PARIS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3177, 3 September 1881, Page 3

PARIS.

September 1. Telegrams are to hand from Tunis reporttng that a severe conflict between the French troops and a strong body of Arab insurgents has taken place at Hamtnamet, resulting in the defeat of the former after several hours hard fighting. The losses are not reported. Since the receipt of the above intelligence, the French Government have issued orders for the immediate despatch of reinforcements for the army in the Tunisian territory, and the embarkation of troops is now proceeding at Toulon aud Marseilles. Telegrams received to-day from Algiers report that vast conflagrations, which are known to have been caused by .Arab incendiaries, have broken out in many parts of the province. The threatening attitude of the Arab fanatics is causing great alarm. September 2. Further intelligence has been received to-day from Tunis announcing that since the engagements of which newa came to hand yesterday between the Arab insurgents and the French troops, fresh encounters have taken place in the neighborhood of Hammamet, an important seaport a few miles south of the capital. The French troops have, it is now reported, been twice successful over the Arabs, who suffered severe repulses and the loss of over one thousand killed besides a large number wounded. The French have since occupied Hammamet in force, and retain possession of the town.