The dozen or twenty guns there were on the front attacked by the French were placed in such cramped positions that they scarcely covered more than the country directly in front of them. Here and there, too, there were square wooden trough-like constructions run through the body of the wall, presumably called loop-holes, but absolutely useless except when a body of troops was unfortunate enough to pass directly in front of them. In addition to this, not even the best use that could have been made of the bad material at their disposal was obtained. The Black Flags seem to have handed over the artillery to the Yunnan or Kwang-si militia, and these men neither had the skill nor the courage necessary to serve the guns. It seems undeniable that if the cannon had been employed with anything like the energy which kept up the small arm fire, the French would never have taken Bortay, or at any rate, not till after a long siege. As it was, the fight here, though severe enough while it lasted, was nothing like the struggle at Phu-sa.
Divided counsels no doubt helped the French greatly. The Chinese "regulars," as they are styled, seem to have drawn off early on the morning of the 15th. Then Liu Jung-fu and the Torquinese Prince appear to have had bickerings, and in the end none but the Black Flags seem to have fought. Close to the west gate, where the entry was effected, there is a long street, constituting the Chinese quarter of the town and inhabited in great part by the leaders of the Hak-kis. Up one side of this street went the Turcos and the Foreign Legion and up the other the Infantry of Marine under the direct command of Admiral Courbet, who was one of the first to surmount the works. All through the second day the fighting centred in this street. Turning and counter-turning movements were made by both sides, but all the while the hardest work was in the centre. The Chinamen defended almost every house. They very early found out that the system followed by the French from the beginning of the campaign was to be carried out here. No quarter was asked for and none was given. So it went on till close on nightfall, when Liu Jung-fu's house was reached. From the extensive outline to be traced in the ashes and the pieces of ornamental stone and plaster-work still to be seen, this must have been a very fine building. With its capture the fighting seems to have practically ceased. The Frenchmen devoted themselves to the ransacking of the defeated chief's house, and the Black Flags drew off towards the citadel, which is not much more than two hundred yards off. What the value of the despatches discovered in Liu's house may have been has not yet appeared. The letters from Hué are at any rate of no practical value, unless they result, or have already resulted, in the beheading of anti-French mandarins. The import of Li Hung-chang's communications may or may not have important results. Perhaps the new reinforcements announced to have left France are not altogether unconnected with the perusal of these documents.
What followed is long since known to you. The Black Flags drew off under cloud of night to the mountains which lie north and west of the town. The French entered the citadel early in the morning. The entry was, in true modern Gallic fashion, utterly unauthorized and irresponsible. A handful of Turcos and Estrangers approached the north gate, pushed it open, and entered and found no one inside except for wretched Annamese women and children, and 8 or so Scots of still more luckless youths. A flag was then improvised of a length of the red waistcloth of a Turco, the handkerchief of an officer, and a strip off the blue cummerbund of a Foreign Legion man, and the hoisting of this characteristic tricolor on the tower was the first notice Admiral Courbet had of the occupation of the citadel. Inside, the rice stores were the principal captures made. There was a certain amount of bar-silver taken, but the Chinamen seem to have carried the greater part away with them. About a hundred and fifty poulies were found, as also an elephant, since dead, and a small arsenal. It was obvious, however, that all who left carried their arms and cartridge belts with them. The French have made a clean sweep of all the buildings inside the citadel with the exception of a few of the better-class huts for the officers, the Royal Pagoda, in which the Colonel Commandant is domiciled, and the huge granaries of rice, which were piled up to the roof with grain and contained provisions for probably a couple of years. There is also a curious small building used by the Black Flags as a powder manufactory, with regular compartments for the saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal. The French are tinkering it up into an arms store. There is no doubt that Liu Jung-fu showed good judgment in abandoning the citadel. Its conglomerate walls would even have fallen before the French guns and the whole garrison would have been trapped. It does not seem to have mounted more than sixteen or twenty guns altogether, and these, if possible, were more wretched pieces than the ordnance on the earthworks.
The French have cleared a wide space all round the front, and have driven wide open ways in all directions out into the open country, necessarily sacrificing the houses of the town in the process. This presents a most desolate appearance at present. Only about one house in fifty yards is occupied, and yet it appears that it is dangerous for a man to walk alone through the streets after dark. Possibly this state of things may improve later on, but it will not do so very fast, if we are to judge from the other towns in French occupation. Nowhere have they as yet more than a mere military grip on the country. They hold the towns, but nothing more. The Chasseur d'Afrique may jingle his spurs down the Boulevard Marty of Haiphong; the Turco may clear the streets before him in Hanoi; the ordinary line-man and his fellow of the Infantry of Marine may kick over old women's vegetable stalls and swagger about consumedly in Nam-dinh and Haid-anong; at Sontay the same thing may be done with impunity, but nowhere can any one of them go beyond the range of French guns. The Black Flags or pirates would be down upon them immediately. The wanderer would be fortunate if he was merely pelted with stones. The ordinary thing would be a spear-thrust, and a pint of nails and pebbles from a blunderbus might be anticipated with reasonable confidence. It will be a long time before the delta is really brought to a peaceable condition.
It will be much longer if the projects at present seething in the Gallic brain are attempted. You are aware that the idea is to surround Bac-ninh completely and destroy the garrison to the last man, even if there should be twenty-five thousand of them. Unfortunately for the garrison it would seem that the heights round the town are taken, this scheme is quite feasible. This swooping scheme is talked of here in the most matter-of-fact way by naval and military officers, by civilians and loafers. The argument is that it will be a most salutary "example" and that under cover of the scare "produced," the French General Négrier is the man whom rumour points out as the leader of the attack - will make a dash on Lang-son, through the hills, and so close the gate from China. Lang-son should certainly have been taken long ago, but that does not mean that it will be taken now, either easily or at all. There are signs that the rains may set in early this year. There has already been a great deal too much for our comfort. In the rains the country between Bacninh and Sontay would be impracticable.
Meanwhile everything here is at a stand-still, pending the arrival of General Millot with the reinforcements. It is a question whether he will allow correspondents to go to the front, and if he follows the advice of those now in power, he will not.
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way. The dozen or twenty guns there were on the front sttasked by the French were placed in such cramped positions that they soarosly covered more than the country directly in front of them. Here and there, too, there were squaro wooden trough-like constructions ran through the body of the wall, presumably called loop. holes, but absolutely useless except when a body of troops was unfortunate enough to pass direct- ly in front of them. In addition to this, not even the best use that could have been made of the bad material at their disposal was obtained. The Black Flags seem to have handed over the artillery to the Yuunan or Kwang.si militia, and these men neither had the skill nor the courage necessary to serve the guns. It seems undeniable that if the cannon had been employed with anything like the mergy which kept up the small arm fire, the French would never have taken Bortay, or at any rate, not till after a long siege. As it was, the fight here, though severa enongh while it stad, was nothing like the struggle at Phno-sa,
Divided counsels no doubt helped the French greatly. The Chinese "regularn," as they are styled, seem to have drawn off early on the morn. ing of the 15th. Then Ein Jung-fu and the Torquinese Prince appear to have bad bicker- ings, and in the end none but the Black Flage seem to have fought. Close to the west gate, where the entry was effected, there is a long street, constituting the Chinese quarter of the town and inhabited in great part by the leaders of the Hak-kis. Up one side of this street went the Turcos and the Foreign Legion and up the other the Infantry of Marine ander the direct command of Admiral Courbet, who was one of the first to surmount the works. All through the sacond day the fighting centred in this street. Turning and counter-turning movementa were made by both sides, but all the while the hardest work was in the centre, The Chinnmen defended almost every bouse. They very early found out that the system followed by the French from the begganing of the campaign was to be carried out here. No quartor was naked for and none was given. So it went on till sloss on nightfall, when Liu Jung-fa's house was reached. From the extensive outline to be traced in the ashes and the please of ornamental stone and plaster- work still to be seen, this must have been a very fin. building. With its capture the fighting seems to have practically cessed. The French- men devoted themselves to the ranssoking of the detected chief's house, and the Black Flags drow off towards the citadel, which is not much more than two hundred yards off. What the value of the despatches discovered in Liu's house may have been has not yet appeared. The letters from Hué are at any rate of no practical valus, unleas they result, or have already resulted, in the bo. heading of anti-French mandarins. The import of Li Hung-chang's communications may or may not have important resalta. Perhaps the new reinforcements announeed to have left. France are not altogether unconnected with the perusal of these documents.
What followed is long since known to you. The Black Flags drew off ander cload of night to the mountains which lie north and went of the town. The French entered the citadel arly in the morning. The entry was, in true modern Gallio fashion, utterly unauthorized and irresponsible. A handful of Targos and Etrangers approached the north gate, pusbed it open, and entered and feand no one inside except for wretched Annamese women and children, and 8 SCOTS or so of still more luckless youths. A fing was then improvised of a length of the red waistoloth of a l'arco, the handkerchief of an offliner, and a strip off the blue cummerbund of a Foreign Legion man, and the hoisting of this aharastariatio trisolor on the tower was the first notios Admiral Courbet had of the ecoupation of the citadel. Inside, the rice stores wore the principal osptures made. There was s certain amount of bar-silver taken, but the Chinamen seam to have carried the greater park away with them. About hundred and fifty pouies were found, as also an elephant, since dead, and a small arsenal. It was obvions, however, that all who left carried their arms and cartridge belts with them. The French have made aj clean sweep of all the buildings inside the citadel with the exception of a few of the batter-class! buta for the officers, the Royal Pagoda, in which the Colonel Commandant is domiciled, and the huge gramries of rice, which were piled up to the roof with grain and contained" provisions
for probably a couple of years. There is also a eurious small building used by the Black Flags as a powder manufactory, with regular compart- ments for the saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal. The French are tinkering it üpinto an arms store. There is no doubt that Lía Jung-fa showed good judgment ia abandoning the citadel, Ita conglomerate walls would even have fallen before the French guns and the whole garrison would have been trapped. It does not seem to have mounted more than sixteen or twenty guns altogether, and these, if possible, were more wretched pieces than the ordnanos on the earth- works. The French have cleared a wide space all round the front, and have driven wide open ways in all directions out into the open country, necessarily sacrificing the houses of the town in the process. This presente a most desolate appearance at present. Only about one house in fifty yards in occupied, and yet it appears that it is dangerous for a man to walk alone through the streets after dark. Possibly this state of things may improve later on, but it will not do. #o very fast, if we are to judge from the other towns in French o0- cupation. Nowhere have they as yet more than a mere military grip on the country. They hold The Chasseur the towns, but nothing more. d'Afrique may jingle his spurs down the Boule. vard Marty of Haiphong; the Tarco may clear the streets before him in Hanoi; the ordinary lineaman and his fellow of the Infantry of Marine
may kiok over old women's vegetable stalls and swagger about consumedly in Nam-diaband Haid. anong; at Soutay the same thing may be done with impunity, but nowhere can any ons of them 20 beyond the range of French guas, The or Black Flags would be down upon "pirates them immediately. The wanderer would be for. tunate if he was merely pelted with stones. The ordinary thing would be a spaar-thrust, and a pint of nails and pebbles from a blunderbus might be anticipated with reasonable confidence. It will be a long time before the delta is really brought to a peaceable con lition.
It will be much longer if the projects at pre- sant seething in the Gallic brain are attempted. You are aware that the idea is to surround Bag- nink completely and destroy the garrison to the last man, even if there should be twenty-five thousand of them. Unfortunately for the gar rison it would seem that the heights round the town noe taken, this scheme is quite feasible. This swooping soheme is talked of here in the most matter-of-fact way by aaval and military officers, by civilians and loafers. The argument is that it will be a most salutary "example" and that nader cover of the sonre "produced, the French General-Négrier is the man whom ra- mour points out as the loader of the attack-will make a dash on Lang-son, through the hills, and so close the gate from China. Laag-son should certainly have been taken long ago, but that Joes not mean that it will be taken now, either i easily or at all. There are signs that the rains may set in early this year. There has already been a great deal too much for our comfort. In the rains the country between Bacninh wad Sontay would be impracticable.
Meanwhile everything here is at a stand-stíll, pending the arrival of General Millot with the reinforcements, It is a question whether he will allow correspondents to go to the front, and if he follows the advice of those now in power, he will not.
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