Haiphong, as there has been, up to the present, no general registration organised.
From Hanoi no news of any consequence has arrived for some time. The fury-maru, whose departure up river I mentioned in my last, carried up 70 bullocks in addition to her other stores and 100 Chinese who were enlisted in a corps of auxiliaries being raised and equipped by Captain Georges, a pilot of Haiphong and an officer of considerable experience in the training and direction of Chinese troops, he having served throughout the Taiping rebellion. The new corps is to be 600 strong, and of this number 200 have already been collected at Hanoi, in addition to the 100 who left here by the Ruru-maru. They are to be armed with Remington rifles and are to receive, I hear, $10 per month each, a much better pay indeed, than that of their European companions in arms.
At Namdinh, where there is stationed a garrison of about 400 men, there has been a rather serious prevalence of dysentery among the troops, caused, it is supposed, by the exhalations from the stagnant water in the moat surrounding the citadel, but the more seriously affected amongst the sick having been removed to Hanoi, and their places filled by men from that place, the health of the garrison is improving. On Sunday last, the 24th June, an attack was made on the citadel by the Annamites, but they were repulsed after some hours' firing, with, it is said, considerable loss. No casualties are reported on the French side.
A river junk which had been attacked and capsized by pirates was towed into Haiphong by one of the small gunboats on Thursday.
The M.M.S.S. Coy.'s steamship Saigon arrived here yesterday from Saigon and Quinhon. She brought up a company of French marines from the latter place and a company of Annamite tirailleurs and 24 guns from Saigon. Amongst her passengers also were the French Consul and Commissioner of Customs from Quinhon. That station has been abandoned by the French authorities. The reason assigned for the evacuation of the port is that it is expected that Hué, the capital of Annam, will shortly be bombarded by the French fleet and that after that event it would not be possible to hold the position without a larger garrison than can be spared at the present time, when all the available forces are required in Tonquin. One gunboat was, however, left at Quinhon to watch the course of events.
Last evening I had the honour of dining with M. Forestier, the Resident, and met at his hospitable table several of the heads of Governmental departments and officers of the Army and Navy. M. Forestier has written to General Bouvet, the Commander of the forces at Hanoi, asking him to grant me a passport to visit Hanoi, and I hope to obtain his reply before the arrival of the troopships with the reinforcements from Europe. I have since my arrival here, received the utmost courtesy and consideration from all classes of the community, and every one appears gratified that there should be among them an impartial witness of passing events, "a chiel amang them takin' notes."
286
(3.)
Haiphong, as there has been, up to the present, no general registration organised.
From Hanoi no news of any consequence has arrived for some time. The fury- maru, whose departure up river I mentioned in my last, carried up 70 bullocks in addi tion to her other stores and 100 Chinese who! were enlisted in a corps of auxiliaries being raised and equipped by Captain Georges, a pilot of Haiphong and an officer of considerable experience in the training and direction of Chinese troops, he having served throughout the Taiping rebellion. The new corps is to be 600 strong, and of this nuniber 200 have already been collect- ed at Hanoi, in addition to the 100 who left here by the Ruru-mart. They are to he armed with Romington rifles and are to receive, I hear, $10 per month each, a much better pay indeed, than that of their European companions in arms.
At Namdink, where there is stationed a garrison of about 400 men, there has been a rather serious prevalence of dysentery among the troops, caused, it is supposed, by the exhalations from the stagnant water in the moat surrounding the citadel, but the more seriously affected amongst the sick hav- ing been removed to Hauoi, and their places filled by mon from that place, the health of the garrison is improving. On Sunday last, the 24th June, an attack was made on the citadel by the Annumites, but they were repulsed after some hours' firing, with, it is said, considerable loss. No casualties are reported on the French side.
A river junk which had been attacked and capsized by pirates was towed into Haiphong by one of the small gunboats ou Thursday.
The M. M. 8. S. Coy.'s steamship Saigon arrived here yesterday from Saigon and Quinhon. She brought up a company of Freuch marines from the latter place and a company of Annamite tirailleurs and 24 guns fron Saigon. Amongst her pas- sengers also were the French Consul and Commissioner of Customs from Quin. hon. That station las been aban- doned by the French authorities. The reason assigned for the evacuation of the port is that it is expected that Hué, the capital of Annam, will shortly be bombarded by the French fleet and that after that event it would not be possible to hold the position without a larger garrison than can be spared at the present time, when all the available forces are required in Tonquin. One gunboat was, however, left at Quinhon to watch the course of
events.
Last evening I had the honour of dining with M. Forestier, the Resident, and met at his hospitable table several of the heads of Governmental departments and officers of the Army and Navy. 3. Forestier has written to General Bouvet, the Commander of the forces at Hanoi, asking him to grant ine a passport to visit Hanoi, and I hope to obtain his reply before the arrival of the troopships with the ro-inforcements from Europe. I have since my arrival here, received the utmost courtesy and consider- ation from all classes of the community, and every one appears gratified that there should be among them an impartial wit! ness of passing events, "a chiel amang them takin' notes."
286
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