The Penn's Grove record., 1904-04-08
SLAUGHTER OF T|BETANS
British Rott Che Attacking Force Of
Natives, Killing 400.
TWO DESPERATE ENGAGEMENTS

Native Camp is Taken BY Assault-Gen-
eral From Capital Asks Colonel Young
husband to Retire, But Latter Refuses
Rank After Rank Moved Down, Cam.
mander Among Thems
Tuna, British India.-News has been
received here of severe lighting. the
Tibetans having attacked the British
saissicn, under Colonel Younghusband.
%aere were two engagements and the
wbetans were repulsed with heavy
>s. The British captured the lib
etan camp at Guru.
While the British advance had been
practically 'iiopposed, the expedition
suffered great hardship from the in
tense cold, and it was sometimes found
impossible to use the Maxim gums and
rifles owing to the c~engeaiinS Of the
oil. The country Is Of tie bleakest.
without q sign of vegetation, and the
expedition had to face piercing winds
and clouds of dust, while there was
a heavy fall of snow during the night.
At s o'clock a. m. a flying column
started to reconnoitre the Tibetan
camp at Gurn, whereupon a general
from Lhassa with a quaint retinue
came to interview Colonel Younghus-
band. The general asked the colonel
to retire with his mission to Yatung
for the purpose of carrying on nego
tiations, threatening an attack il the
mission proceeded. Colonel Young
husband replied that negotiations had
been proceeding fruitlessly for fifteen
years and that retirement was now
impossible.
The Tibetan general withdrew and
Colonel Younghusband ordered his
troops to endeaver to dispense the
Tibetans blocking the road without
firing upon them.
For a time the tatics Of the British
were successful, but after a while the
attitude of the Tibetan leaders con-
WINGED Colonel Macdonald of the neces-
sity of disarming them. The lib
etans numbered about 1900 and their
resistance. of the effort to disarm
them led to a smart engagement. The
situation for a few moments was crit
zeal, Colonel Macdonald and Colonel
AOuASduoOdAu OCluS Ouly d lew YdIuS
from the advancing Tibetans. Re-
volvers and bayonets were used and
then a rifle fire vas resorted to. The
Tibetans fed, but not before several
casualties resulted in the British ranks.
The correspondent Of the Daily Mail,
with the mission, was severely wound
ed.
The Tibetans lost heavily because
Of the inferiority of their weapons,
which were matchbox rifles, but they
displayed the greatest courage, many
of them coming on after they had
eight or nine bullet wounds in their
bodies. The scene after the action was
like a shambles. The dead were
heaped on top of each other and a long
trail of dead and wounded extended to
the rear.
After a short halt the advance con
tinued, nearing the Tibetan camp at
Guru, where the second action took
place, in which the artillery played
the largest part.
Finally the Tibetans retreated over
the hills, with the exception of about
sixty, who obstinately held the village,
which was finally taken by a mounted
infantry bayonet rush.
Among the Tibetans killed were the
Lhassa general, the military command
ant of Phari and Lata and the repre-
sentative of the Golden Monastery, to
whose influence and violent hostility
the existing difficulties were largely
due.
The Tibetan losses are believed to
be more than 400, while the British
casualties are about a dozen.
The British force returned to Tuna,
and said that rifles bearing the Rus
sian imperial stamp and Russian am
munition were found on the wounded
Tibetan officers.