The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-08-04 00:00:00

THE WAR IN TONQIJIN.

The Hong-Kong Correspondent of the Stand,ard
writes :
The French have resumed operations in Tonquin,
and their first effort has been crowned with complete
success. For the past two months the garrison at Nam
Dinh has been shut in by the enemy, and the place has
been closely invested.
A sortie was resolved upon, and on the 19th inst. the
project was carried into effect. One half of the garrison
were embarked on board a junk, in which they sailed
down the canal without being observed. By this
manceuvre they got into the enemy's rear.
The next morning they attacked the Annamites,
who, taken completely by surprise, were unable to
offer any resistance. The scene that ensued was
terrible. The terror-stricken Annamites fled in the
greatest disorder, w'nich soon became a wild rout.
Over a thousand of them were shot down by the
French. In addition seven guns were captured—a
fact which shows that the Army of the Emperor of
Annam has taken the field.

The loss on the French side was trifling, only one
man being killed and three wounded.
As there are now over two thousand French troops
at Hanoi it has been decided to make an attack on
the enemy's entrenched position at Sontay as speedily
as possible.

A correspondent writes to the Daily Telegraph, :
The anxiety displayed by the French Government
at the news that 3b,000 Chinese soldiers have been
concentrated on the Tonkin frontier is not without
good reason. During the last few years great strides
have been made in improving the Celestial forces,
changes having been accomplished of which the outer
world seems as yet to know almost nothing. It is true
that in the south of the Empire, at Canton, Foochow,
and Swatow, where foreigners are frequently seen,
but little advance is noticeable. But in the interior,
and near the capital, namely, at Tien.tsin, large
numbers of men have been drilled of late and
well armed with weapons of precision. At one time—
and not so very long ago—so little did the Chinese
understand these breechloading rifles that on one
occasion when a number were served out to them ii
the neighbourhood of Swatow they were found to be
actrislly cleaning the locks after use by means of salt
water. Of late, however, a great amount of know.
ledge has been gained, and both at Shanghai and
at Canton the Chinese are manufacturing in
arsenals of their own large numbers of very excel-
lent breechloading rifles. European merchants, too,
have done their part towards familiarising the
Chinese mind with such weapons, for they have im-
ported so many that even in inland Chinese cities
such as Hangchow, Katie, and Kasey, breechload-
ing rifles may be seen in the shop windows exposed
for sale. The soldiers who lately fought at Bash-
gar were all armed with them, and it is stated that
the 35,000 men on the Tonkin frontier have been
long since supplied with them, and instructed in
their nse. More than that, there is no doubt that
the European drill instructors who are employed
in China have taught these men something more
than the mere rudiments of war, and that they
re pretty well commanded. Of their courage there
is this to be said, that those who know the Chinaman
best, and particularly the :s.Tortheru CelestiA give
him most credit for fighting qualities. He is, more.
over, capable of enduring great fatigue, requires hut
little food, and is very amenable to discipline. A
force of 35,C00 well.armed Chinese soldiers would
be a very formidable obstacle to the advance of a
small French brigade such as is now operating in
Tonkin."