New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-02
TIE RED RIVER DELTA
AND FRENCH OPERATIONS THERE
sUIIpIyG CrrY-NAruhE OF inn Uos .xn
WRENCH DLuSD1gs INCOMPETENCE AND

-. sprcY., CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuNE.1
III-PuoNG, Tonquin, Feb. 1O.-lhe Guy
Cbch IA fairly sure to command the trade o' '"o -
.h nod p,vcr and in time that Of all Tonlun ana run
Nan IA thought to be Hai-Pbong. 1t stands Oh oDo " w
many arms through which the parent strea VI.
sea fifteen miles from its month; mas AZ 'n'o"'
b,r which a low water only six feet anu as hsi
.,,een feet and therefore cannot hope ever TO
eco ot its wbaryes great ships. But 1t Is the pcst port
,, c. bo had under circumstances and the frehcn
Goyernmcn seconded by spectators, is ophgcu W 10
.o,,.,t with it. Here comes the foreign merchandise
winch IL TO be distributed through that part OF lohqu
which the French already occupy Here come the troops
and munitions OF war for the French army III tne hciu
and the military posts the interior Hero are pnonc
n,s bnrlened with their duties military headquarters
Kent busy with general military work, and Board OF
Public Works which doing business on magn'hcch'
metropolitan scale. Real estate has gone from nothhe
N commanding figure as rapidly as in Western towns
during the 81 ecuatve In America and everything
indicates tho expectation of acknowledgements Inc
delta not, might be supposed nat swamp co'eieu
with reedy Jungle but large level area intersected y
the arps OF the Red River covered with rice neids
81 and orchards Of the bctel PALM when
give Il singuarly picturesque appearance dotted Win
villages and bordered by ranges OF low serratea mis-
which close 1t round like framework. On the south
bank OF one these larger Just where II Is inter
sected by a smaller channel, stands Hai-Phong. The
ground is low and spring tides partially overlooked
drawback which will be in measure remedied by raising
the general level Of the SITE This process going on
slowly over a considerable area The streets, WHICH
hay been laid regularly, already at the proper
level bat intervening blocks are as yet mere rect
angular lakes of water, surrounded constantly oy
wretched Auamese and girls raking them TOT the
Shiny seaweed The mud bank along tho water front is
being excavated by means peculiarly primit'e anu
Oriental. Here may be seen any day from one 10
several hundred coolies standing In line kneedeep I'D the
ooze the arthest from the bank picking up in MS
hands mass of stiff mud and clay handing 1t to the one
next him who passes 1t along it is at last deposited
on solid ground Toe work s superintendent by petty
French OFFICIAL assisted 10y two three haf-European-
lied Anamese through whom he imparts his orders Inc
streets that finished solid and handsome THANKS
70 soil well adapted purpose. The residences are
sometimes OF the bungalow style, or twe-story, Win
verandas like those elsewhere In the foreign settlements
in the East There already enough Of them to give
European the city seen nom the river. IL eA-
tends along the main stream for nearly mle ana Ior
greater distance along the smaller branch tne
native town. which contains about 10000 inhao'tah's
living in houses msiy constructed OF bamboo mating
continuing beyond and finally ending IN SONIC oir''
struggling huts among groves OF palm
Tonaun Is to be the crucial OF the ability OF the
French colonize their possessions The trade OF
Saloon. though SO handsomely built ana SO well gov
cred by them. is mostly in the hands OF Germans
English and Chinese There is danger that Hai-Phong
Frenchmen who are invariably the crest OF the wave
,, foreign conquest These the barber the restau
ateu and cabaret keeper They are already IN Hal
Phong Tho first with his gentle touch his toilet articles
aud his patent nosrms for the har the SECOND with us
pots and pans In bamboo shed in grove OF bananas
and the last with his wines. his liquors and an mex
haustibe supply of vermouh and absnthe AS Tor the
carpenters tailors and shoemakers tey
have not yet pat In an appearance. Inc somewhat
diminished Chinese colony supplies this want, though
imperecty. The French merchant aud farmer are TOO
poor TO emigrate unaded such distant country as
th n the French wish have them till the fields OF
the delta and the bills OF ronqun ana the nnges WHICH
Gle sred and cultivated will lose much OF their miasnatc
QUALITY they will have 10 assist them by cheap steam
ship fares and grants of land or even 80 further and oy
furnishing the means TO work the land help emigrsnts
TO place themselves paying basis.
Tonquln is undoubtedly rich country ana III, upon On
malarial as il has been painted Most OF China is
SoSd srdy be ~ na
sands OF millions OF eeeDg mortality Bnt the sickness
tirey due the exnalations OF luxurant vegeatqn
and rich and unhealthy soil That responsiDy Wi
mcbzed the small force which II sent to the East with,
out providing the requisite medical nttendahce anu
even blankets. Men at ke-Lung during the northeast
monsoon snoud be well led well clad and well protected
neither: hence fever and rheumatism the weekly
shipment OF disabled men 10 saiGoS T0nqnn Is not
rains and piercing Winds not alone from the ocean, bat
from the hi OF Yum Nan and Thioet The
mia siatic conditions render absolute warmth ana dry
ness Imperative. but Ministry Tapped In Partisan Aty
is little conscious Of this fact that when an order was
at home for blankets, IL was connternanuea DC
could 20 NJ further 1t is fitting climax a campaign
managed since its beginning with tue most uelDer-
ate mbecity. An inspection of the shops OF the mer-
chants here shows a plentiful lack of useful articles,
especially OF wearing apparel and an eccenlc smpor
shelves are crowded with wines and vermouth. the
showcases led with toilet articles and strange Pars
devices There photographs OF Bordeaux photograph
albums and opera-glasses Canned goods are IN good
supply but of shoes, boots. Ioady-nadc clothing.
serviceable. whatever The French among them
selves and % their r S% World s s 70 hey
have experience before they can have the knowledge
that has q sound commercial value.
The French troops in Tonanin gradually diminish 10
number you approach them: la French circles IA
Hong 8ns sy Sers he AZ eG been properly
for hut with sickness they have neen reduced 10
Every man capable OF action is IN the held. only
nominal garrisons OF from fifty TO hundred men remain
the weakness of the defenders OF the latter place they
French soldiers with small Anamese contingent remain
place. though or more gnnboats is always are
tant The army which is now in front of Lang-son is
composed of two prigades including IN the aggregate
General Negrier. General Briere Delsle has also his
ne ss AZ me
ment to General Negrer who Is described by his friends
ss Tsa eaEs Is supposed to &c already
the hands OF General Negrier are undeveoped ii this
place Is taken with brilliant engagement Ike some OF
tnose smaller encounters that have taken place the
road especially the capture OF the three ioIts az Dong
Song, 1t Is expected that rapid advance VIII be made on
Kao- Bang forty nifty miles To the northwest OF that
place. Lao-Kay, the Yuma frontier. is about loo
miles from Kao- Bang. and the country between Is
di.icnt and Inhabited by hostile populations no adj
be made up the Red River from Hung-H as
navigation which difficult at all is now abso-
utely impossible. For the moment the French forces
all in the north OF Tonguin leaving the delta coa
paratiyey deensecss and the extensive district souh
OF mol and Hung Hoa absolutely without soldier TO
defend it. II the Chinese have at their disposal In Yum
Nan an army. and not q rabble they can deuge the
region to the south and northwest OF Hanoi with
soldiers undo in week the work the French have
taken years to accomplish
BEATING AMATEURs AT BAsEBALL.