. Below Manghao, on the banks of the river, in Annamite territory, is situated the town of Laokay, two days' journey from the Tonquin capital, Hanoi. The Song Koi, or Red River, divides into various branches; the two southern ones meet above Hanoi. On one of them stands the town of Niuh- brinh; on the other, that of Nam-diuh and Hung-yen. These two branches com- municate by canals, on one of which is situated the town of Fouli. Another branch of the Song Koi is the Thai-binh River, which passes by Hai-duong. Between it and the Hanoi branch of the Song Koi, or Red River, runs the Longchi Canal; and a third and very important branch to the north of the above named is the River Cam, which passes Haiphong; the mouth of the Cam is called the Cua Cam. The three northern- most mouths by which the Song Koi falls into the sea are called Dai, Lak, and Balat. The distance from the mouth of the river to Manghao in Yünnan is as follows :--
From the mouth to Hanoi..
Ilanoi to Soutay
Soutay to Annamite anvanced posts
11
うき
"
Lackay to Manghao
Annamite camp to Laokay
·
Miles from the sea to Manghao
Miles. 110
32
87
115
70
414
It is necessary to give this detail of the river communications through Tonquin in order that the position of affairs may be better understood.
The borders of Tonquin and Yunnan have for a long time been in a very disturbed state, being in possession of two clans or bands of Chinese distinguished as the Black and Yellow Flags. The men comprising them were originally under the Chief Tienti, the head of the Kwangei rebellion, and, having escaped into Tonquin, captured the town of Laokay, on the Red River; but the two Chiefs having quarrelled, they separated, and one portion took possession of Ko-yang, a tower lower down on the Red River, which places they still occupy, but are at war with each other, and each levies black mail upon all boats and goods passing into Yunnan, and thereby stopping the lucrative trade that had existed between Hanoi and that province.
In 1864 there resided at Hankow, in China, a M. Dupuis, who was engaged in the business of selling arms and ammunition to the Chinese then engaged in suppressing the Mahomedan rebellion in Yünnan. The distance, however, was long and the road difficult, and he was impressed with the idea that a shorter and better route could be found. He started for Yunnan, but the disturbed state of the country prevented him from following the course of the Song Koi, or Ho-ti-kiang, as it is there called, into Tonquin; but later on, in 1870-1871, he was more successful, and found the river was navigable from Manghao; and having ascertained that fact, he returned to Yunnan, and obtained large orders for arms and ammunition, which were to be brought viâ the Song Koi through Tonquin.
It was necessary, however, to obtain permission from the Annamite Government to cross Tonquin with these arms and ammunition, and Dupuis' Agent, M. Millot, explained his plans to Rear-Admiral Krantz, the Chef de Cabinet of the Navy Department, who obtained for him an audience from the Minister, Vice-Admiral Pothuon. Dupuis requested, as there was no regular communication with Annam, a passage to be given him in a gun-boat to Hué, to obtain this permission, and after some delay be received, under date the 9th April, 1872, a letter from the Directeur des Colonies, saying he had written to the Governor of French Cochin China to comply with his request if compatible with his duties, and MM. Dupuis and Millot having returned to Saigon, it was arranged that the despatch-boat " Bourayue, Captain Lencz, should go to Tonquin to afford them protection. Two condemned British gun-boats--- the "Firm" and the "Cockchafer"---had been purchased at Shanghae, and put under the French flags under the names the "Hoong Kiang" and the Lao Kay."
Mr. Dupuis left Hong Kong on the 26th of October, 1872, with the " Hoong Kiang," towing a steam-launch, and the Lao Kay," towing a Chinese junk with coal and artillery. Including Messrs. Dupuis and Millot, the expedition numbered twenty- three Europeans and ninety-six Asiaties, Malays, Chinese, and Japanese.
On the 9th of November, they arrived at the Cua-cam River, in Tonquin, where the "Bourayne" was, but Captain Lenez had gone to Hanoi. Dupuis then went to the southernmost mouth of the Song Koi, but was recalled by a note from Captain Lenez, requesting him to return as soon as possible to be introduced to the Royal Commissioner Li, who had military command of the Provinces of Quang yen, Hai dzong, and Hung yen. On the 19th Li arrived, and the object of the expedition was explained,
and the official Chinese documents were shown to him; but he said, though all was in order, he must refer to Hué for instructions. On the 4th of December no answer had been received from Hué, and Li hinted that none would be received for several months. Dupuis then decided not to wait any longer, and he wrote to Commissioner Li that, as the waters of the Cua-cam were very bad, he would go up the river.
After several attempts to find a channel, the way to the Red River was discovered, which the expedition entered on the 18th of December, with a salute. Their pro- ceedings were detailed to me by a very intelligent man called Captain George, a Greek by birth, who was with the expedition. The Annamites were greatly excited, and large bodies of troops were out. An attempt was made to erect a barrier across the canal, flanked by a fort, which opened fire upon the vessels; but that was soon silenced, and they arrived at Hanoi on the 22nd of December without further opposition. There the Mandarins promised to assist them up the river, but, in fact, prevented M. Dupuis hiring the boats he wanted; and on discovering this he determined to continue the journey, but was unable from want of water. Finally, he succeeded in hiring four boats, and on the 18th of January, 1873, he started with three of them, the steam- launch, and a Chinese interpreter, leaving the remainder of the expedition with M. Millot at Hanoi, and taking with him altogether twelve Europeans and twenty natives.
On the 1st of February, the expedition passed the last Annamite camp, reaching the head-quarters of the Yellow Flags on the 10th. Here he was entertained by their Chief Hoang Tsong-yu, and after leaving his territory he entered, on the 20th, that of another Chief, Lun vinh-pline, the Black Flags, who lives in the city of Lao Kay; and on the 25th he left this-the last town in Tonquin-and finally arrived at Manghao, in Yunnan, on the 4th of March, and leaving his material behind, he reached Yunnan-fu on the 10th. Here he found he had arrived too late with his arms, for the Mahom- medan stronghold of Tali-fu had been surrendered to the Imperial troops on the 8th of January, and Ma, the Chinese Commander-in-chief, did not require them, and said, moreover, he had not the means of paying for them, but there was a quantity of tin from the mines which he might have, and which Dupuis accepted, but was able to remove but little of it for want of means of transport; and finding his expedition a commercial failure, be returned to Hanoi, which he reached on the 10th of April, and found the Annamites preparing to attack the Expedition, having closed two branches of the Song Koi and barricaded the river above Hanoi to prevent its escape. By mistake, however, the Longchi Channel, which begins a little above Hanoi, and runs into the Phai-binh River, was left open, and Dupuis, who had enlisted about 100 Chinese, was able to make good his retreat, though occasional skirmishes took place.
The Ministers of Tuduc, the King of Annam, seeing no means of getting rid of M. Dupuis, wrote to Admiral Dupré, who sent him, through the Annamite authorities, an order to leave Tonquin at once, saying that bis presence in the country was a source of annoyance, and if the command was not obeyed, he (Admiral Duprè) would not consider himself responsible for the consequences. In reply, M. Dupuis stated that he had neither coal or funds, and could not leave the country. M. Millot, however, arriving at Saigon on the 13th of July, with a relation of the Titu of Yunnan, and a Mandarin named Li (whom the Viceroy of Canton told me he would behead if he could get hold of him), called on the Admiral, and so represented the matter that he suggested a delay of three months, and assisted M. Millot in obtaining a loan from a bank under the guarantee of the Colonial Secretary. M. Millot then returned to Hong Kong and purchased a small steamer, and named her the "Manghao," and a junk, which he called the "Lao Kay," and sent them, with ten men from Hupih, to Tonquin.
After the departure of M. Millot from Saigon, Tuduc, the King of Annam, sent two Envoys to Admiral Dupré (August, 1873) to tell him Dupuis refused to obey his order. To this the Admiral replied by telling them they ought to have expelled him themselves. They answered they were unable to do so, and requested the Admiral to send a man-of-war to Tonquin to assist them.
The action of Admiral Dupré in this matter was calculated to mislead both M. Dupuis and the Aunamite Government. He certainly gave assistance to the former both by steamers and money, and at the request of the latter he recalled Dupuis from Tonquin, and when the Envoys sent by the King Tuduc requested the fulfilment of his order, he hesitated to enforce it; and it was this hesitation which brought about the complications that resulted in grave responsibilities to the French and loss of inde- pendence to the Annamites. I may here mention that, during the interval which
[608]
D
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.