which rejoiced the hearts of our coolies and was appreciated by our ponies. In the yard on the opposite side of the narrow, miry street the anibulance was placed, and by the light of lanterns the doctors were attending to the wounded. Frequent visita were made here by General Negrier and Colonel Giovanninelli, chief of the first brigade, and speedily, rumour says, to be made a General. Goneral Briere de l'Isle also paid a visit before leaving on the fol- lowing day. A few yards from our quartera was the covered gat of the village. Pass- ing through it, early in the morning, to perform my toilet at the stream, I saw a dead Chinaman stretched upon the ground within the enclosure. Had be, with some- thing of the spirit of the famous Roman sentinel, refusal to quit the gate when the storm came and perished at his
asis pust
Next day the two Turcos battalions led the way, it being their turn to take the front. These were early followed by the battalions of the marine infantry, and artillerymen. During the night the Chi nese had been seen moving about, collecting their dead, and in the morning they were found to have fallon back on the road to a more defensible position amongst the in- terminable hills-I say interminable, be- cause the hills, on either side, reached to the horizon, like the waves of a troubled
SOB,
About 9.30 a.mi., about an hour after the head of the columu had started, there was a little skirmishing. Then there was silenco. We moved forward slowly until 11 o'clock, when a brisk fire was opened upon the Gemy, and sharply responded to by them, in their turn. A dense mist, gathered on the hills, delayed the action of the ar- tillery, but at 12 o'clock their guns be-: gan to play, and for nearly two hours there was ao incessant interchange be- tween the opposing forces, the Freuch gradually working their way, amidat a hot fire, along the ridge facing the enemy, During the hottest of the fire the staff were standing on the sheltered side of the hill, the column slowly making its way along the road wending amongst the hills. behind. In the hollow holow were son18 of the ambulance eorps, headed by the Doctor-in-Chief. A lieutenant of the ma rine infantry was brought in wounded in the foot. Occasional bullets passed amongst us, and a few yards from where I was, a sub- lieatenaut of the staff, a particular favourite of General Briere de L'Isle, was struck. With a-long-drawn Oh and the word 'utan-mau on his lips, he fell from his horae and died.
At 1.45, firing ceased, the Chinese having been compelled to retreat to another poai- tion, In the short interval that preceded the final outbreak we moved on along the ridge which had been occupied by the) marine corps; and, in a few minutes, had evidence of the severity of the struggle. Ou a level spot at the turn of the road was collected about 60 Turcos; and the ambulance men were bringing in others from the heights around. A few were dead, a d were being carried off to be buried. The doctors were busy among the wonnded, dressing their wounds, and placing the worst cases on thick beds and the others on canvas stretchers, which were carried to the rear by the ambulance coolies, four coolies to each stretcher. An officer had been wounded in the leg, but only stopped to cut down the leather of his boots, and then went on with his men. One of the men whom I saw had been grazed just on the nostril. Some of the artillerymen were again wounded; their commandant was killed.
At 4 o'clock, we mounted the crest of the hill to see the Chinese make their last stand on the ridge of the plain, about 900 yards ahead of us. From the hilla rather to the left commanding the ridge, the Tarcos, and further back the artillery, were pouring in their fire. For a time there was a lively response, part of which reached us, and caused the General to order his chasseurs to descend below the crest of the hill. But, era long, the reply became feebler and at 4.30 it ceased.
For
For an hour we advanood amongst the bleak hills, everywhere finding traces of the conflict in the dead bodies of Tarcos not yet reached by the Red cross mea, and a larger number of Chinese whom, in their last hasty retreat, the enemy had not been able to carry off with them. "One dead man had his gun (a Mausser) beside him.
The Staff took up its quarters for the night in a small village situated on a partially-wooded slope. and the troops camped out amongst the hills on the sur- rounding heights. In the darkness and gathering miat I tried to find a shelter in the village but for long in vain. The houses were few and small and of the poorest kind.
I had unsaddled my pony
in a dark corner, and disposed myself for the night on the wet grass, when I was hailed by friend, who gave the wel come intelligence that he had found shelter. In a short passage, about a yard wide, we came to a broken-down tono- ment, into the
of upper chamber which, after performing a gymnastic ex- erciso, for there were neither stairs nor ladder, we were thankful to find a place to lie down in. Our baggage coolies were miles in the rear, so that there was no hope!
of obtaining our food from them. My companion had in his saddle bag an army bismit and a part of a tin of cheese, I hap pily had in mine two biscuits and a tin of marmalade; so we fared fairly well.
Our
covering was ineagre for a cold night, but we slept a little. Our ponies were made happy by the find of a magazine of rice,→ one thing in which all the villages of this quarter are rich,
.
There was found here also a store of pow- der, bullets and cartridges, German make,, for the Winchester repeating riffo, Kynock's, perenssion caps, &c., and, in the morning,. acores of the soldiers were receiving from.. the stores white bags of untanned leather and Chinese make, intended, probably, for carrying oups.
Next day, the 18th February, our march was free and uninterrupted, save by occa- sional obstructions in the muddy road.
At 11a.m. we entered the deserted cita- del of Langson. On entering we heard that the enemy intended to show fight out side. Passing through to the rampart on the north side, we could see a small body on the opposite side of the river, the Song! Ki Cang, ranged, with gaudy Bags and banners in the fort of Ki-lua, less than: a thousand yards distant. Two guns weco. brought up one or two shots caused the banners and their bearers to disappear within the forts, and one or two more caused them to vacate the fort, and beat another and, perhaps, final retreat.
In itself Langson is a mesu place, and the larger village of Ki-lua, half a mile bo- ! yond, is equally mean, a collection of Annamite and Moong huts andja few Chinese houses. Encircled by bills, it is indefensible. Something of the picturesque is given to the scene by the fact that within the circle of the brown green hills adjacent to the citadel there creep out from the dull red sandy soil, rugged masses of white marble, cover- ed with dark green bushes, and showing on their weather-stained sides large streaks of yellowish white. These stand out boldly in a way that is effective, and almost impos- ing, conveying something of the appearance of guardian castles disposed around for the protection of the citadel, or as if they were the homes of the local divinities, or haunts of the genit.
Large stores of ammunition have been found here, and a number of brass guns, two mitrailleuses and a few Krupps; some of these were found buried in the ground; which seems to be a Chinese practice when they are unable to carry off their guns.
Aa to the tight en route to Lang- son it was no doubt the stoutest reaist- anca that the French have encountered since Sontai. I have not been able as yet to ascertain tho whole number of killed and wounded in the series of en- gagements between Chu and Langaon, but it must be large, especially since the last battle on the road, in which perhaps, as many were disabled as in all the other en gagements together. At the storming of
the
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