I
་
•
been tortured, and this was a sample of other discoveries of a similar kind. Many skeletons lay around, and some of the soldiers, with grim jocularity, stuck them up here and there on baxibong, or over the doors of the Kenyuhs (native barracks). I mention this in case such an incident should be dietorted into a tale such as that which was circulated in regard to Kep, with respect to which, by the way, I may say I have learned that the Annamite soldiers, like the Chinese, do not scruple to decapitate their enemies, having the belief that a headless man is a hapless one; his head being cut off, he is cut off from the abode of bliss.
On the 8th instant, there was some lire- liness in the camp, occasioned by the cou- tinuona infantry fire amongst the hills higher up the valley, a body of Chinese troops, detached from the army, and no doubt the same body, or a portion of it, which afterwards gave trouble by attacking two companies of the Foreign Legion, who formed the advance guard. The Foreign Legion have had very hard work several times during the recent campaign, and on cach occasion they earned a good nams. Perhaps the most obstinate resistance met with in taking the forts in the defile leading up to Dongaon, was from one captured by the Foreign Legion, in doing which they suffered serious loss. I have previously stated that amongst the officers, the Corn- mandant was killed and a lieutenant wound- ed; the latter, an Italian Prince, has since died. I have at a later date witnessed the Legion bearing for hours the brunt of a hot fire. On the 8th they had to stand a sharp attack from picked Chinese troops. It was in this attack that a discipline and skill was shown which has not hitherto been displayed by Chinese troops. At one period of the fight, indeed, they were almost successful in turning the position of the Legion. While these were opposing, the main body of the eneiny, the Chinese suddenly appeared within 150 yards of: them, almost in rear. A soldier of the Legion happened to see them, gave the alarm and rushed upon them with his bayonet. He oft his life, but saved the fight; the enemy being beaten off at a cost to the Legion of 8 men wounded,
a narrow
On the 10th instant, the Staff started at 8 a.m., the press, a very small detachment, closely following. Soon we were split up, however, by the artillery, mules, ambulance train, and various detachments of troops who had preceded us. Having in time suc- ceeded in passing these o13 but a good road, when compared with the broken tracte which pass for roads in the East, in fact broad as a good mountain path in the West, and evidently made recently by the Chinese previously to bringing the troops and cannon down from the North, our track followed the couras of the stream for some hours through a narrow valley, which reminded one of parts of the district around Bolton Abbey, with a whole cotlino of hills above, and luxuriant growth of trees below. The trees themselves might not, for the most part, appear to the uninstracted eye; to differ much from English trees, but the excessive abundance of parasitical plants, with tendrils depending from every branch in trailing masses, would tell the traveller that he was in a region warmed at some season of the year with a hotter sun than Albion boasts; whilst the monkeys here and there disporting themselves amongst the leafy howers would tell him he was Dearer than he would be in England to the home of his, as we are told, remoter, if not remotest, ancestora.
Ascending the valley continuously with- out other interruption than that occasioned. by rather steep descents and ascenta at the crossing places of the stream, we got upon the right bank; the trees gradually disappeared and left the hills bare un buth sides of us down to the stream beneath. At four o'clock the valley opened out a little into a close amphitheatre, to which a dark hill erossing the valley, and on which atood a fort cominanding the entrance, gave the appearance of a cul de sac. Heading our horses down a steep descent, and pulling thom over the rugged bed of the narrow,
stream
stream, we followed the General-in Chief and staff up the hill on which stande the fort, beside which we camped for the night. All within the fort was a mass of |charred debris, its recent tenants, the last of whom were making off as the advance guard arrived, having burned what readily combustible before their departure. The walls were well constructed, and sur- rounded by a double trench, but the place was perfectly useless for defence being com- manded on either side by heights of greater elevation
Was
Some idea may be formed of the length of the column of 6,000 troops with some 1,500 Or 1,800 coolies, marebisg in single file through a mountainous coun- ! try without interruption, with a halt for the coolies of 10 minutes every hour, when I state that though the staff reached | the camp at 4 o'clock it was 9 o'clock before the last of the baggage train arrived.
On! our arrival my fellow countryman and myself, who mess together, managed to collect a few scattered bambous which had escaped the flames within the fort, and made the framework of a rude hut, open at the front and sides, but sheltered at the back hy the breast-work of a fort trench, on to which sloped our roof. The roof was thickly covered with grass, and protected us fairly well from the drenching mist which enveloped the hills during the night.
It was a pretty sight that day, to see the column defile through the hills, breaking up into battalions, companies and sections, which halted far down in the valley, or mounted to various positions on the upper slopes around, and to see the camp fres daming in the darkness up to the high ridges on which cur outposts were placed. It was a rare opportunity of seeing the i whole column at one view,
+
From this point two roads branch off towards the North, one following the valley to the right, and the other leading to the left. The better road followed the larger stream to the right, but by an early reconnaissance made on the morn- ing of the 11th, it was ascertained that it had been so broken down by the retreating Chinese as to be impassable by the artillery. The column, therefore, moved along the road to the left, following the losser stream, Moro than an hour after
it started the staff, and ourselves in its train, followed the higher road from the valley, along the ridges of the bleak hills, and at length joined the route in the ravine. Here we got entangled in the column for a time, but about 11 o'clock we came upon the two Generals and their staffs assembled at a point where the route, leading on through narrow gorges, sent off another route round the sides of the hills to meet it again further on. It was evident that something was expected. There was a galloping to and fro of aides de camp; an occasional Chasseur was sent up the high route to reconnoitre; the artillery, the detached pieces of the guns and ammuni- tion being carried by rules, was brought forward as expeditiously as possible, and. was followed by the 143rd regiment of the line, and they by the ambulance corps, and that again by the battalions of the marine infantry; after these came the baggage train, which, again, was followed by the Zephyrs and Turcos, with the others to follow. It was
11 o'clock. General Negrier was having for is breakfast a cigarette, ich he lighted from the pipo of one of the Casseurs halted boside the staff. Presently they were off
for it was the younger General's brigade which was in Front on this day. Whilst the column deployed before him General Briere de L'Isle and his staff seated them- selves on the hillside and breakfasted off rinned meats, &c. At 12 ollock we follow i ed, again in the General's traia, moving slowly at first, as we squeezed our way amongst the line of troops on the narrow track, but more rapidly by and bye as the ravine gradually opens ont into a widening valley to give space for fields of paddy. We hear the report of the fide just ahead; a prisoner has been brought in, and he is slot in the field below.
At 1.10 p.m. a cannon shot is bourd. At
425
onee
1
}
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.