ANNAM. 



numerical superiority of the enemy, and fear- 

 ing that his ammunition would run short, or- 

 dered a retreat. The French fell hack upon 

 Dong-Son and Than-Moi. The French soldiers 

 displayed their usual bravery, and succeeded 

 in driving back the Chinese once by a counter- 

 attack, in which they sustained only slight 

 losses. The brigade had twenty days' rations 

 and munitions. Gen. Briere de 1'Isle sent all 

 his available forces forward to Chu and Kep, 

 the openings at the edge of the hills, and tele- 

 graphed that he hoped to be able to defend the 

 delta. Proceeding to Chu, he found the state 

 of affairs more favorable than he expected. 

 The Chinese seemed bent merely on occupying 

 their old positions north of Deo- Van and Deo- 

 Quan, heights between Chu and Dong-Son, 

 which were reoccupied by the French after 

 the arrival of the commander-in-chief. Col. 

 Herbinger had evacuated Dong-Son on March 

 30, after two slight encounters, retreating to 

 Kep and Chu along the Kep and Deo-Quan 

 routes. The general considered that his evac- 

 uation of Langson was precipitate, and the re- 

 treat from Dong-Son to Chu inexcusable. He 

 therefore superseded him in the command of 

 the brigade, putting Col. Desbordes in his 

 place. Colonel Herbinger was ordered home 

 for trial, and then sent back to Tonquin, 

 and, in September, acquitted on the ground 

 of the suddenness and newness of the respon- 

 sibilities thrust upon him. When the news of 

 the Langson disaster was received in France, 

 the Government hastened the dispatch of re- 

 enforceinents then in progress. One of M. 

 Ferry's last acts was to charter nine steamers 

 to enable the 8,000 troops ordered to Ton- 

 quin all to embark before April 12. M. Ferry 

 announced the long-threatened blockade of 

 the Gulf of Pechili, and asked for a credit of 

 100,000,000 francs for the Ministry of War, 

 and an equal sum for the Ministry of the 

 Navy, in order to retrieve and avenge the re- 

 buff at Langson. On a motion for priority 

 for the vote of credit over a vote of censure, 

 moved by M. Ribot, the Government was de- 

 feated by 308 to 161 votes, upon which M. Fer- 

 ry announced the resignation of the Cabinet, 

 March 30. A motion for the impeachment of 

 the ministers found as many supporters as had 

 voted for the Government. 



Ever since January, negotiations for peace 

 had been hopefully proceeding, but through so 

 irregular and roundabout a channel that M. Fer- 

 ry deemed it best not to divulge them. The 

 Franco- Chinese conflict passed through singular 

 and unexpected phases because it depended in 

 a great measure on trivial and personal mo- 

 tives. The Marquis Tseng had great influence 

 in plunging his government into this unofficial 

 war. He was actuated in great part by the 

 feeling of resentment against the Ferry Cabinet 

 for the aggravating treatment he had received 

 at their hands. By a curious coincidence his 

 threat of bringing about the fall of the Cabinet 

 was accomplished by the Chinese army in the 



field at a moment when his policy had been 

 overruled in the imperial councils. M. Brisson 

 was not even aware of the secret negotiations for 

 peace going on in Paris, as M. Grevy, not wish- 

 ing to embarrass the action of the new Cabinet 

 by asking them to deal with a business so com- 

 plicated and dubious as the overtures for peace 

 entertained by M. Ferry, and unwilling that 

 the chance for peace should be lost through 

 new complications and interruptions, had ap- 

 pointed M. Billot to treat with the Chinese 

 plenipotentiary. The new Cabinet proposed 

 and obtained a vote of 150,000,000 francs, and 

 announced that they would send 10,000 men to 

 Tonquin immediately, and that, if necessary 

 to reconquer the country, 60,000 would be sent 

 out. Before the money had been voted, the 

 Tsung-li-Yamen had already ratified the agree- 

 ment and ordered the gradual evacuation of 

 Tonquin. General Briere de 1'Isle, upon re- 

 ceiving notice, on April 10, of the conclusion 

 of peace, sent emissaries to notify the Chinese. 

 Before his messengers arrived, the military man- 

 darins, not having received their instructions 

 from Peking, ordered an attack upon Kep on 

 the 14th of April. The force of 2,000 men 

 that carried it out was repelled and driven 

 beyond Bac-Le. The same day French gun- 

 boats were attacked while making a reconnais- 

 sance on the Black river, and the detachment 

 that attacked them was routed by the garrison 

 of Hung Hoa. The cessation of hostilities was 

 not welcomed by the French troops, who were 

 anxious to retrieve their reputation after the 

 retreat from Langson. The Chinese generals, 

 flushed with their successes, were disappointed 

 and provoked at the action of their government 

 in yielding in the moment of victory. On the 

 5th of May the Chinese evacuated Langson. 

 On the 12th Gen. Briere de 1'Isle, in answer to 

 a request of the Chinese Government, received 

 through M. Patenotre, for a few days' delay 

 to enable the Chinese troops to complete the 

 evacuation of the Ked river district, granted 

 ten days' delay on condition that he was placed 

 in possession of Thuan-Quan on the 25th. Two 

 Chinese commissioners were sent to Tonquin 

 to conduct the evacuation. The Viceroy of 

 Yunnan issued proclamations commanding the 

 rebels to lay down their arms. There was 

 much difficulty with the Black Flags, and their 

 commander, Luh Vinh Phuoc; and the gueril- 

 las recommenced their disturbances after the 

 withdrawal of the Chinese troops. The evacu- 

 ation by the Chinese forces was completed by 

 the dates fixed. 



The cost of the Tonquin campaign, according 

 to the report of the French budget committee, 

 amounted in July, 1885, to 470,000,000 francs, 

 of which only 270,000,000 francs had been 

 voted. The Government in April appointed 

 Gen. Courcy to the chief command in Tonquin, 

 and made arrangements to form two divisions 

 for active service in that country, and a third 

 division, to remain ready for sailing in the 

 south of France, as a reserve. Gen. Courcy 



