The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-15
THE WAR IN ToNQUIN.
TIE FRENCH WIN A BLOODY Battle.
a fhree Days Fight Between French
troops and the Black Flags Two
fowns Captured-Loss of the natives
over 500; French Loss Slight.
A BATTLE For}aHr.

LONDON, Sept Is
A dispatch from Hong Kong SAYS that q
battle has taken place between the French
forces and the Black Flags, lasting eight
hours. The engagement took place be,
tweenn Hanoi and Sontay, near the Red
River The French forces are reported as
having lost two officers and fifty men.
Inc loss OF the Black Flags is estimated
at between five hundred and six
hundred. Hanoi is the town where the
French have been holding their garrison
since the previous engagement at SOntay,
awaiting reinforcements. 1t is probable.
from the tenor of the above dispatch, that
the Black Flags, whose headquarters are al
Bac Mint to the northeast of Hanoi, are de-
termined to recaptTe Sontay from the
French, who have kept gunboats there for
the last fortnight While en- route from
Bac Mint across the delta the Black Flags
were met by the French sent from Hanoi TO
intercept them, the above battle being the
result
FRENCH ACCOUNT OF THE ENGAGEMENT.
LONDON. SEPT Is.
The French accounts of the battle
with the Black Flags state that on Satur-
day. September /, the French forces from
Hanoi advanced to within twelve miles of
Sontay, where the enemy was found in
casemate forts, upon which the fire OF the
French had no effect After three DAYS
of hard fighting the French troops
aided by heavy fire from the fleet under
Admiral Bouet carried the enemy's works
at the point of the bayOnet, capturing two
towns and two Black Flag standards. The
French loss was two officers and fourteen
men killed, and three officers and forty men
wounded
After the victory, Admiral Bouet with
drew his fleet to Hanoi to await reinforce
ments, leaving 800 men to hold the captured
towns.
THE CHINESE PROPOSITIONS.
PARIS, Sept Is.
The SOir Processes to give the following
as the heads of the proposals by the MARQUIS
Iseng, Chinese Ambassador, to Challemel-
Lac0m: That France should cease sending
reinforcements to TOnquin; that China will
recognize the treaty of Hue, but will retain
the right of mvestiture of Annamese soyef-
eign; that the French prOtectorate shall be
under Chinese control and under the direc-
ton OF military Mandarins; that China shall
be reimbursed for all expenses incurred in
repression Of the Black Flags
NO SPECIAL. SESSION
1t is announced that the French Govern
ment has at present no intention to convene
the Chamber of Deputies before the 23d of
October
O'DONNEII.
MADEIRA, Sept Is.
A South African steamer, with O'DonneH,
the slayer of James Carey, on board, arrived
here Thursday morning. O'DonnelI is in
charge of two colonial detectives His man
ner is quiet and reserved, and there is no
sign that he feels any anxiety for the future
BISMARCK SUFFERING FROM A RELAPSE.
BERLIN, Sept Is
Alarming reports are received from Gas
ten regarding the health of Prince Bis
marck. The latest dispatch states that the
complicated disorders from which the
Prince has long been a sufferer suddenly re-
turned with increased severity Thursday.
and that the Chancellor is now in a pre-
carious condition. His physicians. DR..
Strueke, of Berlin, and DIR. SchWenninger
OF Munich, have been summoned to his bed
side. A gentleman who saw him says the
Chancellor is unable to entirely close his
mouth, owing to the intense pain caused by
the meeting of his teeth. One report as
cribes the Princes relapse to his diSEe-
gard of the orders of his physicians and to
his diet
LUTHEE's BIRTHDAY FITTINGLY CELE-
BIfATED.
wITTENBHRG, Sept. Is.
The quatre-centenary of Martin Lnther
was cOmmemorated here Thursday. About
I IL.
Protestant Germany and many from Ameri-
ca assisted in the ceremonies. The crown
Prince Frederick William of Prussia was
the orator of the day. He said that the es-
sence of Professionalism consisted in accept
ing and following out the truths of Chris
tianity, and not simply in the observance of
the dead letter ritual