FRANCE, ANNAM, AND CHINA. 1 33 



French Fleet of Foochow, which involved a serious loss of life to 

 the population of that Chinese port ; and when it is remembered that 

 the impetuous French General Dugenne was responsible for the 

 disaster at Langson, and that the Chinese Commander was free from 

 any blame, in having defended the position, surely this terrible act 

 of reprisal by France against Foochow was far from justifiable. 



The bombardment of Foochow, was followed by the blockade of 

 the Island of Formosa, and the attack on Keelung, and the Pisca- 

 dores Islands, belonging to China, 



The result of these combined sea and land " military operations " 

 of France against China, were, after many reverses and serious 

 disasters, eventually victorious, and the conflict threatened gigantic 

 proportions, when, mainly by the good ofiSces of Lord Granville, 

 H.M. Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Marquis Tseng, the 

 Ambassador to Europe for China, an Armistice was agreed to, and 

 on April 3rd certain preliminaries of Peace were signed at Pekin, on 

 the one part by Sir Robert Hart, the British Minister, acting for 

 China, and on the other part, by M. Billot, acting for France. 



The bases of these preliminaries of Peace were, that France aban- 

 doned all claim for a War indemnity, which she had previously put 

 forward, and demanded only the execution of the other provisions 

 of the Treaty of Hub of 1884. 



The fact was, both France and China, alarmed at the probable 

 duration, and extent of the area of the War, were anxious for Peace ; 

 and this preliminary Treaty was soon afterwards converted into a 

 definite Treaty of Peace, signed at Pekin, June 9th, 1885, by 

 M. Patenotre, the French Ambassador, and by the Prime Minister 

 of China, Li-Hung-Chang, and eventually ratified by the Emperor 

 of China, and the President of the French Republic. 



By this Treaty, the Islands of Formosa, Keelung, and the Pisca- 

 dores, were to be evacuated within a month, and Annam was to have 

 no direct diplomatic relations with China, except through the Govern- 

 ment of France. 



France thus obtained undisputed control over Tonquin and Annam, 

 and both France and China agreed to keep order within their own 

 frontiers, and not to cross their respective borders in pursuit of the 

 disturbers of the peace. 



But though France had thus been able to avert a prolonged and 

 disastrous War with China, and to obtain from China a recognition 

 of a portion of her demands upon Annam, as originally set forth in 

 the Hufe Treaty of 1884, yet, there devolved upon her, a more 



