THE FRANCO-CHINESE REPRISALS. The Fighting in Tonquin. Cooktown, November 10.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 78, 29 November 1884, Page 3

THE FRANCO-CHINESE REPRISALS. The Fighting in Tonquin. Cooktown, November 10.

The following itenib of later Chinese news arc taken from ii'es to hard per s. Timor up to the 2lst October : — Reports from Tonquin ptale that the French gunboat jMossiic, while going up the Lochnau River, -na^ attacked by the Chinese, "who were l)ing in ambush. In attempting to swing, the ve-bd got aground, and becamo a target for the Chinese rifles. Captain Chaluer w\;s shot dead, his head being piciced, wlnle 21 of the crow aud 10 marines were wounded. The gunboat was rescued by the Jl.iichee and Mosquito, This occinred on Hid October. General de Negrier proceeded at once from J-lanoi to Phu Lang Ihuong in the Carabine, all the available inland} being sent overland at the same time to Jiacmnh, taking up there some more spare troops. In the meanwhile 4UO European soldiers, under Colonel Kaulieng, and two companies of Tonquin Trailleurs, were despatched in the gunboat Eclair, accompanied by two or three smaller gunboats, to enter the Lochnau in order to prevent a junction by way ol that river between the Chinese on the Hongsam Road, who had formed a line of defence on Song Thuong and those about Dongtrien, whotc line of defence was on the Lochnau. When (Jeneial do .Negrier arnved at the point w heie the AJopsup w as att.iclu (I, he attemj)ted a lauding, bu ( v ! en about half his foioe wius landed they v, i , attacked by about o 000 Chinese. The French disembarkation was completed under covu of the gunboat, and sevcio fighting cnsuul, lasting fully six hours, from ten in the morning to four in the afternoon. The Chinese weie driven back with a loss of about 1,000 killed. The French loss included 1 ofliecr killed and 0 wounded, and b' men killed and 2(5 wounded. The French had noartillciy wi hthem, while the Chinese hid Krupp guns, firing double shell full of grape shot. They suceoeded in carrying them all oft". The Chinese made a good stand, and charged several times. The Tonquin Traillcurs weie utterly useless, and a laigc number of them ran away during the iij>ht. General Ncgiier left Phu Lang Thuong on the 7th October, the clay after the engagement, wiMi about 3,i00 men. They marched along a dreary narrow road to llangswon. On their approach to Ban Loch, the Chinese headquarter?, Ihe Chinese lorocn withdrew towards Hong Kep, the Fieneh following. Next morning they encountered there about 6',U00 Chinese regulars, who had fortitied the position. This force made some violent attacks on the French, but wcie continually driven back with heavy 108-c^. After ihe hours' hard fighting the Chinese lied and disbanded tow aids J)ao Quan, being cut oil' from China by the Lan Son road. They loft with the French all their stores, as well as horses aud mules "i he Chinese losses in thisbattlcarcc<timatedat'2,ooo The French lost Captain I'hante, a youn<_£ officer recently promoted, and fifty men, while eight officer and twenty men are returned as wounded. Among the wounded are General Negrier and his aide-de-camp. The general has a bullet wound through his "ankle. Ihe Fieneh weic bravely led on, and General Negrier and his officers were complimented by the Commander-in Chief. Tho former hos returned to Apcan for medical treat ment. Jlo was lcplnoed by General Briare do Li^le, who pursued tho Chinese iowaids the Lochnau, forming a junction with Colonel Daulier on the 10th. Thoy found the ChincFO at Thion strongly entrenched in pits protected by earthworks. The enemy made desperate efforts to retake their lost position, but the French, having put their oidicatico in position, repulsed them with heavy loss, driving them back to the mountains.

Oidocfl <o clear the Court, an Irish oricr did fo by this announcement, "Now, then, all yo blackguards that isn't lawyers must leave the Coort 1"