THE TONQUIN WAR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 967, 12 June 1883, Page 2

THE TONQUIN WAR.

[SPECIAL TO THE “AGE.”] London, May 27. During the recent engagement at Hanoi, fourteen French soldiers were killed and twenty wounded. A body of trqpps has been despatched from Saigon to the assistance of the French. Later reports*' from Hanoi state that General Riviere, j the officer in charge of the French, force,' / had prepared an ambushcade for the enemy. He suddenly made a. sorti^at. the head of 400 men, but the Opposing ' fores proved too strong, and the French were compelled to retire with great loss. Twenty-six of their men were killed and fifty-one more were wounded in the en- , , gagement General Beaulieu will take ' charge of the French troops at'Hanoi, ~ and General Bonet will assume the position .of supreme commandant at-Saigon., " The French Govenment have despatched 2,500 men from Toulon. Germany has _V announced that she approves of the policy ‘ V adopted by France, aqd encourages her,' ' to proceed with it. Laung Chang haa been appointed Commander in South China of the troops now stationed at Shanghai, and: Kergradie, the officer in charge of the - Anamese troops at Saigon, has made'every prepara'ion for war, and is now awaiting' i instructions from the authorities. The; f utmost excitement prevails amongst then*n Chinese, and 6,000 troops are now massing r at Tonquin preparatory to against the French forces. ’ General' Hiviere, whr> it appears was one *of the slain at the recent engagement at Hanoi,' was killed by a bayonet, which passed, completely through his body. A further reinforcement of 1,200 French troops has , been despatched to Hanoi from Saigon., Kergradie, the commander of the .Ana- , mese troops at Saigon, has . been ordered to keep his forces in readiness, but to take no decisive step until receipt of further instructions. The French Government have resolved to withdraw 16,000,,, men from Tunis, so that they ,may, be ready for immediate service in Tonquin if . 'required. , It is reported that General Riviere, the French commander, and fifteen of his. soldiers who were taken prisoners by the Anamese at Hanoi, were brutally tortured by impalement before they were put to death. The report has, however, not . been officially confirmed. The pros'-ects of the French expedition to Anam prodtmd great excitement in China. Several French ironclads will re-.., main near Shanghai and Hongkong.. The King of Anam is now closely in league with the Emperor of China, who is his suzerain.