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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b38023a --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53902 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53902) diff --git a/old/53902-0.txt b/old/53902-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b360efd..0000000 --- a/old/53902-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8355 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Soldier of the Legion, by George Manington - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: A Soldier of the Legion - An Englishman's Adventures Under the French Flag in Algeria and Tonquin - -Author: George Manington - -Editor: William B. Slater - Arthur J. Sarl - -Release Date: January 6, 2017 [EBook #53902] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SOLDIER OF THE LEGION *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - - A SOLDIER OF THE LEGION - - - - - [Illustration: NATIVE WOMAN CARRIER.] - - [_Frontispiece._] - - - - - A SOLDIER - OF THE LEGION - - AN ENGLISHMAN'S ADVENTURES UNDER - THE FRENCH FLAG IN ALGERIA - AND TONQUIN - - BY GEORGE MANINGTON - - EDITED BY - WILLIAM B. SLATER AND ARTHUR J. SARL - - WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS - - LONDON - JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET - 1907 - - - - - TO THE MEMORY - OF MY COMRADES WHO FELL IN THE FORESTS OF - YEN-THÉ AND THE JUNGLES OF KAI-KINH, - THIS WORK IS DEDICATED - - - - -PREFACE - - -Sitting at the terrace of a well-known _café_, on the main boulevard -of the French capital, some time ago, I happened to glance down the -columns of a Parisian newspaper, and was struck by a realistic account -of the recent combat at El-Moungar. - -After describing this action,--a long, arduous, but successful defence -of a convoy of arms and ammunition by a handful of men from the Foreign -Legion against the repeated attacks of more than a thousand fanatical -Moorish horsemen,--the journalist expressed his admiration for the -courage and disinterested devotion of which this corps has so often -given proof. - -The final phrase of his article can well serve as an excuse for, and -introduction to, the present volume:--_Si quelque philosophe ouvrait un -jour une chaire pour enseigner l'heroïsme et le dévouement, son cours -pourrait se tenir tout entier dans la lecture des citations obtenues -par la Légion Étrangère._ - - G.M. - - HONG-KONG. - - - - -EDITORS' NOTE - - -The restless spirit of adventure which prompted the author, Mr George -Manington, to enlist in the French Foreign Legion, at a later date -called him post haste from London, and thus caused us, his friends, to -promise to see the manuscript of "A Soldier of the Legion" through the -press. - -Though well under forty years of age, he had been a student in France -and Germany, a prospective doctor in Paris, a soldier in Algeria and -Tonquin, a man of commerce in Indo-China, an interpreter, traveller, -and journalist in South China, besides a participator in more fleeting -occupations in many lands, including Japan and the Philippines. - -It was in the restful periods between these various enterprises that -this book was written. Malaria and kindred ailments, contracted during -his military service in Tonquin, hampered him from time to time, and -while he was recuperating in England from an attack, "A Soldier of the -Legion" made most progress. Presently a journalistic offer came from -Hong-Kong, and the prospect it afforded of more adventurous missions in -the remoter regions of the Far East proved irresistible. He accepted -by cable, called upon us to deal with the manuscript, and within a few -days was mailing further sections of the book from ports "somewhere -east of Suez." - -We have dealt as lightly as possible with the manuscript, for it is -permeated with the brave and cheery spirit of the author, and, beyond -giving an eye to the connection of the narrative as the various -sections came to hand, our duties have been light. - -An educated gentleman, Mr Manington has given an insight into the -unusual experiences of an Englishman in the French Foreign Legion, -such as no ordinary "mercenary" could have done. Most of the narrative -deals with Tonquin, and the fighting there against the rebels in their -forest fastnesses. Incidentally, in giving an account of his friendship -for the native sergeant, Doy-Tho, the author has been able to impart to -the pages of the book an Oriental atmosphere that we think will prove -attractive to the reader. - -Acknowledgment is due to his friend, M. Cézard, who is fully acquainted -with the ground covered, both as a public servant of France and as an -accomplished artist, for the illustrations which appear in this volume; -also to General Frey and Messrs Hachette, the author and publishers of -a military work on Tonquin, for permission to reproduce the map and -plans of forts, in relation to the events spoken of in the description -of the author's service under the Tricolor. The map was prepared by the -officers of the topographical section of the French army in Tonquin, -and gives a detailed outline of the country in which most of the -experiences described by "A Soldier of the Legion" took place. - - W.B.S. - A.J.S. - - LONDON, _June 1907_. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I - - PAGE - - The _Ministère de la Guerre_--The recruiting office--Would-be - warriors--The Commandant--A repulse--Enlisted--Something - about the Legion--Marseilles--The _Abd-el-Kader_--Oran--Sidi-bel-Abbes - --In camp--Snow in Africa--Another Briton--Instruction of recruits--An - American--The 3rd Battalion--Barrack-room pranks--Route-marching 1-42 - - - CHAPTER II - - General inspection--The band of the Legion--The _caporal - sapeur_--Off to the manoeuvres--A near thing--Convalescence--Arzew - --Amateur theatricals--Bel-Abbes again--Volunteers for Tonquin--Oran - again--A good send-off--The troop-ship _Bien-Hoa_, life on - board--The Padre--Saigon--Along Bay 43-68 - - - CHAPTER III - - Some information concerning Tonquin--Haïphong--Phulang-Thuong--The - 2nd Battalion--The Yen-Thé Rebellion--General Godin's column--A - surprise at Cao-Thuong--Colonel Frey's column--Nha-Nam--The - building of a fort--Reconnaissance--Night attacks--Native troops 69-134 - - - CHAPTER IV - - The difficulties of obtaining military intelligence--Native - spies--Ambuscades--Life at Nha-Nam--Doy-Tho--De - Lipthay--A tropical storm--The capture of Linh-Nghi--Monsieur - de Lanessan--French colonial administration 135-197 - - - CHAPTER V - - An execution--A rebel chieftain--A bid for liberty--De-Nam's - mistake--Linh-Nghi speaks--A new road to Thaï-Nguyen--In - the enemy's country--A sharp encounter--Cho-Trang--The fever-fiend--In - the hospital--Quang-Yen 198-247 - - - CHAPTER VI - - La Soeur Agnes--Exeat--Nha-Nam again--Picking up the - threads--Bo-Ha--Preparations for the campaign--With - General Voyron's column--An error in the art of war--A - big butcher's bill--Collapse of the rebellion--Stamping - out the embers 248-301 - - - CHAPTER VII - - The last struggles of a rebellion--Departure of Captain - Plessier--Our new commander--Man-hunting--A friend - in need--A false alarm--An unexpected rise in life--On - the Brigade Staff 302-338 - - - CHAPTER VIII - - General Voyron--Organisation of the Brigade--Piracy on the - Lang-son railway--Politics and pacification--Topography - and a tiger hunt--Among the Staff records--Colonel - Gallieni--General Pernot--Hanoï--General Coronnat--Death - of a friend--Adieu to the army 339-377 - - - - -LIST OF MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS - - - NATIVE WOMAN CARRIER _Frontispiece_ - - TONQUINESE NATIVE TYPES _To face page_ 72 - - RIVER SCENE AT HAÏPHONG " 80 - - BOULEVARD PAUL PERT, HAÏPHONG " 86 - - THE FORTIFIED POSITION AT HOU-THUÉ. _From a sketch - by a French Staff Officer_ " 100 - - SECTIONAL SKETCH OF THE REBEL DEFENCES AT HOU-THUÉ " 104 - - INTERIOR OF THE FORT AT HOU-THUÉ " 110 - - A NATIVE SPY " 136 - - PAGODA USED FOR AMBUSH " 152 - - WATER BUFFALOES " 184 - - A _SAMPAN_ ON THE RIVER NEAR PHULANG-THUONG " 258 - - REBEL RAMPARTS FACING POINT A. " 282 - - MAP OF TONQUIN. _Published by permission of General - Frey and Messrs Hachette & Co. of Paris_ _End of Book_ - - - - -A SOLDIER OF THE LEGION - - - - -CHAPTER I - - The _Ministère de la Guerre_--The recruiting office--Would-be - warriors--The Commandant--A repulse--Enlisted--Something about the - Legion--Marseilles--The _Abd-el-Kader_--Oran--Sidi-bel-Abbes--In - camp--Snow in Africa--Another Briton--Instruction of recruits--An - American--The 3rd Battalion--Barrack-room pranks--Route-marching. - - -Most Englishmen, whose knowledge of the gay city of Paris is in the -slightest degree superior to that of the ordinary summer tripper, -are acquainted with the fine red stone building on the Boulevard St -Germain, which is known as the _Ministère de la Guerre_, therefore it -is unnecessary to give a lengthy description of this imposing edifice; -above all, as its connection with the present history is of the -shortest. It must, however, be explained why I, on the morning of the -26th February 1890, after pushing aside a big swing-door, found myself -in the vestibule of this home of the supreme direction of one of the -largest standing armies in the world, whose glorious traditions began -on the field of Ivry, and amongst whose galaxy of leaders figure the -personalities of Condé, Turenne, Carnot, Hoche, Bonaparte, Canrobert -and MacMahon. - -I chanced one evening, after I had been living for the past two years -in the French capital, whilst in the company of several army officers, -to meet an Austrian gentleman, of old lineage and great wealth, who -entertained us with the recital of his experiences during the Tonquin -campaign of 1883-85. Owing to an _affaire de coeur_, he had enlisted -in the Foreign Legion, had risen to the rank of sergeant-major, was -twice wounded, and had been decorated with the _médaille militaire_ for -bravery in action. - -This narrative so excited my imagination and desire for adventure that -I fell into slumber that night only after having decided on taking a -similar course, in the hope of warring in strange lands and seeing life -out of the rut. - -I should here say, before going further, that owing to the action so -suddenly decided upon, I was often in the future to undergo suffering -and privation; yet never once during the five years of my service did I -regret the step taken and wish it retraced. - -The next morning I put my project into execution, and, as aforesaid, -went to the fountain-head for information. Perhaps the officials may -have had serious doubts as to whether I was in my right mind; and there -was some excuse for them, for it is not every day that an individual -comes to the _Ministère_, and in a matter-of-fact manner asks to -enlist, in just such a way as one might ask for a room at an hotel. -Whatever their thoughts may have been, they were exceedingly obliging, -and informed me that I must go to the Rue St Dominique, the central -recruiting office, and obtain all the necessary information. - -Somewhat disappointed at the delay, I started off at once for the -destination they had indicated to me, which is near to the famous Hôtel -des Invalides, and half an hour later found myself in a room which bore -a strong resemblance to the booking-office of a London railway station. -There were wooden benches round three sides of it, and five wickets -in the wall on the fourth. Facing the entrance and in the corner of -the room was a door, on which was painted in white letters, "Bureau -du Commandant de Recrutement"; and in the other corner, on the same -side, was another exit, leading to the room where, as I afterwards -learnt, the medical examination of future recruits took place. Upon the -whitewashed walls were several notices all bearing the same heading, -"République Française--Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité," and containing -instructions to conscripts as to the time and place at which they must -present themselves for enlistment. - -It is hardly necessary to state that military service is compulsory in -France. There were about thirty men in the room, some sitting alone, -or in pairs, on the benches, others standing in groups. They were of -all classes of society, if one could judge by their costumes, and the -conversations which were going on were little above a whisper. A sort -of timid expectancy seemed to reign supreme. - -Little or no attention was paid to my entrance, so I had time to take -things in. Espying over one of the wickets the words, "Engagements -Volontaires," I walked up to it, and attracted the attention of a -sergeant of the line who was in the office writing in a big ledger. -When I had stated my object he stared very hard at me, and, having -taken my name, told me to wait until called for. - -I went over and sat on one of the benches, from which could be seen -all that was going on in the room, and amused myself by examining the -different types present, speculating, meanwhile, on the social status -of each and the wherefore of their presence. - -There were many who were mere lads, the eldest of whom could not have -been more than nineteen. From scraps of their conversation which -reached me it was evident that they were volunteers who came to offer -their services before the time had arrived for their incorporation, -which is generally between the ages of twenty and twenty-one years. -They were drawn from all classes, and were attired in anything from -the silk hat and blue velvet-collared sacque coat of the well-to-do -_bourgeois_ to the dark cotton blouse and _casquette_ so popular on -the _boulevards extérieurs_. Seated in one corner were two young men -who bore the outward stamp of respectability. These, I afterwards -learnt, were in quest of the medical certificate which would allow them -to enter the Military Academy of St Cyr, which, like our college at -Sandhurst, is a school for army officers. - -My attention was next drawn to a group of six or seven individuals -who were standing in a circle round one, whose rotund face and short -red hair could be seen above their heads. They were all men of from -twenty to thirty years of age. Several of them were neat and clean -in appearance, and seemed to be of the artisan class, but there were -others in a decidedly "down-at-heel" condition. The red-headed man -was evidently a wit in his way, if one could judge by the smiles and -low laughter which greeted his frequent sallies; and I was regretting -that I could not catch the meaning of his words, being too far away -for that, when by chance our eyes met; and after making his way out -of the group, he came across the room, sat beside me, and opened the -conversation with a polite "_Bonjour, Monsieur!_"--to which I responded -with equal urbanity. - -"Excuse me," said my interlocutor, "but you are not a Frenchman, are -you?" - -"No; I am an Englishman." - -Then desirous, no doubt, of excusing his seeming indiscretion, he -continued: - -"I asked you that question because I am myself a stranger--a Swiss--and -from your appearance I thought you might be here with a similar -intention to my own: that of enlisting in the Foreign Legion. Am I -right?" - -"Yes," I answered, having no reason to conceal the object of my -presence there, and, besides, the looks of the man rather pleased -me. He was evidently a frank-speaking, good-tempered fellow, and his -clean-shaven face and neat exterior indicated a certain respectability. -I took him for an actor or a gentleman's valet. Knowing that I should -be likely to meet and mix with all sorts and conditions of men in the -road I had chosen, on taking my decision I had determined to accept -things as they were without complaint, so long as the life would bring -me new experiences which I could not hope to encounter in the ordinary -stay-at-home, humdrum existence. - -"Well," he continued, "it appears that we have both chosen the same -route. I hope we shall be in the same regiment." - -"The same regiment!" I exclaimed in surprise, "I thought there was only -one Legion." - -"Formerly it was so," he replied; "but that fellow over there--a -German, who is going to enlist for a second time--tells me that about -five years ago the old Legion was formed into two corps, which go by -the name of the 1st and 2nd Régiments Étrangers." - -I looked in the direction he indicated, and saw a tall man of about -thirty, whose stalwart form and straight shoulders betokened the -soldier. He was reading one of the bills on the walls. This information -interested me immensely, and I was just thinking of how I could best -approach this individual with the view of obtaining fresh details, -when the door of the Commandant's office opened suddenly and a -non-commissioned officer appeared, and, to my consternation, shouted -out my name. Instinctively I rose and answered "Present," just as if I -were answering to a call-over at school, all the other occupants of the -room eyeing me curiously as I did so. - -In response to a gesture from the sergeant I stepped across, entered -the office, and found myself in the presence of a gentleman in the -uniform of a major of the line, who was seated at a big table covered -with papers and text-books. He was a red-faced man of about forty, with -short-cropped grey hair and a heavy moustache of the same tint. The -eyes that looked into mine had a kindly light in them, which belied the -somewhat brusque manner of their owner. - -I uncovered as I entered the room, and saluted him with the stereotyped -"_Bonjour, Monsieur!_" to which he nodded a response, and, without -further preamble, said: - -"So you are desirous of enlisting in one of the Régiments Étrangers?" - -"Yes, sir," I replied. - -"Since when have you come to that decision?" - -This unexpected question rather nonplussed me, but regaining my -composure I answered with apparent coolness: - -"Oh! since yesterday." - -He smiled, and then said, to my astonishment and anger: - -"_Eh bien!_ you are a fool, my friend. Ah! that hurts you, doesn't it?" -(I had flushed at his observation). "Sure proof that stern discipline -would not suit you," he continued. Then in a softened and more kindly -tone he rattled along so quickly that there was no chance of putting in -a word: - -"_Sacré bleu!_ The Legion--why, you don't know what it is. Well, I -will tell you--hard work--hard knocks--hard discipline, and no thanks. -And how does it end? Your throat cut by some thieving Arab if you have -luck; if not, wounded, and then his women make sausage meat of you. In -Tonquin the same sort of thing--only worse, with fever and sunstroke -into the bargain. A bad business! yes, a bad business!" Then his -voice took quite a paternal tone, and he continued: "You look like a -gentleman--you are one, I'm sure. Mind you, I don't mean to say there -are not others over there--there are many--poor fellows! Your family, -too!--think of them--such a sudden decision. _Sapristi!_ and all for -some trifling _bêtise, sans doute_. A petticoat, I'll swear--don't deny -it--I have been young also--a faithless sweetheart--Pish! There are a -thousand others who would be delighted to console you. No! No! A good -dinner, the _Moulin Rouge_, and to-morrow you will be cured, _sacré -bleu!_" He laughed, and added: "Try that; and if to-morrow you still -feel the cravings for a military career, well, come and see me." - -Disappointed and somewhat resentful, for at the time I did not -appreciate the kindly intention which underlay the advice he had given -me, and imagined that I had been treated with undue contempt and -familiarity, I replied: - -"To-morrow I shall return, sir!" - -He laughed again good-naturedly, and said: - -"Well, well, we shall see;" at which I bowed and left the room. - -The outer office was silent and deserted, for it was the luncheon hour. -I was annoyed at this, having counted on obtaining more information -from the other men who had come to join. However, recognising the -inutility of waiting there, I proceeded to my usual restaurant in -a very disappointed state of mind, though in no way turned from my -determination. - -At an early hour the next morning I returned to the Rue St Dominique. -The major, my friend of the day before, received me with many -deprecatory remarks concerning my persistence; but seeing that they -were evidently lost on me, he carefully perused my passport, which I -had been particular to bring with me, and I was passed on to the doctor -for examination. "_Bon pour le service_," ran the verdict given, and I -was then signed on for a period of five years. - -After much waiting a _feuille de route_, a railway requisition for -Marseilles, and the sum of three francs for expenses, were given me. -The sergeant-major who handed them to me was kind enough to mention -that should I fail to put in an appearance at my destination within the -next forty-eight hours, I would be considered a deserter, and treated -as such. I left Paris that evening from the "Gare de Lyons," and -arrived at Marseilles about twenty-four hours afterwards. - -At this stage of my story it is right to give a short historical -description of the corps in which I had enlisted, and concerning which -so many errors have been written, and so many delusions exist. - -The Foreign Legion first came into existence in the early 'thirties -of the last century. It was composed chiefly of foreign adventurers -who had flocked to Algeria at the time of the French invasion of that -country. Shortly after its formation it acquired a reputation for -courage and recklessness which has never been allowed to die, and of -which its officers and Legionaries are proud to a fault. - -Since its creation it has served with honour and distinction in -nearly every campaign undertaken by France. In Algeria, the Crimea, -Mexico, Tonquin, Formosa and Madagascar the Legion was to the fore. -The Legionaries, led by their colonel, MacMahon, the future Marshal -and President of the Republic, were the first to scale the breach -and enter the city of Constantine on the 12th October, 1837, after -an hour's bloody hand-to-hand conflict, during which half of their -effective were blown sky-high by a mine. They shared the same honours -with the Zouaves at the Malakoff under Canrobert, and the defence of -Tuayen-Quang (Tonquin), by eight hundred of this corps under Commandant -Dominé, during nearly four months of continual sap and assault, against -an army of twelve thousand well-drilled Chinese troops, is one of the -finest feats of arms in modern times. In France the blood of this fine -corps has flowed like water. In the winter of 1870, when it was decided -by France's generals that Orleans should be evacuated, two battalions -of the Legion, which had just arrived from Africa, were entrusted with -the defence of the suburbs of the town; thereby covering the retreat -of the main army. During six hours they held back the Prussian forces, -and were practically annihilated, for they lost seventy-five per cent. -of their total strength in killed or wounded, and it was never possible -for them to figure again as a corps of any importance in the campaign -which followed; but they saved the Army of the Loire, for the Prussians -suffered such terrible losses, and were so completely exhausted by -their repeated efforts, that all immediate pursuit was out of the -question. - -The corps also holds a record for having had as officers men who -eventually became some of the most famous commanders of modern -France; MacMahon, Canrobert, Chanzy, De Négrier, Servière, and the -ill-advised but brave and romantic Villebois de Mareuil were amongst -the number. Originally, in addition to the many adventurers, whom -military instincts, hopes of plunder, and desire for excitement had -led to enlist, there were certainly a good many scallywags, perhaps -criminals; but to-day there are few, if any. Police methods have -changed considerably since the beginning of the last century, and a -fugitive from justice would be a fool indeed if he thought he could -evade punishment by joining the ranks of a "Régiment Étranger"; for -by so doing he would be thrusting his head into the noose, even had -he been able to procure papers affording him a change of identity to -enlist with, for nearly every one at one time or another has had their -photograph taken, and it is no easy matter to cheat the camera, neither -is it possible to evade the searching tests of the anthropometric -system. - -The Legion, or rather the two Foreign Regiments of to-day, are composed -of deserters from other armies--of these the Germans are in the -majority--men out of work who don't wish to starve, and who can't beg; -scallywags, _i.e._ those men who have gambled or squandered their money -and can't work; officers who have been forced to resign owing to some -private scandal; and the hundred other culprits and victims of the -social conventions of to-day, the description of whose grievances, or -the peccadilloes which brought about their presence in the corps, would -require a volume in itself. Besides all these, strange as it may seem -to the calm, well-balanced mind of the properly educated majority of -respectable society, there is a comparatively great number of seekers -after adventure who enlist, some of whom actually possess an income -of their own, and are often too generous with it, for, much to the -annoyance of the sergeant for the week who controls the peregrinations -of the men punished with pack-drill, wine is cheap and good in Algeria. -Be they what they may when they join, deserter, unemployed, ex-officer, -gambler, defrocked priest, member of a reigning family (for I knew -of two such during my service), taken collectively they are all -Legionaries and _bons camarades_ once under the flag, for, with but few -exceptions, they possess at least one, and sometimes many good traits -of character, and together they form one of the smartest and bravest -infantry corps in the world. - -The Legion originally possessed its own artillery and engineers, -but these were abolished in the 'fifties, and it became exclusively -an infantry corps. In 1885 it was formed into two regiments of four -battalions each, and in 1895 the effective of each corps was increased -by a battalion. - -I arrived in Marseilles about nine o'clock in the evening, and having -addressed myself to a non-commissioned officer who was on the platform, -I was conducted by him to the depot, known as the "Incurables," and -lodged for the night. This was my first experience of a military bed -and barracks, and it must be confessed that I was not favourably -impressed by their cleanliness, or rather their want of it. Here I met -again my friend of the recruiting office, and six other volunteers for -the Foreign Regiments, and learnt from him that his name was Balden, -and that, like myself, he had been placed in the first of these two -corps. He had arrived the day before, and told me that we should leave -for Oran on the morrow by the steamer _Abd-el-Kader_. - -The next morning, 1st March, 1890, we awoke for the first time to the -note of the bugle sounding the _réveil_; and after a wash and brush -up in the lavatory, came back to the barrack-room, where I had slept, -to partake of the usual morning meal of the French soldier--a mug of -sweetened black coffee and a slice of bread. - -The room in which we had passed the night was, together with the -furniture it contained, of the regulation type, to be met with in the -barracks of most Continental armies. It was about 75 feet long, and 20 -broad; there was a door in the middle of each of the longest sides, -and three windows at either end. It contained twenty-four cots, six -on either side of the doors. These beds consist of two iron trestles, -with three pine planks laid over them. A straw mattress, a bolster, a -brown blanket, and two coarse sheets complete the outfit. Along both -sides of the room is a shelf upon which each French soldier arranges -his neatly-folded kit, which must be placed just above the bed he -is occupying. From several hooks fixed underneath the shelf, are -suspended the water-bottles, belts, cartridge cases, bayonets, and -canvas wallets of the men. These must, of course, be arranged in a -similar and regulation manner by each one. In the middle of the room, -between the two doors, is the gun-rack in which all the rifles of the -occupants are placed. Between the rack and the window, at either end -of the room, is a plain wooden table with benches; it is at this that -the meals are taken. Just over every cot is suspended, from a nail in -the edge of the shelf, a card bearing the name, number and grade of -the man who occupies it. The room lodges two squads, each of which is -under the orders of a corporal; the "non-coms" being responsible for -the maintenance of order and cleanliness. Generally the rooms in French -barracks present a very clean and smart appearance. Such was not the -case with the one we slept in at Marseilles; but this can easily be -accounted for by the fact that it was used by a succession of passing -recruits, who possessed no kit and no knowledge of their duties, and -who occupied it for two or three days at a time, or for a night only. - -At nine that morning I was detailed off by a sergeant to go with -another man and fetch the meal for the room. We brought it back from -the cook-house in a sort of big wooden tray with a handle at each end. -The repast consisted of a loaf weighing about one pound and a half--the -day's ration of bread--and a tin pannikin full to the brim with stewed -white beans, a piece of boiled beef and two boiled potatoes, for each -recruit. I must say that the food did not appeal to me at the time, but -it was good and clean, and exercise and a healthy appetite soon made it -palatable. - -Food in the French army varies somewhat in its composition--that is -to say, lentils or rice are sometimes substituted for beans, pork or -mutton for beef; but the mode of cooking was the same at each meal, and -it was only on such grand occasions as the 14th July or New Year's Day -that roast meat was given. This, however, only applies to the troops -in France or Algeria, for those in the Colonies receive a much greater -variety of diet. I have heard also, since leaving the army, that -considerable change has taken place in this respect, and that some of -the regiments of the line are now quite famous for their _menus_. - -At eleven we were called down to the barrack-yard and lined up. Here -we were joined by another detachment in civilian clothes; these -were recruits for the French regiments in Algeria, the "Zouaves" and -"Chasseurs d'Afrique." The roll was called, and we were afterwards -marched down to the "Vieux Port" and embarked on the steamer -before-mentioned, which proceeded to sea shortly afterwards. - -We arrived in Oran about six in the evening on the following day, and -were immediately conducted to the barracks, where we found a preceding -detachment awaiting our arrival to proceed to the interior. Of this -Algerian city I saw little or nothing on this occasion, as my stay -consisted of a few hours only, and during the whole time we had to -remain in the barracks. - -The next morning sixteen of us left by an early train for the town of -Sidi-bel-Abbes, at which is the depot of the 1st Régiment Étranger, -and we arrived at our destination about five o'clock in the evening. -I felt some emotion as I marched with my companions through the gates -into the barrack-yard, whilst the sentry and the men on duty standing -about outside the guard-room eyed us with evident curiosity; and some -of the latter made audibly rude remarks concerning our unsoldierlike -appearance, and the amount of licking into shape we would require. The -quadrangle, which was about 100 yards long by 80 broad, was surrounded -on three sides by two-storied buildings. To the right and left these -consisted of barrack-rooms and companies' offices on each floor; but on -the third side, facing the gate, the building contained the infirmary, -canteen, store-rooms, armoury and workshops of the regiment. No sooner -had we been halted than we were surrounded, but at a respectful -distance, by hundreds of soldiers in all sorts of costumes--fatigue, -guard, undress and walking-out order--for the "non-coms" who had -conducted us from the station threatened with dire pains and penalties -all those who should approach too close. Chaffing queries in every -European language were thrown at us, of which I came in for a good -share, as, owing to my being the tallest present, I was the Number One, -right-hand man of the detachment. One onlooker politely suggested that -I had joined because the feeding of such a big specimen was too great -an expense to my family. Unaccustomed to so much attention, I was -somewhat annoyed by our reception, although outwardly preserving a cool -demeanour; and I was greatly relieved when a sergeant-major appeared -on the scene and called up several men from the guard-room to disperse -the crowd. Our names were then called over, and we were conducted to a -room in the barracks where we passed the night. On the morrow we were -examined by the regimental doctor, and were given a regimental number. -This is done for every soldier in the French army, and this number is -stamped on every article of clothing and piece of kit he possesses. - -The same day we were conducted to the Depot Camp, which lies just -outside the town walls; for it is here that the recruits are kept for -about six months until they are sufficiently drilled and disciplined to -be drafted into the battalions. - -At this time the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the regiment were in -Tonquin, and the 3rd and 4th at Bel-Abbes, with detachments at -Mecheria, Ain-Sefra, and in other smaller garrisons towards the south. - -Here I was taken to the squad in which I had been placed, and handed -over to the corporal who commanded it. - -This "non-com" was an Alsatian, whose rough and rude exterior concealed -a certain good-heartedness. Judging by appearances, I thought I -had fallen into the hands of a brute, but soon discovered that -notwithstanding the invectives and threats with which his mouth was -for ever full, he was not a "bad sort," his bark being worse than his -bite. His name was Hirschler, and he came from Strassburg. He possessed -a pet grievance against the Government because Prussians were allowed -to enlist in the regiment; and he hated the men of this race most -heartily, for which there was some excuse, his father and mother having -been killed by a shell during the bombardment of his native city in -1870. - -He conducted me to the tent in which I was to lodge, pointed out -my place, and went with me to the stores to draw a straw mattress, -sleeping-sack, bolster and a blanket. This done, he showed me how to -fold them up and to dispose my kit. - -This tent, like the others in the camp, was of the ordinary -bell-shaped pattern. Round it a small trench is dug to prevent the rain -from coming in. The floor is of beaten earth, and is about 6 inches -higher than the ground outside of it. It usually gives shelter to eight -men. During the day the mattresses are doubled up and placed round the -interior close to the flies, which are then lifted so as to secure -ventilation. - -The blankets and sleeping-sacks are folded neatly and placed on the -top of the bedding. About 6 feet from the ground is a circular board, -and through the centre of this the pole of the tent passes; thus -serving as a shelf on which the pannikins, tin cups, spoons, forks and -knives of the men are kept. Underneath this shelf are hooks on which -the rifles, belts and water-bottles are hung. Each man's knapsack is -placed flat on the ground to the right of his bed, and his kit, which -must be well folded, is placed upon it. The inside of the tents is -kept very clean and tidy, and presents quite a smart appearance. This -particular one contained seven occupants, including the corporal. The -camp, which sheltered from five to six hundred men, was situated in a -grove of laurel and eucalyptus trees; and during the spring and summer -it presented a very picturesque and sylvan appearance. The weather was -still very cold, and my first experience of outdoor life was rather -a trying one. The winter of 1890 was exceptionally severe, as may be -judged by the fact that on the morning of the 9th March I awoke to find -the tent I was in covered with snow--an almost unprecedented occurrence -in Algeria. - -During the first few days of my service I, together with the last batch -of recruits, was drilled in camp each day. When we had sufficiently -mastered the art of forming fours, marching and halting at the word of -command, we were allowed to go out with the other companies to morning -exercise on the parade ground outside the main gate of the town. - -Sidi-bel-Abbes, like many French towns built in Algeria since the -conquest of that country, is surrounded by a loopholed wall and ditch, -with one or several gates on each side of it. I had been drilled at -school, and found this of great help to me, so far as squad and section -movements were concerned; but I had never handled a gun, and had rather -a hard time learning the rifle and bayonet exercise, for the early -mornings were very cold during the first six weeks, and my fingers -would get so numbed that each time I touched the steel of my weapon -it seemed to burn them to the bone. During the frequent intervals for -rest the recruits of each squad would run round their stacked rifles, -swinging their arms the while--like the cabmen on the ranks at home--to -restore the circulation; and they would keep this up until the bugle -sounded the "fall in" again. - -However, when the weather became warmer and we "shaped" better, I -rather enjoyed these three hours every morning; the first two of -which were devoted to squad and section drill under the order of -the "non-coms," and the last one to company and battalion movements -directed by the officers. - -At 9 A.M. we would march through the town back to camp, with the drum -and fife band at our head. At 9.30 the first meal was served out. At 10 -the companies assembled to hear the daily "report" read; and from 10.30 -to 4 P.M. the time was taken up by gymnasium classes, fencing lessons, -and the lectures and explanations given by the sergeants on duty, of -the different text-books. - -The whole day of Wednesday in each week was occupied by route-marching, -and the afternoon of Friday by shooting on the range. The evening meal -was at 4.30, and afterwards all men not on duty or the defaulters' book -could go out till the _retraite_, which was at 8.45. Roll call was -sounded at 9, and "lights out" at 10 P.M. - -The life, though somewhat hard for a recruit, is not so bad as one -might imagine. Discipline is always somewhat irksome at first, but one -gets used to it. Some of the "non-coms" were objectionable, and seemed -to delight in getting the men into trouble; but they were exceptions, -and I managed to keep clear of them, thanks to my efforts to do my -best, and a certain amount of goodwill. The corps maintained a great -reputation for smartness, and a very searching kit inspection took -place every Saturday afternoon. It was then that the private whose -accoutrements were dirty, or whose linen was unwashed, got into serious -trouble. - -In the barracks there were lavatories, a washhouse, bath-room and an -abundant supply of water; in the camp a stream which ran through -it served the same purposes. With a little trouble a man could keep -himself and his outfit in a state of cleanliness, and it was his own -fault if he did not. - -Much has been said concerning the iron discipline which reigns supreme -in the Legion, but whilst serving with the corps I never suffered -any real inconvenience from it: unless a punishment of "two days to -barracks" can be considered of much account. It was well merited, for, -through sheer carelessness, or perhaps because I wanted to get out a -little sooner, I forgot that I was orderly man for the day, and left -all the tin platters in the room after the evening meal was finished, -instead of taking them down to the cook-house. - -A regiment of men is not like a girls' school, and it is impossible to -maintain discipline in a corps composed, as mine was, of so many "hard -cases" unless a certain amount of severity is used. - -In nearly all instances when prolonged punishments of "cells" and -pack-drill were inflicted the offences originated through drunkenness; -and the same is the truth for nine out of every ten cases in which -court-martials were necessary. - -Drink is the curse of all armies, and of the French one in particular. -Wine is cheap, and, what is worse, absinthe is also; and the abuse -of this stimulant is responsible for most of the individual cases of -military crime in Algeria. Therefore the authorities are perfectly -justified in using the severest methods to restrict and discourage the -use of it. - -About a fortnight after my arrival I was sitting one evening in my -tent engrossed in the cleaning of my rifle, when the flap was lifted, -and another private came in who did not belong to my squad. He was -tall, fair, wore a heavy moustache, and presented a very erect and -soldier-like appearance. He came straight up to me, and said in my own -tongue: - -"You are the Englishman, are you not?" - -"Yes," I replied, much surprised at being thus addressed by a man I had -never seen in my life before. "Who are you?" - -"My name is Knox," he answered; "I joined last week at Calais. I am -English too--or rather Scotch," he added with a laugh. "Having heard -of you from some fellows in my tent, I have come over to look you up." - -Really pleased to meet another Briton, I proposed an adjournment to -the canteen, where we could talk at our ease. He acquiesced, and I -proceeded to put the breech-bolt of my rifle together again. As I was -doing so he picked up my gun, and after squinting down the barrel to -see if it were clean, buckled the leather sling on again, for I had -taken it off before starting operations, as one is instructed to do. -He manipulated the weapon in such a "know-all-about-it" manner that I -could not help observing: - -"This is not the first time _you've_ handled a rifle, Knox." - -"You are right," he replied with a smile; "I was six years in the -British army." - -He handed me my gun, which, after adjusting the breech-bolt, I hung up -on its hook. We then went over to the little wooden canteen, and over -a pint of Algerian wine we exchanged confidences. He told me that he -was from Edinburgh, had failed to get into Sandhurst, and "listed" as -a private in an infantry regiment. He served in India with his corps, -rose to the rank of sergeant and was broken after a "drunk"; was again -promoted, and was in charge of a military telegraph station in Burmah -during the last campaign. Tired of the service, he had "bought out," -and returned to Scotland. Once home he had gone on a series of "busts," -which had so disgusted his people that they had refused to come to his -aid when he had run through all he possessed. - -Almost devoid of resources, and having heard of the Legion, he went -over to Calais and enlisted. He told me that he had the firm intention -of turning over a new leaf and of doing his utmost to obtain a -commission in his new corps, and I have no doubt, considering his -previous experience, that he would have succeeded. Unfortunately, his -career was cut short in a most untoward manner, much to my grief, an -account of which is given in its proper place in this narrative. - -Knox and I soon became fast friends. His knowledge of the calling was -a great aid to me, and he was always glad to help by giving me "tips," -which, small though they might seem, were of great assistance and often -kept me from getting into trouble. On evenings and Sundays we passed -all our spare time together, going for walks in the town, or outside of -it. - -We often visited the Arab quarter, which is the great curiosity of -all Algerian towns. Together we would enjoy a dish of _kus-kus_, a -slice of braised mutton, or a plateful of fresh dates, in a Moorish -tavern; or sit over small cups of thick coffee and listen to a native -story-teller, or watch the _Moukirs_ dance in an Arab _café_. - -On Sundays we went further afield, and took long walks through the -vineyards, during which we would talk of home and our people, and -speculate on what they might be doing. - -When the warm weather had set in we would go out a few miles, on the -road to Ain-Sefra and the desert, to a cluster of big olive trees--our -favourite spot. We would lie down on the grass in the shade and talk -over our chances of seeing active service, either in Tonquin or on the -frontier of Morocco, until, tired of doing so, we would lapse into -silence and, stretched flat on our backs, stare up at the patches -of light blue sky visible between the green foliage, or at the -ascending smoke of our cigarettes as it faded into space. Sometimes -the soft warmth of the Algerian spring, the drone of the bees, and -the monotonous chirp of the big grasshoppers would seduce us into a -siesta, from which we awoke to watch with lazy eyes, which blinked at -the strong sunlight, the veiled women coming from a spring near by, -as with easy and graceful carriage they balanced on their heads the -big earthenware pitchers full to the brim with water; or a long line -of camels, laden with fresh dates and figs, striding along in their -ungainly way towards the town, the silence broken only by the dull, -shuffling sound made by their hoofs in the dust, or an occasional -"Arawa!" from their white-clad Arab conductors. - -During the month of May we made the acquaintance of a private whose -name was Daly. He was an American, and an artist of no mean talent. He -had studied painting in Paris, and was for some time, I believe, in the -studio of Gérôme. Daly was a man of about five-and-twenty, under the -average height, and of refined and pleasant manners. He had joined, he -told me, after a run of very bad luck at Monte Carlo, where he had -lost all the money allowed him by his father to defray his expenses -during his period of study in France. - -Although he had already been more than a year in the regiment when -I met him, he had never handled a rifle. Since he had joined he had -done nothing but paint the portraits and decorate the quarters of the -officers. He willingly accompanied Knox and myself in our excursions, -and shared our small pleasures, and we found him a most entertaining -companion. He possessed the smallest feet I have ever seen on a man; -and we would often chaff him about this trait, which was the despair -of the regimental "corporal shoemaker," who was forced to make special -boots for him, for the stores contained no fit for such diminutive -extremities. I lost touch with him when I left Algeria, and have never -heard of him since. I trust, however, that he continued an artist till -the end of his military career, and that he is now enjoying the success -his talent deserves somewhere in "God's country," as he used to call -his native land. - -Although I have only spoken of my intimates, Knox and Daly, I was -soon on good terms with all the other men in my company whom I came in -contact with, and the fact that I could converse in the languages most -in use was of great help to me in maintaining good relations with them. - -About sixty per cent. of the Legionaries belong to Latin or -French-speaking races; of these the Belgians, Swiss, and the majority -of the Alsatians use that language, and the Italians and Spaniards very -soon acquire it; but it was the rapidity with which the German and -Austrian recruits gained a colloquial knowledge of it that surprised -me. I attribute this to the fact that their education was generally of -a higher standard than that possessed by the men of other nationalities. - -About the middle of July, together with a batch of other recruits whose -primary training had been found satisfactory by a board of examining -officers, I was drafted into the 1st Company of the 3rd Battalion, -which was lodged in the barracks. - -On our arrival in our new quarters we were subjected to the usual -series of practical jokes invented for the special benefit of "Johnny -Raw," or "Le Bleu," as "Dumanet" calls the recruit. These pranks -are of various descriptions, one of the most favourite being that of -arranging a man's cot in such a manner that by pulling on the supports -at the foot of it, it collapses, and its occupant slides out with all -his bedding and kit on top of him. - -Mock courts-martial by candle-light are also held on offenders who have -broken the unwritten law of the barrack-room. The culprit is always -found guilty, but generally escapes with a fine, consisting of a few -_litres_ of cheap wine, which is drunk by his room-mates, and of which -he is invited to partake. - -I never saw any real malice brought to bear in these jokes, and any one -possessing a reasonable amount of good-humour can pass the ordeal, and -even laugh at one's own occasional discomfiture. - -The military education of the men in the battalion is a very serious -matter, and is carried much further than at the depot. Particular care -is given and a considerable amount of time devoted to perfecting the -men in shooting and in training them for route-marching. - -Good shots are encouraged by the distribution of badges placed on the -sleeves, silver chains to be worn across the tunic, and watches of the -same metal. - -When I was drafted into the battalion, the troops were still using -the rifle, model 1874--better known as the "Fusil Gras," the calibre -and trajectory of which closely resembled those of the old Martini of -the British army. This weapon was on the side-bolt principle, and its -mechanism was so strong and simple that in the event of it becoming -hard to manipulate owing to constant tiring the breech-bolt could be -slipped out and cleansed of black powder grit in a few seconds by -washing it in a puddle, or by pouring a little water over it. I have -seen this done on several occasions in Tonquin when there had been hard -shooting, for during the first year I was out there we still retained -this weapon. When using the rifle, however, one had to be careful not -to shoot with a loose shoulder, for its "kick" was tremendous; and I -have sometimes seen a black eye or a bleeding nose the reward of those -who neglected these precautions. The bayonet of this arm was of the -sword pattern, with a blade about 2 feet long. - -The system of training the infantrymen to perform long marches is an -excellent one in the French army, and I have read the opinions of -English military experts who declared that they are second to none in -speed and endurance. Each Wednesday was devoted to this useful branch -of military art. - -The recruits start on their first march with their rifle and side arms -only, and cover a distance of about 20 kilomètres--that is, about -12-1/2 miles. - -This distance is gradually increased, as is also the weight carried, -until, a man loaded with all his kit, rifle and bayonet, reserve -food for two days, a blanket, an entrenching tool and 120 rounds of -ammunition, which represent a total weight of about 50 pounds, can -perform a march of 45 kilomètres--that is, about 28 miles--in ten hours -with ease. This space of time includes a rest of ten minutes in each -hour whilst marching, and a halt of an hour for a meal. Deducting the -time lost during the halts, the average speed is about 3-1/2 miles an -hour. In many cases during forced marches much better work is done, but -the results given above are what the French infantryman who has been -nine months with the colours can do with ease; and he maintains this -standard during the remainder of his service, thanks to the continual -training he undergoes. The men in each battalion of the Legion are -very proud of the capabilities of their unit in this respect, and when -called upon by their officers will make every effort to break records -of forced marches made by other corps. - -On the return to barracks after the march the non-commissioned officers -of each company inspect the men's feet, and instruct their subordinates -in the proper manner of treating blisters or chafes. I have myself -seen an example when the results of this excellent system of training -to resist fatigue has been of most signal service. As this incident is -described in detail in a later chapter, I may simply mention that in -January, 1892, a small relief column, of which I was a unit, performed -a forced march of about 52 kilomètres,--or 32 miles--in eight hours. - -This may not seem an extraordinary performance for Europe, but it must -be borne in mind that it was done in the tropics, and that the road--if -a path about a foot wide can be so called--ran through dense jungle -and forest, or over slippery rocks, and that part of the distance was -covered at night. In England the men are trained to route-marching -during the summer and autumn only, which is due, no doubt, to the -inclement weather of our winter and spring months; but in France and -Algeria the troops are thus exercised right through the year. Whilst -marching outside the towns the troops are allowed to smoke and sing. - -All these military ditties, some of which date back in their origin to -the early part of the eighteenth century, possess a swinging chorus, -which is taken up by the whole column, with a surprisingly encouraging -effect on the dust-stained, tired men, who, towards the end of a long -day's tramp, are "swallowing the last kilomètre" with weary legs and -aching loins. - -It is of interest to note that the majority of French soldiers wear -no socks when route-marching; this is owing to the fact that they -generally chafe the feet of the walker. Some of the men wrap their feet -in a triangular piece of linen which they call a _chaussette russe_; -but in most cases nothing at all is worn inside the boot. Personally, -I have found the last system the best conducive to comfort when a -long distance has to be covered; but care must be taken that the boots -worn fit well at the heel, ankle and instep, so that the foot does not -slip about in them. They should be broad across the toes, and about -half an inch longer than the foot itself; and, most important of all, -should be so well greased that the leather of the uppers is as supple -as india-rubber. Tallow is as good as anything for this purpose, but -in Tonquin I found castor-oil--which is cheap and plentiful in the -colony--a most excellent substitute. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - General inspection--The band of the Legion--The _caporal sapeur_--Off - to the manoeuvres--A near thing--Convalescence--Arzew--Amateur - theatricals--Bel-Abbes again--Volunteers for Tonquin--Oran again--A - good send-off--The troop-ship _Bien-Hoa_, life on board--The - Padre--Saigon--Along Bay. - - -Time flies apace when one is engrossed in mastering a new profession or -calling, and I could with difficulty realise that only six short months -separated me from my old life and complete ignorance of all things -military, as, on one bright, hot morning in August, I stood at ease as -the front rank man in No. 2 file of my company, which had mustered with -all the strength of the regiment, and glanced at the serried ranks of -the men of my corps, formed up on three sides of a square, round the -barrack-yard. In the centre of this hollow square of men was the band -of the regiment, and the detachment of sappers. - -A few paces behind these were the colours, carried by a subaltern, and -flanked by their guard with bayonets fixed. In front of the band and -facing the barrack gates, which were in the centre and open side of the -square, was Colonel Barbery, our commanding officer, mounted on a white -Arab stallion with streaming mane and tail. - -Our chief, if one could judge by the anxious glances he threw at his -men and the repeated tugs he gave to his heavy white moustache, was -impatient and a little nervous, for the corps was about to undergo -the searching inspection of the General commanding the 19th _corps -d'armée_, of which our regiment was a unit. - -Only those who have assisted as an actor in an ordeal of this kind, can -fully appreciate the nervous tension produced on all present by the -last few minutes of waiting prior to the event. - -The previous day, and indeed part of the night, has been spent in -preparations. - -"Troops to be paraded in full campaigning order"--so ran the general -command; and in consequence there were stores and ammunition to be -served out in addition to the ordinary work which devolves on the -private and his superiors previous to a big review. Into the preceding -twenty-four hours has been crammed as much hustling, rushing, brushing, -scrubbing, polishing as the men and their officers can be expected to -support; and now that the activity has been suddenly succeeded by a -dead calm, and the query has arisen in the minds of all present as to -whether everything necessary to the upholding of the good traditions of -the corps has been done, the three thousand rank and file present and -their chief can be reasonably excused the feeling of nervous tension -which pervades them, and which owes its origin to the brusque reaction -of the change from febrile activity to silent and immobile expectancy. - -At such moments the most trivial incidents, which at ordinary times -would pass unnoticed, will produce a general impression, even as a tiny -twig falling into a well will create a ripple on the surface of its -water. - -Impressed, perhaps, by the silence of the motionless men around him, -the Colonel's charger arches his beautiful neck, paws the stone -pavement and whinnies. The mounts of the majors and company commanders -take up and echo his shrill cry, break into little impatient movements, -and are at once curbed by their riders. The incident, if so it can -be called, is over in less time than it takes to describe; but even -this banality has sufficed to provoke a grin which passes on from face -to face, until a wave of still and nervous mirth ripples across the -features of all. - -Some one's steel-shod rifle-butt, breaking the tense silence, clangs -on the stones, and one can almost feel the passing of the silent -curses which, quicker than thought, go out from each to the comrade -for his carelessness. Then in the distance there is a sound--at first -a murmur--which as it approaches gains volume, until the noise of -trotting hoofs and the occasional clink of steel can be distinguished. - -All eyes are at once turned to the barrack railings and the gate with -its flanking guard house. Beyond this, on the opposite pavement, can -be seen the expectant crowd, composed of a big element of French and -Spanish colonists in ordinary European attire, many stately Arabs clad -in long white _burnous_, and head-dress of the same colour, which is -secured with the usual cord of camel's hair; a sprinkling of Algerian -Jews in baggy knickerbockers and gaudy-hued embroidered jackets, and -here and there a few native women of the lower classes, most of whom -wear the _haik_ or long veil which conceals their hair and all their -features save the eyes, unless they be of Kabyle blood, and expose -their small and comely traits. - -The faces of the crowd are all turned in one direction, their hands -raised, shading their eyes from the glare of the African sun, which -brings out, with almost painful vividness, the bright dashes of colour -in their costumes, as they gaze eagerly towards the approaching -cavalcade, the sound of which is now so near that it mingles with the -sharp words of command, and the rattle of the rifles of the guard at -the gate as they come to the salute. The Colonel draws his sword, and -spurs his charger forward a few paces. - -From the "adjudant major" comes the sharp order, "Garde à vous!" and -there is a rustle along the ranks as the men stiffen up to attention. - -Then, "Bayonnettes aux canons!" A sharp rattle, and the lines are -tipped with steel. - -Suddenly through the iron railings can be seen a rush of bright -colours, and the General and his escort are in view. Coming along, -almost at a gallop, he turns sharply and enters the gate; and as he -does so, the Colonel, who then faces him, brings his sword up to the -salute, and the command rings out "Portez armes!"--"Presentez-armes!" -each order being followed by the short, crisp "crash!" of three -thousand smartly-handled rifles. - -From the men in the crowd outside come cries of "Vive la France!" "Vive -la Légion!" And the native women join in the din with their repeated -yells of "How! How! How!" The flag is unfurled, and floats out proudly -on the light breeze. - -There is a glare of polished brass, as forty bugles are brought up with -a jerk to as many mouths, and they blare out the salute to the flag "Au -Drapeau." - -The General, who has drawn up his charger with a jerk, and sits with -his right hand brought up to the peak of his white-plumed cocked hat, -is in the full uniform of a commander of a _corps d'armée_, and his -escort of Arab cavalry, in red cloaks and blue and white turbans, which -has halted just inside the gates after wheeling smartly into line, -forms a most picturesque background, which shuts out from sight the -eager, shouting throngs in the street. - -The General, and indeed all the officers and troops present, remain at -the "Salut," until the last notes from the bugles die away; and then -comes the order, "Portez armes," a rattle--and all is still again. - -The detailed inspection of the troops and their quarters terminated, -the regiment is marched out to the parade ground, where manoeuvres are -gone through, the duration of which depends entirely on the whim of the -Inspector-General. - -However, these rarely last more than two hours, and then the corps -marches back to barracks through the town, much to the delight of -the Arab population, who are a warlike people and thoroughly enjoy a -military pageant. - -Also the Legion presents a pleasing sight to a soldier's eyes, as with -bayonets fixed the men swing by, each battalion, company and file -at its proper distance. The tramp of feet resounds with clockwork -regularity, in union with the musical rhythm of the band, and the blare -of the bugles, crashing out the regimental march with its rattling -chorus, the words seeming to hover over the lips of all the men: - - "Tiens voila du boudin! voila du boudin! voila du boudin! - Pour les Alsaciens, les Suisses et les Lorrains, - Pour les Belges il n'y en a point, - Pour les Belges il n'y en a point, - Car ce sont des tireurs au flanc. - Pour les Belges il n'y en a point, - Pour les Belges il n'y en a point, - Car ce sont des tireurs au flanc." - -No other regiment in France can approach the Legion for smartness at -drill and on parade. The men are proud of the reputation, and make -every effort to maintain it. - -The bands of the 1st and 2nd Régiments Étrangers are of the best. That -of the first of these corps is particularly good, and it possesses -a weird and barbaric sort of musical instrument--if so it can be -called--which was captured in an engagement with the troops of the -famous Arab chief Abd-el-Kader, some sixty years ago. - -It consists of a haft of polished hard wood about 5 feet long; at -the top of this is a big silver crescent, and below, at intervals of -about 6 inches one from the other, and on either side are five metal -brackets, the ends of which are decorated with long streamers of -horse-hair dyed a bright red. From these are suspended a multitude -of small silver bells, producing a gay and exhilarating sound when -shaken in cadence with the music. When the regiment is on the march the -detachment of sappers is several paces ahead of the band. - -Like their _confrères_ in our own army these men carry axes, spades and -saws; the original idea of their presence there being, I suppose, that -they might clear the route for the troops behind. - -However, taking into consideration the existing railways and good -roads of to-day, one may safely conclude that their presence in modern -infantry corps is due rather to a respect for tradition than to actual -utility. - -The corporal who was in command of the sappers, at the time I am -writing of, was the biggest man in the regiment. He was six feet four, -and broad in proportion. He was of Belgian nationality, and called -Mertens, and was the hero of an episode of which all the regiment was -justly proud. This incident took place at the capture of the fortified -town of Sontay, in Tonquin, on the 16th December, 1883, which place was -defended at the time by Prince Hoang-Ke-View, governor of the province, -with about twenty thousand troops, composed principally of Chinese -blackflag braves. - -When the fire from the French gun-boats and field artillery had made -a breach in the thick walls of the city, Admiral Courbet, who was in -command of the expedition, launched a battalion of Arab light infantry -(_Tirailleurs Algériens_) against the position. - -Notwithstanding the fact that these men were seasoned troops and born -fighters, they were beaten back with severe loss, which speaks much -for the desperate resistance offered by the Chinese garrison, some of -whom were daring enough to dart out through the gap in the walls and -decapitate the dead and wounded left in the track of the retreating -column. The bleeding heads, placed atop of bamboo poles, were planted -on the crest of the ramparts amid the shrill, triumphant yells of the -Celestials. - -The Arabs, reformed and stiffened by two companies of French marines, -rushed once more to the assault, but with no more success, and indeed -with greater loss than the first time. Now the white-faced, gory-necked -heads of some of the French marines balanced side by side with the -dusky bleeding features of their African comrades. The Chinese, howling -drunk with success, and heedless of the fire from the French artillery, -which was covering the retreat, stood on the wall to yell defiance -and invective at their enemy. Indeed, so greatly was the garrison -encouraged that a sortie was made which threatened to develop into a -strong attack on the flanks of the expeditionary force. - -The Admiral then played his last and trump card, and a battalion of the -Legion, which till now had formed part of the reserve, rushed at the -breach with the band playing and colours flying. - -These troops advanced at the _pas de charge_, and were met by a -terrible fire; many fell, but they were not to be denied. - -In a few minutes the first ranks reached the edge of the ditch, and -leaping down on to the slope of _débris_, formed by the stones and -earth detached by the cannonade, they scrambled up to the breach, tore -away the bamboo palisade, rushed, or were pushed, through it, and -gained the crest. - -The Legionaries suffered fearful loss; and it is to be feared that, -excited by this and the cruel murder of their wounded comrades, they -gave little mercy to those who opposed them. - -Among the first to gain a footing in the place were a subaltern bearer -of the colours, and big Mertens. - -The first was immediately shot dead, whereupon the sapper seized the -flag, and, rushing to the ramparts, stood on them in view of the whole -army. Waving the bullet-torn, powder-stained tricolour above his head, -he shouted: "Vive la Belgique! Vive la Légion!" - -There was something grimly comical, but truly typical, in the conduct -of this mercenary, who, forgetting the country for which he was -fighting, and after just risking death a hundred times, coupled in his -shout of triumph the name of his motherland and that of the corps to -which he belonged. - -Mertens received the _médaille militaire_ for his bravery; and it is -reported that Admiral Courbet, when complimenting him on the courage he -had shown, said: "And you would have had the Legion of Honour had you -cried, 'Vive la France!'" - -This last, however, is probably a soldier's yarn. - -With September came the manoeuvres which were held in the south of the -province of Oran, and along the Morocco frontier towards the Tuat and -the Figuig oases. - -My battalion went by train as far as Mecheria, where the column was -concentrated. - -From this point we proceeded afoot to Ain-Sefra, and thence south, -along the caravan routes into the desert. - -It was terribly hard work marching through the sand under the scorching -African sun, laden as we were with all our kit. - -South of Ain-Sefra there is little or no vegetation, save at an -occasional oasis. The landscape consists of stretches of sand hillocks, -with here and there patches of mimosa and Alfa grass, the monotony -being broken only at rare intervals by the brown tents of an Arab -encampment. - -Fuel was so scarce that it was necessary to burn dry camel dung for -cooking purposes. We had been out about ten days when I fell ill with -typhoid fever, and was sent back to Sidi-bel-Abbes. - -The convoy of sick, of which I was a unit, travelled part of the way by -camel or mule _cacolet_, and the remainder by rail. - -It was a terrible journey, and the sufferings I endured will never be -erased from my memory. Indeed, even to-day it is a source of wonder to -me that I pulled through it, for I was in a sorry state when carried -eventually into the military hospital of our garrison town. - -During the latter part of my stay in the hospital I learnt from -fellow-patients that a violent epidemic of typhoid had swept through -the corps; and I was terribly grieved when, on my return to the -barracks, I was told that my friend Knox had been among the first to -be carried off by the scourge. I remained for a long time under the -sad impression which his loss had caused me. He was a true friend and -a good soldier, and, had he lived, would have carved out a place for -himself in the regiment. - -On rejoining my corps I was examined by our battalion surgeon, Dr -Aragon, a kind and really clever medical officer, who liked "mes -legionnaires," as he called us, but who was unsparing to malingerers -who shammed sickness to shirk work. - -He declared that I could not possibly go back to my duties for several -weeks, so, on his recommendation, I was sent off to Arzew, a small and -charming little seaport town, situated on the coast about 100 miles -west of Oran. This city was the "Arsenaria" of the Roman Empire. - -It possesses a fine natural harbour, and the ancients used to put in -there with their vessels to escape from the westerly gales so prevalent -on this coast. - -A chain of hills, varying from 1,000 to 2,000 feet high, encompass the -town landwards, and on these, facing the sea, are several forts. - -One of these works of defence served as a sanatorium for the weak and -convalescent men of the Legion who had returned from Tonquin, or who, -like myself, were recovering from diseases contracted in Algeria. - -The fort was splendidly situated on the crest of one of the hills, -1,200 feet above the sea, which washed its base. A pine-wood extended -from the beach right up to the edge of the moat, and from the other -side of the hill one could look right down into the town and count the -red-tiled roofs, or the people in the market-place. - -I stayed here during three months and recovered all my old strength and -vigour, thanks to the pure air and rest I enjoyed during that period. -My time there passed swiftly and pleasantly, for we were at liberty to -go for many long walks, and indulge in as much sea-bathing as we liked. - -There was also a small theatre fitted up in one of the casemates. -The sergeant who was in charge of this, a most enthusiastic amateur, -decided, though I could never explain his reason for so doing, that I -possessed a latent talent for the stage, and he pressed me into the -troupe to perform minor parts. At first reluctant, I soon found that -there was a great deal of amusement to be got out of the rehearsals and -performances. - -I did not shine in men's _rôles_ which it was my lot to fill, but when -I appeared as the Alsatian maid-of-all-work in "_La consigne est de -ronfler_" my success was unmistakable. - -I am close on six feet, and the skirt and bodice which, an hour before -the performance began, were given me to wear, had probably been made -for a lady about five feet four. When attired, my dress reached a -little below my knees, the sleeves finished just above my elbows, and a -blonde wig, surmounted by a big silk bow, added another good two inches -to my height. - -If I can judge by the screams of laughter and thunderous applause which -greeted my appearance each time I "went on," and by the hilarity of my -fellow-actors, who sometimes failed to preserve their gravity when I -gave them the "cue," I ought to consider that I made a palpable "hit" -in a feminine part. - -When I had been two months at Arzew I felt so much better that I -applied to the garrison doctor for permission to return to my corps, -and, after a medical examination, was authorised to do so. - -I arrived at my former quarters in Bel-Abbes on the 20th January, 1891. -A fortnight after my return an official announcement was made that a -detachment of five hundred men, reliefs for the companies in Tonquin, -would shortly be sent East, and that those desiring to volunteer should -send in their names. - -The conditions required were--good conduct, nine months' previous -service, and a satisfactory examination by the doctors. It is needless -to state that I applied at once, and my jubilation was great when, -a month later, I was informed by my sergeant-major that I had been -accepted. - -On the morning of 2nd March, attired in our colonial service kit, we -marched out of barracks to the station, escorted by the remainder of -the regiment in review order. The Colonel and his staff, the band, and -the colours were formed up on the platform. Our chief addressed a few -well-chosen words to the detachment, wishing us a safe return, stating -that he was confident that we would do our best at all times and under -all conditions to maintain the splendid reputation of the corps. - -Then, as our train slid slowly out of the station, the band struck up -"The Marseillaise," the troops presented arms, and the colours were -lowered. Our Colonel and his staff stood at the salute as we rolled by, -and our comrades sent off cheer after cheer, to which we replied to -the best of our ability. It was destined that I should not return as -a Legionary to the headquarters of the regiment, but the enthusiastic -send-off given by the corps to our detachment will never fade from my -memory. - -We stayed in Oran five days awaiting the arrival of the trooper. - -Here we met with the most cordial hospitality from the regiment of -Zouaves which garrisoned the town and in whose barracks we were -quartered, and the popularity of our corps was clearly demonstrated -by the repeated gifts of tobacco, pipes, books and games of all kinds -which were made to us by civilians, and were destined to solace the -tediousness of the long journey we were about to take. - -Oran is too well known to the English tourist of to-day for it to be -necessary to describe at length this picturesque old city; which in -its history and situation resembles Algiers. Both were formerly the -strongholds of the Moorish pirates who swept the Mediterranean during -several centuries. - -The whitewashed, red-tiled houses rise terrace above terrace, in the -form of a crescent from the sea, and a heavy fortress palace known as -the "Kasba," formerly the residence of the _Bey_, dominates the city -and seems to hold it in submission. - -On the 8th March, accompanied by an armed picquet and the band of the -Zouaves, we marched down to the quay and embarked on the _Bien-Hoa_, -a government transport of about 5,000 tons register, which sailed the -same day. Besides our own detachment there were about six hundred men, -reliefs for the _Infanterie de Marine_ and batteries in Tonquin, and -one hundred and fifty battery mules. - -Fortunately for the French soldier of to-day, the Republic no longer -undertakes the transport of her troops over seas, and these operations -are confided to private firms who own big steamers, specially fitted -out for the trade. - -The advantages of this system are considerable, both from the point of -view of economy to the Government and of comfort to the passengers. On -board the _Bien-Hoa_ the troops were submitted to the same discipline -as the crew. We were divided into messes and watches, and had to take a -turn at scrubbing the decks in the morning, hauling in and slacking the -lead ropes at sail drill, and aiding in the several other duties of the -ship, which a landsman can safely do without imperilling life and limb. -We grumbled a great deal, for that is a soldier's prerogative; and were -grumbled at still more for our clumsiness; but the work kept us fit, -and was an excellent cure for those disposed to sea-sickness. - -Frequent parades and kit inspections were also held by our own -officers, and these did away with the tendency to slackness and loss -of discipline which are the consequent results of the tedium and -inaction of a long voyage. The food was good and plentiful. Fresh meat, -vegetables and bread were served out four days in each week; salt beef -or pork, dried beans or lentils, and ship's biscuits formed the _menu_ -of two days' meals; and Friday being a fast-day--for at that time -the French navy still retained many Catholic institutions--meat was -replaced by sardines and cheese. There was an abundance of good coffee -and pure water at the disposal of thirsty men, and each private drew a -daily ration of a pint of red wine. - -Defaulters, however, were deprived of this wine during the term of the -disciplinary punishment they had incurred. - -All the military passengers, from the sergeants downwards, slept in -hammocks slung in the 'tween decks, and, judging by my own experience, -it is certain that many of us found this mode of accommodation far from -comfortable during the first week or so. However, we all seemed to -become reconciled to it in the long run, although, even towards the end -of the voyage, I would have preferred to sleep on the deck, and I know -there were many more of the same mind; but this was strictly forbidden. - -There is certainly, if one can depend on what the sailors say--and they -ought to know--a way of obtaining as much rest in a hammock as in a bed -if one only knows how; but I am convinced, from experience, that to -gain that knowledge one must serve a long apprenticeship and begin it -when young. - -Some very good concerts were organised on board, and these, together -with the exciting games of draughts, dominoes or loto, were of great -help in assisting us to pass the time when we were not at drill, on -duty, or undergoing inspection. - -The _aumônier_ or chaplain of the ship was a great favourite with all. -This kindly cleric was a fine specimen of manhood, who stood over -six feet. His erect mien and the grey beard which fell on his black -_soutane_ gave him a most apostolic and benevolent exterior, which was -justified by the really good, gentle and merry soul it contained. He -would often go out of his way to intercede with the commander in favour -of a punished man, and have the guilty one sent to his cabin, where, by -simple straight-spoken homilies, of which he knew the secret, he would -appeal to the pride and manhood of his hearer. - -More often than not he succeeded in moving the men to real emotion, -and few were such fools as to be bold enough to interrogate the -abashed and sometimes red-eyed delinquent who might be returning from a -half-hour with the _padre_. - -Neither did he confine his special attention to the souls of the few -black sheep of his flock, for at the close of his admonitions he -would often comfort the body of the repentant and affected sinner by -administering a glass of Malaga taken from his own special bottle, -which would be accompanied by more paternal advice concerning the -future conduct of his _cher garçon_. - -More than once did I remark this excellent man, when, after one of -these interviews he would come from his cabin, and, leaning on the -rail, gaze out at the expanse of blue water dancing in the tropical -sunlight, and note on his benevolent features the gentle, contented -smile which bespoke indulgence for the faults of others, and the -satisfaction of a duty accomplished. - -Our journey was a long one, for the ship, though a very seaworthy -craft, could not steam more than twelve knots at her best. The engines -broke down on two occasions, once in the Red Sea, when we were delayed -for two days, and again in the Indian Ocean, where the trooper lay -like a log for seventy hours before the necessary repairs could be -effected. - -For coaling purposes we touched at Colombo and Singapore, but remained -only a few hours in these ports. - -The _Bien-Hoa_ arrived at Saigon on 13th April, and stayed there for -four days, during which we were quartered in the barracks of the 11th -Regiment of the _Infanterie de Marine_. - -Here we were able to stretch our legs a little by going out and -visiting the town, which is a fine one, and possesses a splendid -Botanical Garden and zoological collection. Most of us were specially -delighted at being able to sleep for a few nights in a cot again. - -We sailed early in the morning of the 18th, and anchored in Along Bay -(Tonquin) on the evening of the 21st April. - -Here we saw for the first time the land we had all been so impatient -to reach, and from which many of us were destined never to return, -and speculations were rife concerning the military operations going -on. We were all agreeably surprised to find, after our experience of -the damp, depressing heat of Saigon, that the climate here was quite -supportable, and resembled somewhat that of a warm spring day in -Europe. However, we were soon to make acquaintance with the tropical -summer of Tonquin, which usually sets in about the middle of May--that -is to say, as soon as the south-west monsoon is well established, when -the terrible intensity of its heat is all the more appreciable owing to -the suddenness of its arrival. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - Some information concerning Tonquin--Haïphong--Phulang-Thuong--The 2nd - Battalion--The Yen-Thé Rebellion--General Godin's column--A surprise - at Cao-Thuong--Colonel Frey's column--Nha-Nam--The building of a - fort--Reconnaissance--Night attacks--Native troops. - - -France possesses an empire of no small importance in the East, the -total area of which, some 256,000 square miles, is more than three -times greater than her home territory. French Indo-China, which -includes Cochin-China, Cambodia, the Laos country, Annam and Tonquin, -consists, roughly speaking, of the basins of the two great rivers, the -Mekong and the Song-Koï (Red River), and is situated between 8 deg. 30 -min. and 23 deg. 23 min. N. lat., and 97 deg. 40 min. and 108 deg. 30 -min. E. long. The total population is about 24,000,000. - -Tonquin forms the north-eastern extremity of French Indo-China. It is -bounded on the north by the Chinese provinces of Yunan and Kwang-si, -on the west by the Laos provinces, on the south by Annam and the Gulf -of Tonquin, and on the east by the Chinese province of Kwang-tung. Its -total area is about 35,000 square miles, and it contains a population -of over 12,000,000. - -Near the sea the country consists of a rich alluvial plain intersected -by numerous waterways, the principal one being the Red River, which -rises in Yunan, and empties itself into the Gulf of Tonquin. From about -100 miles inland the ground rises gradually, and the whole country -breaks up into a confusing jumble of hills and rocky pinnacles, which -as one proceeds further north and east become mountain ranges, some of -the peaks on the Tonquin-Yunan frontier attaining a height of about -9,700 feet. Along the Kwang-si frontier there are also altitudes of -some importance. Attached to the great mountain chains of north and -middle Tonquin, there are numerous series of lesser heights, which -diminish as they come towards the south. The hills are covered with a -dense grass higher than a man's shoulders; the mountains with thick, -impenetrable forests. The rich alluvial plain or Delta, which extends -from the sea, is densely populated, and produces yearly two very -important rice crops. - -The country was originally inhabited by a race known as the Kmers, who, -if one can judge by the rare specimens of their architecture which -exist along the coast of Annam, attained a comparatively high standard -of civilisation. - -At an epoch which it is impossible to designate with any exactitude, -but which can be placed with some probability about 2,500 B.C., the -Kmers were overwhelmed by an Annamese invasion, and almost exterminated. - -The survivors fled northwards towards the mountains and high tablelands -difficult of access, leaving the rich Delta plains in the hands of -their conquerors. The numerous mountain tribes of to-day, known as the -Muongs, Mans and Thos, which are to be found in the highlands of Annam -and Tonquin, are most probably the descendants of the former owners of -the country. - -As a race they are superior both in physique and courage to the -Annamese, although they do not possess the cunning and craftiness of -this race. - -It was probably owing to a want of cohesion and organisation, or -to the fact that the invaders possessed better weapons and superior -methods of warfare, that they were driven from their homes. In speech, -appearance, dress and customs, these aborigines bear a striking -resemblance to the mountain tribes who inhabit the interior of the -islands of Hainan and Formosa, and it is probable that they belong to a -once-powerful race which existed at a distant period along the littoral -of Eastern Asia. Their skin is of a very light yellow tint; some of the -women are almost white. - -Their features are small and regular, and they do not possess the -narrow eyes, flat noses, prominent cheek bones and enormous mouths -of the Annamese. They are also taller, stronger, and present a much -healthier appearance. - -Their costume consists of a cotton blouse and short trousers reaching -just below the knee, the uniform colour being a deep blue. - -[Illustration: TONQUINESE NATIVE TYPES.] - -These people wear their hair very long, and it is wound round the top -of the head and enclosed in a turban of similar colour and texture to -their costume. Like some of the natives of the Laos provinces and the -Yunan, the Muongs always wear a sort of puttie, made of blue cotton -cloth, which is wound round the leg from ankle to knee. - -They are expert mountaineers and hunters, and will not hesitate in -attacking a tiger or panther with no better weapons than poisoned -arrows, or a matchlock gun. - -The origin of the Annamese or Tonquinese--for they are one and the same -race--is very obscure, since they possess no reliable records going -back for more than eight centuries, which is considerably posterior to -the epoch at which their ancestors must have invaded Indo-China. - -Some writers declare them to be of Mongolian origin, though this is -hardly probable, for, if one can judge by the territory the race -actually occupies, they probably came from the south-west. Others have -declared them to be a branch of the Malay family. - -In physique they resemble the Siamese, and are not so sturdy as the -Malay. Their skin is of a deep copper colour. They are very small, -their average height being about 4 feet 10 inches. Their lower members -are strong and well formed, but the bust is long, thin and weak. - -The everyday costume of the men consists of a kind of jacket and -trousers of cotton cloth reaching almost to the ankles, the colour of -which is generally a dark brown. The garments of the women are somewhat -similar, but over those already mentioned they wear a sort of long -stole which falls almost to the feet. - -Both sexes wear their hair very long; it is rolled up in a strip of -silk or cotton cloth, and wound round the head like a turban. - -Their features are far from pleasing--indeed, one might qualify them as -almost repulsive; flat noses with distended nostrils, high, receding -foreheads, prominent cheek bones, narrow eyes and an enormous mouth -being their principal traits. - -Their character also presents few good points. That they are -intelligent and possess a wonderful power of assimilation there can -be no doubt, but these good traits are negatively qualified by the -enormous amount of vanity, laziness, cruelty and cunning with which -they are gifted. - -Buddhism and ancestor-worship form the base of their religion, which -is as strongly impregnated with Chinese ideas as is their language -with words of the same origin, this being the natural result of their -conquest by that race in the year 116 B.C., from which epoch to the -arrival of the French the kingdom of Tonquin formed a fief of the -Celestial Empire. - -The influence of France in Indo-China dates back to 1585 when a Jesuit -Father, Georges de la Mothe, established several missions, homes and -schools at different points in the Mekong Delta. - -Owing to the activity of the French Fathers the influence of that -country increased enormously; and in November, 1787, thanks to Bishop -Pigneau de Béhaine, who was at that time the trusted friend and -counsellor of the Emperor Gia-Long at Hué, a treaty was signed at -Versailles by Louis XVI. and Cang-Dzue, son of the above-mentioned -sovereign. By this treaty the French king placed at the disposal of -his Eastern ally a naval squadron composed of twenty men-of-war, -five European regiments and two native ones; also a sum of 1,000,000 -dollars, of which 500,000 were in specie, and the remainder in arms and -munitions of war. In return for these favours the Emperor of Annam made -territorial concessions in the Island of Poula Condor and at Tourane -to the French nation. - -On his death in 1820 Gia-Long was succeeded by his son Tu-Duc, who -detested the Europeans. The French settlers were driven from their -concessions, and the missionaries persecuted and massacred. - -Being at this epoch engrossed by the political situation in Europe, it -was not until the end of 1858 that the French Government was able to -undertake active measures for the protection of her interests. - -In that year the port of Tourane was captured, and in February, 1859, -Saigon, the capital of Cochin-China, was also taken. - -From the occupation of these two ports may be said to begin the era of -French conquest in Indo-China, of which the principal events are the -following: - - 1867. Capture of Finh-Larg, Sa-dec, Cho-doc and Hatien (Cochin-China). - - 1873. Capture of Hanoï (capital of Tonquin) by Francis Garnier. - - 1879. Cochin-China declared a French colony, with Saigon as the - capital. - - 1883. Insurrection of the Black Flags in Tonquin, which was secretly - encouraged by the Emperor Tu-Duc. Massacre of Francis Garnier and - Commandant Rivière near Hanoï. Death of Tu-Duc. Treaty signed at Hué - by the Regent Hiep-Hoa, acknowledging the French Protectorate over - Annam and Tonquin. - - 1884. Defeat of the Black Flags by Admiral Courbet at Nam-Dinh, - Bac-Ninh and Son-Tay. Rupture with China, who refused to renounce her - feudal rights. - - 1885. Signature of the treaty with China, by which that country - renounces all sovereignty over Tonquin. Rebellion at Hué suppressed - by the General de Courcy. Capture of the young Emperor Ham-Nghi, who - was exiled to Algeria, the French Government placing his half-brother - Than-Thai on the throne. - - In 1886 M. Paul Bert was appointed first Governor of Indo-China. - The kingdom of Annam and the Tonquin Delta were placed under the - administration of Residents with a Civil staff. - -From this it must not be imagined that the pacification of the country -was complete. The treaty of 1885, which secured the evacuation by -the Chinese army of the provinces of Lao-Kay, Ha-Giang, Cao-Bang and -Lang-son, had put a stop to any organised warfare; and the exile of -the young Emperor Ham-Nghi to Algeria in the same year had crushed -the open resistance of the court of Hué. However, thousands of Black -Flag soldiers and Hunan braves had remained in Tonquin, and these -occupied the mountainous regions in the north and east of that country, -from which they descended at intervals to prey on the rich villages -and towns in the plains, and to harass or capture the outlying French -garrisons. - -In Hué also there were many mandarins, who, though they openly -professed friendship to France and acknowledged the sovereignty -of Than-Thai, were partisans of the exiled monarch, and secretly -subventioned and organised insurrections in the provinces of Than Hoa -(Annam), Son-Tay, Bac-Ninh, Thaï-Nguyen and the Yen-Thé (Tonquin). - -These officials were also in communication with the Chinese bands, -three of whose principal leaders, Ba-Ky, Luong-Tam-Ky and Luu-Ky, were -former lieutenants of the old Black Flag General, Lieu-Vinh-Phuoc. - -In 1891, when I arrived in Tonquin, the political situation of the -colony was little better than in 1885, so far as the question of -general pacification was concerned. The Delta provinces had accepted -the French rule, and the principal towns were growing in importance and -prosperity under a wise system of administration, but the neighbouring -provinces were rampant with brigandage and open revolt. Organised -resistance to the new order of things existed within a few miles of -Hanoï the capital, and Haïphong the seaport, of the colony. - -Indeed, as late as in 1892 the suburbs of the first-mentioned were on -several occasions attacked, looted and partially burnt; and in 1891 the -Chinese bands who occupied the mountainous region known as the Bao-Day -would raid the villages on the left bank of the Cua-Cam, and out of -sheer bravado fire a volley or two over the river into Haïphong. - -Military columns were sent out each winter, but with small results. -Before these forces the bands would retire to their rocky highland -fortresses, and to reach them the troops had to pass through many miles -of most difficult country, covered with dense forest and jungle, and -traversed by few paths, the whereabouts of which were kept secret by -the enemy. - -Information was most difficult to obtain, the fear of the Chinese being -so great that even their victims refused to give the officers any aid -in the matter, knowing full well that reprisals would follow. - -Frequently disasters would occur, and a reconnoitring party would -be cut up in a narrow defile, or a convoy ambuscaded and captured. -From 1887 to 1891 each successive General commanding the troops in -the colony had urged on the Government the necessity of undertaking -operations on a more extensive scale than heretofore; and had these -officers been allowed a free hand in the matter, there is little doubt -that this chronic state of insurrection and anarchy would have been -brought to a speedy end. - -But the Ministry in Paris would not hear of such a thing. In France -the mere mention of the word "Tonquin" raised a babble of excited -recriminations. The public would have none of it. - -In 1883, 1884 and 1885 nearly fifteen thousand of the flower of the -French army had perished of disease, or had been slain by a merciless -enemy. - -The expedition had cost hundreds of millions of francs, and the large -army of soldiers it was still necessary to maintain in the colony was -of great expense each year to the metropolis. The majority of Frenchmen -who had never at any time possessed serious cravings for a Colonial -Empire, were tired of the whole business. - -[Illustration: RIVER SCENE AT HAÏPHONG.] - -Right up to 1890 it was seriously debated in the Chamber, on different -occasions, whether it would not be better to abandon this new colony. -Fortunately for France she retained her rich prize. - -The Tonquin question had caused a hetacomb of Ministries. - -Jules Ferry, France's greatest politician since Gambetta, owed his -downfall to Général de Négriers reverse at Ky-Lua, and the subsequent -retreat of the army from Lang-son. Notwithstanding his undoubted -talents he was never able to recover his former influence in State -affairs. - -In 1885 the excited Parisian mob would have torn him to pieces had he -fallen into their hands. - -"À bas Ferry!" "À bas le Tonkinois!" was their cry. - -To-day every serious Frenchman acknowledges his respect for this great -statesman, who was undoubtedly the founder of the splendid Colonial -Empire his country possesses. - -From 1887 to 1891, owing to the state of public opinion, it became -absolutely necessary for succeeding Ministers, who had any respect for -the stability of their portfolios, to adopt a special line of conduct -in regard to Tonquin, which might be defined as a policy of mild -procrastination. - -Instructions were given to the Governors of the unhappy colony which -might be summed up as, "Don't ask for more men; don't ask for more -money. Do the best you can with what you have, and make no noise over -it." - -In consequence, the Governors were obliged to repress the legitimate -aspirations of the military officers, and refused to sanction -operations on an extensive scale, which, though necessary, would most -probably attract public attention in France. The natural result of -this situation was that during the whole of this period the relations -between the civil and military powers in the colony were of the worst. -In the French Chamber the Ministry would announce from time to time -that the work of pacification was making rapid strides, that organised -resistance was at an end, and that the occasional depredations which -occurred--the importance of which, they stated, was magnified by the -sensational press of the metropolis--were the acts of a few stray -Chinese brigands (_Voleurs de Vaches_), whom the local militia and -gendarmes were quite able to bring to order. In the meanwhile, the -bands aforementioned, secure in the comparative inactivity of the -French, continued to plunder the villages and capture the native -authorities, who were liberated after payment of a ransom. In 1889 the -famous Luu-Ky succeeded in carrying off three French colonists, the two -brothers Rocque and Baptiste Costa. They were surprised whilst on a -shooting expedition a few miles from Haïphong. They remained prisoners -of the band for upwards of two months, and suffered every possible -indignity and great privations. They were finally liberated on the -payment of 80,000 dollars. - -Encouraged by the success of their compatriots, the Chinese soldiers, -who garrisoned the blockhouses and forts along the Kwang-si and -Kwang-tung frontiers, would leave their uniforms behind them and pass -into the provinces of Lang-son and Cao-Bang, where they would raid the -rich valleys, burn the villages, drive away the cattle, slaughter the -male inhabitants, and carry back the women into captivity. - -In the Yen-Thé the partisans of Ham-Nghi, who were secretly encouraged -by the mandarins in Hué, had raised the standard of revolt. - -They occupied strong and well-fortified positions, possessed an -abundance of arms and ammunition, and were ably generalled by De-Nam, -a former military mandarin of the exiled Emperor, who received tribute -in money or rice from the majority of the rich villages in the Upper -Delta, the inhabitants of which undoubtedly sympathised with the -rebels, and aided them by every means in their power. - -Such was the position of affairs in the Tonquin in April, 1891. - -On the morning of the 22nd April our detachment was taken on board one -of the small but well-built river steamers which resemble in form the -boats running on the Mississippi. - -These vessels are of very light draught, owing to the numerous shallows -which exist in the upper reaches of the Tonquin rivers. After dodging -around for more than an hour among the innumerable high stalactite -rocks, covered with dwarfed vegetation, which tend to make Along Bay -one of the most curious and picturesque spots in the world, our steamer -entered one of the numerous estuaries by which the Song-Thuong and -Song-Cau rivers empty themselves into the sea. The banks on either -side were of soft mud, covered as far as the eye could reach with -mangroves. - -The water, which in the bay had been of a green tint, was now of a dark -red-brown, and presented a consistency of good pea-soup. - -Far away to the north-east could be discerned the high spurs of the -mountain range increasing in altitude, and extending towards the -Kwang-si and Kwang-tung frontiers. But the sight of these was soon -lost, as from one estuary we passed into another, and the landscape -became one monotonous stretch of mangrove swamp over which the damp -atmosphere seemed to dance in the bright sunlight. At last, after -rounding a sudden curve, we caught our first glimpse of Haïphong, -which, owing probably to the continued and depressing vista we had just -been subjected to, had the appearance of quite a big town. - -At the time of which I am writing this city had emerged from its -chrysalis state of a town built of mud upon mud, and a considerable -transformation was taking place. - -Whatever may have been the errors made by France with regard to the -economical and political administration of her colonies in the past, -she was, and still is, undoubtedly our superior as a builder of towns; -and the case in point may well serve as a demonstration of the fact. - -In 1884, Haïphong, a Sino-Tonquinese seaport, was an agglomeration of -miserable dwellings constructed for the most part of mud, bamboo and -matting, inhabited by natives, with here and there a few decent brick -buildings occupied by a small number of Europeans and Chinese merchants. - -It was situated in a swamp, and certain quarters of the town were -invaded by the high tides several times each month. During the summer -the blazing tropical sun converted the place into a cesspool. It reeked -with disease, and cholera and malaria were ever rampant. - -Seven years later, when I first saw the city, it presented the -appearance of a well-built European centre; possessed floating wharves, -well-laid-out streets, fine boulevards and good roads. An excellent -system of surface drainage was being laid down, and the thoroughfares -and many of the buildings were already lighted by electricity. - -[Illustration: BOULEVARD PAUL PERT, HAÏPHONG.] - -Since 1891 Haïphong has steadily increased in area and importance, -and is now an up-to-date, progressive city. - -Our steamer only stayed here about an hour, the time required to draw a -day's rations for the detachment. - -We now learnt that our destination was Phulang-Thuong, an important -town situated on the Song-Thuong, about 65 miles inland from Haïphong, -at which place the depot of the 2nd Battalion of our regiment was -stationed. - -We were soon off again, and to our relief the aspect of the surrounding -country became a more hospitable one. - -The flat expanse of slime, mud and mangroves had disappeared. Now the -river ran in between high artificial embankments; beyond these, on -either side, could be seen a well-cultivated plain whose only limit -was the horizon, and which was divided up by low banks of earth into -holdings of every shape and size. It had the appearance of an enormous -fantastic chess-board, on which none of the divisions were of the same -dimensions and few of them rectangular. All of them, however, were of -the same colour--green; not green of a uniform shade, for each field -seemed to possess a different _nuance_ of that colour, from the light, -nearly yellow, tint of the freshly-planted rice, to the dark, almost -brown, hue of the tobacco plant. - -If the first impression one receives from the Delta landscape be a -pleasing one, this is due to the novelty of the scenery, and soon -wears off. Its place is taken by a sense of weariness, owing to the -ever-recurring sameness of the vista; and the eyes are fatigued by -the crude, garish brilliancy of the verdure, the uniform blue of an -almost cloudless sky, and the painful reflection of the bright tropical -sunshine on the water in the paddy fields. - -The uniformity of the plains of the Delta provinces is broken by the -numerous hamlets surrounded by a ditch and an embankment, on the crest -of which is a dense, impenetrable thicket or hedge of live bamboo, -reaching up as high as 20 or 30 feet. In the interior of these villages -each hut possesses a garden or plantation which is a tangled mass of -luxuriant tropical vegetation, and through this from outside one can -catch but faint glimpses of the brown thatched roofs of the dwellings. -Plantains, guava, persimmon and custard-apple trees abound here. - -Coming straight out of this wealth of foliage are clumps of tall, -stately areca palms, which, as they tower above the homesteads, seem to -gaze out into the plain like sentries, whose duties it might be to warn -the villagers of the approach of the _yak_ (pirates). - -Close by the majority of these hamlets, situated generally on a slight -eminence, and in the shade of one or more ancient banyan trees, are -fine pagodas with quaintly-sloping, red-tiled roofs, and curved eaves, -the crests of these being ornamented with gruesome-looking dragons -and griffins. When the village is rich the temple is surrounded by -a whitewashed wall, the upper portion of which is a kind of open -trellis-work in brick, with a doorway flanked by tall, curiously-shaped -columns, each surmounted by a many-hued, hideous plaster genie. - -It was easy to see that the population was very dense in this part of -the Delta. Hard at work in the fields were many natives, the majority -of whom were women. There were others winding their way along the -narrow paths which top the small banks separating each holding, or on -the rough roads upon the summit of the embankments which accompany the -sinuosities of the river. - -These were in batches of from ten to thirty individuals, each carrying -upon his or her shoulder a light bamboo, 4 feet long. Suspended from -both extremities was a basket containing rice, vegetables, or some -other local product which they were conveying to the nearest market for -sale. These natives moved at a sort of jog-trot which gives a spring -to the bamboo pole they carry, thus relieving them in a measure of the -weight suspended at either end. - -They can carry as much as 70 pounds during eight hours each day (that -is exclusive of occasional rests), and they go at an average pace of 3 -miles an hour. - -The Tonquinese of both sexes wear enormous hats made from the leaves of -the macaw palm. Those worn by the men are pointed at the top, and bear -a strong resemblance in shape to a big paper lamp-shade. The weaker sex -possess a headgear circular in form and flat on the top, around the -edge of which is an inverted brim which shields the face and neck of -the wearer from the horizontal rays of the sun. These hats have often -a diameter of as much as 30 inches. - -Four hours after we left Haïphong the aspect of the country underwent a -decided change, and low hills were frequent. They increased in number -and height as we went on, and the river soon wound its way between the -first spurs of the Bao-Day range. This is a group of hills known as -the "Ninety-nine Summits," which vary considerably in height from an -altitude of 600 to 1,800 feet. All of them are covered with long grass, -affording an excellent pasture for the cattle belonging to the numerous -villages established in the valleys. - -Although it was almost dusk the view from our little steamer was a -varied and pleasing one, as the river twisted and turned between these -almost cone-shaped elevations. Sometimes it seemed as if a big hill had -slipped right into the river and blocked the way; but the stream would -narrow and go right round its base, and, as we swept by, we could look -straight up the side of the slope. At such times we could not refrain -from thinking of what might happen if a few enterprising rebels took up -a position on the side of such a hill. They could have fired volleys -on to our crowded decks, and from such an angle that we could not have -replied with the machine gun fixed on the roof forward. - -However, fortunately for us, nothing of the kind did happen. - -We arrived at Phulang-Thuong at nine o'clock in the evening, and having -disembarked were quartered in an enormous pagoda which could easily -have accommodated another five hundred men. - -Each soldier was provided with a straw mattress and a blanket, and it -was not long before silence and sleep reigned supreme. The picquet and -guard were supplied from the garrison, for we were as yet unarmed. -During the next day rifles, ammunition, and a khaki campaigning kit -were served out to us. At this time putties were not worn in the French -army; they have, however, been adopted since the 1900-01 campaign in -China. - -Each man made his own cloth leggings or gaiters, which reached about -half-way up the calf of the leg, and were buttoned at the side. -I should here remark that the French infantryman, whilst in the -Colonies, wears a white sun-helmet, similar in shape to the one served -out to our own troops, and, like the latter, it has a removable cover -of khaki cloth. - -The rifles we received were of the "-74 Gras Model." These, however, -were replaced by "-86 Lebel Model" in May of the following year. The -latter is a small calibre, smokeless powder, repeating weapon. - -I was included in a batch of sixty men who were to reinforce the 1st -Company of the 2nd Battalion, quartered at Nha-Nam, about 21 miles to -the north of Phulang-Thuong. - -There is a good road between these two points, which is constructed on -an embankment 4 feet above the level of the surrounding paddy fields. -It has probably been in existence for several centuries, and it is -certainly one of the old mandarin routes, which were made throughout -lower Tonquin by order of the Emperor Le-Vrang-Tong, who reigned during -the latter part of the sixteenth century. - -On the morning of the 24th April our detachment crossed the Song-Thuong -river by the ferry, and stepped out briskly towards our new garrison. - -We were under the orders of a sergeant-major, who, owing probably to -the instructions he had received, organised the little column in a -strictly regulation manner: with vanguard, rear-guard and flankers. -These precautions led to speculations among us as to whether we should -get through our first day of service in the colony without smelling -powder. The majority would certainly have hailed with delight any -chance of a scrimmage, but we were destined to be disappointed in that -respect--for the time being, at all events. We reached Cao-Thuong about -midday, at which place we partook of a meal cooked by ourselves. On -the 6th November, 1890, an important engagement had taken place here -between the rebels--who occupied a strongly-fortified position--and a -French column of about twelve hundred men. This combat, which may be -considered the first blow struck at the partisans of the exiled Emperor -Ham-Nghi, was the opening engagement in a lengthy struggle lasting -nearly three years, and which transformed large, well-cultivated, -densely-populated plains into desolate tracts of country, overgrown -with jungle, dotted here and there with the charred and blackened -ruins of once flourishing villages. - -That part of Tonquin known as the Yen-Thé region is bordered on the -south and west by the Song-Cau river, on the east by the Song-Thuong, -and on the north by a chain of rocky heights running from Thaï-Nguyen -to Vanh-Linh, which is situated a little to the north of the new -railway from Phulang-Thuong to Lang-son. The southern part of it, which -is generally designated as the Lower Yen-Thé, is an immense plain -rising gradually to the north, and studded here and there with small -isolated groups of hills, none of which exceed 500 feet in height. It -is traversed by numerous streams all running into the Song-Thuong and -Song-Cau rivers, and to these the district owes its wonderful fertility. - -The soil of this region is composed of a dull-red clay, containing -innumerable small round pebbles. It does not produce such fine rice as -the black alluvial mud plains of the Delta, but it is better adapted -than these for the growing of yams, tobacco, the mulberry tree and -castor-oil plant. - -About 20 miles north of Phulang-Thuong this plain terminates, and -it is succeeded by a mass of hills which here and there enclose -small marshy plains. The country is overrun by dense forests, into -which a few paths, made by charcoal burners, offer the only means of -penetration. - -It would need a master-pen to produce an adequate description of -the savage wildness of this region, which teems with game. Tigers, -panthers, bears, many kinds of deer, wild pigs and boars abound; -peacocks, silver-pheasants, partridges and snipe are very numerous. - -For centuries past the Tonquinese have associated the Upper Yen-Thé -with the mysterious and the supernatural. Native folk-lore declares -that a former Emperor, thanks to a powerful magic he possessed, -succeeded in driving from the lowlands a race of cruel and wicked -genii. To escape complete destruction these fled into the forests, -where, so runs the legend, they still live and guard the rich mineral -treasures which are said to exist there. - -The native of the Delta possesses a real dread of this part of the -country, for, not only is the Tonquinese the most superstitious of -humans, but the lowlander who comes into these regions is speedily -attacked by a virulent form of paludo-hæmaturic fever, which in most -cases terminates fatally. - -It was owing principally to these reasons that the native troops, with -the exception of the few companies recruited from the Muong tribes, -were of small service during the operations which took place there. - -In this maze of hills, covered by virgin forests, rank swamp and -deep jungle, De-Nam established his headquarters in 1887. He was no -commonplace individual, this Asiatic; indeed, when one considers -his subsequent career, it is impossible to repress a sentiment of -admiration for this man, who, during the four years he led the -rebellion, proved himself to be a capable administrator, a talented -military engineer, and a clever and a daring general. - -He belonged to the _literati_, or educated class, and was born near -Dap-Cau, a town on the Song-Cau river, in 1836. Like his father, he -became a mandarin, and filled successively several important posts in -the Civil Administration of his country. On the establishment of the -French Protectorate he withdrew to Hué, the capital of Annam; but -on the exile of Ham-Nghi he returned to his birth-place, and began -secretly to organise the insurrection in the province of which he was a -native, aided, as it has already been stated, by covert encouragement -and subsidies from some of the high native officials at the Court. - -His choice of the Yen-Thé as a centre of resistance to the French was -in itself no small proof of the acumen the man possessed. Apart from -the difficulties which the surface configuration of the region offered -to the movements of European troops, the natives were stronger and -more courageous than those of the Delta, and it was from them that -the greater part of the old army of Tu-Duc was recruited. After the -capture of the citadels of Son-Tay and Bac-Ninh by the French, these -troops, abandoned by their Black Flag allies, returned to their homes, -concealed their arms, and, with the suppleness innate in the Asiatic, -became for the time being peaceful cultivators of their native soil. - -Their minds were, however, deeply imbued with the delights of -their past career--the satisfaction based on a sense of swaggering -superiority over their unarmed compatriots, and the consequent -facilities which had existed for plundering them. The long "siestas," -slack discipline, and numerous pipes of opium were still causes for -keen regret, and they hated the monotony and hard work attached to the -pursuit of agriculture. It is, therefore, easy to imagine with what -eager joy these former warriors received the whispered appeal of secret -propaganda--an appeal combining the glamour of patriotism with the -promise of rapine, plunder, and the other joys so dear to the majority -of Orientals--and the mysterious manner in which the message was -communicated to them was in itself a fascination owing to their belief -in the supernatural. - -In 1888 the majority of the population of the Yen-Thé were fervent -partisans of De-Nam, and but few villages had refused to throw in their -lot with the insurgents. All the hamlets that abstained from joining -the revolt were Catholic centres, for numerous missions of the Roman -Church had been established in this district for more than a century. - -It was at this time that the leader of the insurrection decided on -building a fortified stronghold towards the north-east of Nha-Nam. -A strong fort, rectangular in shape, with flanking bastions at each -corner, was constructed. Within it were placed substantial native -buildings capable of accommodating from six to eight hundred men. The -position chosen was in a dense forest of which just the necessary area -to be covered by the defensive work was cleared. Two narrow paths -only led to it, and these approaches could be raked by cross-fires -from the walls and bastions. The surrounding vegetation was so thick -that it was impossible to make headway outside of the two tracks; and -owing to its density, and to the fact that the position was situated -in a slight hollow, there were no means of obtaining a glimpse of -the fortifications until the first palisade, which enclosed them at -a distance of about 25 feet, was reached. There were three of these -palisades, and in the grass-covered space between them were planted -numerous pointed bamboo stakes, the whole forming a most serious -agglomeration of auxiliary defences. - -[Illustration: THE FORTIFIED POSITION AT HOU-THUÉ.] - -The preceding details may apply to the numerous other defensive works -subsequently erected by the rebels, all being on the same plan, and -occupying similar sites. - -From Hou-Thué--for this was the name given by the natives to the -citadel--De-Nam administered the whole of the province in the name of -the exiled Emperor. The villages paid taxes into his treasury, and -furnished rice and other requisites for his army, which at this time -consisted of about two thousand five hundred men, one thousand five -hundred of whom were armed with breech-loading rifles. - -The unfortunate hamlets which refused their support were mercilessly -pillaged and burnt, and their inhabitants massacred as an example -to other recalcitrants. It must, however, be stated, in justice to -the rebel chief, that he protected those who were faithful to his -rule, for, on several occasions, in 1889-90, he defeated detachments -of native militia sent by the Resident in Bac-Ninh to collect taxes -from the peasants. During this period the attention of the French -authorities was so actively engrossed by the movements of the Chinese -bands in the provinces of Lang-son and Cao-Bang on the Song-Koï and -Black rivers, that action in the Yen-Thé was put off until the end of -1890. - -As a natural result of this policy of tergiversation, the power and -prestige of De-Nam increased considerably; and so great was his -confidence in the ultimate success of the insurrection, that he -established a strongly-fortified position at Cao-Thuong, in which he -placed a garrison under the orders of De-Tam, the most trusted and -capable of his lieutenants. - -This subordinate not only administered the surrounding country, and -levied toll in the name of his chief, but by night he often crossed -the Song-Thuong and raided the rich villages around Phulang-Thuong, -the inhabitants of which had been living in security and growing rich, -thanks to the close proximity of the French troops garrisoned in that -town. It was frequently the lot of the unhappy Resident to watch, -through the night, from his verandah, the burning houses of these -unfortunates. - -Patrols would be sent out, but their departure was at once signalled, -and they would arrive on the scene only to find that the raiders had -decamped with their spoil; and sometimes these detachments, being at -a disadvantage in the gathering darkness, would be ambuscaded by the -rear-guard of the enemy, and suffer severe losses. - -At last, something had to be done, and a column under General Godin -was sent against the rebel position at Cao-Thuong. It was with some -difficulty that the fort was located, owing to it being concealed in -the midst of a dense thicket. Part of the expedition was surprised, -and suffered losses. Eventually, thanks to the fire of half a battery -of mountain guns, the position was evacuated, and the enemy, after -breaking up into small groups, succeeded in escaping northwards. No -dead or wounded Tonquinese were found in the fort, but its solid -construction and the judicious selection of its site was cause for -great surprise to all the officers present. There can be no doubt -that in this, and also during the subsequent operations against Hou -Thué, the French considerably underrated the strength and military -capabilities of the enemy. It would not, however, be wise for us to -criticise too severely, since we have committed similar errors in most -of our own colonial expeditions. - -A fine village close to the enemy's fort, was found to be abandoned, -and was burned. With this the operations terminated, which fact -demonstrates the ignorance of the French officials concerning the -extent of the rising, for they now concluded, somewhat hastily, that -the centre of resistance had been destroyed. - -In reality the garrison of a small outpost only had been dislodged, -and the enemy returned to the position as soon as the troops had gone. -They did not, however, remain there long, for shortly afterwards the -authorities constructed a strong fortification on the crest of a hill -which overlooked all the surrounding country, and this was occupied by -a detachment of native militia, under the orders of a French officer. - -Elated with the knowledge that they had slain several French and native -soldiers, the rebels most probably concluded that the victory had been -theirs. Certain it is that for long afterwards every minstrel in the -province sang of the prowess exhibited by De-Tam's troops on that day. - -[Illustration: SECTIONAL SKETCH OF THE REBEL DEFENCES AT HOU-THUÉ.] - -Before General Godin's column was broken up, the civil authorities -decided on one wise measure. To ensure the tranquillity of the region -after the taking of Cao-Thuong, a position was chosen at Nha-Nam, -about 8 miles further north, and a fort was built there. A company of -the Foreign Legion, one of native infantry with a mountain gun, and a -few artillerymen were left behind to construct the fort. - -Encouraged, no doubt, by the non-discovery of their strong positions -in the north, and by the trifling loss they had sustained, the rebels -became more venturesome than ever. Placards declaring war on the -French Government, and threatening with death all natives who remained -loyal to the foreigners, were posted up in the roads, by-ways and -market-places of the province. Rich villages, situated but a mile or -so from the garrison towns of Dap-Cau, Bac-Ninh and Phulang-Thuong, -were pillaged, burnt, and many of the inhabitants slaughtered. Almost -each night would see the troops under arms, and the sky reddened with a -conflagration. - -The civil authorities were supposed to supply intelligence to the -military, and they had secret service funds at their disposal to pay -for the work, but there was never any forthcoming. The enemy, however, -were better served, and not an ambuscade could be planned or a patrol -sent out but they were immediately informed of the fact. Towards the -end of November a perfect state of anarchy, a veritable reign of -terror, existed throughout the province; and, as a last resource, the -Yen-Thé was placed under martial law, and the administration of the -district entrusted to the Brigadier-General in command of the 2nd -Brigade at Bac-Ninh. - -To such as are cognisant with the French methods of recruiting the -_personnel_ of that country's colonial civil service, there is little -cause for surprise at the maladministration of Tonquin at this period -of its history. To have a parent in the Ministry, a relation who was -a deputy, or an electioneering agent, or to possess a friend with -political influence--these were the surest means of obtaining a soft, -well-paid billet under the tropics. Few, if any, of the candidates -nominated knew anything about the country, its people, their customs -or language prior to their arrival in it; and even to-day, when some -apology for a competitive examination has become necessary--though this -is not always the case--not one in fifty of France's public servants -in Indo-China possesses a sound knowledge of the vernacular. - -Very shortly after matters had been taken in hand by the military -authorities things began to take a turn for the better, thanks to -sterner measures and a better organised system of _espionnage_. - -When information had been obtained disclosing the existence of a strong -main position at Hou-Thué, a reconnaissance was sent out from Nha-Nam -on the 9th December to locate the route. This action led to a vague -knowledge of the whereabouts of the enemy being obtained, and a small -column, under Major Fane, marched against the rebels on the 11th. - -After a good deal of skirmishing and groping about in the dense forest, -the detachment, which had blundered blindly on the fortifications, was -very severely handled and forced to retreat. - -A new expedition, a thousand strong, under the command of -Lieut.-Colonel Winckel-Meyer, attacked the rebels on the 22nd December. -An attempt was made to assault the stronghold. - -Owing to the fact that the enemy's works were only visible at a -distance of a few yards, and also to the impracticability of clearing -a road for the guns through the trees and undergrowth, it was found -impossible to aid the attack by a preparatory action by the artillery. -For a similar reason the assaulting party were obliged to move in -Indian file along two narrow paths, exposed all the time to a severe -cross-fire. Under such conditions the impetus so necessary to success -was impossible, progress was slow, and casualties numerous. - -The foliage was so dense that the few rays of the sun which pierced -through it produced an effect of dim twilight. Through this -semi-obscurity, which was intensified by the clouds of powder smoke -which clung to the damp vegetation, could be distinguished the -countless red flashes from the enemy's rifles. The continuous rattle of -the musketry, the crashing clatter of the branches and twigs severed -by the hail of lead, the insulting yells of the rebels, the monotonous -boom of their war-drum, the complaints of the wounded and dying, -produced a sensation of fearsome nightmare. - -The European troops behaved splendidly. Those who escaped the zone -of fire on the paths tried their best to break through the first -bamboo fence, but were shot down almost as soon as they reached it. At -one point a hole was made in the enclosure, and two Legionaries got -through. They made a rush for the second palisade, but before they -could reach it one of them fell, and his thigh was pierced by a pointed -stake. Fortunately, his comrade succeeded in carrying him back the way -they had come, and escaped himself without a scratch. - -Unable to stand the continued strain, a company of native -troops--_tirailleurs Tonkinois_--retreated in disorder. Some of them -actually threw away their arms, and, with turbans gone, their long hair -falling in confusion over their face and shoulders, fled shrieking and -panic-stricken. - -Seeing that success was not possible under the circumstances, the -commander of the expedition wisely ordered a retreat. The engagement -had lasted barely an hour, and over a hundred of the rank and file had -been killed or wounded. - -When the troops retired a good many of the slain, together with their -arms and ammunition, fell into the hands of the rebels. - -The column withdrew to Nha-Nam, and reinforcements of men, guns and -mortars were sent from Bac-Ninh. Colonel Frey, who commanded the -brigade, arrived, and took over the direction of the operations, which -lasted from the 30th December to the 11th January, 1891. - -Trenches were opened, but progress was very slow. Eventually, a -position was reached about 100 yards from the first palisade, from -which a glimpse of the interior of the fort could be obtained. A -battery composed of two mountain guns and as many small mortars was -established, and the shells thrown from them soon caused serious -loss to the enemy, and set fire to one of the thatched roofs of the -numerous buildings it contained. Most of these constructions were -built of bamboo and plaster, so that the conflagration spread rapidly; -and towards evening the interior of the citadel was a mass of flames. -The rebels displayed striking courage, for they clung to the walls, -and fired incessant volleys at the guns until late into the night. -Profiting by the darkness, they then evacuated the fort, after burying -their dead, and retired with their wounded to positions a few miles -further north. - -[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE FORT AT HOU-THUÉ.] - -These positions were stronger than at Hou-Thué, and consisted of a big -entrenched village, the approaches being covered by several forts and -numerous rifle-pits, the importance of which was unknown to the French, -so well had the secret of their construction been guarded. - -On the following morning an assaulting column found the position -at Hou-Thué empty, and the defences were partially destroyed by -dynamite.[1] After a few reconnoitring parties had been sent out, and -no trace of the enemy discovered, the civil authorities concluded that -the rebellion had been squashed, and the Governor gave orders for the -column to be broken up. - -[Footnote 1: A most excellent and detailed account of the operations -against Hou-Thué is to be found in "Pirates et Rebelles au Tonkin," by -General Frey, published in 1892 by Messrs Hachette et Cie, Paris. The -maps of the region and sketches of the position are reproduced from -that work by the kind permission of the author and publishers.] - -However, to ensure tranquillity, it was decided to maintain the -garrison, and strengthen the position at Nha-Nam, situate about 3 -miles south-west of Hou-Thué, on a small elevation dominating to the -south, east, and west the plain which extends towards the Song-Cau -and Song-Thuong rivers, and northwards of which is the mass of -forest-covered hills already described. - -The garrison consisted of a company of the Legion, one of native -infantry, and a mountain gun. The construction of the position went -on very slowly, for the military authorities were able to obtain but -few coolies, and the greater part of the labour had to be performed -by troops who were continually harassed by night attacks; for the -rebels, encouraged, no doubt, by the failure of the French to discover -their new stronghold, were soon as active as before. Fortunately, the -garrison experienced small loss, for the enemy contented themselves by -firing into the place at night from a distance of about 300 yards. - -The strain on the men was very great, however, as three or four nights -a week they were under arms in expectation of an attempt to rush the -position. This was the state of affairs when our detachment arrived at -Nha-Nam on the evening of the 24th April. - -Our arrival at the fort caused some little excitement, and numerous -were the questions asked us concerning friends in Algeria. - -We were at once distributed over the company, and I found myself placed -in the second squad of the first section, which was lodged in a small -pagoda, situated about 10 yards inside the fort gate, and almost facing -it. This building was in very good condition, and faced the south. A -vacant bed was given me, the former occupant of which, having been -rather severely wounded in a skirmish about a fortnight previously, -was in the hospital at Phulang-Thuong. I say bed, but in reality it -was an apology for the comfortable cots used in Algeria. The trestles -were of wood, and placed upon these was a plank about 2 feet broad. A -regulation blanket folded in two served as a mattress. A good meal was -awaiting us, and, after partaking of it, I arranged my kit, and in a -quiet spot, with the help of a comrade, "washed down" with a bucketful -of water. - -Our long tramp, and the heat, had made us comfortably tired, so we -turned in early and were soon sound asleep, notwithstanding the -restricted dimensions of our couches. Our slumbers were undisturbed, -and the night passed without incident. - -On the morrow the men who had composed our relief detachment were -paraded for inspection by our company commander, Captain Plessier. He -addressed us with a few words of welcome, adding some sensible advice -concerning the great dangers which existed from sunstroke, fever, and -the abuse of alcoholic liquors, and the best way to avoid them. After -that he questioned us individually concerning our previous knowledge -of building and engineering. Before he interrogated a man, the -sergeant-major who stood near him reading from a list he held, would -inform our commander of the name and nationality of each in turn. To my -surprise he addressed me in very good English, saying: - -"What was your profession before you enlisted?" - -"I had not yet adopted one, sir," I answered. - -"Hum! You evidently possess a good education, and we are in want of -intelligent work." Then, turning to the non-commissioned officer behind -him, he continued in French: "Sergeant-major! Make a note of it: this -man to be put on the brick-making gang in his spare time." As he -passed on to the next private he threw a quick glance at me, in which I -read a kindly sense of the humour of the situation. - -To another who told him he was formerly an artist, he said: - -"Excellent! excellent! the very man I want. My hut and the new kitchen -will be finished to-morrow, so you can set about whitewashing at once." - -This officer was a man of medium height, about thirty-five years of -age. He was dark, and wore a small moustache. He was well-built, very -active, and seemed to be about at all hours of the day and night. -Though a strict disciplinarian he was extremely just, and never -inflicted a punishment unless it was merited. Owing to this, and also -to his cool courage under fire, his men were devoted to him, and would -have followed him anywhere. - -The morning was given to us, so as to permit of our settling down in -our new quarters. - -That afternoon I was initiated into the rudiments of brick-making. -The clay pit and yard were at the bottom of the western slope of -our position, on the top of which was the _réduit_ or citadel of our -little fort. Eight Legionaries were employed at modelling the bricks -and stacking them in the kiln (I was one of the gang), and ten native -_tirailleurs_ brought water from the well, chopped up the rice straw, -and brought in wood for the fire. A picquet of ten men and a corporal, -on the watch for snipers, protected us. - -We stopped work at 5 P.M., and went up to the fort to take our evening -meal, after which I hurried round our positions to take things in, -and see all I could before the sun disappeared with that swiftness so -startling to the newcomer in the East. In this part of the world there -is no twilight. - -Again we were favoured with a quiet night. At five o'clock the next -morning, just before the bugle sounded the _réveil_, a sergeant-major -came into our abode and gave us the orders for the day. My section, -and another from the native regiment, were to start on a morning -reconnaissance at six o'clock under the orders of our Captain; the -remainder of the garrison was to continue work at the fortifications -and buildings in construction. I soon learnt that this was the daily -routine, each unit taking alternate turns at reconnoitring or building. -A quarter before the hour indicated the section was lined up, outside -our pagoda, facing the south gate of the fort. - -We were in our khaki kit of cotton drill, and carried our rifles, side -arms, 120 rounds of ammunition, water-bottles filled with very weak -coffee, and a sort of heavy-bladed half chopper, half knife, which was -in a wooden sheath suspended from the belt on the right side. This -tool, which is a cross between a Gurkha _kookerie_ and a Manila _bolo_, -is about 18 inches long, and has a blade which is broader and heavier -at the end than at the shaft. It is used to cut away the creepers, -bamboos, and undergrowth, although at a pinch it makes a formidable -weapon. A few minutes later the detachment of native troops who were -to take part in the expedition, came from their quarters and formed -up behind us. Their uniform, which was of similar texture and shade -to ours, consisted of a vest, short trousers, and putties of the same -pattern as those worn by the Muong tribes. The men were unshod, and -as a head-dress wore a round, flat hat made of bamboo, which is known -as a _sakalo_. This has a diameter of about 8 inches, is painted with -red lacquer, and has a small brass spike in the centre. In shape it -somewhat resembles an inverted soup-plate. This hat is placed on the -top of the chignon-turban worn by the Tonquinese, and secured to it by -red cotton streamers. On occasions like the present one, the head-dress -was covered by a khaki _coiffre_, which not only hid the sakalo, but -also fell over the neck of each soldier at the back, as a protection -from the sun. They were armed with the cavalry musket and bayonet. This -weapon was of the same model and calibre as the one we were then using, -but it was shorter and lighter. In addition to the native "non-coms" in -these regiments each section possessed two French sergeants. These, of -course, wore a uniform very much the same as ours. - -As I stood in the ranks curiously watching through the trellis-like -palisade the red ball of the tropical sun as it rose swiftly above -the horizon and lit up the plain before me with colours so brilliant -that their glare seemed to burn the eyeball, I overheard the following -remarks made by two comrades in proximity to me: - -"_Himmel!_ Sidi Mahomet (the sun) promises well to-day. We shall lose -some fat before we get back, Bauer." - -"Fat! I've none to lose," was the reply. "I found the last of mine in -my boots yesterday, when we got back from Yen-Lé (a native village five -miles south). That load of bamboo did it. I shall sweat my flesh away -now. _Pauvre Légion!_ Have you got a _cibiche_ (cigarette)?" - -"That load of bamboo!" said the first speaker, as he handed his chum -his pouch. "Do you think I carried back the _buthuong's_ (native -headman) feather mattress? _Schafskopf!_ An ironwood pagoda beam, -my boy. Eighty kilos, if it weighed a gramme! I heard the _Capitän_ -(captain) say, 'This would make splendid doorposts, but it's too -heavy,' so I tried it. _Sacré nom!_ It was a blow. When we got here I -was nearly dead. _Kaput!_ Sweat? Why, when I went to the kitchen to -get a drink of tea, Schmidt stared at me, and asked if it had been -raining. _Dummer Kerl!_ The cartridges in my pouch were quite wet. I -believe the powder in them must be damp, too." - -I joined in the laugh at this sally, and asked: - -"Do you know which way we shall go this morning, Bauer?" - -"No, I don't," he replied; "and neither does any one else. The 'old -man' (_le vieux_) arranges such matters with himself as he takes his -coffee in the morning. All I do know is that if we go south, east or -west we shall each bring back a load of bamboo. _Mein Gott!_ It does -take a lot to build this place. If we go north we shall have some fun, -and some one will probably get hurt." - -"No such luck," said the corporal on my right; "there will be no -vacancies in the _cadre_ to-day." - -As he spoke our Captain came walking down from the _réduit_, and a few -paces behind him one of the buglers leading his mount, a small white -native pony, not much bigger than a Shetland, but as beautifully formed -as an Arab. Our commander carried no arms; a pair of field glasses -slung over his shoulder, and a small malacca cane, constituted all his -impedimenta. - -He glanced at the detachment, and then said to our lieutenant: - -"Monsieur Meyer, the reconnaissance will proceed in the direction -of Yen-Lé." (I heard a suppressed groan from the men near me.) "The -Tirailleurs will supply the vanguard." - -At the word of command one of the native infantrymen left the ranks -and went out of the gate at a jog-trot. Once outside, he brought -down his rifle from the shoulder, slipped in a cartridge, closed the -breech-bolt, and carried his arm at the slope. This man was what is -known as the "point" of the column. - -When he had proceeded about 40 yards, the "cover-point," composed -of a corporal and four men, followed, and behind these, at an equal -distance, came the vanguard; which in this case consisted of half a -section under the orders of a sergeant. When another interval of 40 -yards had been established, the remainder of the column proceeded, with -the exception of a small rear-guard of ten men and a corporal, who -followed about 100 yards behind us. As we went through the gate, Bauer -said to me: "We can be thankful the _demoiselles_--he meant the native -troops--are in front to-day; we shan't have to stretch our skittles -(legs)." - -Once outside the fort we slung our rifles and marched at ease. - -Our road was on a narrow embankment which wound snake-like over the -rice fields, and we could only proceed in Indian file. - -The country here was very much like that of the Delta, which I have -already described. A well-cultivated plain, studded over with villages -hidden in clumps of verdure, and surrounded by tall, graceful bamboos, -which bent and creaked, and whose delicate foliage rustled under the -slightest breeze. The only difference was that here and there were -small hills, some covered with long grass, others with a dense and -luxuriant vegetation, the pleasant aspect of which broke the monotony -of the landscape. - -Many of the villages were occupied, and from some of them, as our -little column passed by, the notabilities would come out and make -obeisance, and offer refreshments to our commander. They had accepted -the protection of the French authorities, and paid taxes into the -treasury at Phulang-Thuong; but the mere fact that their village was -not a mass of charred ruins was the best proof that they must also -have been paying toll to De-Nam, and most probably supplying him with -rice. Others of these hamlets openly gave proof of their hostility by -barring the gates before we arrived. An order would be given and a -few men would make a rush for the entrance, pull back the heavy beams -placed one above the other, the ends of which fitted in slots cut in -two massive posts, and break in the ironwood doors beyond. - -No one was found in the place, all the inhabitants having escaped -through some exit at the back of the village, generally leading into a -dense jungle, where they hid with all the cattle they had time to drive -before them. - -The defences of these hamlets are much stronger and more elaborate than -those of the Delta provinces. A double and sometimes triple embankment -and bamboo hedge surrounds them. Between the first two of these are -numerous deep ponds of stagnant water. Twisting, narrow lanes, just -large enough to allow of the passage of the tame buffalo, divide up the -interior, and make of each thick clay-walled house a veritable citadel. -Leading up to each of the two or three doors, which must be passed to -gain an entrance, are narrow passages through which only one man can -go at a time, and these can be raked from end to end by the fire from -well-placed loopholes. - -I was greatly interested by what I saw that morning, and by the really -clever system of defence adopted for their houses by these Asiatics. -It is certain that had they offered us any serious resistance we would -have suffered severe loss. That they did not, I attribute to the fact -that they were fully cognisant that in such a case a gun could be -brought from Nha-Nam, against which their fortifications would have -stood but a poor chance. As Bauer had predicted, we ended up our -morning by bringing back from Yen-Lé a load of bamboo. This we cut from -the hedge of that village, which was not inhabited, for it had been -burnt about two months previously, because its occupants had fired upon -a passing detachment of troops. The task of carrying our load back to -Nha-Nam was no light one, and much bad language was used by the way. We -reached our position about midday. - -Had it been possible to obtain sufficient coolies, the troops would -have been spared this labour. However, it did none of us any harm, for -we were well fed, and drew a daily ration of a pint of good wine and a -lot of rum, so that we could stand a little extra work. - -Owing to the extreme heat, unless there was urgent need of their -services, the troops were kept under cover each day from 10 A.M. to 2 -P.M. From then until near sunset work would be resumed on the buildings -and fortifications. - -On the 5th May, at 1 A.M., I had my first experience of a night attack. -My squad had come off guard-duty on the evening of the 4th, and we had -turned in at nine, and were soon fast asleep. White duck pants and -a soft linen shirt constituted our usual sleeping costume; each man -placing the end of a sheet over his bare feet to protect them from -the mosquitoes. In the event of an alarm it was easy for the men to -slip on their boots, buckle on their belts, seize their arms and hurry -to their posts, of which each was already cognisant. A few seconds -sufficed for our little garrison to be prepared to repel any attack on -their position. A small light, screened from the outside, burnt in each -room, and this prevented the confusion which complete obscurity would -have created. - -What it was exactly that awoke me it would be difficult to state. -Instinctively I had sprung off my cot and was groping about for my -boots, which were on the other side of it. After cursing myself for -my stupidity, I found and slipped them on. Satisfied at being shod -once more--a sense of weakness and inferiority dominates the white man -caught barefooted--I did not wait to lace them, but buckled on my belt, -took down my rifle from its peg, and hurried over to the opposite side -of our pagoda to take up my place at the window, between two other men. -But a few seconds had elapsed since my awakening, and now, as I stood -with my head and shoulders above the opening, the butt of my rifle -pressed under the arm-pit, the right hand gripping the stock with one -finger on the trigger, now only did I realise what had brought me -from my slumbers. Previously, my awakening intelligence had been able -to concentrate itself on one object only, that of arming myself, and -reaching my post as soon as possible. - -There was no moon, but the night was clear, the stars ablaze. A few -yards in front of us I could see the dim outline of the palisade, and, -beyond it in the darkness, a grey streak of road which disappeared into -the night. Along a front of perhaps 400 yards the sombre background -was punctuated again and again, at a distance of about a quarter of a -mile, by lightning like red flashes. Rat! tat! tat! tat!... These were -Winchesters. Boom! boom!... Sniders or muzzle-loaders. Then Rat! tat! -tat! again in quick, continuous succession. - -With a sharp whirr, or a long drone, the bullets fly overhead. A swish -and a crackle. Ah! that was lower, and has hit the palisade. Thud! -Thud! they come into our good wall. A corporal blows out the light; -wise man! A crack and a jingle of broken crockery--the tiles of our -pagoda are getting it now. Flop! a leaden messenger has come through a -window, and flattened itself against the opposite wall. - -In our room all is silent. Each man stands with his finger on the -trigger; a corporal is behind each squad; we are waiting for orders. -In the trenches on the crest of the slope behind us, and in the brick -buildings scattered over our position, our comrades, like us, are -expectant, ready and confident. The enemy's fire increases, and we hear -it break out on the left. The flashes from their rifles come closer and -closer; some of them are now not more than 100 yards away. - -A good many bullets are finding their way into our building. A tin -pannikin, with a hole drilled through it, falls with a clatter from the -shelf, and an earthenware jar which contained cold tea is smashed. We -can hear the soft trickle of the liquid over the tiled floor. - -We take all the cover we can as we peep out into the darkness. No one -has been hurt, but it begins to be trying to the nerves. - -A ball flicks the window-ledge, and fills our eyes and nostrils with -brick-dust. "_Schweine!_" exclaims my neighbour, rubbing his eyes. -"Silence!" says the corporal who stands just behind. - -I have a growing desire to say something to somebody, and feel terribly -lonely. Next I swear mentally that after counting ten I will open fire -and stand all chances. I count ten; then--do nothing, and keep on -waiting--it seems for hours. The whole thing lasts about thirty minutes. - -At last! We hear footsteps coming down the hill, and Lieutenant Meyer -appears walking at a quick pace, a bugler behind him. He comes into -our quarters, and looks around in the obscurity to see that all are -present. Just then some more of our tiles go to glory with a smash. He -laughs lightly, and says: - -"_Ça chauffe, mes enfants_," and a titter runs through the room. Then, -turning to a "non-com": "Schmidt! go over to the guard-house" (a few -paces away to our left), "and tell the corporal that when the bugle -sounds, he will open a fire of six cartridges from the loopholes. You -can remain there and join in." Then to us: "Attention! for independent -firing! at _one_ hundred metres----" - -Every man present braces himself and jubilates. The bugler, at a sign -from our officer, steps forward to the doorway and sounds the "Open -fire." - -In a second we are all at it. Crash! bang! bang! The sentry at the gate -also joins in, and we can see the flash and hear the report of his -weapon as he fires from behind his shelter of sods. - -All my nervous impatience is gone, and I no longer growl at fate -and speculate on my chances of being shot in the dark. I am hitting -back now, and feel joyful at it. Also I seem to possess two distinct -individualities, one watching the other; and the one knows that the -other will be pleased if I do not hurry, as I slip another cartridge -into the breech, and close the bolt with a snap. So I effect the -operation in the regulation manner, though I am craving to rush through -it with lightning speed, and would do so, were not my invisible double -watching me so attentively. My rifle is as light as a feather as I -bring it up to the shoulder. Then I peep along the barrel, and wait -a second for a flash from the enemy. It is too dark to see the top -sight, so when the flash comes, with a steady pull I loose off at it. - -Now the bugle brays the "Cease fire," and the rattling din ceases -suddenly. - -Within our room all is still again, except for an occasional cough, for -we are breathing powder smoke. The place is full of it, and it hangs -around like a fog. - -The enemy's fire on our front is almost extinct. The little there is -comes from a long way off--500 or 600 yards, perhaps. An occasional -twinkle and a following pop! and then it ceases altogether. - -On the right of our position they are still keeping it up, till we hear -the quick successive crashes of two volleys fired by our comrades from -the trenches, after which it dies away and is soon finished. So ends -the night alarm. - -Awaiting orders we remained under arms until our captain came round, -accompanied by M. Joly, our surgeon, to enquire if there were any -casualties. On our lieutenant replying in the negative, we heard our -commanding officer laughingly inform him that the only patient for the -doctor was the sergeant-major's dog, which had been shot clean through -the body. Strange to say, this animal, a liver-coloured pointer, -recovered completely from its wound. - -At about a quarter to two the "dismiss" was sounded, and we returned to -rest again. - -For the next few weeks the work of building went on apace, and by the -end of May all the garrison was comfortably lodged and the defences -completed. The _tirailleurs_ laboured with us at this task; and it was -whilst watching them at work that I was struck by the diversity of uses -to which these natives are capable of adapting the bamboo. They used it -for almost everything. Roof-beams, doorposts, window-frames and rafters -were obtained from it for building purposes, and also beds, tables, -chairs, matting and blinds. The whole of our position was surrounded by -two barriers of bamboo, and in the space between them, about 20 feet, -thousands of small pointed stakes of the same wood, boiled in castor -oil to harden them, were planted in the ground. The native troops -were undoubtedly cunning workmen, and were of great assistance in the -construction of the fort. - -They are, however, held in small respect by the Legionaries, whose -opinion of them as fighters is of the poorest. - -The majority of these troops, recruited in the Delta provinces--the -population of which are good agriculturists, but possess no military -virtues--are of small value as a fighting unit. - -The few companies formed of Thos and Muongs (mountain tribes of the -Tonquin) have, however, rendered great service to the army, and their -courage and _morale_ is of the best. - -Unfortunately, only about one-fifth of the total strength of each -regiment is composed of these highlanders. - -At the beginning of 1891 the colony possessed three regiments of -_tirailleurs Tonkinois_. Each of these corps was composed of four -battalions of one thousand men. In June, 1895, a fourth regiment of -three battalions was raised, and in 1902 a fifth of similar composition -was added to the strength of the army in Tonquin. - -Each corps possesses a _cadre_ of French officers and "non-coms," -composed as follows: a colonel and an adjutant-major for each regiment, -a major to each battalion, and a captain, two lieutenants and twelve -sergeants to each company. - -There exists, however, a great defect in the organisation of these -native corps, of important significance to those acquainted with the -admirable system adopted for our Indian army, for not two per cent. of -the Frenchmen who compose the _cadres_ of the _tirailleurs_ regiments -can speak the vernacular. The disadvantages consequent on this state of -things are too evident to require explanation. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - The difficulties of obtaining military intelligence--Native - spies--Ambuscades--Life at Nha-Nam--Doy-Tho--De Lipthay--A tropical - storm--The capture of Linh-Nghi--Monsieur de Lanessan--French colonial - administration. - - -Owing to the fact that the majority of the population of the Yen-Thé -were partisans of De-Nam, and also to the terror with which this chief -had inspired the remainder, it was with the greatest difficulty that -any information could be obtained concerning the organisation and -movements of the rebels. - -Notwithstanding the proverbial cupidity of the natives, and that all -intelligence was well paid for--a Special Secret Service fund being -devoted to this purpose--the military authorities found it almost -impossible to learn what was going on, or what might be expected to -happen. It was not until a regular system of espionage was instituted -in April, 1891, that any useful knowledge could be obtained. - -A score or so of men from the native regiments who had furnished some -proofs of courage were chosen, and these, disguised as travelling -musicians, beggars or pedlars, wandered from village to village -gleaning in the meantime all the information it was possible to obtain. -This they would communicate to the officers commanding the forts at -Nha-Nam and Bo-Ha, or to the Intelligence Department of the Brigade at -Bac-Ninh. These spies were instructed in certain signs and passwords -which they used as a proof of their identity when they came to any of -the centres with news; and their arrival at and departure from these -places were always effected secretly and at night. - -By these means it became possible to the French officers to have some -idea of what was going on in the lower Yen-Thé, but the knowledge -obtained concerning the strength and situation of the rebels' fortified -positions in the north was extremely vague. - -[Illustration: A NATIVE SPY.] - -Several of the spies had made attempts to penetrate into the region -north of Ha-Thuong. Some were turned back; others, who had probably -excited suspicion, were tortured and decapitated; but none of them -succeeded in obtaining a glimpse of the strongholds, or in gaining any -certitude concerning the paths which led to them. - -However, thanks to these spies, it became known that important convoys -of grain and food stuffs, coming from the villages near Bac-Ninh, were -sent northwards twice a week, by paths which passed a little to the -west of our position, and were not visible from it. The usual time for -the passage of these supplies near Nha-Nam was from one to three in -the afternoon, at which hour, owing to the heat, the troops were under -cover. - -Acting on orders received from General Voyron, who had just taken over -the command of the 2nd Brigade at Bac-Ninh, small parties were sent out -on several occasions in hopes of surprising the convoy. - -They were concealed in one of the deserted villages along the paths -supposed to be frequented by the rebels, and at points from which a -good view of the track for some distance could be obtained. I took -part several times in these small expeditions. One of them is perhaps -worthy of mention, since it provided some excitement for all those who -assisted in it. - -Our detachment on this occasion consisted of eight Legionaries, and as -many _tirailleurs_, under the order of a corporal of our regiment. We -proceeded due south about 3 miles along the high road to Cao-Thuong to -a fine pagoda, the wall of which skirted the highway. Just facing the -entrance to the building, and at right angles to the main road which it -joined, was a small path that ran across the fields to the west, and -was visible for about 400 yards, afterwards turning off sharp to the -left behind a range of small hillocks covered with long grass. - -At the apex of the angle formed by the junction of this path and the -main road was a big banyan tree with a clump of bushes at its base. - -It was here that our ambuscade was placed, after a scouting party had -gone through a big empty village, situated just behind the pagoda, and -it was certain that there existed no sign of occupation, or trace of a -recent passage of the enemy. - -Six Legionaries, two natives and the corporal remained behind the -pagoda wall, and through the open brickwork in the top part of it they -could see across the fields. Together with four _tirailleurs_ I was -posted on the opposite side of the road. We were a little to the right -of the others, our backs towards them, behind the clump of bushes at -the foot of the banyan. - -Perched up on one of the branches of this tree and concealed by its -dense foliage was a Legionary, who, from the position he occupied, -obtained a fine view to the south and west: these being the only -directions from which our position could be approached, since the -bamboo hedge of the village behind us skirted the road to the east for -at least 500 yards, and nothing could come from the north without being -seen by our sentries at Nha-Nam, who had received orders to keep a -sharp look-out. - -It was ten in the morning before we had settled down. Our instructions -were to reserve our fire, and, if possible, capture one of the enemy -alive. - -The heat was terrible--this was in the second week in June, and the -rains had not broken--and although, thanks to the shade from the -tree above me, I could doff my helmet and profit by the occasional -light puffs of breeze, just sufficient to move the airy foliage of -the bamboo, it required all my energy to fight against the invading -drowsiness. - -From time to time I would question the man in the tree in the hope that -he would announce the advent of a troop; but he disappointed me each -time with a reply in the negative. - -My attention was soon drawn to the four natives beside me, for I -perceived that they were fast asleep. The natives possess a faculty -of dropping into a sound slumber without respect to time or position; -and these, though seated, their bodies bolt upright and their legs -crossed before them, were snoring. The Tonquinese, like the Arabs, -have a proverb which says: "A man is better sitting than standing, -better asleep than sitting, and better dead than asleep." However, -this was no time to ponder on the ethics of Oriental philosophy, so -I applied myself to awakening these weary ones, and, after a good -deal of vigorous shaking, succeeded in doing so. The corporal, who -from his hiding-place had taken in the situation, adjured me, in low -but energetic tones, to make use of the butt of my rifle to infuse -enthusiasm into the unfortunate _tirailleurs_. Then all was quiet -again, and our weary watching was resumed. - -The time seemed to drag along with painful slowness, and the glare -and heat increased in intensity. Hardly a sound disturbed the drowsy -tranquillity, and had it not been for the chirping song of the cicalas -and the far-away whistle of a kite, which soared above us and whose -shadow flitted occasionally across the open ground in front, one could -have imagined that there was nothing living for miles around. - -The sun began to move westwards, and its rays struck the white wall -behind me, only to be reflected with such force that I was obliged to -put on my helmet to protect the back of my head. It was nearly two in -the afternoon when we were startled by a short exclamation from the -sentry perched above us. - -"What is it?" somebody enquired. - -"There is something moving," he replied, "a long way off--two -kilomètres, perhaps--two men--Ah! there are some who carry baskets. -_Nhaques_ (peasants) going to market, I suppose." Then with growing -excitement in his tone he continued: "I see a glitter. Got for deck!" -(he was a Belgian). "The two men in front carry rifles--they are the -_point_! Yes! Yes! the point! Further back there are more coolies with -baskets, and more men with rifles--now two men on ponies." - -"Where are they?" I tried to speak quietly, but could have shouted with -excitement. - -"On the path which runs behind the hillocks--the path which turns in -_here_. They come from the south, and walk very quickly. Wheew!" he -whistled, "there are quite sixty coolies, and as many men with guns. -They have a rear-guard. The first will be on the path before us in ten -minutes. _Prévenez vite le caporal--Nous allons rire!_" - -I ran across the road behind us, through the gateway into the pagoda -yard, and informed our "non-com." Though he was only half awake when I -began--for the heat had been too much for _him_--he was quite alive to -the situation before I had said many words, and almost shook hands with -me in his joy at the news. - -"Don't shoot," he said, "unless they are alarmed and run, then shoot -straight. Let them come up on the road here and we can collar one, -_mais pour l'amour de Dieu_! Keep an eye on your _demoiselles_--I have -no faith in them!" - -I went back to my hiding-place. Hellincks, the man in the tree, said to -me: - -"Hurry up! The two first will be round the corner in a minute or so." - -I glanced at the _tirailleurs_. They were kneeling now, and throwing -eager glances through the foliage. In a low voice I told them to fix -bayonets and load, and noticed that the man next to me trembled like a -leaf as he did so. Excitement, I thought--or was it fear? From a deep -bronze his skin had changed to a dirty yellow. I should have known and -taken away his weapon, but this was my first experience. - -Mechanically I slipped my right hand into the pouch of my belt, took -out a cartridge, and after wetting the bullet with my tongue, slipped -it into the open breech of my rifle and closed it. Now nothing moved, -and the only sounds that struck the ear were the song of the cicalas, -the whistle of the kite, and the gentle rustle of the bamboos in the -breeze. - -Suddenly, round the corner of the last hillock, came a man; then, a -yard or so behind, another. Though expected, their actual appearance -produced an impression of surprise; perhaps because we had waited so -long. - -Both wore a kind of uniform of green cotton cloth, and putties of the -same colour. Their long hair was rolled in a silken turban of similar -hue. Hanging on his shoulders, suspended by a string which passed round -the front of his neck, each man had a big palm-leaf hat. - -The sun glittered on their brass cartridges fixed in a belt round the -waist, and on the Winchesters which they carried on the shoulder, as a -gardener carries his spade; the end of the muzzle in the hand, the butt -behind them. - -On they came at a sort of jog-trot, and we could hear the pad! pad! -pad! of their naked feet on the hot path. - -Now they were within 100 yards of us, and I fancied I could perceive -a look of relief on the ugly flat features of the first as he glanced -towards the pagoda. - -The first of the long string of bearers with their bamboo and baskets -were now visible, coming along at a jerky run. I felt something touch -my left elbow, and glanced round to find that Hellincks had come down -from his perch and was kneeling beside me. - -The two armed men were quite near now. We could see a bead of -perspiration on the face of the first as it came from his hair and -trickled down his forehead. We could hear the regular, short pant of -his hard breathing, note his half-open mouth, and distinguish his -black-lacquered teeth. - -Pad! pad! pad!--a soft puff of breeze brought to my nostrils the acrid -odour of the perspiring native. Another few seconds, and by thrusting -my rifle through the leaves I could have touched his breast with the -muzzle. - -These two will surely be ours; nothing can save them! - -Unable to control himself, mastered by excitement or fear, the -_tirailleur_ on my right suddenly sprang to his feet, and shouted in -the vernacular: - -"_Toi!_" ("Stop!") "_Adow di?_" ("Where go you?") - -From the pagoda behind us I heard an angry murmur, and could -distinguish the corporal's voice: "Kill the swine! Oh, kill -him!"--Hellincks cursed and groaned like a man struck with fever. -I felt that I had stopped sweating, and a big lump rose from my -chest into my throat, and seemed to choke me. I gave a great sob of -disappointment and surprise. - -The next instant we were on our feet, for Hellincks rose with me, and -as he shouted, "We can yet catch one," I knew that he had a similar -thought to mine. But we had hardly taken the first step forward, prior -to forcing our way through the bushes and jumping down into the paddy -field, than we were blinded for a second by two bright flashes from a -few feet in front of us, and half deafened by the close report of the -rebels' Winchesters. The _linh_ (native soldier), the cause of all the -racket, pitched head foremost into the foliage. There was no time to -lose, so both of us rushed through the little cloud of smoke, through -the bushes, and the next instant we were down in the field. - -Fifteen, perhaps twenty, yards away I saw the backs of the two -green-clad natives who were running for dear life. They were side by -side in the field, for the path was littered with the baskets and -bamboos of the coolies, who had disappeared as if by magic. "Too late!" -I shouted. Hellincks jerked up his rifle and covered the native on the -left. The next instant, acting on his example, I was peeping along my -sights and bringing them in line on to the middle of the palm-leaf hat, -which bumped as it hung on the receding back of the man to the right. - -Before I could press the trigger Hellincks had fired, and a cloud of -smoke floated across my line of vision. It was gone in a second, and I -got my chance. Through the white puff from my rifle I saw a dark figure -spring into the air with the pose of a marionette of which all the -strings have been jerked together; and, as I brought down my weapon, -jerked out the empty cartridge and reloaded, I saw a dark mass lying -motionless on the damp ground amongst the bright green stalks of young -rice. - -"Vite! vite! you fool, mine is winged, and will escape if you do not -hurry!" cried my comrade, as he started off at the double. - -On we ran for about 30 yards; then Hellincks stopped, and, pointing -to the ground, jerked out: "I told you so"; and I saw a small blotch -the size of a man's hand, which, as the bright sunshine played upon it, -glittered red like a splendid dark ruby. - -"These fellows have as many lives as a cat," he continued hurriedly. -"He was down and up again in a second; limped away across the path into -that tall grass on the right"--pointing in that direction. "Come! we -may yet have him." - -On we went a few more yards, when the Belgian came a cropper, having -tripped over the foot of the thing spread-eagled in the rice field. In -his hurry he had passed too close. I had given it a wide berth. I came -back to help him up, and had to look at it. There was a small round -hole in the back of the neck, just below the base of the skull. - -Hellincks scrambled up, panting. How he cursed! - -"What are you staring at, man? Take his gun--quick!" - -Bending down, I picked up the Winchester. In doing so I almost touched -the body, and with difficulty suppressed a murmured, "I beg your -pardon," because I was dominated by a sentiment of awesome respect for -the thing that had been, and was no more. I wished to walk softly, on -tiptoe, and felt _so_ thankful that he had fallen face-downwards. - -All this had passed in the space of a few seconds. "Come back! come -back!" It was the corporal shouting to us, and there was a note of -warning in his voice. - -Before turning to go I glanced up, and saw a puff of white smoke arise, -float for a second over the top of the hillock ahead, and I heard a -report. Something struck the wet ground a little in front and to my -right. A speck of mud hit me on the chin; then, along a distance of 50 -yards or so, the crest was covered with smoke, and there was a rattle -of musketry. - -As we ran the ground and the air seemed to me to be alive, and I could -not go quickly enough to please myself. - -Hellincks said between pants: "We forgot the cartridges." - -"Oh! d--- the cartridges!" I replied, and it was as if some one else -had said it.... How far it seemed!--there were not more than 40 yards. -How hot the sun was! I believe I was terribly afraid during the few -seconds it took us to get back to shelter again. - -How we got back I don't remember; I only know that I felt quite -surprised to find myself standing, somewhat blown, behind the big tree, -telling my "non-com" what had happened, and feeling very anxious not to -appear flustered. - -Hellincks lay panting and laughing on the grass beside the other -men--three Legionaries, who were making caustic remarks concerning our -running powers, and five _tirailleurs_. The latter were either kneeling -sheltered by the tree, or extended flat on the road, their rifles ready -to reply to the enemy's fire, which was increasing in intensity. - -To my explanation the corporal replied: - -"_Bon! bon!_ It was the fault of that dog of a native. Pity he was -not hit--killed. They shot off his _sakalo_, and he fainted. Three -of our fellows and two _tirailleurs_ are behind the pagoda wall to -the right; they can see the enemy's position from there. Go and take -command of them" (I was an _élève-caporal_--_i.e._, lance-corporal--at -this time), "and follow up each volley we fire from here by -another--distance, 300 yards." - -I went over to my little command, my nerves steadied by the thought of -the responsibility which was now mine. - -I lined the men up, each before an aperture in the open brickwork of -the wall, and recommended them to aim carefully, and wait for the word -of command before firing. - -Half sitting, half lying, with his head against the wall, was the -_tirailleur_ who had been the cause of our abortive ambuscade. The -upper half of his face was scorched and blackened, and a little red -stream trickled down from forehead to chin. He looked dazed and stupid, -and his eyes were half closed. From his lips came a continual moan, -which he interrupted every few seconds to murmur: "_Tiet! Tiet!_" -("Dead! Dead!") - -My attention was called from him by the crash of a volley from the -corporal's party. - -As soon as the smoke had risen the smart rattle of our volley rang out. -Three times I gave the same commands, and each detonation seemed an -echo to the one from the rifles of our comrades. Then there was a pause. - -The enemy's fire had slackened considerably, and the noise of the -projectiles as they struck the wall and roof of the pagoda, sang -overhead or clattered through the branches of the banyan, was hardly -noticeable when compared to the racket they had kept up a few minutes -before. From the hillocks before us only occasional puffs of smoke -arose, followed by isolated reports from their rifles. - -At his call I went out to our "non-com," who said: - -"They seem to be sick of it, and certainly show no disposition to rush -us. I wish they _would_ try, _Sacré bleu_! The ground is too open for -them. If we could depend on the _linhs_--but we can't--we might make -a dash for the convoy; without them the odds are too great, so I have -decided to withdraw. I will start off with this lot. When we have got -away give them a volley to keep them still; and if they show any signs -of moving, a little independent firing. Don't be extravagant, though. -You understand?" - -[Illustration: PAGODA USED FOR AMBUSH.] - - [_See page 139._] - -"Yes," I answered. "But you must take that wounded _linh_; he would -hamper me." - -"Of course," he replied. "_Sacré bon Dieu!_ I had forgotten the coward. -Can he stand?" - -"I don't think so." - -Thereupon he told two men off to fetch the poor beggar, and I felt -sorry for him when he appeared tottering, though supported by the two -Legionaries. - -As already explained, the banyan tree and the bushes masked the pagoda -gateway, so that these movements could not be seen by the enemy. - -"He'll do," said the corporal. "You two men hold on to him, and help -him to keep up. Here you"--this to another _tirailleur_--"tell him to -run his best when we go." - -This was explained; and he nodded, mumbled, and would have started off -alone if he had not been held. He seemed in a hurry to get away, and we -all laughed. - -"Now," said our chief, "the Brigade will retire by echelons." Then, -with a grin and a bow to me: "You, monsieur, will cover our withdrawal -with your battalion. When you hear a volley from us, double out and -rejoin with your party. Good luck to you!" - -"_Bonne chance!_" I replied, and went back to my men. - -A couple of sharp orders, and the others clattered by at the double. -The next minute the enemy's fire broke out with renewed vigour. They -probably thought that everybody had left, for no bullets came our way. - -Crash! went our volley at them, but they still kept it up: the running -white men were too tempting a target. - -I waited half a minute, and ordered independent firing of four -cartridges per man, and joined in the fun. - -This calmed them a little, and I got my men outside, sheltered behind -the friendly banyan, ready for the run, as it was probable that the -others would soon halt. - -The road went off slightly to the right, and was hidden from view -by the corner of the wall. We had not long to wait, for in a few -seconds the rattle of the rifles told me it was time to start, so -away we went in single file at the run. We found the first detachment -sheltered behind a ridge between two fields, from whence they had fired -two volleys to cover our withdrawal. No one had been hit, the only -damage done being to the stock of a rifle belonging to a man who had -retreated with me, which had been smashed by a rifle bullet. - -There can be no doubt that the rebels were very poor shots at anything -over 100 yards; and it is doubtful if any of them knew how to hit a -running object. It was not for us to grumble at this, however. - -Their fire ceased completely, as soon as we had joined forces. This -was due, probably, to the fact that, owing to the continued sound of -firing, the picquet from Nha-Nam had been sent out to meet us--though -we were unaware of this, as a slight rise of the ground hid the fort -from us. We moved off cautiously, and very soon met the relief. This -detachment, about fifty strong, went on in hope of engaging the enemy, -but were disappointed; for, although they occupied the hillocks from -which we had been fired upon, the rebels had not waited for them but -retreated, together with the convoy, leaving behind them but a few -baskets of rice. So terminated my first experience under fire from a -visible enemy. - -That night we were awakened, and remained under arms for an hour, for -the enemy amused themselves by treating us to a long range fire. -It was a waste of ammunition, for nobody was hurt, and we did not -reply. Some of my comrades suggested that this was a reprisal for -our ambuscade of the afternoon. Personally, I am inclined to believe -that it was a feinted attack on our position, designed to engage our -attention, and ensure the passage of the belated convoy which had -escaped us. - -The weather now grew hotter every day, and several cases of heat, -apoplexy and fever occurred in our little garrison. It is probable -that the fever was due to the digging which had taken place during the -construction of our fortifications. This was inevitable, of course; but -it is always very dangerous to break new soil in these districts, since -the surface to the depth of 3 or 4 feet is mainly composed of decayed -vegetation in which the malaria microbe is abundant. - -All the newcomers were, of course, victims to prickly-heat, in addition -to which many of us were afflicted with small boils. These would not -come one or two at a time, but sufferers were literally covered with -them. I was one of the first to pay toll to this extremely painful -malady. In addition to these unavoidable inconveniences, the whole -company suffered from another discomfort which was a cause of deep -complaint on the part of the men, since it was due to the neglect of -our commissariat department. Because some trifling formality had not -been executed, mosquito-nets were not served out to us till late in -July, and the lack of them caused many hours of sleepless agony during -the hot nights. - -A surprising amount of red-tapeism still remained in the commissariat -department of France's colonial army; and, though this branch was -remodelled at the beginning of 1901, it is generally acknowledged that -the authorities responsible for the new order of things have obtained -little or no improvement in this respect. - -In July the heat became tremendous; the afternoons, which were the -hottest part of the day, averaging 110 degrees in the shade. The -men were kept indoors from nine in the morning until three in the -afternoon, and operations were restricted to short reconnaissances, -which took place either in the early morning or in the evening. - -These excursions were always made to the south, east or west, but not -northwards, as orders had been received from the Brigade to abstain -from penetrating into the enemy's country until the summer months had -passed. In consequence, the garrison of Nha-Nam disposed of a good deal -of leisure time, which the men made use of according to their varied -tastes. - -Making cloth belts embroidered with flags and other warlike devices -was a favourite pastime with many; books and newspapers were in great -demand, and a fortnightly convoy from Phulang-Thuong, which brought -the European mail, was an incident of importance to all. A rifle range -had been built about 500 yards to the west of our position, and each -morning saw some unit of the garrison at practice. - -Close to the fort, on the south-west side, was a small village -inhabited by the camp followers, wives and children of some of the -native troops. It contained one small store kept by a Chinaman, at -which the troops could obtain tobacco, tinned goods, and strong drinks. - -The sale of intoxicants was, however, subjected to strict regulation, -any infringement of which would have entailed the peremptory closing -of the storekeeper's establishment. The men not on duty were allowed -to go into the village from 5 to 7 P.M. only, so that would-be topers -had small facilities for over-indulgence, and cases of drunkenness were -few and far between. Thirsty souls could obtain good wine from the -Government stores in the fort at a very reasonable price, though this -supply was with reason restricted to half a _litre_ (a little more than -a pint) a day per man. - -Our diet was good, for the natives from some of the surrounding -villages brought in a plentiful supply of eggs, poultry, pork, fruit -and yams, which were readily purchased, as the troops received a -mess-grant in addition to their daily ration of bread, fresh meat, -coffee, sugar, rice and salt. - -During the period of comparative inaction, and profiting by the leisure -at my disposal, I made an attempt at learning the Annamese language. -Progress was very slow, for the vernacular, like Chinese, is composed -of a multitude of sounds, many of which are so similar to each other -that only a well-trained ear can distinguish the difference; also, -there exists neither alphabet nor grammar to aid the student, and -success depends entirely on the possession of a good memory, and -inexhaustible patience. - -In writing this language the natives use the Chinese characters, each -representing a sound; and the extent of knowledge of their _literati_ -class is gauged by the number of these each individual has succeeded -in retaining. Thus a native who has passed examinations which prove -that he possesses five thousand characters, is said to be clever; and -one who has shown that he can make use of double that quantity is -considered to have reached a very high standard of education indeed. - -As in the Chinese and Japanese languages many words possess an -honorific as well as a common form. Thus an official, in speaking to -an inferior, will refer to himself by using the word _tao_ (I); but in -conversing with a superior this form of pronoun in the first person -becomes _toy_ (I). It is needless to state that this peculiarity adds -considerably to the difficulties the student has to reckon with. - -During my search for an insight into the native tongue I came -in contact with one of the native sergeants, known as Doy-Tho -(_doy_--sergeant, and _tho_--a mountaineer). This non-commissioned -officer belonged to the hardy and brave mountain tribes of Northern -Tonquin, mention of which has already been made. - -He had distinguished himself on several occasions, and especially so -during the operations against Hou-Thué in December and January. - -In appearance, and in his love of danger, he bore a strong resemblance -to a Gurkah; and the following account of an incident which took place -during one of the attacks on the rebel stronghold, related to me by a -Legionary who was present, will give the reader some insight into the -character of this plucky little soldier, and indeed into that of his -fellow-tribesmen, of whom he was a good example. - -During one of the first engagements a section of the native regiment -under the orders of a lieutenant succeeded in reaching the first -palisade. From behind the trees, or lying flat on the ground, the men -opened a smart fire on the rebel position, which was returned with -vigour and punctuated by Oriental abuse, composed of rude remarks -concerning the individual family of each _tirailleur_, and the graves -of his ancestors. - -Doy-Tho, maddened by these insults, stood up in full view of the enemy, -and poured forth upon them a torrent of curses and invective. - -In their admiration of his daring, and their surprise at the volubility -and scope of his abuse, most of the combatants forgot to fire, and a -momentary lull took place in the engagement. It lasted a few seconds -only, for, lashed to fury by the stinging retorts of the speaker, every -rifle on that side of the rampart was turned upon him. - -His _sakalo_ and cartridge-cases were shot away, and his clothes -riddled with bullet holes; and it is probable that his body would have -resembled a sieve had not his lieutenant sprung forward and dragged -the howling mountaineer into safety behind a big tree. After this the -rebels' fire slackened, and they shouted friendly invitations to the -native troops to kill their officers and join them, saying that De-Nam -would treat them well, and give one hundred dollars for every head of -a French officer they would bring in. - -Tho replied with renewed invective from behind the tree, where he had -been ordered to remain, and each pause, made through want of breath, he -punctuated with a shot from his rifle. - -When the engagement was over, and the troops were retiring to Nha-Nam, -the lieutenant aforementioned asked the little sergeant if he thought -the promises of the rebels were _bona fide_ ones. The nearest -translation of Doy-Tho's reply in bad French was something after the -following: - -"Hum! they belong big liars. Suppose I bring your head, _mon -lieutenant_, perhaps I get ten dollars only." - -He and I soon became fast friends, and of an evening, before the -door of the fort was closed, I would sometimes go for an hour to his -_caigna_ (native hut), and sit and talk with him whilst his wife -prepared his evening meal of rice, dried fish, prawns and native salad. - -While we discussed the topics of the day, his sons--two sturdy, -pot-bellied brats, aged respectively five and seven, naked as they -were born--would squat down on the floor of beaten clay and stare -open-mouthed at me. - -His meal despatched, the little sergeant would stretch himself out on a -clean rice straw mat placed on a platform-like bed made of split bamboo -which covered half the room. His wife would then bring in a hardwood -tray, whereon was a diminutive lamp, a bamboo opium pipe with a blue -clay bowl, some little skewer-like implements of silver, and a tiny box -of the same metal containing the daily ration of this seductive drug. - -Tho would lie on his right side, a hollow block of green-enamelled -earthenware, serving as a pillow, beneath his head. His wife would -stretch out opposite to and facing him. Between them was placed the -tray with its little implements, and the lamp was lit. - -This was the solemn moment of the day. - -Tho reached out his skinny little brown hand and picked up his pipe, -fondling it an instant prior to warming the bowl in the flames, his -keen black eyes glancing over his favourite with the fond look of -satisfaction and gratitude one sees on the face of a man who greets a -well-beloved wife. - -This pipe, if such it can be called (for neither in bowl nor stem did -it resemble the instrument we give that name to), was of similar form -to that used by all Orientals who inhale opium fumes. It consisted of -a stem, about 2 feet long, of polished bamboo, about 1-1/2 inches in -diameter, the lower end being closed by an ivory cap, while the other -extremity was covered by a disc of silver with a small round hole in -the centre of it. To this the lips were placed when the fumes were -inhaled. - -About 6 inches from the lower end of the stem the bamboo was pierced to -receive the neck of the bowl, shaped like a hollow, flat bulb. The top -had a diameter of about 3 inches, and was well polished and slightly -convex. In the middle was a tiny hole about as big as a pin's head. - -It is, perhaps, as well to explain that no opium gets into the bowl, -for it is consumed over the hole in the smooth convex surface on -the top, owing to the air in the bulb having been inhaled and the -consequent creation of a temporary vacuum. Thus only the fumes pass -through the little orifice, up the stem and into the lungs of the -smoker. - -Now Tho was warming his pipe over the flame of the lamp, withdrawing it -now and again to gently polish the surface of the bulb upon the sleeve -of his khaki jacket. His better-half dipped one of the little silver -skewers into the tiny pot, and after turning it round drew it out -covered with a coating of the rich brown drug, which looked like thick -treacle. - -This she held over the flame for a second. It frizzled and gained in -consistency; she withdrew it, and dipped it again into the drug, and it -increased in volume. Three or four times this operation was repeated, -until there was sufficient opium on the skewer to make a good pipe. - -The _Doy_ now held his pipe to his mouth, and the tip of the flame -licked the smooth, warm surface of the bowl on which his spouse began -to roll the opium, holding the other end of the pipe in her left hand -to steady it. - -Her dexterity was marvellous. In a few seconds the drug was detached -from the skewer, and was rolled into a little ball about the size of a -pea. - -She threw a glance at Tho which meant, "Are you ready?" He nodded, and -started drawing at the bamboo. A gentle movement, and the skewer pushed -the ball of opium on to the tiny hole, and it was held just over the -lamp. - -There was a frizzle as the drug began to burn, continuing under the -steady prolonged suction of the smoker. There was no smoke, for it -was all going up the pipe into the little brown man's lungs. His eyes -were half closed, and his features expressed a gentle beatitude, but -his chest was swelling, swelling. Soon he could not continue the -steady suction, and he drew at the bamboo with a succession of quick, -small pants. His wife, in the meanwhile, held the bowl well over the -flame, and pushed up to the orifice the tiny particles of the drug -still adhering to the convex surface. Presently all was consumed. I, -on seeing this for the first time, sighed with relief, as one who had -escaped from witnessing a catastrophe, when the smoker opened his -mouth, and allowed the black smoke to escape slowly from between his -lacquered teeth, which shone like ebony in the dim light of the tiny -lamp. - -Tho watched the opaque column as it climbed slowly upwards to the -bamboo cross-poles of his hut, and, forming into a little cloud, clung -to the thatch of the roof. "_Biet!_" (good) he exclaimed, and then -prepared for another. - -The air in the tiny room was now heavy with the odour of the drug, -which at first seemed acrid and unpleasant, but it improved on -acquaintance, and soon became soothing and enjoyable. - -The _Doy_ liked to smoke his opium in peace, and, knowing this, I sat -waiting until he should see fit to break the silence. Outside, the day -was fast drawing to a close, and the short eastern sunset would in a -few minutes be changed into night. - -From the Chinaman's shanty a few paces away came the sound of a -rollicking ditty sung by some of my comrades over a pint of wine or -a glass of absinthe. The noise seemed to wake all the cicalas in -the neighbourhood, for they started at once a concert of chirping -whistles. In the half-dried-up pools outside the village thousands -of noisy members of the batrachian tribe broke into an endless chorus -of complaint at the unwonted dryness of the season, while from time -to time their big uncles, the bull-frogs, added a booming croak of -approval. The matting hanging before the doorway of the hut swung back -a little, moved by a hot breeze which brought to the nostrils a whiff -of flowers and vegetation in decay; and I could see the fireflies -already circling down the little street or about the thatch-covered -_caignas_. - -The heat was terrific, and seemed, if possible, less supportable now -than it had done during the hours of blinding, scorching sunshine. All -the earth seemed to radiate the caloric it had been stoking up during -the day. - -When would the rains break? Those rains the other men who knew had told -me of. Rains that chilled you to the bone, and made your teeth chatter. - -The thought that in the past--it seemed years ago--I had somewhere -shivered with the cold, made me laugh aloud, as, after throwing off my -light cotton jacket and rolling up my shirt-sleeves, I sat mopping the -perspiration from my forehead. The veins of my neck seemed to swell, -and my breath came in gasps. - -Thinking that it might be somewhat cooler there, I stepped into the -street, and taking out my pouch, tried to roll a cigarette. Three -times the thin paper broke in my sticky, perspiring fingers before I -succeeded in obtaining a damp and flabby apology for a smoke. This -slight exertion had caused me to perspire from every pore, and it -seemed hotter outside than within. My light clothes clung to my limbs -like those of a man pulled out of a pond. Disgusted, I returned and -sat down again on the edge of the bed, and, after endless difficulty, -succeeded in lighting my damp cigarette with a still damper match. - -The tiny twinkle of the opium-lamp deepened the darkness outside the -small circle of its light. Tho's brownish-yellow features, on which -it shone, reminded me of a quaint and clever old Japanese ivory I had -once seen; and the dark background of the night was like the black -velvet-lined case which had contained it. - -From where I sat I could see the arm of the sergeant's wife--bare from -the elbow--and I watched with a kind of sleepy fascination her small -and nimble fingers as they manipulated the drug. The soft light gave to -her skin a rich gold tint, and made the arm and hand look graceful and -comely. The Rembrandt-like effect of the picture gripped me, and for -the moment the heat was forgotten. - -Tho's voice brought me from a waking dream when, after laying down his -pipe, he said: - -"Patience, _camarade_! It will come. When the bull-frogs join in the -song the great waters are not far off. Were you on sentry to-night you -would hear the dreary note of the rain-bird, for I'd stake a week's pay -she will be out. Ba (his wife) tells me it sang to-day before sunrise; -but women were ever dreamers." - -The little woman looked up from her task of cleaning the silver skewer, -and retorted: - -"Dreamers! Oh, great slaughterer of men, and dost thou give me time to -dream? Is not my life as full of work as our mountain rise is full of -fat? Am I not still a _tho_ from the Tam-Dao? (a group of mountains -to the west of Thaï-Nguyen). Are not my teeth white, though I have a -husband who has blackened his and become a plainsman?" - -As she smiled at her own wit I caught a flash of ivory between her -red lips, and noticed for the first time the regularity of her small -features. The _Doy_ smiled good-naturedly, and replied: - -"Oh, thou silly one! Thou art pretty as an angry parrakeet, and talkest -faster." Then to me: "Had I not lacquered my poor teeth--though my -ancestors know the grief I suffered from it--how could I have gone, -dressed like a pedlar, to spy in the villages for the Government? Had I -tried so to do, the De-Nam would have eaten my liver long since. As it -is, some day I shall probably eat his. Ba, get ready another pipe for -me." - -"Nay! nay!" she answered, as she lit a small kerosine lamp of German -make, and placed it on the bed; "thou hast eaten ten times of the drug, -and it is thy just ration." She blew out the small light and carried -away the tray, saying to me as she did so: "Were I to listen to this -man he would turn all the Government dollars he gets into black smoke, -and I and my sons would have to go in shame to my father and beg for -food." - -It was very evident that Madame Ba ruled the roost, and it was probably -better so. - -Tho growled a little, and protested to me: - -"Was ever man burdened with such a wife? She has no respect for me--the -senior sergeant in the company. Now, had I married----" Here he was -interrupted by the first notes of the bugle calling us back to the -fort, and we rose together and hurried out of the hut. It was quite -dark outside. Tho did not speak until we had nearly reached the gate, -then he said: "_Camarade_, when the time comes, I hope you will find -for yourself a white woman with a heart like Ba's. _Bonne nuit!_" And -he ran off to his section. - -Lying on my bed that night I communicated to my neighbour, Lipthay, a -Hungarian, the incidents of the evening, and together we laughed over -the recital of little Tho's domestic worries. This room-mate of mine -had come out with our detachment on the _Bien-Hoa_. On our arrival at -Nha-Nam we had been given beds next each other, and our acquaintance -was fast ripening into a close friendship. - -Lipthay had joined in April of the preceding year. Shortly before this -he held a commission in the Austrian army, which he had resigned. A -braver, more loyal and upright nature I have never met. I have never -learnt the reasons which brought him into the Legion, but am convinced -they were honourable, for during the four years we were almost -continually together his speech and conduct were always those of a -gentleman in the truest sense of the word. - -He was an adept at military topography, and, to while away the time, -would give me further lessons in this useful art, of which I had -already some slight knowledge. - -This having reached the ears of our Captain, we accompanied in turns -the occasional reconnoitring parties, and made _topos_ of the route -taken. His work was of the first quality, and his draughtsmanship of a -very high order. - -The following morning I came across Tho, who was conducting the sick -men of his detachment to the doctor. He halted an instant to ask me -if I was coming to see him that evening, and I told him I should be -deprived of that pleasure, as my section was on picquet duty at 5 P.M. -At this he grinned, and said: - -"Well, then, we shall meet later, for there will be some fun to-night." -He then left me, and trotted off to rejoin his men. - -I knew it was no good trying to obtain further information from him, -for the _Doy_ was like the majority of Orientals, from whom torture -will not wring a secret they have decided to keep, so I did not attempt -to see him again that day. - -However, as I knew that he served as interpreter to our commander when -spies were interrogated, I inferred from the hint he had given me that -some movement was to be made that night. - -My section assembled, and were inspected with the guard that evening, -and afterwards we were dismissed, but had to remain dressed and armed -in our room in the event of our services being required. I took Lipthay -into my confidence, and told him of the "tip" I had received. I induced -him to do as I did, and fill his water-bottle with cold coffee in case -of necessity. - -Fully dressed, with our belt and cartridge-cases on, we lay down on our -cots to snatch a few hours' rest. At 1 A.M. our squad corporal shook us -out of our slumbers, and, together with the other men of our section, -we snatched up our rifles and assembled outside as quietly as possible. - -Here we found a half-section of native troops under the orders of Tho, -who nodded to me and grinned as I stepped up and took my place in the -ranks. Two hard-boiled eggs and a slice of bread were served out to -each man, which we were told to put in our wallet for future use. - -A few minutes later Captain Plessier came upon the scene, and noticing -that he was not mounted, I surmised that our coming peregrinations were -to take place over difficult ground. - -So indeed it proved, for, after the gate had been opened by the sentry, -our little column went out in silence, like a troop of ghosts, in -Indian file, turned to the right, and proceeded to the south-west -across the paddy fields by the narrow ridges which served as paths. - -The night was stifling and pitch-dark--so dark, indeed, that each man -had to hold on to the wallet of his comrade in front so as not to lose -his way. Thus progress was very slow. When we had been walking about -an hour, and had covered, perhaps, a mile and a half, the blackness -of the night was of a sudden lit up by a brilliant flash of lightning -which illuminated, for the fraction of a second, the surrounding -country. The weird aspect of it, with the tall outlines of the palms -and bamboo silhouetted against the sky, remained with a strange -vividness as if photographed upon the retina, for several minutes. This -was succeeded by a peal of thunder so deafening that it seemed to split -the ear-drums and shake the ground beneath us, and the rain came down -as it only can do in the tropics. - -For a few seconds our little troop was thrown into confusion, and some -of the men, temporarily blinded by the sudden light, stepped into the -fields, where they floundered about with water and mud almost up to -their knees. After this interruption we proceeded on our way. - -Very slowly though, for the lightning continued, flash following flash, -in quick succession for an hour, and our ears were weary with the -crashing of the thunder. The track, which was of clay, was sodden and -slippery. We were all wet through to the skin, and our boots, full of -water, emitted a curious squashing noise at each step. - -Fortunately the din of the thunder and the continued thresh of the rain -more than covered the noisy advance of our column. - -Ten minutes before, wet through with perspiration, I had mentally -cursed the heat; now my teeth were chattering and my fingers were -numbed with the cold. I felt a strange joy at it, smiled to myself at -the evident truth of Tho's recent prophecy anent the "great waters," -and thought how appropriate was his term for the downpour. - -For two hours we continued on our slippery way, and were then halted on -a patch of grass covered with little mounds--a village graveyard. - -Here our expedition was broken up into little parties, the one to which -I belonged being composed of ten Legionaries and a sergeant, and as -many _tirailleurs_, with Tho at their head. - -We proceeded a short distance, and were ordered to be down in some long -grass, behind a clump of cactus and hibiscus shrubs. As we did so, I -heard the _Doy_ say to our sergeant: - -"When it will be light we shall see the door of the village from here; -the path to it is a little to our left." - -From this, and the movements I could hear on our right and left, I -gathered that the remainder of the column was surrounding a village -which lay before us, but owing to the darkness and the rain I could -distinguish nothing ahead of me. - -We had been lying on the ground some minutes, and, notwithstanding the -chill dampness, I was almost falling into a doze, for the walk had -tired me, when from the surrounding darkness a figure came noiselessly -and crouched beside me. The next instant Tho's voice whispered in my -ear: - -"I told you so; _it_ has come." - -"Yes"--I shivered--"and I think I have had enough of it." - -"No! say not so! A few more hours and you will grumble at the heat once -more, _camarade_! 'Tis a fool who ever complains. Our land had sore -need of the rain; the crops will drink this as the mandarin does his -Yunan tea. When the sun rises all the earth will rejoice. The voice of -the tempest has shut the ears of our enemy to the noisy approach of the -_linhtap lanxa_ (European soldier). This time we shall surely surprise -the brigands; therefore we should thank our Lord Bhouddah for his great -mercy." - -"What village is before us, friend?" - -"Yen-Trieu," he answered; "and in it is a _linh-binh_ (sergeant) of the -De-Nam with twenty men. They are collecting the taxes, and were to have -left it this morning. But they will never leave it," he added, with -a low chuckle. "Yesterday the spies came and told the Captain. I was -there. Last night they surely feasted, drank much _choum-choum_ (rice -alcohol), and smoked many pipes, for the headman is a great traitor, -and in secret a partisan of Ham-Nghi." - -"We shall have much trouble to enter," I ventured, "for we have not -brought axes." - -Tho chuckled again, and said: - -"Let not that trouble thee. I have advised the _Ong-quang-Ba_ (the -Captain--literally, 'Lord of three stripes'), and these fools will open -the door themselves; even as I said to him." - -I turned to chide him for his presumption, but he had glided away -silently into the night. - -The rain had ceased now almost as suddenly as it had commenced, and -the smell of the damp earth and vegetation reeked in the nostrils. -Turning, I glanced behind me, and saw that towards the east the sky -was grey. In a few minutes the forms of my comrades near by could be -dimly distinguished. The nearest--he was barely a yard away--was a boy -of twenty, an Alsatian. He was fast asleep, his head pillowed on his -arm, and dreaming pleasantly, for on his lips, which bore no trace of -a moustache, I could discern a smile. Fearing lest the sergeant should -find him thus, I awoke him, and he thanked me. - -It was now so light that a few paces away to the left I recognised -our Captain, seated on the ground. He was chewing the end of an unlit -cigar. In a low voice he called the sergeant, and talked for some -moments to him. - -Then our "non-com" came from one to the other of us and communicated -the instructions he had just received. These were: - -"Load, and fix bayonets as quietly as possible. Lie still until the -signal is given by the Captain with his whistle, then rise at once and -rush for the village gateway, and on into the houses beyond; weapons -not to be used until resistance is offered; and every effort must be -made to capture an enemy alive." - -By looking through the foliage before us, we could now see in the -yet dim light that we were close to a pond or moat, covered with -rank duck-weed and lotus plants. On the other side of this was a big -village, surrounded by the usual embankment and bamboo hedge. Presently -we could hear the crowing of cocks, barking of dogs, and other sounds -of awakening life. - -The pond was crossed by a dyke about 6 feet wide, forming a path -leading to the heavy gateway of the hamlet. This was yet closed. - -By this time the eastern sky was a bright red violet, and against it -the great leaves of the plantains, the spiky foliage of the macaw -palms, and the delicate leafage of the bamboo seemed to be cut out of -tinfoil, reminding me of a tropical scene from a drama staged in one of -our large London theatres. The birds were out: troops of white-breasted -jays scurried from tree to tree, with an uncouth cry; sparrows darted -about with an endless twittering; and several carrion-crows started -a concert among the areca palms inside the village. Suddenly on the -horizon there was a glitter, and a convex curve of fire appeared. The -mighty ball of the blinding sun rose inch by inch from the rice fields, -the wet surface reflecting its light with dazzling vividness. - -It was already hot, and our sodden linen grew stiffer and drier each -instant. - -All attention was now turned to the village, and behind the gate came -the noise of withdrawal of bolts and bars. The heavy ironwood portals -swung open, and out stepped a water-buffalo, on whose back straddled -a naked youngster, gripping tightly a cord attached to the iron ring -in the animal's nostrils. Just outside the unwieldy beast halted -its big head, and, throwing its great horns right back, sniffed the -air. Its eyes seemed turned towards our hiding-place. But there were -others behind who were impatient to get out, and a native woman darted -forward, and beat the beast's buttocks with a hoe. The boy on his back, -unconscious of the danger in front, drummed his little heels on the -black, hairless sides, and the animal moved slowly and reluctantly -forward. - -One, two, three of the beasts stepped out; a fourth was already in the -doorway, when suddenly came the shrill order from the whistle. - -In an instant we were up and racing like madmen for the causeway, -almost before the natives with their cattle had realised what had -happened. - -Lipthay was in front, leading me by 6 feet; we had been lying nearest -to the path. Tho was panting along at my side. My Hungarian chum was -now on the dyke, but he slipped on the wet clay, and came down with -a crash. Both of us jumped clear of him, and went sliding along for -several paces on the slippery surface. Soon we were up to the first -buffalo, which was trying to turn. Tho leaned forward, and drove his -bayonet into its hind quarters. With a roar it leaped off the path, and -fell with a mighty splash into the pond, the boy still clinging to its -back. I heard a peal of laughter somewhere behind me. On we went again, -and the next instant were at the door, in which two of the beasts were -wedged. Again the _Doy's_ steel darted out, and one of the animals, -with a bellow of pain, was forced through, like a cork pushed into a -bottle. - -[Illustration: WATER BUFFALOES.] - -In our ears rang the yells of the natives, beseeching each other to -close the way. - -The next instant we were through, and I saw a native heroically -striving to pull away a bamboo pole, so as to let fall an inner gate; -but before he could do so the rearmost buffalo, which was lumbering -along in headlong flight, cannoned against him, and he was knocked -sprawling. Tho had slipped in front, for we were now running in a -narrow lane, where only one could pass at a time. The sides were walls -of thick, sun-dried clay, in which, at irregular intervals, were little -round loopholes. No one fired from them, though a few seconds had -passed since the first alarm was given. - -Behind us came the clatter of nailed boots, and I turned to see that -Lipthay, his khaki and accoutrements caked with mud, had caught up -with us. He laughed and puffed as my eye caught his. Every few yards -the narrow way twisted and turned. We saw nothing, but could hear the -cries of alarm of the natives and the thumping gallop of the terrified -buffaloes just ahead. Suddenly the _Doy_ turned off to the left, -through a door in the wall, and the next instant we were in a kind of -courtyard, covered with red tiles. In the middle was a guava tree in -full bloom, and facing us a thatch-covered native house, with green -blinds of split bamboo hanging from the roof. - -As we advanced one of these was lifted, and a tall, lank native, -holding a Winchester at the "ready," confronted us. His hair was long, -and hung over his shoulders; his eyes, still full of sleep, had a -fierce, wild glare in them. - -We spread out and advanced towards him. - -"The _lu-thuong_! (headman). Opium drunk," said Tho. "Surrender to us!" - -The native spat at him, jerked up his weapon, fired at the _Doy_, and -missed him. - -Already he had pulled back the lever, preparing to shoot again, when -Lipthay's rifle spoke. His weapon fell with a clang to the tiles, and, -his two hands clasped to his breast, he staggered back against the -screen, which gave way, and fell doubled up under the verandah. With -his back against the wall of the house, he watched us as we came to the -door. His mouth opened, and he tried to curse: - -"_De-oh!... de-oh!_" Then he coughed, and a rush of blood choked his -words. He toppled over on his side as our three rifle-butts, descending -on its surface, splintered the wooden door of his abode. He had done -his best to defend his guest. - -The scene inside was a strange one. We had expected resistance, but -found none, and were perhaps disappointed in consequence. - -On a big wooden couch, and inside a green mosquito-curtain, lay a -man, dressed in cream-coloured silk. Beside him was a tray on which I -saw the little silver box, the skewers and the lamp. The latter was -burning, and the brilliant stream of sunshine pouring through the -broken door seemed to drown its flicker. - -The man's face was long and emaciated, and, as the light struck it, I -noticed that his skin was very fair for a native, that he wore a green -silk turban, and that his hair was carefully rolled. The finger-nails -of his left hand, which held the pipe over the flame, were very long; -that of the little finger being at least 4 inches. - -On the index finger of the same hand was a massive gold ring. - -Beside him lay a woman, who was tending the opium, even as I had seen -Ba do a few hours earlier. She was dressed in a long stole-like garment -of bright green. - -Neither of the pair moved or looked towards us, and for a few seconds -their indifference to our presence seemed complete and contemptuous. -When he had finished the pipe he had been smoking, he sat up and nodded -to Tho, who saluted him in the vernacular, saying as he did so: - -"Linh-binh, you must surrender and come with us. Fools, but not grave -men, resist the inevitable." - -There was a tremor in his voice, and a gleam in the little sergeant's -eye that said only too plainly how gladly he would have slain the rebel -then and there. - -I noticed a glitter on the floor near the bed, bent down and picked up -a Spencer carbine and a belt full of cartridges. Attached to it was a -hunting-knife in a leather sheath, and a holster containing a revolver -of an American pattern. - -The _linh-binh_ slid off the couch and stood before us. - -"Cannot I die now?" he said to Tho. - -"No! no! we are to take you alive. Such are the orders which must be -obeyed." Then to me: "_Camarade_, you who are as strong as an ox, will -you hold his arms behind his back one little moment?" - -I did as he requested, and the _Doy_ took the green turban from the -head of our prisoner, and tied his elbows together, leaving about a -yard of the silk loose, the end of which he wound round his own wrist. - -Then we left the hut with our captive. As we passed under the -verandah I saw that the _lu-thuong_ was lying on his side, and -seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He was quite dead. Lipthay picked -up the Winchester, and walked with me behind Tho, before whom was -the prisoner. We noticed that they were talking together in quite a -friendly manner. The woman was following us, and I could hear the low -sobbing complaint which she kept up as she trotted behind. We could -hear much shouting, and the explosion of firearms in the village -not far from us, and it was evident that the rebels were offering a -stubborn but tardy resistance. - -Guessing the importance of our capture, and fearing a rescue, both -Lipthay and myself shouted to Tho to hurry on, and we all started off -at a trot. - -Outside, we found the Captain attended by a bugler. Our commanding -officer was seated on a mound watching the gateway, and smoking his -cigar. When we got up to him, he said: - -"What have we here?" - -"A rebel, _mon capitaine_," answered Lipthay. - -"The _linh-binh_, _mon capitaine_," I replied. - -"Linh-Nghi, _mon capitaine_," added Tho, who had learnt the name of the -prisoner. - -"And two rifles, and a pretty girl," added the officer with a laugh. -Then he continued: "Leave all here in charge of Calvet (the bugler). -You, Doy, go back to your section. You two men rejoin Sergeant Bevan in -the village, and tell him to get his detachment together and rejoin me -here." - -When we reached the sergeant, all resistance had terminated, and the -men were foraging in the huts or securing the prisoners. - -We communicated the orders. - -The little column assembled outside again, and we learned that two of -our men had been slightly wounded; we had captured six prisoners, taken -nine rifles, and five of the enemy had been killed. The surprise had -been complete. Although few, if any, of us realised the importance of -the capture we had made, it will presently be seen that our morning's -work produced results which eventually aided not a little towards the -success of the operations on a large scale undertaken against the -rebels at the beginning of the following year. We reached Nha-Nam at -eleven that morning, and an extra ration of wine was served out to us, -as a compensation for the drenching we had received. - -Our prisoners were lodged under the verandah of the house occupied by -the native troops, where there was a _barre de justice_--heavy ironwood -stocks--in which the right leg of each of the captives was secured. A -guard, furnishing two sentries, was placed over them. They were well -fed, and suffered no cruelty or insult; but, having been captured in -armed rebellion, there existed no doubt as to what their ultimate fate -would be. - -It is now necessary to give some details concerning the important -changes which were taking place at this time in the administration of -the country. - -The Government in Paris, influenced, no doubt by the growth of -rebellion and rapine in the colony, had decided upon the appointment of -a Governor-General armed with greater power than his predecessors. - -For this purpose a decree, dated 20th April, 1891, was issued by the -French Cabinet, which accorded that functionary great freedom of -action. According to the new order of things, the Governor was vested -with absolute power in the colony, and both the civil and military -authorities therein were entirely under his control. All appeals or -reports made by the heads of departments in Indo-China to the Minister -in the metropolis were to pass through his hands. - -At this time M. Picquet, the Governor, was just returning to France, -and the Ministry appointed M. de Lanessan, a Radical deputy, who had -already given proofs of superior ability in Parliamentary circles, and -who was acknowledged to be a man possessing great initiative energy and -activity. - -The new Governor-General arrived in the East in May; and although his -enemies have reproached him--and not without some cause--with want -of tact and conciliation towards the military authorities, there can -be no doubt that from his administration dates the era of commercial -progress, which still continues in Indo-China. - -He was the first to insist on the necessity of constructing railways -and good roads in the colony, and, much as he did in this respect--for -the first railway to Lang-son owes its origin to him--he would -undoubtedly have done more had he not been hampered by the restricted -finances at his disposal. - -As it was, by his vehement insistence on the subject, he caused the -investing public of France to realise the latent wealth existing in -Tonquin, for the development of which it was absolutely necessary to -construct good means of communication. He thus paved the way for his -successors, MM. Rousseau and Doumer, who, thanks to his propaganda, -eventually secured large loans, guaranteed by the Government, enabling -them to construct a system of railways now almost terminated, -traversing the whole of France's Eastern Empire, and penetrating into -two of China's wealthiest provinces, Kwang-si and Yunan. - -The first care of M. de Lanessan was to put an end to the intrigues -existing at the court of Hué, having for their object the dethronement -of the young king Than-Thai, and the restoration of the exiled Ham-Nghi -to power. Also he took urgent measures to restore order in Tonquin. - -To obtain these results he enquired into the grievances of the natives, -and adopted pacific methods when possible; but when these were of no -avail, he did not hesitate to employ rigorous and repressive measures. -He undoubtedly possessed the necessary qualities for an administrator -and organiser; and a few months after his arrival the Residents and -local mandarins vied with each other in stamping out, with the aid of -the native militia, the seeds of revolt and discord sown in the Delta, -so that he was able to turn his attention to the central, northern and -eastern districts of the colony, where rebellion and piracy existed in -an armed and rampant state. - -To ensure success in this work of pacification, M. de Lanessan made -every effort to do away with the rivalry among the regular troops and -the native militia, the latter being controlled by the civil Residents. -To obtain this result he created in the unsettled provinces military -zones--districts wholly administered by officers in the army--so that -the powers and responsibilities of the different authorities were -clearly divided and defined. The all-powerful military authorities were -alone responsible for all that went on in the region committed to their -care, and to the civil authorities was entrusted the administration of -the Delta provinces. - -This system proved such an excellent one that it has been maintained to -this day, with few modifications; and at the beginning of 1903 there -were, in Tonquin, four military zones divided up into nine districts, -with a total population of about 2,000,000, and a superficial area of -20,000 square miles.[2] - -[Footnote 2: 1. Territoire militaire, headquarters Lang-son, close to -Kwang-si and Kwang-tung frontier. - -2. Territoire militaire, headquarters Cao-Bang, close to Kwang-si -frontier. - -3. Territoire militaire, headquarters Ha-Giang, on the Yunan frontier. - -4. Territoire militaire, headquarters Lao-Kay, on the Yunan frontier.] - -Thanks to the system introduced by M. de Lanessan, organised rebellion -no longer exists in the colony, and, although the provinces bordering -on Kwang-si and Kwang-tung are occasionally ravaged by the Chinese -bands which cross the frontier, the pacification of the country may be -said to be complete. - -That the commercial progress of the colony was a slow one at this -period there can be no doubt, but it was owing principally to the -want of means of communication with the interior, and also to the -prohibitive customs tariff and exorbitant transit rates on goods -passing through to China, which had been adopted by the French -Government. - -To-day things have considerably improved, thanks to the railways -already built, and they will go on improving when all the lines are -completed. But unless the authorities adopt a broader policy with -regard to transit duties on foreign goods imported into Yunan through -Tonquin, reduce the railway freights and modify the existing scale of -duties, the realisation of the full value of the country as a speedy -and safe route to the central Chinese markets, with the consequent -prosperity which would result, will be lost to France; and private -enterprise, which as yet has developed but slowly, notwithstanding the -undisputed agricultural and mineral wealth of the Tonquin, will be -brought to a standstill. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - An execution--A rebel chieftain--A bid for liberty--De-Nam's - mistake--Linh-Nghi speaks--A new road to Thaï-Nguyen--In the enemy's - country--A sharp encounter--Cho-Trang--The fever-fiend--In the - hospital--Quang-Yen. - - -The five prisoners captured with Linh-Nghi were executed the first week -in August. They had been tried and condemned by the native mandarins -entrusted with the administration of justice. These functionaries had -come over on purpose from Bac-Ninh in great state, and the execution -took place in an open space in front of our fort. We supplied a guard -and picquet for the occasion. - -None of the rebels had given any information, although it was whispered -that the native judges had submitted them to torture during their -interrogation. We had no means of controlling these rumours, for each -morning the prisoners were handed over to the native police, and -they were returned at night; and, although they slept in the fort, -it was forbidden to communicate with them. From their appearance and -evident exhaustion I should be inclined to think they had suffered -maltreatment. There would be nothing very surprising in this, for -according to the native code of justice such methods were not only -recommended, but were actually indicated. It is certain that the rebels -showed no mercy to the loyal natives or French soldiers they captured -alive (fortunately it was rarely, indeed, that any of the latter fell -into their hands), and subsequently it was destined that I should -witness shocking proofs of the terrible cruelty they were capable of -employing. - -It is therefore probable that the native judges made use of all the -powers afforded them by the law of the land, and did not employ -European methods--for which, most likely, they possessed supreme -contempt. - -The execution was carried out in a very simple and expeditious manner. - -When a rectangular space had been cleared and lined by the troops, the -two mandarins, dressed in robes of embroidered silk, of which the -dominant colours were red and gold, their long hair neatly rolled in a -new crepon turban, took up a position in the middle of one side of the -square, and facing the centre. - -Behind them were massed their retainers. Bannermen carried tattered -triangular flags, and coolies bore aloft enormous umbrellas--two -to each official--whereon were painted in bright colours a quaint -design of dragons and griffins. Each mandarin was also accompanied -by a sword-bearer, a pipe-bearer, and a domestic to whose care was -confided a black-lacquered box containing the areca-nut and betel-leaf -of his master. They formed a dirty, motley crowd, without order or -cohesion--clad in shabby, tattered scarlet uniforms; and they laughed, -chatted or squabbled, one with the other, like a pack of old fishwives. - -They subsided into comparative silence, however, on the appearance of -Captain Plessier, our commander, who occupied the place of honour, a -little in advance of the two judges. - -The prisoners were now brought into the enclosure, under the escort of -a few _linh-le_ (soldiers of the mandarin guard), whose dirty green -uniforms and still dirtier rifles and accoutrements were certain proofs -of their slovenly and undisciplined habits. - -Behind the little procession formed by the condemned men stalked the -executioner, a tall native dressed in a red embroidered vest and black -silk pantaloons. Upon his shoulder he carried a heavy curved sword, -about 3 feet long, and a good deal broader at the end than near the -handle. - -The five rebels, their hands tied behind them, walked to their death -without any tremor or hesitation. Chatting together merrily, they threw -curious glances at their surroundings, and expectorated from time to -time, with evident unconcern, the red juice of the betel-leaf they were -chewing. - -They were lined up, separated about four paces one from the other, on -the opposite side of the square occupied by the authorities, and facing -them. - -As each of the prisoners reached the place assigned to him, a native -soldier unbuttoned and turned back the collar of the rebel's vest; -then, one after the other, they knelt upon the grass, taking every -care that their position should be as comfortable as the circumstances -would allow. - -The sentence having been read aloud to the assembled natives, the -executioner, after thrusting his finger into his mouth, traced a wet -line of red betel juice across the back of the neck of the first of -his victims, about half an inch above the last big vertebra. Stepping -back a pace, he swung aloft his heavy sword with both hands. It poised -a second in the air; there was a glitter in the bright sunlight as it -descended; then a swishing sound and a dull thud. The head of the first -rebel, detached with a single blow, fell on the ground and rolled once -over. - -From the severed neck a rich red stream shot out quite 6 feet over the -grass; the body rocked once and subsided gently. Bending over it, the -executioner touched the open arteries, and smeared a little of the warm -blood over his own lips as a charm against any evil influence from the -spirit of the departed. - -The other prisoners, who had watched the execution of their comrade -with evident interest, made flattering remarks concerning the skill of -the swordsman. - -The next to die smiled, and prepared himself calmly, stretching his -neck as far forward as it was possible for him to do without losing his -balance. - -I felt deadly sick, and could not bring myself to watch the succeeding -decapitations, which were carried out with similar skill and expedition. - -The bodies of the condemned were handed over to their families, but -their heads, attached to the top of a tall bamboo pole, were exposed at -the entrance of the fort as an example to all rebels. - -The authorities had decided not to hurry on the trial of Linh-Nghi, in -the hope that they would eventually succeed in obtaining information -from him. He was interrogated during several days by the two mandarins, -who failed, however, to extract the slightest indication of the -strength of the enemy or the whereabouts of their positions. After the -departure of these functionaries, our commander made several attempts, -with the aid of Tho as an interpreter, to break through the reserve of -the chieftain, but without success. - -The treatment accorded him was a humane one; his diet was unstinted, -and his parents, an aged, white-haired couple, were allowed to visit -him as often as they chose during the daytime. His wife--for so the -woman whom we had found with him proved to be--remained constantly by -him, and attended to all his wants. - -To one privation only was he submitted, and that was the want of opium. -On this point our Captain was obdurate, and though Linh-Nghi, who was -well supplied with money, offered to purchase the drug, his craving -was not allowed satisfaction. To all his entreaties the same reply -was given: "Speak! tell us what we ask of you, and you shall have -opium--the very best--at our expense." - -Only those who have witnessed the powerful hold the subtle drug takes -on its votaries can imagine the torture endured by this native during -the hours at which he had accustomed himself to indulge in his passion. -These agonies, occurring shortly after the noon and evening meals, -would commence by protracted yawnings, and develop into spasmodic, -nervous contractions of the body and limbs, which broke into profuse -perspiration. Unable to stand the strain, the unhappy victim of the -brilliant-hued, but treacherous flower, or rather its seed, would -entreat his guards to supply him with the smallest particle at no -matter what price; then, finding that his supplications were without -avail, he would break into a torrent of invective and malediction, -which grew in intensity and filthiness as his increasing and impotent -rage neared its climax. Then, speechless and foaming at the mouth, he -would fall back on the hard, beaten-clay floor of the verandah, with -mouth agape and black eyes fixed, staring at the roof above; his face, -pale yellow, framed in the thick, tangled mass of long black hair -escaped from his fallen turban. His chest would heave and crack under -the short, sharp pants which brought the air through the larynx with -a whistling hiss. Thus would he continue for perhaps an hour, until, -exhausted by the struggle, he would fall into a sound sleep, from -which he would awake refreshed and smiling, to laugh and chat with his -guards, his wife or parents, if they happened to be present. Had there -been any real danger to Linh-Nghi during these attacks I believe that -opium, or some anæsthetic, would have been administered to him by our -surgeon, M. Joly, who, on several occasions, was present during these -crises. - -On the 22nd August our prisoner made a daring bid for liberty. During -the night he had succeeded in picking the lock which secured the two -heavy beams forming the stocks wherein his ankles were imprisoned. -At four in the morning, profiting by the fact that the native sentry -was slumbering--though the soldier denied this, and attributed the -chieftain's escape to the miraculous--Linh-Nghi made a dash for the -palisade, and was astride it, when a native sergeant, who had heard the -rattling of the bamboo, ran to the spot from whence the sound came, and -succeeded in grasping a leg of the escaping rebel, to which he clung, -shouting the while for help. A few seconds later the prisoner was -brought back and secured, and the doctor attended to his wounds, for he -had been almost impaled during his struggle by the pointed bamboo poles -of the palisade. - -Shortly after this incident a terrible tragedy occurred, which -brought about a complete change in the attitude of our prisoner, and -eventually made him a devoted partisan of the French cause. - -Linh-Nghi had enemies in the rebel camp, and one of these, desirous of -taking over his honours and command, informed De-Nam that the captive -_linh-binh_ had succumbed to pressure, and had given information to the -French. He also provided evidence, which was false, to substantiate -his declaration. Enraged at the apparent weakness of one of his most -trusted lieutenants, the rebel chief decided to make an example, and -he gave orders for the immediate seizure and execution of Linh-Nghi's -aged parents. The details of this drama, which I obtained from Tho, -were confirmed by documents captured later from the rebels. I had an -opportunity of perusing them whilst serving on the staff of the 1st -Brigade some months later. - -At daylight on the morning of the 28th August, the European sentry at -the gate of Nha-Nam found a basket, which had been deposited outside -during the night. On being opened it was found to contain two heads and -a letter addressed to our prisoner. - -It is unnecessary to give further explanations, or to describe in -morbid details the reception of this strange parcel by the unfortunate -Linh-Nghi. - -Certain it is that its effect was immediate, for that very evening I -saw our _ci-devant_ rebel, who had just returned from a long interview -with our commander, under the verandah, his former prison, where he was -squatting side by side with Tho, with whom he was engaged in a most -friendly conversation; whilst, with some damp clay and split bamboo, -he was constructing, with nimble fingers, neat little models of the -different fortified positions belonging to his chief of yesterday. - -From that time forward he was allowed all the opium he cared to smoke, -and, though for his own safety he preferred to remain in the fort -during several weeks, he was liberated, and lodgings were assigned -to his wife in the native soldiers' village. Linh-Nghi now became a -scout and guide to the French columns, and as such he rendered immense -services to the authorities, concerning which more will be mentioned -hereafter. Eventually, he was made a mandarin, and is now a local -prefect of a district formerly overrun by rebellion. He and Tho became -fast friends, and from their evening talks, when the "black smoke" hung -thick under the thatch, I was able to derive much amusement and some -knowledge. - -Owing to information furnished by Nghi, the authorities decided to -reconnoitre a road which had not been visited by French troops since -1886, when a column, under Major Dugenne, went by it from Tin-Dao (the -old name for Nha-Nam), to Thaï-Nguyen, an important town situated on -the Song-Cau river, about 20 miles as the crow flies to the north-west -of Nha-Nam. This road had probably been constructed several centuries -before, but, owing to the depopulation of the districts through which -it passed, and also to its proximity to the forest-covered, mountainous -region to the south, it was now but a path, which in some places -completely disappeared in the ever-advancing jungle. - -From a military point of view the reconnaissance of this route was -of the greatest importance, since, should it be found practicable to -infantry, it would be possible to make use of it, when the time served, -as the means of advance for a column destined to attack the enemy's -positions on the right flank. - -In Thaï-Nguyen there was a garrison consisting of two companies of -the Foreign Legion, one of native infantry, a section of mountain -artillery, and a detachment of militia. - -My squad formed part of the small column which left Nha-Nam on the 4th -September, at five in the morning, to explore this road. - -Though it had been supposed that the distance to be covered would not -exceed 25 miles, we actually marched close upon 35 before reaching our -destination. - -At intervals we were obliged to cut our way through the vegetation -which had invaded the track, and it was only by using the utmost care -that our little party succeeded in keeping in the right direction. - -On several occasions we disturbed big herds of deer, which scampered -away on our approaching them; the tracks of tigers were frequently -visible, and once the advance guard, consisting of half a dozen -_tirailleurs_, were considerably startled by the presence of a fine -python which lay basking in the sun, close by the track. It was only -after several stones had been thrown at it that the big snake decided -on withdrawing into the long grass. Owing to the advisability of -concealing our movements from the enemy, it was deemed necessary not to -make use of firearms on this occasion. - -The men suffered much owing to the extreme heat; the path was in the -worst of conditions, and we were obliged to twice ford a river, which, -though not very deep, was exceedingly rapid, so that our expedition -proved to be a very arduous one to all who took part in it. - -It was nearly 8 P.M., and quite dark, when we reached our destination, -and several of the men fell exhausted whilst waiting in the ranks for a -hut to be prepared for us to pass the night in. Thaï-Nguyen possessed a -fine citadel, of the Vauban style, which was built in 1798, and it was -in this that the garrison dwelt. - -The town and its neighbourhood was at this time infested by tigers, -which prowled about the streets after dark, so that it was imprudent -for the inhabitants to go out without a torch or a light of some -kind. So great was the voracity and daring of these animals that on -several occasions they had penetrated into the citadel and carried off -dogs and goats belonging to the garrison. Indeed, the doctor, by an -extraordinary stroke of good luck, killed one with a revolver shot as -it was groping under his bed in search of a favourite pointer which had -taken refuge there. Report had it that the lucky slayer of this greedy -feline was so excited by his good fortune that he was found more dead -than alive by the guard who ran to the hut on hearing the report of his -weapon. - -He lost his dog, however, for the poor animal was found to be quite -dead, its skull crushed beneath the powerful paw of its enemy. - -Our column, having proved that the road explored could, if necessary, -serve as a means of penetration into the enemy's country, left -Thaï-Nguyen on its return journey the next day at 4 P.M. - -Lipthay had been in charge of the topographical work during our -exploration, and his sketch of the route so pleased Major Berard, who -commanded our battalion and was also in charge of the military zone, -that my chum was detained in Thaï-Nguyen, and attached to the staff -there. I was very sorry to lose him, but, for his sake, was glad of -this change in his prospects, as his new position brought with it a -greater chance of promotion. - -Our party did not return to Nha-Nam by the same route it had come, -but took a better known and more frequented track, passing more to -the south, through a district more populated, and consequently better -cultivated. - -On our way back we slept one night at Cassong-Thuong, a small fort -garrisoned by a detachment of militia under the orders of a European -officer. We continued our journey the following morning, and reached -Nha-Nam at 6 P.M. - -Owing to the fact that the military authorities were now in possession -of reliable information concerning the rebel's strength and positions, -orders were issued by the Brigade for reconnaissances to be made -from time to time, into the districts north of our fort, with a view -to exploring the region and obtaining topographical sketches of the -country, to be used in the production of a reliable map, for the use -of the officers who were to assist in the big column, which the -Government had decided to put in the field during the winter months. -I took part in the first of these little expeditions on the 12th -September, the object of which was to determine whether the track to -Long-Thuong, a rebel village which had not been visited since January, -was still accessible to infantry, and also to see if the hamlet was -inhabited and fortified. We started out from Nha-Nam at three in the -afternoon. As it was not intended to make any attack on the enemy -should they be in force, our detachment was a weak one, composed only -of thirty Legionaries and as many _tirailleurs_. In order to make -things easy for the Europeans, for the heat was very oppressive, we -were instructed to take with us only the six packets of ammunition -contained in our belt-pouches--36 rounds. Fortunately for us all the -_tirailleurs_, who accompanied us, started with 120 rounds per man. - -We arrived within a quarter of a mile of our destination, which was -about a league and a half to the north of our position, without -incident. - -The fields were well cultivated, and the rice was being harvested, but -on our approach, the reapers--all women--fled with loud cries towards -the hamlet. It is probable that the suspicions of Captain Plessier were -aroused, for, by his orders, we left the path, extended and advanced -towards the village across the cultivated ground; a small reserve -remaining upon the track under the orders of Lieutenant Bennet. - -When about 200 yards from the position, we were received by a hot -fire from a strong party of the enemy occupying the hamlet. Our line -halted, and took cover by kneeling behind the little embankments which -separated one field from the other. From here we replied to the rebels, -but, a few minutes later, were exposed to a severe cross-fire coming -from the left flank; and, in less time than it takes to describe, a -_tirailleur_ was killed, and two others and one Legionary were wounded. - -The enemy who took part in this flanking movement were some of De-Nam's -regulars, who came from their entrenched positions in the forest, -having been summoned to assist by their friends in the village, who for -this purpose made use of long, copper speaking-trumpets, the weird -bellowings of which we could hear above the reports of the rifles and -the repeated words of command. - -Our reserve had extended on our left, at right angles to our line, but -its fire failed to keep the enemy in check, and very soon we could -distinguish their skirmishers, as they advanced in line at regular -intervals, dropping now and again on one knee to discharge their rifles -at us. - -The situation was getting too warm to be pleasant, and most of the -Legionaries having expended their slender stock of ammunition, it -was found necessary to distribute among us the cartridges of the -men who had been placed _hors de combat_, and also to take a few -packets from each of the native infantrymen. Thanks to the wall-like -ridges behind which we lay, we suffered no further casualties, but -our cartridges were getting scarcer each minute, and we felt that -should any of the enemy succeed in getting out of the village by an -exit--which might possibly exist--other than the door before us, -there would be a possibility of an attack on our right flank, and -consequently a danger of the road to Nha-Nam being closed to us. It -was very soon found necessary to restrict the efforts of the native -troops to volley-firing, for, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of -their French sergeants, they expended their ammunition with reckless -extravagance when acting independently. The majority of them, not -waiting to select a suitable target or to aim carefully, just loosed -off into space, happy so long as the excitement created by the report -of their rifle and the smell of their burning powder stayed their -rising fears. - -This was the first time I had seen our Captain under fire, and it was a -supreme satisfaction to me to note that his attitude came up in every -respect to the descriptions given me by my comrades, senior to myself -in the service. Calm and collected, he had an eye for every detail, -and seemed to foresee each new development in the situation. He was -never a man of many words, and now he spoke only to give some short, -crisp order to the bugler, or to a non-commissioned officer. Though he -happened that day to be dressed in a suit of white drill, he was the -only one among us who took no cover, and was in consequence the target -for many a rebel rifle. As he walked coolly up and down behind the -line of our crouching figures, his helmet cocked over his right ear, a -cigarette between his lips, flicking his leggings every now and again -with the cane he carried, he seemed to defy death itself. This attitude -inspired his men with enthusiastic confidence, and every Legionary -present would have hailed with joy an order from him to fix bayonets -and charge right at the enemy. - -The action had lasted but a few minutes when the order to retreat -by echelons was given. The object of the reconnaissance had been -accomplished, for it was clear that the track followed was accessible, -and also that the village was occupied in force as an outpost; and -under the circumstances it would have been a culpable breach of the -art of war, a wanton invitation to disaster, to have continued the -engagement. - -Our retirement was not effected without some difficulty, for the enemy -showed considerable daring and initiative in harassing our retreat; -and our progress was slow, because we were embarrassed by our dead and -wounded. Some difficulty was also experienced by the French sergeants -in keeping their _tirailleurs_ in hand, and it was undoubtedly due to -their efforts, and also to the example of cool steadiness displayed by -the Legionaries, that our withdrawal was saved from degenerating into -a total _sauve-qui-peut_. It was found necessary to tell off men of -my corps to bear away our comrades who were _hors de combat_, for the -native troops were too plainly victims to shattered nerves to bear the -strain of this task under fire. This somewhat reduced the strength of -our little firing line, which, however, received some assistance from -Lieutenant Bennet, who picked up a rifle and "downed" several of our -eager pursuers, for he was a first-class marksman. - -The enemy abandoned their attack when we were about a mile from -Nha-Nam; but it was a band of tired and thirsty men that reached the -shelter of our position that evening at seven. - -Warned by our Captain, who had galloped on ahead of us as soon as all -danger had ceased, the guard turned out and rendered the usual honours -to the dead and wounded as they were borne through the gate of the fort. - -The wounded were at once attended to in the infirmary, and were -transferred under escort the next morning to the hospital at -Phulang-Thuong. - -On the day following our engagement the whole garrison turned out under -arms to assist at the funeral of the _tirailleur_ who had been killed. -He was buried in the small, well-kept cemetery, situated just below the -slope to the north-west of our position. The French people have had -at all times a great respect for their dead, and their soldiers whose -lot it has been to lay down their life, _au champ d'honneur_, as they -so eloquently express it, have always received their full share of the -respect paid to the departed. In France there exists a fund, known as -_L'OEuvre des tombes_, subscribed to by thousands of the charitable -public; and the money thus obtained is expended on the hundreds of -far-away colonial graveyards, which are kept in excellent order, and -in erecting an iron cross, bearing the name and corps of the deceased, -over the last resting-place of each soldier of the Republic who falls -in fight or dies of disease. This is done without restriction of race -or religion. - -I went to see Tho that evening, and found Linh-Nghi with him. They -both amused me by their evident regret at not having assisted in the -engagement of the previous day. - -The little sergeant's complaints were based on plain, unsatisfied -bloodthirstiness; those of my ex-rebel friend clearly originated in -that spirit of unslakable vengeance which only an Asiatic can acquire. -It was instructive to note how they, after each pipe of opium, built -fresh plans, and devised new methods for the merciless slaughter of -their enemies. From them I learnt that a spy had come in during the -day with information that De-Tam, the most capable of all the rebel -military leaders, had been in command of the troops that had attacked -us; and that this famous captain, for whom they evidently cherished -much hate, and a good deal of reluctant admiration, had been severely -wounded towards the end of the fight, his left arm having been -shattered by a bullet just below the shoulder. This proved to be a fact. - -I met the famous chieftain in 1897, when he was a partisan of the -French, and the crippled state of his limb--due, no doubt, to the -elementary treatment of the wound by the native medicine-man--was an -evident proof of it. - -I passed many pleasant evenings with Tho and Nghi, who would favour me -with stories of war and love, legends of ancient origin, in which the -actors were demi-gods, dragons and genii, and strange fables full of -local colour, replete with quaint proverbs and philosophical axioms -dear to the disciples of Confucius. Unfortunately, I was soon to be -deprived of the real pleasure obtained from these foregatherings, for -my section received orders to proceed to Cho-Trang, and I was thus -suddenly separated from my two friends. It was not without some regret -that I accepted this hazard of a soldier's life, against which one -should not murmur; and I was really sorry that the opportunity afforded -me for the study of the complex characteristics of Tho and Nghi should -have been such a brief one. - -My new location was a small fort situated to the north-west, on the -confines of the Yen-Thé province, about 60 miles from Nha-Nam as -the crow flies, but a good 80 by road. Owing to its position in a -rugged, forest-clad mountainous region, and to its being surrounded, -a few hundred yards away, by a chain of rocky heights, green with the -vegetation which flourished in the crevices, it was found to be so -unhealthy that the military authorities had, up till October 1891, -contented themselves with maintaining a garrison of native soldiers -there. Owing, however, to the approaching operations against the -rebels, and to the fact that Cho-Trang was situated on the left flank -of their positions, and close to several paths leading into their -country, it was found necessary to strengthen the force there for a few -months; since by these tracks it would be quite possible for some of -the Chinese bands, established in the hills around Lang-son, to come to -the assistance of De-Nam. - -From Nha-Nam our detachment marched _via_ Cao-Thuong to Phulang-Thuong, -whence we served as an escort to a convoy going to Lang-son. We went -by the famous mandarin road which had been the scene of the retreat of -General de Négriers army in March, 1885. - -Our rate of progress was a slow one, for the vehicles we escorted were -heavy carts, drawn by tame buffaloes, or native wheel-barrows of a most -peculiar pattern, constructed entirely of bamboo and ironwood, without -a single nail or screw. The wheel consisted of a big wooden disc about -3 feet in diameter, which revolved on a teak axle, and produced a loud -scratching noise as these clumsy carriages trundled over the rough -road. The regulation load for these barrows was about 180 pounds, and -to each of them there were two Chinese coolies. One pushed the barrow -from behind, with a strap, each end of which was attached to a handle, -passing over his shoulders, and thus relieving the wheel of some of the -weight carried; and another was in front, hitched to a rope tied to the -horn of this prehistoric little vehicle. The creaking of the wheels and -continued yelling chatter of the Chinese created a perfect pandemonium -of sound. Our convoy was more than 2 miles long, so that when the head -had reached a halting-place, and its escort was able to obtain rest and -refreshment, the unfortunate soldiers in the rear were still toiling -slowly along, and would arrive at an _étape_ to find that only a short -space of time remained for them to refresh their tired legs and empty -stomachs. - -After Kep, the scene of Major Dugenne's reverse in June, 1884, the -road passed through a stretch of scenery wild and magnificent. By a -succession of loops and curves the route rose and passed round the -flank of one mountain after another. Sometimes the convoy crept slowly -over small bridges spanning mountain torrents, overhung with dense, -tropical vegetation. Now the road would wind through beautiful thickets -of bamboo, so dense that it would have been impossible to penetrate -it. At times we skirted deep woods and charming combes full of thick -undergrowth, palms and creepers. Often the track dipped and traversed -fine valleys, covered with waving jungle grass; beyond this could be -seen a vista of hills overrun with black forest, or chain upon chain of -massive rocks, 1,000 feet high, all bedecked with variegated foliage. -On or near the track there were few signs of animal or bird life, with -the exception of the ubiquitous sparrow and the ever-present kite, -though the vanguard occasionally disturbed a flight of chattering -parrakeets, or scared away small herds of deer, which, with a few -bounds, would disappear into the jungle. We halted at Kep, Sui-ganh and -Bac-Lé, and passed the night in the forts at these places. Here the -convoy was packed in an enclosure surrounded by a high bamboo fence, -fires being kept burning all night to scare away tigers and panthers, -as there were many in the jungle along the road. - -The coolies, on their arrival, were told off into squads, and the daily -ration of rice and salt fish was served out to them. This they cooked -in copper pots, and the men of each squad squatted round the fires -awaiting their evening meal, while one of their comrades, who acted as -cook for the occasion, kept stirring the stew with a bamboo stick. - -Most of these Celestials were tall, well-made men, whose lower -limbs were abnormally developed--a natural result of the calling -they followed--and, like the majority of their race, they evidently -possessed a strong dislike to soap and water, for they were extremely -filthy. They were clothed, like the men of the mountain tribes in -this region of the Tonquin, in a costume consisting of a vest and -pantaloons of blue cotton cloth, which, in most cases, was in a -terribly ragged condition. - -For pay they received twenty-five cents per diem (about fivepence), -plus their daily rations. - -The meal finished, the majority indulged in a few pipes of cheap -opium, locally known as _Sai_, and the surface of the compound was -starred over with the numerous tiny twinkles of their little lamps. -These went out one by one, and before midnight the camp was plunged in -silence and slumber, the naked limbs of the sleeping coolies having the -appearance of old ivory or new bronze in the flickering glimmer of the -watch-fires, round which they reclined. Then the stillness of the night -would be broken only by the song of the cicalas, the crackle of burning -wood, the occasional call of the sentries, and the far-away cop! cop! -cop! of a tiger hunting in the hills. - -At Bac-Lé our detachment left the convoy, and abandoning the highroad, -we struck off due north by a small path which led to Cho-Trang. We set -out before daybreak, so as to avoid marching in the midday heat, and -were accompanied by a guide and several coolies bearing lighted torches -made of split bamboo as a precaution against wild beasts. - -Cho-Trang is about 12 miles from the Lang-son road, and the little -track we followed passed for nine of these through a succession of -jungle-covered valleys, and over hills hidden in primeval forests of -teak, banyan, ironwood and palm trees, some of which were of enormous -size, with an impenetrable undergrowth of fern, interlacing creepers, -orchids and spiked rattan. In these woods the light of day was almost -shut out by the dense foliage; no birds seemed to live there, and -the strange, weird silence was only broken now and again by troops -of chattering brown monkeys, which, disturbed by our approach, would -scuttle away through the branches, jumping from one bough to another -with their usual agility, and maintaining the while such grotesqueness -of face and demeanour that our laughter was frequently provoked. - -When we had marched about five hours, for during the darkness the pace -had been a slow one, we found ourselves close upon the rocky chain -already described, which exactly resembled the pinnacles which rise in -hundreds from the sea in Along Bay. This strange configuration is known -as the Nui-dong-Nghi, and its jagged ridges run east from this point -right through Tonquin into Kwang-si, and also far north to the heart of -the province of Cao-Bang. - -We traversed the first chain through a pass known as the Deo-Mou-Phieu, -which in some places is so narrow that a native pony can only just -squeeze between the projecting boulders. This narrow cleft is evidently -the thousands-of-years-old work of the waters, which have eaten a way -through the calcareous rock. Indeed, there rushed through the pass a -rapid though narrow stream, wherein we had to wade knee-high. - -Between these high stone walls the scenery possessed a savage grandeur -I have never seen equalled, and the semi-darkness of the narrow way -produced a most awesome effect. A few lines from _La Mort de Rolland_, -recited by a comrade during one of the short halts we made, produced -such a feeling of intense sadness that I was glad when our little -column broke out of these weird surroundings into the bright sunshine -beyond. - -From the pass, which was nearly a mile long, we debouched into a little -circular plain, with a superficial area of about 1-1/2 square miles. It -was surrounded by high rocky walls, to all appearance without a break -in them, and the fort of Cho-Trang was situated almost exactly in the -middle of the plain. - -We found that the position was a solid one. It was rectangular in form, -with a small bastion at each angle, and the fortification consisted -of a well-built parapet and ditch, round which ran the usual bamboo -palisades. - -Our little detachment of thirty men was lodged in a big, one-roomed hut -of clay and bamboo, thatched with macaw palm. It had evidently been -prepared for our use, for it was clean and freshly whitewashed, and -contained the necessary bedding and mosquito-nets for the detachment. - -The fort was in command of a lieutenant of the _tirailleurs -Tonkinois_--an eccentric individual who had a strong aversion to the -Legionaries. Not that he was unnecessarily harsh or unjust towards -us, but he had a mania for openly expressing a want of confidence in -our discipline, which wounded the pride of the men of our detachment, -the majority of whom soon hated him most cordially. He was married, -according to native custom, to a Tonquinese woman, who was living in -the fort; and this, added to the fact that he was an opium-smoker, did -not aid in increasing the small respect with which he was regarded by -the Legionaries. - -Strict orders had been given by the General commanding the Brigade that -we should not be overworked while staying in this unhealthy spot, so -that our life was rather a quiet and monotonous one. The only exciting -incident that happened during my stay here was an attack made on the -cattle stockade by two black panthers. One of these beasts succeeded in -gaining an entrance, and killed a bullock. He paid for his daring with -his life, however, and was riddled with bullets by some Legionaries who -had been awakened by the cries of the native sentry. - -The nights were gradually becoming cooler, for we were now in the -middle of October, and life was rendered unpleasant by the thick, damp -mists which hung continually over our position. Owing to the high -walls of rock surrounding the little plain upon which the fort was -built, there was little or no breeze, so that these fogs hung about us -till late in each morning, when the midday heat of the tropical sun -dispelled them. No doubt this was one of the principal causes of the -prevalence of fever in this district; another being that the water used -by the troops, though it came from mountain streams, and was apparently -limpid, was strongly impregnated with copper, of which metal there were -considerable traces in the soil of the region. Filters were provided -for the garrison, and the troops were not allowed to use any water, -either for cooking or drinking, unless it had been previously boiled. -Even these precautions did not suffice to avoid disease, for when our -detachment had been three weeks in Cho-Trang, more than half of its -effective was laid up with fever, which takes a most virulent form in -this district. - -Its commencement, like ordinary malaria, is generally announced by -shivering fits, during which the sufferer experiences a sensation of -extreme cold. The hands and feet are numbed and glacial; the teeth -chatter continually, notwithstanding the fact that the thermometer -in the verandah is often, in such cases, at 95 degrees. This is -succeeded at the end of an hour or more by a feeling of burning heat; -perspiration ceases, the sufferer's temperature rises to over a -hundred; he is a victim of terrible pains in the head, and is often -delirious. At Cho-Trang this condition was usually complicated by -hematuric symptoms, which, fortunately, do not occur in the majority of -cases of ordinary jungle fever. - -There was no doctor in the fort (indeed, it would be impossible to -maintain a medical officer in each of the numerous small garrisons -in Tonquin), and it was the lieutenant who examined the sick men and -served out the medicines provided by the authorities without stint. - -In such cases commanders of forts are furnished with a manual, which -is well written, and gives in the clearest of terms explanations -concerning the symptoms and treatment of the different tropical and -other diseases they will most probably be called upon to treat. -Definite instructions are also given in this little book to the -officers, concerning the transfer of the men to the nearest hospital -centre, whenever there are signs that the disease from which they -are suffering is of a persistent or malignant form. Though these -recommendations are not always adhered to, it would hardly be fair -in such cases to censure the commanders, since it often happens, on -numerous removals of this kind being made, that the officer receives -blame from headquarters for having neglected to take the necessary -precautions to ensure the satisfactory sanitation of his post, whereas -in most instances the epidemic has had its origin in the insanitary -position of the fort, or the dangerous composition of the soil it was -built on. - -It was noticeable that the first among my comrades to fall victims to -sickness were the younger members of the detachment. When they had a -strong and healthy constitution they generally recovered, and though -the fever clung to them for six months, and sometimes more, during -which period the attacks gradually decreased in force and occurred -at longer intervals, they eventually became seasoned, and the fever -seemed no longer to have any hold on them. I know of a good many men -who have served four consecutive years in the colony, and who, after -paying a heavy toll to malaria, during the first year or eighteen -months, have never again been troubled by the disease. - -Hard drinkers were longer in resisting the attacks of the fever fiend, -but once the illness got a hold upon them, the results were generally -fatal. One of the peculiarities of the jungle fever, in any form, is -that the sufferer loses all appetite; indeed, he usually exhibits -almost a loathing for any kind of food. It is therefore necessary to -maintain his vitality, which rapidly sinks under the repeated attacks -of the disease. To obtain this result liberal allowances of liquid -food are administered to the patient. In Tonquin, milk, either fresh -or condensed, was the diet most frequently prescribed, and in most -cases with excellent results, except when the sufferers happened to be -confirmed alcoholic subjects. Then the patients would either refuse to -take milk, for which they possessed a decided repugnance, or they would -be unable to keep and digest it after having forced themselves to -swallow it. - -It is easy to understand that, owing to the number of men incapacitated -through sickness, the duties of the few available for service were -considerably increased. It was no unusual occurrence to find oneself -detailed for guard three times in one week, and it was only by reducing -things to their strictest limit that sufficient men could be found to -escort the convoy which was brought from Bac-Lé every Thursday. The -convoy was absolutely necessary, for we depended on this weekly service -for our supply of food. A reserve stock of flour, wine, rice, coffee, -sugar and salt, sufficient to feed the members of the garrison for -three months, was stored in the fort; but this was only to be drawn -upon in cases of extreme urgency, such as siege or blockade. - -It was during this trying time that I was able to appreciate the -good-fellowship and unobtrusive self-abnegation possessed by the -majority of my comrades, and many instances of their kindly spirit came -under my observation. - -Whenever a man detailed for service fell sick shortly before going on -duty--and this was by no means a rare occurrence--a chum would at once -cheerfully volunteer and take his place, though, as often as not, he -had himself just come off convoy or guard duty, or was recovering from -an attack of fever. - -The able men not on duty--they were generally but few--neglected their -own comfort, and sacrificed their rare hours of rest to attend, without -murmur, to their stricken comrades, and did their best, in their rough -but kindly way, to lighten their sufferings. - -It was a quaint and touching sight to watch one of these bearded -mercenaries, as he passed from cot to cot, and note his efforts to -repress his own impatience and clumsiness, as he piled blanket after -blanket on a shivering sufferer, changed the damp linen of another, who -had broken into the beneficent sweat that denoted the termination of an -attack, or calmed, with a voice which he tried to render gentle, the -ravings of a delirious friend, standing the while to change every few -minutes the wet bandages on the burning brow of the stricken one. - -With what gentle care the weak ones would be lifted into a sitting -position, and how patiently, with cheery, though perhaps clumsy jokes, -would these self-appointed nurses encourage their patients to drink the -cup of milk which succoured the ebbing strength, or the boiling liquid -that provoked the saving perspiration. - -"_Allons! mon vieux._ You're not dead yet! The tree is not grown -from which your pine overcoat will be made. Courage! take this, and -to-morrow you will feel so well that you will want to go on convoy -guard, so as to see that little brown _congai_ that winked at you last -time we were at Bac-Lé. Sly dog! _Va!_" - -Or: - -"_Bien quoi!_ hold on, _mon ami_! There's a lot more wine in the -storeroom that wants drinking. Don't desert us; we shall never get -through it without the help of your steep throat." - -Often I would laugh at their coarse wit, though a big lump in my throat -betokened another kind of sentiment. Yet one might be joyful at the -evidence of the vast store of human kindness possessed by these rough -soldier-folk, which, though hidden till now, came splendidly to the -fore in this time of common misfortune. - -On the 20th November, as I was sitting on a stool close by the door of -the fort--for I was feeling decidedly queer, having just recovered from -a third severe attack of fever--the native sentry, who was posted on -a little wooden platform about 20 feet high, supported on four bamboo -poles, and fitted with a thatch roof, informed me with a shout that -he could perceive a troop of European soldiers, accompanied by two -mounted officers, coming out of the pass towards us. I was in charge -of the guard for the day, so I sent off a _tirailleur_ to inform the -commander. A few minutes later the two officers seen by the sentry came -galloping into Cho-Trang on their ponies, and my surprise was great on -recognising Captain Plessier and Surgeon Joly. - -As they came through the gate I rose and saluted. Our Captain drew up -his little mount with a jerk, and after looking hard at me for a few -seconds, exclaimed: - -"_Mon Dieu!_ Doctor, why, this is our Englishman. But how changed! Why, -the man is as yellow as a buttercup, and as thin as a vine-pole." - -While he was speaking, the doctor had dismounted, and, after throwing -the reins to a native soldier who stood by, he came over to me. After -consulting my pulse, and looking at my tongue, he turned to Captain -Plessier and said: - -"This man is in a high fever, and ought to be in bed." - -He questioned me concerning the date on which I had had my first -attack, and obliged me also to give him other details concerning my -malady. Then he walked off and rejoined our Captain, who had gone on to -the quarters of the lieutenant in command of the fort. A few minutes -later a sergeant came up to the guard-house and told me that, on the -doctor's advice, the lieutenant had given orders for me to be relieved, -and he (the sergeant) had been instructed to tell me to go to bed. - -I was not sorry for this, for I was feeling very unwell; and when one -of my comrades put in an appearance I passed the service on to him, -hurried away to my hut, and was soon lying on my cot under a pile -of blankets, in anticipation of the attack of ague which was already -giving me signs of speedy approach. - -I had not been there long before Captain Plessier, accompanied by our -surgeon, came into the room. They visited the sick men who were in -their cots--there were nine besides myself--and then came over to me. -After examining me again, the doctor said: - -"This man should be sent down to the nearest hospital as soon as -possible. He might leave with us to-morrow morning." - -"We have not sufficient coolies to carry him," replied our Captain; -"and it would take at least two days to get some from Bac-Lé." He -reflected a little, and then asked me: "Can you ride?" - -"Yes, _mon capitaine_," I answered. - -"Well, doctor, I think the best thing will be to put him on my spare -pony," continued our chief; "that is, if you think he can stand the -ride, and one of our coolies can carry his baggage. Eh, doctor?" - -"Yes, I think we can risk it, for it is better to get him away from -here as soon as possible," answered M. Joly. - -No sooner had our officers left the room than several of my comrades -set to work to pack my kit, for I was now in a high fever again, and -consequently too weak and ill to attend to this operation myself. As -they bustled about, these good-hearted fellows, with many good-natured -jokes concerning my coming journey to the "sea-side," congratulated me -on my luck, and did their best to encourage me to get to sleep, so as -to gain strength for my long ride on the morrow. - -We started early the next morning, and though I was glad to leave -the "Sale trou," as my comrades termed the fort, I was sorry at the -thought that they would have to remain for several weeks longer in this -unhealthy spot. Dr Joly had announced the previous evening to the other -sick men that they would be removed as soon as sufficient coolies could -be obtained for their transportation. - -My mount was a big Tartar pony, whose only fault consisted in a -persistent desire to leave the path and gallop through the forest. -He succeeded in taking me unawares the first time, and my helmet was -knocked off and I was nearly brained by the bough of a tree. Like -most of these little horses, when they have been in the hands of the -natives, he possessed a terribly hard mouth, so that what with this and -the fever which had again taken a hold on me, I experienced a somewhat -lively journey. - -We reached Kep at four in the afternoon, and here I was put into a -carriage on the little railway to Lang-son, which was then in course of -construction, and had reached this point, 12 miles from Phulang-Thuong, -a few days previously. - -At Kep I said good-bye to my comrades who formed the escort, and -thanked our Captain and doctor for their kindness. I afterwards -learned that I had indeed reason to be grateful to them for my speedy -transference, for a week elapsed before sufficient coolies could be -obtained to transport the other sick men from Cho-Trang, and one of the -poor fellows died during the journey. - -On the arrival of the train at Phulang-Thuong a stretcher was in -readiness for me, instructions to that effect having been telegraphed -from Kep, and I was carried to the hospital. This establishment was -virtually a sort of base ambulance, from which the patients, whom the -doctors considered in need of a long treatment and change of climate, -were sent on to Haïphong or Quang-Yen. It was, however, well built, -possessed an efficient staff of surgeons and nurses, and was so fitted -up that every colonial disease or casualty likely to occur during a -campaign could be dealt with under the best of conditions. A great deal -of money and attention is expended by the French Government in the -building and fitting up of the hospitals in Tonquin, and the doctors -are well trained, clever and conscientious men. - -I remained here for a fortnight, during which time I do not think the -fever left me for an hour; indeed, during the first six days I was -almost continuously unconscious. I was treated with the utmost kindness -and care, both by the surgeons and Sisters. These excellent women, who -belong to the Roman Catholic Order of "St Vincent de Paul," do not, -unfortunately, possess the same scientific knowledge of medical nursing -as our British hospital nurses, but they are untiring in the care which -they give to the patients, and their unstinted efforts to relieve the -suffering are worthy of the highest praise. - -During that period of my illness when the fever was at its worst and -I was almost constantly delirious, it seemed to me that there were -moments when some section of my intellect, escaping from the frenzy -which possessed my brain, succeeded in retaining its lucidity, and was -able to obtain control over a portion of my personality, inspiring it -with a power to think and see independently of, and, as it were, apart -from, the remainder of my suffering organism. - -So vividly did this impression assert itself, that to this day I can -remember hearing my own ravings, and mentally consoling myself with the -thought that they were merely the results of delirium. I would at such -times watch the terrifying hallucinations, conjured up by the malady, -with a perfect knowledge that they were the results of an imagination -distorted by the fever which possessed me; and at the same time find -means to take notice of a tiny lizard, as it crawled, searching -for mosquitoes, up the curtain surrounding my bed, the flickering -night-light, the crucifix hanging on the whitewashed wall in front of -me, or the Sister on duty as she moved silently from cot to cot, to -administer medicine or to assure herself that her patients were asleep, -and whose picturesque costume, white _cornette_ and collar, reminded -me of the poem, "The Black Musketeer," in the _Ingoldsby Legends_. My -experience is by no means unique, for several of my friends who have -also been victims to jungle fever, and with whom I have compared notes, -have been impressed by phenomena of a similar description. - -When my daily temperature began to take a slow but decidedly downward -curve, the head doctor informed me that I was to be sent to the -hospital at Quang-Yen, a small town situated on the coast not far from -Along Bay, where, said he, aided by the sea-air, I might possibly -succeed in shaking off the malaria; though he told me that he was -noting my clinic-sheet to the effect that he considered it advisable to -send me back to Algeria as soon as I could support the voyage. I felt -much disappointed at this information, though I recognised his kindly -intention; but it was far from my wish to return so soon to Africa, and -I determined to make every effort, in the event of my getting rid of -the fever, to induce the doctors at Quang-Yen to allow me to remain in -Tonquin, for I still hoped to participate in the coming winter campaign -in the Yen-Thé, the prospects of which had been a constant topic of -conversation with my comrades. A few days later I was carried on board -a river steamer, but during the journey I fell so ill again that I -was put on shore at Haïphong, and remained three days in the hospital -there. However, at the end of that period I was sufficiently recovered -to continue my journey, and eventually reached Quang-Yen on the 12th -November. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - La Soeur Agnes--Exeat--Nha-Nam again--Picking up the - threads--Bo-ha--Preparations for the campaign--With General Voyron's - column--An error in the art of war--A big butcher's bill--Collapse of - the rebellion--Stamping out the embers. - - -The town of Quang-Yen, capital of the province of the same name, is -situated about 10 miles to the south-east of Haïphong, and close to the -sea. Thanks to its position on a series of small hills, it is swept by -the sea-breeze, and enjoys a well-merited reputation for its healthy -climate. - -A fine hospital was erected here by the French in 1888; this has since -been enlarged, and now affords accommodation for three hundred patients. - -On my arrival I was placed in one of the big fever wards, each of -which contained twenty-four beds, and the comfort and quiet of my new -quarters, the skill and care of the doctors and Sisters, and the pure -air of the region, soon produced most beneficial results. - -The attacks of malaria decreased in frequency and intensity, and my -strength augmented each day. - -There was something delightfully fresh and reposeful in the sensation -of finding oneself again in a comfortable bed, between spotless -sheets; and the vista of the long room, with its polished wood floor, -the neat cots of black-enamelled iron and shining brass, the white -mosquito-curtains and the sound of the crackling log-fire, which burned -in the open hearth during the early cool of the November mornings, -reminded one of the cleanliness and ease of Europe--of home. It was -pleasant, too, to watch the Sisters as they glided from bed to bed, -attending with untiring patience and gentleness to the wants of the -sufferers. It was both pathetic and droll to see one of these good -women as, with the tender care of a mother, she washed the face and -hands of some big and bearded Legionary who was too debilitated to -do anything for himself, but who kept his eyes open, notwithstanding -their smarting, so as not to lose a single movement of his ministering -angel; continually expressing his thanks the while, at the risk of -receiving a mouthful of soap and water. Neither could one watch -without emotion a Sister who had to deal with a patient who had lost -all desire for food, as was often the case with victims to persistent -fever. Insisting on the sufferer partaking of a cup of beef-tea, she -would administer it spoonful by spoonful, accompanying each of these -with gentle words of encouragement, so that the rough mercenary could -not do otherwise than gulp down the helpings--trying, meanwhile, to -look pleasant and grateful. There was a little chapel attached to the -hospital, wherein a Spanish missionary from a neighbouring village of -Roman Catholic converts officiated; and when the men were convalescent -and able to get about, they would manifest their gratitude to, and -respect for, their nurses by attending mass on Sundays, notwithstanding -the fact that many of them were Protestants, and that most of them -possessed little or no religion at all under ordinary circumstances. -The Sister who attended to me was a small and cheerful little person, -who seemed to be about at all hours of the day and night, and her -activity and ceaseless surveillance were the terror of the native -servants who worked in the ward. She was a merry soul, who never missed -an occasion for drawing a laugh from her patients. Should I hesitate -and grimace before swallowing my dose of quinine--it was administered -in solution in those days--she would assure me that to _connaisseurs_ -its taste was as agreeable as that of _fin champagne_, and declare -that it was only a question of time and habit for me to be able to -appreciate its delicate flavour. - -I owe much to this Sister for the care and attention she gave me during -my stay in Quang-Yen hospital--these were, of course, equally bestowed -on all the sufferers under her charge--and it was my good fortune, five -years later, to meet her under entirely different circumstances, when -I recalled myself to her memory and expressed my gratitude. To-day, -as I write, there comes back to me a vision of the ward at night, -when, having fallen asleep after blinking at the reflection of the -firelight on the polished _parquet_ and brass knobs on the bedposts of -the neighbouring cots, a gentle touch would awaken me from my first -slumber, and I could see, under the white _cornette_, the smiling -face of my nurse--_en religion_, _Soeur Agnes_--as, after lifting the -mosquito-curtain, she presented to my lips a small glass containing -the nightly dose of the bitter drug, while she whispered: "_Tenez, mon -petit St Jean--Voici votre grog._" - -After attending to the wants of each, and seeing that all are -comfortable, Soeur Agnes would kneel down in the ward, and, with bent -head and clasped hands, repeat in a soft but distinct voice the prayers -for the night. Every soldier who was able to sit up in bed would do so, -and nearly all those who could, murmured with her the Lord's Prayer, -each in his own language. Probably most of them did so simply to please -the patient _religieuse_, who soothed their sufferings and attended -to their needs; but, be that as it may, there existed no regulation -which obliged them so to do, therefore their action was spontaneous and -impressive. - -When the Sister had left the room, after bidding a general "good-night" -to its occupants, it was very seldom that any conversation would -take place. It seemed as if the majority of the men were anxious to -court sleep while still under the impression left them by the saintly, -self-sacrificing woman to whom they had just listened, desiring, -perhaps, that it should bring to them dreams of those they loved, but -of whom they never spoke. Now and again a new patient, proud of his -cynicism, would scoff at his comrades, curse them for knock-kneed -_calotins_, or go so far as to laugh aloud, or even whistle a ribald -regimental ditty, during the evening prayer. They never did this -twice, however, for a straight-spoken, though perhaps somewhat lurid, -warning from their room-mates always sufficed to quell any desire for -persistence in this breach of the etiquette of the ward. Had it been -otherwise, it is certain that their suppression would have been both -rapid and awesome. - -On the 12th December I was called before the Repatriation -Committee (_Conseil de Rapatriement_), the members of which--three -doctors--seeing the progress I had made, decided to keep me in the -hospital for another fortnight, at the end of which period, if no -relapse had occurred, I could return to my corps. It is hardly -necessary to state that this decision was very agreeable to me, for -I had feared that these officers would order my return to Algeria; -and once assured of the realisation of my desires, I improved rapidly -in health and strength. Sometimes, when I suspected a slight attack -of fever, I "faked" my temperature, lest the doctor who examined my -"chart" each day should take another view of my case, and send me up -again before the Committee. I trust, however, that this confession of -my fault will bring with it forgiveness for the trick played upon my -kind and trusting nurse. - -During my stay at Quang-Yen I saw that the majority of the patients -were men from the _Infanterie de Marine_. These regiments passed -into the domain of the Minister of War in 1901, and are now known as -_L'Infanterie Coloniale_. I was very surprised at their youthfulness -and evident want of stamina. This corps was originally formed, like our -Royal Marines, for service afloat. Since 1860 their place on board the -men-of-war has been taken by sailors (_fusiliers marins_) who undergo -a special course of training in musketry and infantry drill; and the -_Infanterie de Marine_ was formed into twelve regiments, which now -garrison the naval ports on the French coast, the principal towns in -the Colonies, and take part in all expeditions overseas. Before the -reorganisation of the army, carried out after the Franco-German War, -the men of this fine corps had won a grand reputation for courage and -endurance, and the defence of the village of Bazeilles by a brigade of -French marines against a division of Bavarian troops, in 1870, will -ever remain one of the finest pages in the history of the struggle. -General conscription and the short service system have done much to -reduce the fighting value of these regiments, which were formerly -composed of men who had been submitted to a most searching medical -examination, and consequently stood a good chance of resisting the -insalubrious climate of the Colonies, and who volunteered for a -long period with the flag. To-day, the majority of these troops are -town-bred, beardless boys, of from eighteen to twenty years of age, -who are in these regiments because they have been unfortunate enough -to draw a low number from the conscription-urn. Like all France's -sons, they are brave and enthusiastic, but owing to their youth, -inexperience and hurried and incomplete military training they have -sometimes proved victims to sudden panic, and their but half-formed -constitutions and still growing physique make them prompt sufferers to -malady, fatigue and discouragement during the hardships of a tropical -campaign. Several French authorities on military matters have expressed -the opinion that the Government would do well to employ more seasoned -material for their colonial garrisons and expeditions, and reserve -these brave youths for the future battlefields of Europe, whereon may -be decided the destiny of their fatherland. - -Those of us who were able to get about attended the midnight mass -on Christmas Eve, and the little chapel, with its interior prettily -decorated by the willing efforts of the convalescent soldiers, was -full to overflowing; and, though probably the thoughts of the majority -present wandered away to the homeland, we joined vigorously in the -joyful anthem, "Noel! Noel! Voici le Redempteur!" to the visible -satisfaction of the beaming, buxom _soeur supérieure_ and the smiling -Sisters. On the 30th I found myself "Exeat"--_i.e._, discharged from -the hospital as cured--on the deck of a little river steamer which was -churning her way through the red, muddy waters of the Cua-Cam, past -miles of mangrove swamp, towards Haïphong. - -The weather was bright, dry and cold--a typical winter's day of this -part of the world--and the pure, crisp air, reminding me of home, -seemed delightfully invigorating after the stifling, damp heat of the -past summer months. At Haïphong I boarded another boat, which landed me -in Phulang-Thuong the next morning. - -Here I found signs of the coming campaign, for several little -river-steamers were discharging their cargoes of stores, ammunition -and material, and hundreds of coolies were employed in transporting -the goods to the big Government go-downs in the little town, where -they were stored for the time being. From here large quantities of -flour, tinned beef and other stores were forwarded to Nha-Nam and -Bo-Ha, these forts in turn serving as bases, from which the different -columns were revictualed. On my arrival, I reported at the office of -the garrison major, expecting to receive orders to leave by the first -opportunity for Nha-Nam, _via_ Cao-Thuong--that is, by the same route -which our detachment, just landed from the _Bien-Hoa_, had taken eight -months previously--but information was given me by one of the military -secretaries to the effect that I would have to wait a few days, pending -the formation of a convoy which was to proceed in _sampans_, up the -Song-Thuong river, to Bo-Ha, and that I would form one of the escort, -to be composed of several Legionaries and a few _tirailleurs_. - -As Bo-Ha is only about 7 miles from Nha-Nam, entailing a march of -hardly two hours, and a journey in a native boat would be a new and -desirable experience to me, I did not regret the delay this unexpected -development was likely to create. I had not long to wait, however, for -three days later our little fleet of twenty-five _sampans_, four of -them occupied by the escort, glided away at three in the afternoon on -its voyage up the river. - -[Illustration: A _SAMPAN_ ON THE RIVER NEAR PHULANG-THUONG.] - -These _sampans_ are about 20 feet long, and in form somewhat resemble -a house-boat, though they are smaller and possess finer lines than -the floating villas one meets with on the reaches of our English -rivers during the summer months. The little house, or cabin, which is -placed amidships in each of these boats, is usually about 6 feet by 5, -and is so low that one can only sit or lie down inside it. Forward of -this cabin is a deck from which two natives work the long sweeps of -hardwood. These boatmen row in a standing position, with their faces -towards the bow of the boat. Aft of the cabin is a strip of deck about -3 feet long, and from that the stern rises up in much the same way as -one sees them pictured in the old prints of ships in the time of the -Armada. Upon this deck stands another boatman, who handles a long oar -which trails behind, and with this he both rows and steers. These boats -draw very little water--2 feet at the utmost, and that only when they -are fully laden. - -The evening was a beautiful one, so that I made the most of the -journey, and lay for several hours, my loaded rifle beside me, enjoying -the varied spectacle which was quite new to me. In the boat, besides -myself and the three boatmen, were three _tirailleurs_, but these gave -me no trouble, for, having consumed a big saucepanful of rice, they -fell asleep on the deck, the cabin being nearly filled with tin cases, -each containing thirty kilos of flour. The sleepers lay close together -to obtain more warmth, for the nights were chilly at this season. - -The river at this part was from 80 to a 100 yards wide; its water was -very clear, and ran over a sandy bottom, studded here and there with -large rocks, and between steep banks, from 20 to 25 feet high. - -Along either side ran groves of tall bamboos, which seemed to salute -us with a graceful nod as we glided by. Sometimes there was a break, -and an old pagoda, with a quaintly-curved roof of red-brown tiles, -came into view. Now the river would run through a few miles of forest -and jungle, offering no sign of occupation by man. Enormous trees rose -superbly from the banks of the stream, and their massive branches -extended for many feet over its waters, on which their foliage threw a -pleasant and picturesque shadow. From these great limbs hung numerous -flexible creepers, some of them starred with orchid-like blooms of -white and yellow hue. Many of these streamers swayed gently to and -fro before the light breeze, while others, having grown down into the -glassy waters, were held still in their cool embrace. - -Our journey between these walls of verdure, the forms and tints -of which were ever changing, was one of the most delightful of -experiences, the charm whereof is still fresh in my memory. When night -came down and blotted out all colour and outline, I turned on to my -back and watched the stars as they came out one by one. For an hour -or so I lay open-eyed, yet dreaming, till the monotonous chant of our -boatman, with its ever-recurring chorus of "Oh! Yah! Mōt-Haï-Ba!" -finally lulled me into a profound slumber. Our convoy reached Bo-Ha in -safety the following morning at nine. - -This fort was constructed and garrisoned in 1889, at the request of a -rich and influential native chief, lord of an important village, called -Dao-Quan. This native was formerly a leader of a group of bandits, -and, before the invasion of the country by the French, had ravaged -the Yen-Thé and defied the mandarins in Bac-Ninh. After the capture -of that citadel by the troops under General de Négrier, he was wise -enough to throw in his lot with the invaders, and with his irregulars -he fought side by side with his new allies against the old _régime_. -In recognition of his services to the French cause, the Government -confirmed his right to administer the district he had settled in, -and made him a knight of the Legion of Honour. During the years that -followed the occupation of the country by the French, he remained -faithful to the cause he had adopted, and refused to have anything -to do with the mandarins at the court at Hué, who were, in secret, -partisans of the exiled Ham-Nghi, notwithstanding many overtures and -rich promises made to him. During the operations in the Yen-Thé he -rendered valuable service to the military authorities by supplying -coolies to the different columns, and by making use of the armed -irregulars, whom he maintained at his own expense, to guard the lines -of communication. After the campaign was terminated he successfully -negotiated the surrender of several influential minor chieftains, who, -thanks to his efforts, came in and delivered up their arms. - -We left Bo-Ha at two in the afternoon, our little troop consisting of -a sergeant, three Legionaries, who were bound for Nha-Nam, with ten -_tirailleurs_ and a native corporal from the garrison we had left, the -latter having been lent to strengthen our effective. - -When we had marched for about half an hour and had crossed the -Song-Soï, a little stream which runs into the Song-Thuong a few miles -below Bo-Ha, we perceived, a hundred yards ahead of us, a small -detachment, consisting of six _tirailleurs_, led by a European mounted -on a native pony. I was one of the first to catch sight of them, for -at the time I was in charge of the vanguard, which was composed of -two natives. When we were close enough to get a good look at them, my -surprise was great on recognising in the cavalier my friend Lipthay. -When our mutual greetings and congratulations were over, he told me -that he was out surveying the route with a view to determining the best -positions for the poles of a telegraph line about to be established -between Nha-Nam and the fort we had just left. - -"I have done enough for to-day," said my chum, "and can easily finish -the job in a couple of hours to-morrow morning. I will go and report -to the sergeant, and come back to Nha-Nam with you." - -A few minutes later he was riding beside me as I walked, and I was -asking him many questions concerning all that had happened since I -left, and as to when the operations were likely to begin; for now that -he was on the District staff I knew he was likely to be well informed -on these subjects. - -"Well, things have been pretty lively during the last two months," he -answered. "Captain Plessier has been keeping the company at Nha-Nam -busy with reconnaissances and ambuscades, but there has been no serious -engagement since the little affair at Long-Thuong, at which you were -present. We made a grand _coup_ at the beginning of last month, though, -for we succeeded in finding a position rendering the enemy's big fort -visible; a position on which it will not be difficult to place a -battery of fieldguns, able to wish a better '_bonjour_' to our rebel -friends than those little toy pop-guns of the mountain artillery. What -a pity old De-Nam is dead! He would have been so surprised when the -first 90-millimètre shells came with a flop and a bang right into his -secret lair; and from quite an unexpected quarter, too. Why----" - -"_Bon Dieu! mon ami_," I interrupted, "have pity on me and go slow. Do -you mean to say the old chief is dead?" - -"Dead as Cæsar," answered my friend. "He was poisoned in October by -some Chinese who came down from the north to sell arms and ammunition. -They were his guests, and killed him because he won back all the money -he had paid them at _bacquang_ (a native game called _fan-tan_ in -Chinese). So the spies who came to Thaï-Nguyen told us. _Dans tous les -cas_, he is dead, and was buried inside the big fort with great state; -and De-Tam, his former lieutenant, is now commander-in-chief." - -"But do you really mean to say that there is such a position as you -have described?" I asked, for from my experience of the manner in which -the rebels concealed their forts, such a thing seemed quite impossible. - -"Most certainly," replied Lipthay. "I was on it, _cher ami_. But I had -better tell you the tale from the beginning, for you matter-of-fact -Englishmen are like St Thomas, and require palpable facts." He -slipped his feet out of the stirrups, so that his long legs dangled -comfortably, and, after shifting the carbine slung across his back into -an easy position, began his tale. - -"Towards the end of November, Linh-Nghi, the informer, was sent -on to us at Thaï-Nguyen. You know the man, probably?" I nodded an -affirmative, and he continued: "_Et bien_, Lieutenant Deleuze, chief -of our Intelligence Department, used to pass hours at a time with -him; took him to his house, and never lost sight of the fellow for -a week. Deleuze speaks the vernacular like a native--pity there are -so few like him--and the pair were soon like _corps et chemise_. I -knew there was something brewing, and was not surprised when, on the -2nd December, orders were issued for a _reconnaissance en force_ to -proceed to Nha-Nam the following day. One company of the Legion and -one of _tirailleurs_--a column 350 strong--and, of course, Deleuze -and Linh-Nghi, were with them; so was I. Major Berard himself was in -command. We slept a night at Nha-Nam, and went on to Bo-Ha the next -day, after taking with us the mountain-gun from the former fort. At -Bo-Ha we rested, and the following morning left by a path which runs -to the north-west and passes through two ruined villages, Cho-Kai and -Long-Ngo, which were burnt by Colonel Frey's column in January last." - -"Why, you must have been due north of where the enemy's new positions -are supposed to be!" I exclaimed. - -"So you would think," said my friend; "but in reality we were due west. -When we had got to a point about a kilomètre beyond where Cho-Kai -used to be, the enemy's scouts, stationed on the hills to our left, -signalled our advance by firing their rifles. Upon this the column left -the path and made a general demonstration to the south-east. Our men -got in touch with the enemy, and kept them occupied for a couple of -hours by feinting an attack _en règle_. Lieutenant Deleuze and I took -Linh-Nghi with us, and slipped quietly away to the west of the path. -For an hour we scrambled along through the long grass, Nghi acting -as guide. Then we went off to the north, walking all the time in the -valleys, and keeping to the jungle so as to escape all chance of -observation. At last we reached the foot of a hill somewhat taller than -the surrounding ones--it was about 800 feet high--which had neither a -bush nor a tree on its steep sides, but was covered all over with high, -yellow grass. Nghi whispered that we must go cautiously to the top, -so up we crawled on our hands and knees and lay flat on our stomachs -when we reached the summit. Then we crept along until the opposite -crest was gained. We had all brought big native hats with us, which -we were careful to wear. When I looked down I was surprised to see -that the path to Bo-Ha ran round the foot of this hill, and our column -might have come here with ease, had it not been that this would have -given the enemy some idea of what we were looking for. The view was a -splendid one. First about 500 mètres of tall grass and jungle, then a -kilomètre of forest which ran down to the Song-Soï, for we could catch -here and there the gleam of its waters; beyond this a mass of hills -thickly wooded, then more hills covered with grass, and beyond, bright -green blotches of cultivated land. - -"The weather was so clear that I caught sight of the flag at Nha-Nam, -though it was quite 12 kilomètres away, and I pointed it out to -Deleuze. Linh-Nghi stretched out his hand towards the forest, and, -indicating a spot close to a bend in the little river, exclaimed -excitedly: 'Look! look!' As I turned to him it seemed to me that his -face was drawn and yellow, and his eyes were much brighter than usual. -I could see nothing in the direction he pointed to but trees; but the -lieutenant, after looking through his field-glasses for more than a -minute, suddenly exclaimed: '_Sapristi! oui_--I see roofs!' I turned to -ask Nghi a question, but refrained from speaking, for he lay with his -head on his arms, his face to the earth. He was sobbing like a child, -and his heaving shoulders betokened the depth of his emotion." - -"Poor devil!" I interrupted. - -"Yes--poor devil," repeated Lipthay; then he continued: "Deleuze passed -me his glasses, and after careful searching I caught glimpses of brown -thatched roofs between the trees. These belonged to the houses within -the big fortified village which has been in existence for three years -at least. It is situated in the dense forest at a point where the -Song-Soï forms a loop. So well is it concealed that had not Linh-Nghi -been with us, I am convinced we should have failed to make it out. -After a few minutes our native friend got the better of his emotion, -and he started giving more explanations to the lieutenant concerning -the position. While he was doing so I got out my _peigne_ (a military -surveying compass), sighted the flag at Nha-Nam, and got a bearing; -then I obtained an angle on the Nuï-Dot--you know, the hill to the -south-west of Nha-Nam, where they have fixed up a heliographic station. -Time was getting on, and there was a danger of being sighted at any -moment, so we crawled down the way we had come, hurried back to the -column and reported. I fancy the Major was very glad to see us again, -and I am sure he must have been pleased with the information Deleuze -gave him. - -"The troops were called in, and the column formed up on the path and -marched back to Bo-Ha. I don't think the enemy had an inkling of what -we were after, and they were probably disappointed at not having -succeeded in drawing our troops on into the forest, where they could -have adopted their favourite tactics. - -"Comments were rife among our men, for they had counted on an -engagement, and, as they expressed it: 'On a arrêté la danse au moment -où les violons étaient accordés.' As we were marching away I heard one -fellow say: '_Bon Dieu! bon Dieu!_ I don't believe the old fossil knows -himself what we did go out for. They might just as well have sent a -few recruits from the _biff_ (the line regiments). Why, for three long -hours we did nothing but waste our ammunition on half a dozen skinny -natives who were dodging about among the trees.' _Quel malheur!_ If -they had known the result obtained, they would have sung another song; -but it must be kept secret, of course, until the campaign is opened, -and that will not be before the beginning of March." - -"Rather late, isn't it?" I asked. - -"Well, you see, it will be fine and cold then," answered my friend; -"and with the information we now possess I don't think the expedition -ought to last more than a fortnight." He now gave me more details -concerning the defensive organisation of the rebels. - -Besides the big fortified village already mentioned, about 4 miles -to the north of Hou-Thué (demolished by Colonel Frey's column a year -before), there were numerous positions, forts and entrenchments built -to defend the paths leading to it. All these obstacles were accumulated -to the south and east of the main position, from which it was evident -that the rebels were confident that all future attacks would come from -the same direction as the preceding ones. - -De-Tam possessed a force of about two thousand men, twelve hundred of -whom were armed with breech loading rifles of various patterns. - -It was also probable that this chief was aware that the French would -commence operations against him, as soon as the weather was cool enough -to allow of large bodies of European troops being moved about the -country, and that in consequence he had come to some understanding with -the powerful leaders of the Chinese bands in North and West Tonquin, so -as to secure their assistance in case of need. Of these, the two most -important were Ba-Ky and Luong-Tam-Ky, who occupied vast tracts of -mountainous country to the north of the Yen-Thé, into which the French -had, as yet, made no serious effort to penetrate. Both of these brigand -chieftains had established their domination in these districts some -time before the arrival of the Western foreigners in Tonquin. - -Colonel--now General--Frey in his admirable work on the subject, -compares them to the feudal lords of the Middle Ages, since they -administered the territory occupied as a fief, all the inhabitants -being subjected to regular taxation, wisely calculated so as not to -excite discontent, and their authority was undisputed. These two -leaders could dispose of from two to three thousand Chinese, armed -with rifles, part of which force they would certainly be willing -to place at the service of De-Tam on the payment of a stipulated -sum of money. In fact, this is what actually did happen. Ba-Ky and -Luong-Tam-Ky submitted to French rule in 1895, but their territory has -not been occupied by the troops, for two very good reasons: first, -because the district is so poor that the expense entailed would hardly -be justifiable, and also owing to the fact that the region is so -unhealthy that Europeans cannot remain there any length of time without -falling victims to fever and dysentery. - -When we reached Nha-Nam, I received a hearty greeting from my comrades, -some of whom, owing to my prolonged absence, were under the impression -that I had also fallen a victim to the Cho-Trang fever, as they called -it. It was comforting to find myself back in my former quarters, to -fall once more into the jargon of the corps and take part in the daily -routine of the garrison. - -Two days later Lipthay left for Thaï-Nguyen with Lieutenant Deleuze. -I saw this smart intelligence officer. He was a small, brown-faced, -wiry man, whose most remarkable trait was the quiet, low toned voice in -which he spoke to those under him. The men told wild tales concerning -his wonderful knowledge of the language and customs of the natives, -whereby, it was said, he had on several occasions been able to adopt a -disguise, and accompany some of the native spies on their expeditions. -Whether this was exact or not I should not like to declare, but it -is certain that this officer possessed a wonderful knowledge of the -vernacular, and was a topographical expert of no small merit. - -I had hardly time to settle down in my old quarters again, for a week -after my arrival my section was sent off to Bo-Ha to strengthen the -garrison in that part, which at the time consisted of a company of -native troops under the orders of Captain Perrin. - -One night, shortly after our arrival there--it was the 16th January, -1892--the section was suddenly called out, orders being given for -each man to take with him a flannel suit, rolled up in his waterproof -blanket--which was slung across the chest--and provisions for two days. -We soon learned that a long night's march lay before us; for a wire -had been received from the Brigade, to the effect that a portion of -Ba-Ky's band was marching on Cho-Trang with the intention of rushing -that outpost, and our orders were to get there as soon as possible by -the nearest way. A guide was supplied by the headman of Dao-Quan, who -led us away by a track slanting off to the north-east of Bo-Ha, across -a wild, uncultivated region, hitherto little explored, and generally -considered impracticable. - -We started off at eleven, and it was easy walking for the first mile or -so, but once we had left behind us the cultivated district surrounding -our fort, the path went from bad to worse. We passed for several miles -over a plain covered with jungle, after which the track went into the -hills, and, though we kept up the pace, it was terrible work as we went -now up, now down, then splashing through the icy cold water of the -little streams coursing down each valley. Though the night was fairly -clear it was dark, and difficult to see ahead in the gullies and dips, -and we had to trust to luck sometimes when putting our foot forward. - -We reached Cho-Phang, a Muong village, at a quarter past three in the -morning, and a pedometer which I carried registered 18-1/2 miles. We -had now gained the rocky chain of the Nui-Dong-Nai, and thence the path -ran along at the foot of these heights. We rested a quarter of an hour, -and then continued our hurried tramp till we reached the Deo-Mou-Phieu -pass, concerning which I have already written when describing my first -journey to Cho-Trang. We passed through the cleft, going due north, and -reached our destination at a few minutes past seven. - -This was the hardest march it has ever been my lot to undertake, and, -as already stated, we covered close upon 32 miles in about eight hours. -The garrison--they were _tirailleurs_, for the detachment of the Legion -had left more than a month before--was on the alert when we arrived, -but had seen no sign of brigands. We were all glad to get inside the -fort and take a few hours' rest. During the morning a telegram was -received, stating that the band had taken another direction, and that -all danger was passed. Desiring, no doubt, that we should not pass -the night in so unhealthy a region, Captain Perrin, who had come with -us, started us on our way back at two in the afternoon. We went at a -moderate speed, passing the night at Cho-Thuong, where there are some -wonderful caves, the entrance to which is some 60 feet from the ground. -In these some of us tried to sleep, but were driven away by a host of -parasites. Access was gained to these caverns by means of long bamboo -ladders. When their village, which is situated at the base of the rock, -is attacked by bandits, the Muongs take refuge with their women and -children in these caves, where, after hoisting up the ladders, they are -absolutely secure from attack. Strange to say, they succeed in getting -their cattle into these shelters in time of danger, but whether they do -so by the aid of ropes, or through some lower entrance known only to -themselves, I was unable to ascertain. - -We reached Bo-Ha at three in the afternoon on the following day. - -During the next few weeks our detachment was kept very busy preparing -things for the troops, which were soon to be concentrated at this -point; and we spent a considerable part of our time working at the -road from the landing-stage on the Song-Thuong up to the fort. This -had to be widened and levelled so as to allow of the passage of field -artillery. - -It was very evident that the rebels were alive to the fact that -operations against them were intended, for their vedettes were -continually in evidence round Bo-Ha and Nha-Nam, and along the road -between these forts. No movement could be made by the troops of these -two garrisons without it being at once signalled by the enemy's scouts. -Their methods for communicating information at a distance were really -ingenious. By day they made use of a code of smoke signals, to obtain -which torches composed of chopped straw, resin and gunpowder were used; -at night oil lanterns with a sliding shutter attachment, or paper -balloons carrying a burning rag soaked in petroleum, served the same -purpose. - -Stores and ammunition continued to arrive, so that temporary sheds had -to be erected outside the fort, for the go-downs inside were filled to -overflowing. - -On the 5th and 6th March a company of the Legion from Lang-son, a -battalion of _Infanterie de Marine_, one of _Tirailleurs Tonkinois_, -a company of engineers, a battery of field artillery, one of -mountain-guns (in all, two thousand five hundred men and twelve guns), -and two thousand coolies arrived at Bo-Ha. These men, who were lodged -in huts constructed of bamboo and macaw-palm, composed the first -column, destined to march to the north-east and seize the hill, which -had been the subject of Lipthay's discourse to me on my return from -Quang-Yen, whence they would be able to attack the enemy from quite -an unexpected quarter. At Nha-Nam a second column, composed of five -companies of the Legion, a battalion of _Infanterie de Marine_, three -companies of native troops, a battery of mountain guns and two mortars -(two thousand eight hundred men and eight guns), was concentrated, -preparatory to advancing in two groups, from the south-west, along -the paths already thoroughly explored by the troops operating against -Hou-Thué in the preceding year. - -From Thaï-Nguyen a third force, consisting of two companies of the -Legion, three of _tirailleurs_ (one thousand and fifty men), and two -mountain-guns, was to march from the west, thus striking the rebels' -right flank, and joining hands with the column from Bo-Ha. - -The loyal Delta provinces supplied about one thousand irregulars armed -with rifles, and these, officered by their local military mandarins, -had orders to cover the flanks of the different columns, and, whenever -possible, maintain communication between them. A French officer was -detached to control their movements. - -On the 8th March General Voyron arrived at Bo-Ha with his staff, and -a council-of-war was held at which all the commanders of columns -and groups were present. When the General had exposed his plan of -campaign, each of the officers present was provided with printed -instructions concerning the tactics to be adopted, particular stress -being laid on the recommendation to abstain from delivering attacks -on fortified positions, unless a careful preparation for the assault -had been made by artillery fire. Great enthusiasm prevailed among the -soldiers of the Legion, and all were burning with a desire to be in at -the finish, the men of my company being particularly keen, which is -easily comprehensible, since for more than a year this unit had been -continually _aux prises_ with the enemy, and there were comrades to -avenge, and sleepless nights and long marches to make good. The old -soldiers were impressed by the elaborate preparations that had been -made and the strength of the force employed, and they were unanimous in -the opinion that _this time_ the "Valorous and Invincible Battalions," -as De-Tam pompously styled his troops, would be scattered to the -four corners of Tonquin, and their lairs would become the haunt of -the tiger, the panther and the bear. It is also probable that a good -many of the Legionaries secretly cherished the hope of doing a little -looting "on their own," for wild tales had been circulated concerning -vast treasures secreted somewhere within the precincts of De-Nam's -house, now occupied by his successor. - -[Illustration: REBEL RAMPARTS FACING POINT A.] - -Next day two battalions of infantry and the battery of mountain-guns -left Bo-Ha, and, after a forced march, occupied the hill already -mentioned, which to facilitate orders was designated as Point A. As -soon as this position was securely held the engineers got to work, -prepared the track leading to it and cut a zigzag road up the flank -of the hill to its summit, so as to permit of the heavier artillery -being brought up. A thousand coolies worked with the sappers, and -the task of preparing about 6 miles of road and cutting a path up the -sugar-loafed hill was completed in a little over forty-eight hours; so -that on the evening of the 13th a battery of six guns was established -on the top of Point A, and the whole of the column, with its reserve -of stores and ammunition, was entrenched at its base. The light field -fortifications necessary to shelter this force were made by the -infantry with the aid of the entrenching tools each soldier carried. - -During these four days the enemy had not been idle, for their -skirmishers maintained a constant fire on the column, the workers on -the road and the passing convoys, and we suffered some casualties in -consequence. At night their snipers claimed a few victims, but up to -this phase of the operations the losses on our side were few. - -At this time my section was chiefly employed in escorting the convoys -from Bo-Ha to Point A, or in covering the working parties on the road. -We sometimes slept in the fort, and sometimes in the camp with the -column: this depending on which of these two places was nearest to us -at the end of the day. We had several slight brushes with the enemy's -scouts, none of which, however, were of any importance. - -In the camp, when not on duty, I was glad to wander around from one -bivouac to another. In the French infantry lines things were generally -quiet, and these young soldiers, who had passed most of their time in -the colony, in the garrison towns, were evidently out of their element. -Most of them, when questioned on the subject, openly expressed their -desire that the operations might be of very short duration, though -these troops were undoubtedly as brave as their ancestors who fought -at Fontenoy, Jemappes or Jena, and had the call on their patriotism -been made for a supreme effort in Europe, they would have hailed the -chance with enthusiasm. As it was, the prospect was one of a violent -end, by the hand of an unseen foe, in some dark corner of the tropical -jungle, and this to further a colonial policy in which few of them -felt either interest or confidence. The ever-existing danger from the -deadly malaria, the distance separating them from their _patrie_ and -their homes, and the thought that their presence was due to the brutal -hazard and ill-luck attached to conscription: these were reasons hardly -conducive to a liking for the hardships and risks of the campaign. Not -that the _morale_ or courage of these troops was in the least affected -by this state of things, but their dislike for the expedition was -evident and outspoken. - -With the Legionaries it was different, and their bivouac echoed with -the rollicking choruses sung by the men as they sat around the fires. -Between songs they would crack jokes at each other's expense, and enter -into friendly discussions as to who would be the next to "eat bananas -by the roots," which was their playful way of suggesting a hurried -burial in soft soil. These were grown men, vigorous and hardened, and -therefore better able to resist fever, fatigue and privation than the -youthful conscripts, their neighbours, who sat by the blaze and talked -in subdued tones of "la chaumière et les vieux" in sunny France. The -Legionary possesses a rude but kindly nature, and, like the soldier -of fortune that he is, he revels in the adventurous existence he has -adopted, the hazards and dangers of it being the wine of life to -him. Without desire for honour or reward, without even the wish that -their deeds should receive public attention, these _condotieri_ of -to-day perform incredible feats of daring and devotion. Professional -soldiers they are, and they will remain unmoved by brilliant discourses -concerning the glory and honour of war, except that they will express -their contempt for such speeches by an occasional wink and a smile at -their neighbour in the ranks. For they love deeds, not words, and, when -led by an officer who possesses their confidence and whose courage is -undisputed, they will be generously, almost foolishly, heroic, going to -meet death with light-hearted gaiety, laying down their lives for him -without a murmur. - -The native troops were not unworthy of interest. Squatting round their -fires on various pieces of matting they had procured from no one -knew where, their turbans removed and their long hair falling almost -to their waists, they agitated the paper fans, which each of them -usually carried thrust in his belt, thus driving away the mosquitoes -swarming around. Their small hands, beardless faces, and rolling -walk as they moved about, and the quiet, singing drawl in which they -spoke, left on the observer an impression that they were effeminate. -It was hard to realise that under this gentle exterior these natives -possessed a talent for cruelty and cunning to a degree attained by few -other races. The causes and probable results of the campaign were of -small importance to them, if one could judge by the mask of Oriental -indifference they wore, though it was hard indeed to learn their real -sentiments on any subject, for it was rarely that they betrayed their -inner thoughts to a European, even though he knew their language and -could converse with them. The value of these troops as a military unit -is a question that has been treated in a preceding chapter. - -At 6 A.M. on the 14th the battery on the hill opened a hot fire with a -salvo of shrapnel aimed at what was supposed to be the centre of the -fortified village; the distance given by the range-finders being 2800 -mètres. The bombardment was kept up, the guns being trained at various -distances so as to sweep the position and its surroundings, till nine -that morning, when a dense mist rose from the intervening forest and -obscured the target. - -Clouds of damp vapour hung about the trees during the remainder of the -day, so that all action of the guns was out of the question. - -Profiting by the cover offered by the fog, the Commander-in-Chief sent -out several companies of infantry towards the enemy's position, in the -hope of ascertaining whether the artillery had succeeded in damaging -the fortifications. The passage of these troops through the forest -was opposed by the rebel skirmishers, who, however, retired into the -fort when the attack was pressed home. The columns pushed forward -towards the enemy's defences, the men being instructed to go slowly -and take all the cover available, and it was discovered that from -this side glimpses of the ramparts could be obtained at a distance of -a little under 100 mètres, which was considerably more advantageous -to the attacking force than had been the case at Hou-Thué, where all -forward movements were executed in the dark, since the position was not -visible until the assaulting troops were right upon it. This important -information obtained, the reconnaissance retired, without, however, -having been able to determine to what extent the fire of the guns had -been effective. That same morning the second column left Nha-Nam in -two groups, and, driving the enemy before them, proceeded slowly and -cleared the country up to Long-Thuong and Dinh-Tep, where they halted -for the night. - -The force from Thaï-Nguyen also started on its way, to find itself -opposed, after a march of 18 miles, by Ba-Ky's Chinese, who were -entrenched in considerable force close to Mona-Luong. The first -position on the road was assaulted and captured by the Legion, which -suffered several losses, but inflicted severe punishment on the enemy. -This column camped on the site of its success, and passed the night -there. Thus the first day of active operations had been a successful -one, and the advance had been general along the line of attack. - -On the 15th March, the weather being fine and clear, it was found -possible to renew the bombardment, and a slow, searching fire was kept -up all day. In all about two thousand shells were thrown into the -enemy's position. - -The troops skirmished towards the fortifications, and, behind them, -the engineers and coolies, with the aid of axe and saw, cleared a -broad track through the forest. Dynamite was used to level the big -trees, giants of the jungle, in dealing with which ordinary methods -would have been too long and laborious. Towards evening a position was -reached, about 200 yards from the ramparts, whence a good view of the -defences could be obtained, and offering to a mountain battery a fair -chance of effecting a breach. The column from Nha-Nam made slow but -steady progress during the day, and succeeded in driving the enemy from -several forts and entrenchments. - -The force from Thaï-Nguyen also effected a cautious and successful -advance, shelling and capturing trench after trench. Just before -sunset we could hear their little mountain-guns hammering away at the -retreating army. Before night fell a message was flashed from this -column stating that it had reached a point on the road leading to our -position, about 8 miles distant. - -During the day the losses on our side had been small compared with the -progress made; and since the commencement of the operations the total -casualties of the expedition amounted to ten killed and thirty-two -wounded. It was certain that the enemy had suffered severely, for more -than forty of their dead had been found in and around the different -positions captured. - -My section had been on camp-guard duty all day, much to the disgust of -all of us, and, to pass away the time when not on sentry-go, I climbed -up the hill and watched events. From this position the sight was a -grand one, for, as I have said, a panorama of the whole region could be -obtained. - -Crossing the brush-covered plain, going to and fro between the -forest--that hid the enemy and our attacking force--and our camp -situated at the base of the hill on which I stood, was a constant -stream of humanity. Now it was a gang of coolies, under charge of a -sapper, going to relieve some of their comrades who were clearing a -way for the guns: then a string of more of these useful but ragged -and dirty auxiliaries, trotting along in couples with a long bamboo -between them, on which were suspended boxes of rifle ammunition. From -the forest came a little convoy of wounded, or dead--who could tell -from here? For the naked eye could just distinguish three crumpled, -reclining figures, each covered with a brown army blanket, lying on the -stretchers which the ambulance men carried carefully over the obstacles -in their path. One of the three groups formed by the stretchers and -their bearers suddenly stopped, and the burden was gently lowered to -the ground. I saw a man run off to the right, something at the end of -a strap swinging from his right hand, and suddenly I realised that -this balancing object was a water-bottle. A kindly artillery sergeant, -whose gun, close to where I had been standing, had just vomited a -shell, handed me his field-glasses with a smile, and with a salute I -thanked him for having guessed my eager desire. When I had adjusted the -glasses, the soldier was back by the stretcher, and kneeling beside -it was supporting his wounded friend's head with one hand, while with -the other he held to the poor fellow's lips the flask containing the -precious liquid he had been craving for. Only those who have been -wounded can form a true idea of the terrible thirst that seizes hold -of a man who has been stricken down; water is like new life to him, -for all his anatomy seems parched up, burning, and the friend who can -procure it is an angel of mercy indeed. I recognised in the wounded -man and his chum two privates from the 3rd Company of the Legion, -despatched from Lang-son to assist in the operations. The "parrakeet -brigade" we laughingly styled them, because their brave but somewhat -eccentric captain had seen fit to dress them in green drill, which he -declared made his men less visible at a distance than the conventional -khaki. One of the men, the stricken one, was a Prussian; his comrade -an Alsatian: hereditary enemies, if some political historians are to -be believed, but here there was no room for race-hatred. There was no -thought of it in the Legion, and surely no better demonstration could -be given of the fact than the little incident I have described. Now the -belated stretcher was moving on towards a big tent situated in a corner -of the camp, from the top of which floated a red-cross flag. This was -the field hospital, in which the head surgeon, M. de Camprieu, and his -staff of doctors and orderlies were very busy; for besides the wounded -there were numerous cases of fever and dysentery to be attended to. - -With the glasses I tried to pierce the shadows of the forest, but -the foliage was too thick, and the only indications of the struggle -that was going on there under its vast roof of leaves, and between -its serried tree-trunks, were the occasional puffs of smoke filtering -through the verdure, the distant rat! tat! tat! of the rifles, -punctuated now and again by a sharp crack of an exploding dynamite -cartridge as it splintered the massive bole of a banyan or teak. - -I handed back the glasses to the kindly "non-com," and watched the -artillerymen working the guns. They were firing slowly now, one -a minute. A captain, standing behind the centre of the line of -long-necked, vicious-looking field-pieces, gave the command: "_Première -pièce ... feu!_" "Bang!" howled the ugly war-dog as it skidded back a -yard on its locked wheels, and from the distant forest came back the -sharp crack of the bursting shell, easily distinguished from the other -reports arising from the wood. - -The rebels were not the only sufferers from the guns, for the continued -detonations had driven from their usual haunts the herds of deer which -frequented the region, and in consequence the tigers, missing their -prey, were prowling about empty and enraged. At night their weird -"cop! cop! cop!" occasional snarl, or gruesome roar would waken the -stillness of the jungle, as they roamed around our camp; and on several -occasions I experienced an uncomfortable icy feeling from the back -of the neck downwards when these sounds approached me during my two -hours of sentry-go in the dark. Our column lost two coolies and three -commissariat bullocks, both men and cattle being carried away by these -"striped devils," as the natives called them. A _tirailleur_ sentry -belonging to the Thaï-Nguyen force also fell a victim to their hunger. - -On the 16th a general attack was made by all our columns, and though -the results of the day's work were favourable--for we had succeeded in -establishing a mountain battery in a sheltered position within a short -distance of the rebel ramparts, and the force from Thaï-Nguyen, after -brushing aside all resistance and capturing a big fort at Mo-Trang, -the existence of which was previously unknown, had joined hands -with us--yet this success was marred, early in the day, by a costly -disaster, overtaking one of the groups composing the southeastern -column. This unit, which was commanded by a major, only escaped -complete destruction and the loss of its artillery by little short of a -miracle. The two guns attached to the group got stuck in a swampy rice -field when coming to the assistance of the infantry, who had walked -into the close and unexpected fire of an enemy strongly entrenched -on a steep hill covered with dense vegetation. For some unknown -reason the commander ordered the surprised and somewhat disorganised -troops to assault the position. An attempt was made to execute this -order, but it was unsuccessful, and the column suffered severe loss, -two officers and twenty-six men being killed, and one officer and -thirty-two men wounded. A company of Legionaries who were scouting in -the neighbourhood fortunately created a diversion by attacking the rear -of the enemy's position, and this allowed what remained of the little -column, principally composed of French infantry and _tirailleurs_, to -retire in comparative safety with their guns. Unfortunately, a certain -number of the slain were left behind among the trees on the side of -the hill, and these, with their rifles and ammunition, fell into the -hands of the enemy. The officer responsible for this gross blunder was -sent back to Hanoï, pending an enquiry, and the incident cast a passing -gloom over the operations. - -Though this partial success somewhat revived the already ebbing -courage of De-Tam's tried and devoted veterans, large numbers of his -less enthusiastic supporters were continually breaking away from his -little army, and gliding between our outposts, for it was impossible -to establish with the troops at the disposal of our leader a complete -cordon in a district so vast and offering such good cover. Some of -these small bands made their way to the south, and found refuge in the -friendly villages of the lower Yen-Thé; others went north, and obtained -security in the territories occupied by the Chinese chief. - -The following day saw the downfall of the enemy's central position, -for, after a bombardment of three hours by the guns on Point A and by -the mountain batteries of the different columns, which were now on -three sides of it, the defences were rushed at two points, at three in -the afternoon. Though I took part in this final assault, it is hardly -necessary to describe in detail the fighting. Suffice it that the rout -of De-Tam's force was complete. - -Once inside the fortifications one and all were struck by the -immense amount of labour and skill that had been expended on their -construction. The colonel in command of the artillery during the -operations stated in his report that it might be roughly estimated -that at least fifteen hundred coolies, working continually during -nine months, must have been employed to complete these defences. The -superficial area of the interior of the position was about one square -mile, and upon it more than a hundred constructions had been erected, -consisting of lodgings for the chiefs, barracks for the men, huts for -the women and children, two fine pagodas and a big grain-store, raised -from the ground on stone pillars, and containing more than 500 tons -of rice when the position fell into our hands. The ramparts were -splendidly constructed, and in some places three lines of marksmen, -placed one above the other, could find protection behind them, being -sheltered from the artillery fire by casemates. On three sides the -Song-Soï served as a moat to the fort, while on the fourth a canal had -been cut for the same purpose. - -The enemy suffered great loss during the final development of the -attack, and numerous were the bodies strewn all over their position, or -hurriedly buried in the banana and areca-palm plantations surrounding -some of their houses. - -As an example to all insurgents, and also to put a stop to the -dangerous and superstitious legends in circulation concerning the -supernatural powers of De-Nam, the body of this chief was disinterred, -and his remains scattered to the four winds. The skull of the famous -rebel is now in the possession of a military doctor of high rank. - -Unfortunately De-Tam, together with a few of his most faithful -supporters, succeeded in making good his escape from the fort shortly -before the troops entered. Though this chief was never again able to -organise rebellion on such an elaborate scale, he nevertheless gave -great trouble to the French authorities, and inflicted severe losses on -the troops sent against him during the next five years. - -The most important part of the operations against the Yen-Thé rebels -was now terminated. During the following week the columns, split up -into groups, made regular _battues_ through the forests and jungle of -the region, and many more of the rebels were captured or slain. There -can be no doubt that the success of the expedition, the rapid downfall -of the numerous strong positions, and the penetration by the French -troops into that mysterious region--the soil of which, the natives had -been led to believe, would never be violated by the foot of the Western -foreigner--produced a lasting and beneficial effect on the minds of the -whole of the population of Tonquin, and did more to impress on them the -fact that the domination of the country by the French was irrevocable -and definite, than thousands of printed manifestoes bearing the name of -a President, or a Governor-General whose importance was small in the -eyes of the Annamese when compared with the lustre attached to their -exiled monarch. - -Several of the minor chiefs, recognising the futility of further -resistance, came in with their men and surrendered to the authorities -in Nha-Nam and Bo-Ha; in this way, during the fortnight that followed -the capture of their positions, the rebels brought in nearly two -hundred rifles. - -About five hundred of the enemy, who had succeeded in getting away to -the south, established themselves in several villages near Dap-Cau, -and pillaged the surrounding country. Their success was short-lived, -however, for, though the majority of the troops were now being sent -back to their respective garrisons, two thousand men and two guns were -sent against them under the orders of Lieutenant-Colonel Geil, and a -fortnight later, owing to the skilful tactics of this officer, the -flickering embers of revolt in the lower Yen-Thé were stamped out, and -the supporters of the movement scattered or slain. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - The last struggles of a rebellion--Departure of Captain Plessier--Our - new commander--Man-hunting--A friend in need--A false alarm--An - unexpected rise in life--On the Brigade Staff. - - -The remnants of the rebel forces, which had been smashed and dispersed -by Colonel Geil's column in the lower Yen-Thé, fled north and rallied -round their chief, De-Tam, who was hiding, together with a small number -of his most trusted retainers, in one of the wildest spots in the -dense forest region of the north-west of Nha-Nam, and about 10 miles -from that fort. This district is known to the natives by the name of -Quinh-Low. - -At this time, owing to the large number of rebels we had slain or -captured, or who had surrendered during the past two months, the total -number of insurgents with De-Tam did not exceed two hundred. Efforts -had been made by the provincial mandarins to secure the chieftain's -submission. The French Government, preferring, if possible, to adopt -a policy of conciliation, rather than run the risks and be burdened -with the heavy expense resulting from a protracted struggle with such a -brave, resourceful and mobile foe, authorised the native functionaries -to offer the leader of the insurrection not only his life and liberty, -but also a remunerative post in the local administration, on the -condition that he would come in with his men and deliver up his arms -and ammunition. - -These negotiations fell through, however, for De-Tam refused all offers -made to him, and wrote several letters to the French authorities in -which he informed them, in his usual high-flown, bombastic style, -that he would never surrender, and that he still possessed the utmost -confidence in the ultimate success of the cause he represented. -Notwithstanding these assertions, it is very probable that he would -gladly have accepted the terms offered had he been certain of enjoying -a quiet and comfortable life after his capitulation; but he was too -well versed in the natural cunning of his race not to know full well -that, in the event of his surrender, his very existence would be a -cause of constant dread to his former associates, the mandarins of the -Court of Hué, and they would most certainly find a way of ensuring his -silence, by means both wily and rapid, in the use of which Orientals -are experts. - -From papers captured by the French troops, when they surprised the -encampment at Quinh-Low a few weeks later, it was learnt that the chief -had decided on the construction of a new series of defensive positions -in this region, with the intention of carrying on the rebellion with -something like its former success. His desires in this respect were, -however, doomed to disappointment, for such was the constant activity -of the troops occupying the different parts in the upper Yen-Thé -that no rest or respite were allowed him or his men. When the main -expedition had been broken up at the end of March, General Voyron had -given orders for the permanent occupation of the fortified positions at -Mo-Trang and Mona-Luong. These two forts, which had both been captured -from the enemy by the Thaï-Nguyen column, were well constructed, and -they required but little labour, mainly in the direction of felling -the trees that were too close up to the ramparts, to make them almost -impregnable when properly garrisoned. For several months after the -conclusion of the principal operations, the troops from these two -forts, together with the men from Nha-Nam and Bo-Ha, chased De-Tam from -one hiding-place to another; and, in consequence, he was never able to -establish any permanent centre of resistance. - -Early in May my section was relieved by a similar detachment of the -Legion from Thaï-Nguyen, and we left Bo-Ha--for good this time--and -returned to our company at Nha-Nam. - -On the 10th of the same month we were assembled under arms to witness -the departure of Captain Plessier, who was leaving for Haïphong, whence -he sailed for France a few days later. Our new commander, Captain -Watrin, took over the company and escorted his predecessor as far as -Cao-Thuong. Though the officer who was leaving us had always been a -severe disciplinarian, unsparing in regard to the work he had required -of us, yet his departure was a cause of chagrin to his Legionaries; -and their rough, though heartfelt expressions of regret were numerous -and outspoken. None of the officers are allowed to remain more than -three consecutive years in Tonquin, though they can return there after -a sojourn with their regiment in Algeria. Our Captain had completed his -period of colonial service, so that he could not have remained longer -with us even had he desired so to do. Officers of his stamp, that is, -men whose bravery is undisputed, who are severe but also anxious for -the welfare of the troops under their orders, will always be popular -with the Legionaries. His successor eventually became an even greater -favourite with the company, for, besides the qualities mentioned -already, he had a real affection for his men, though, when the occasion -required it, he tempered this sentiment with necessary sternness. He -regarded his command as a family, of which he was proud to be the head, -and made no show of the taciturn aloofness which had characterised his -predecessor. Captain Watrin, who was about thirty-eight years of age, -was a splendid specimen of humanity, for he was tall, broad-shouldered, -and extremely powerful. Fair, with blue eyes and a ruddy complexion, -he was a typical son of the "Lost Provinces"; and the fact of his -being a native of a village near Strassburg added not a little to his -popularity with the numerous Alsatians in the company. He seemed to -take a real pleasure in making himself acquainted with the individual -joys and sorrows of his men. Whenever the chance offered itself, -he would question us discreetly concerning our private hopes and -ambitions, and do his best to prove to his subordinates that he was to -them not only a chief, inflexible as far as questions of discipline -were concerned, but also a friend to whom they could confide their -troubles, ever ready with a word of consolation or advice, and all -the aid it lay in his power to render. His enquiries were probably -distasteful to such of the men as possessed a past they did not care to -recall; but when he perceived that a private was reluctant to confide -in him, he was too tactful to insist on the subject, and would smooth -matters over by a cheerful, "_Et bien, mon brave._ When you want a -confessor, come to me. I may perhaps be able to help you." - -A few weeks after his arrival he was able to address every private -in his company by name, a trait which is exceedingly rare with the -officers in the French army. There is no doubt that the men were very -grateful to him for this detail, which certainly proved that their -chief was aware the Legionary was not merely an _enfant perdu_, to be -known only by the number stamped on each article of his kit, but that -he recognised that his men, like the rest of mankind, possessed their -just share of pride and passion, vice and virtue. - -He very soon showed us that his military talents were of sterling -quality, for in his first engagements with the enemy it was at once -evident that his dispositions for the attack were taken with great -coolness and forethought, and with the careful intention of avoiding -all wanton loss of life. During the final rush and scrimmage he was -ever to the fore, and would not be denied the place of honour at the -head of the assault, which he led with no other weapon than a thick -stick. - -Our company was kept continually on the move during the months of May -and June, reconnaissances and ambuscades being of daily occurrence. -Often we would make a night march, and, operating in conjunction with -parties sent out from the other forts, rush at dawn a village in which -several of the rebels had passed the night, or capture an encampment -situated in some out-of-the-way corner of the forest, or hidden in a -narrow jungle-covered defile between tall, steep hills. - -Our ambuscades were generally placed on the paths leading to the south -by which supplies, coming from the few isolated villages still friendly -to the rebel cause, reached the enemy. These expeditions always -took place at night, for our foes no longer possessed the strength -and confidence which had allowed them to move about the country by -day, as they had been in the habit of doing before the downfall of -their citadels. To the majority of us the excitement of these little -expeditions was a source of real joy, notwithstanding the dose of -fever or twinge of rheumatism that sometimes resulted. We enjoyed the -silent, stealthy march through the dark, the long wait, hidden in rank -jungle, with anxious eyes peering through the gloom, our fingers on -the trigger, all listening intently to the thousand soft noises of -the night. Every nerve would be strained to its utmost tension, every -faculty keenly on the alert. The rustle of the long grass as a deer or -wild hog moved cautiously through it, the breaking of a twig, the hoot -of an owl, or even the sudden shrill chirp of the cicala would make the -heart leap with expectation, so that its hurried throb sent the blood -coursing through the arteries, and the system would tingle again under -a wave of suppressed excitement. More often than not our expectation -would be disappointed, for the enemy failed to put in an appearance, -though now and again our patience would be rewarded by a scrimmage, and -a convoy would be captured and several rebels slain or taken. Once our -ambuscade was surrounded and suddenly rushed by a strong band of most -determined Chinese banditti, of whose presence in the region we were -unaware. It is probable that they were going south with a convoy of -contraband opium. A desperate hand-to-hand struggle took place in the -dark. One of our men was killed in the first charge, and several were -wounded. One of the latter, a bugler, died of his injuries a few days -later. It is difficult to surmise what would have been the result of -the combat had not another detachment of our men, which had been posted -at a small ford about half a mile away, come to our assistance, for we -were completely surrounded, and owing to the blackness of the night we -could hardly distinguish our foes, who were cunning enough not to make -use of their rifles, attacking us instead at close quarters with their -heavy swords. On finding themselves charged in the rear the Celestials -withdrew, and at daybreak we found six of their dead on or near the -position. All these had been slain by the bayonet, for there had been -but little firing on our side since, owing to the danger of shooting -our friends, it had been found necessary to keep to steel. Though our -adventure lasted only a few minutes, I think those of us who escaped -unhurt from the _mêlée_ were passing thankful when it was over; for -never was it better proved that if in warfare an ambuscade can cause -great hurt to an enemy who comes upon it unawares, that same ambuscade -is in danger of total destruction should the enemy be forewarned of its -presence. - -At this time, thanks to the experience they had acquired during the -past year and a half, and also to their having been employed during -the last three months in continually chasing the enemy from place to -place, through the wildest country it is possible to imagine, the men -of my company had become splendid jungle fighters. Each of them was -now not only a hardened, almost fever-proof soldier, but also a good -shot and an efficient scout, ever on the alert to notice each sign by -the way, to catch each sound in the air, and understand their meaning. -A footprint, a broken twig, a tiny streak of smoke creeping up from -between the trees to the sky, the dull thud of the distant axe as it -hit the wood, and the hundred and one other trifling indications of -the passage of man in the tangle of forest-covered hills were at once -seized upon and put to profit. - -Conversant with the enemy's methods of fighting in the dark glades and -sombre thickets of his favourite haunts, the Legionaries and their -officers had learnt to trust no longer to the paths, but to advance -silently yet swiftly through the undergrowth, taking advantage of -every bit of cover, and making of each tree in the wood, each rise in -the ground, a temporary rampart. Encouraged by their officers, the men -took great delight in this new sport, which seemed more like a hunt, -in which the quarry was man, than regular warfare. The fact of their -not being continually in touch with their officers and "non-coms," -and having consequently to depend sometimes on their own resources, -developed their individual initiative and self-reliance; whilst the -novelty of the situation gave full scope to their courage and love of -adventure. Perhaps with troops possessing less stamina and _morale_, -even these short periods of independent action would have been -dangerous, but with these well-disciplined and seasoned soldiers of the -Legion this new method of attack seemed rather to increase the zeal and -self-confidence of the men. - -The following statement, drawn up by a rebel deserter, the written -translation of which still exists, most probably, in the records at -the headquarters of the 2nd Brigade, will give some idea of how hard -pressed were De-Tam and his faithful few by our troops at this period. - -"The favourite wife of our old chief De-Nam was heavy with child when -the fire from the big guns and the approach of your infantry in such -great numbers obliged us to evacuate our positions. Notwithstanding -her condition she accompanied De-Tam and his lieutenants De-Truat and -De-Hué into the great forest at Quinh-Low. Here she gave birth to a -male child, posthumous son of our former leader; this was on the second -day of the fifth month" (May 26th). "At this time there were but few -men with De-Tam, for the majority of our troops had been scattered -all over the country, and many had gone south to their villages; thus -we were but sixty men armed with rifles, and with us were seven women -and two little ones. We had plenty to eat, for we drew rice from the -secret hiding-places in the forest, where great store of this food had -been placed many months before, by the wise orders of our Ong (Lord), -who was dead. But the white soldiers left us no peace, and each day -they pressed us so hard that we dared not sleep two nights in the -same place. At last we found a cave, to reach which we had to descend -a passage leading straight down into the earth." (In this district -are to be found numerous workings of former iron mines which were -abandoned several centuries ago, and are now overgrown with jungle. It -is probably to one of these that the deserter made allusion.) "We had -been in hiding in this place for several days when a party of soldiers, -who had followed the tracks of one of our men who had been sent out to -fetch water, nearly discovered our retreat. These soldiers hunted for -us until sundown and remained all the night in the forest, so that, -knowing this and fearing lest the cries of the young child should -betray us, De-Tam ordered us to dig a hole, and in it De-Nam's son was -buried alive. - -"When the mother was told of what had befallen her babe--for it had -been taken from her whilst she was sleeping, and she knew not where it -had gone--she was stricken with much sorrow, and went away from us, -weeping and complaining, into the forest, where she slew herself in the -agony of her grief. - -"On the morrow, when the troops had moved off a little, we succeeded in -getting away further into the jungle...." - - * * * * * - -The 9th June, 1902, I happened to be with a scouting party, and came -upon the body of the dead woman. It was still warm, and a native knife, -embedded right up to the hilt, had pierced the heart. Like the rest of -my comrades, I imagined at the time that this unfortunate creature had -been murdered by the rebels; and it was only several weeks later, when -assisting at the examination of the deserter mentioned above, that I -learned what had really happened. - -On my return to Nha-Nam in May, I had been glad to renew relations with -my friend Doy-Tho; and whenever I found time to do so, I passed my -evenings in his _caigna_, and, seated beside him as he smoked, talked -over the situation. - -He was always very well informed on all that was going on, though he -most certainly owed much of his knowledge to his former enemy, but -now devoted friend, Linh-Nghi, who, since the termination of the main -operations, had been nominated to the important post of _lu-thuong_ -(headman) of the village of Long-Thuong; and, in return for the -services he had rendered to the authorities, important stretches of -cultivated land, formerly owned by some of the rebels, had been made -over to him. - -It was from Tho that I learned of the lasting impression which the -rapid capture of all De-Tam's fortifications had produced upon the -population of the Yen-Thé. The majority of the people, he said, were no -longer moved to enthusiasm by this chiefs appeals to their patriotism, -and they now possessed no confidence in the ultimate success of the -movement in favour of their exiled monarch. However, my friend was -never weary of repeating that, until the French succeeded in killing or -capturing De-Tam, the chief would be a source of constant trouble in -the region, because most of the peasants possessed such a real dread -of him, that but few of the villages would dare to refuse his demands -for money or rice, so long as he remained an outlaw, and had at his -disposal a band of cruel and determined partisans. - -Though I think that Tho was glad of my company, it was evident to me -that he was chagrined at my continued refusal to become a votary of the -soothing drug, which, like the majority of his compatriots, he regarded -as one of the necessities of existence. His disgust at my persistence -was all the more intense because it was an open secret that several of -the French officers and sergeants, serving in the native regiments, -smoked opium, and took but little pains to conceal the fact. He would -give me as examples the names of his superiors who indulged in the -pleasure procured by the subtle poison, hoping to induce me to follow -their example; though, curiously enough, he would generally conclude -his exhortations with quaint reflections full of irony, concerning the -excess to which most of the Europeans who indulged in this passion -would go; and he would then, in grandiloquent terms, replete with -Oriental conceit, inform me that he was himself complete master of his -own desires. He would swell with pride and delight when, to humour him, -I would praise his powers of self-control, though, for the matter of -that, I was convinced the length of his purse and the veto of Ba, his -wife, had more to do with the number of pipes he smoked, than any check -he was himself capable of imposing on his cravings. - -He would speak at length on this subject, bringing out his words with -a slow, drawling, sing-song cadence in which there was no indication -of emotion, though now and again, when he had given an opinion he -considered was possessed of more than ordinary value, he would pause -somewhat longer than necessary, watching me intently the while, to see -if I had fully grasped the sense of his argument and appreciated the -beauty of his flowery metaphor. - -"Yes, friend," he would say. "Tell me, I beg you, has not Heaven -given to us men the different pleasures of life so that we shall draw -from them delight wherewith to lighten our troubles and to forget our -hardships? Indeed you do know, since I myself told it to you, that -our wise men have long since decided that these numerous and varied -pleasures can be classified according to their merits, which consist in -the degree of bliss they can procure us. Each of these emotions finds -its proper place in its proper section, which last is itself one of -'The Seven Joys,' even as a soldier has his appointed position in one -of the four battalions of his regiment. The ancients represented 'The -Seven Joys' by as many bats, because, like our pleasures, these animals -flit around us in eccentric curves; though it requires but a little -patience and a light blow to bring them to our feet. That is why in -our pagodas, our houses and upon the altars to our ancestors you will -always see, sculptured or painted, the seven bats which are 'The Seven -Joys.' - -"Heaven has sent us a thousand flowers--of which the most beautiful is -the sacred lotus--so that we should admire their colours and shape, -glory in their scent and draw great joy therefrom; also the splendour -of our hills, our forests and our rivers, the beauty of our women, the -love of our little ones, the pleasures of the chase, and the gladness -in the slaughter of our foes, are only a few of the million joys in -life, amongst which _Ong-Tu-phian_ (Lord Opium) is not the least in -importance; and these blessings have been generously accorded us by -the Lord Buddha himself, and any refusal to participate in them is -indeed rank blasphemy. But be warned that in all things there must be -moderation, and because of our friendship, I would not see you do like -the _Ong-Quan-hai_ (lieutenant) I have already spoken of, for, if his -orderly speaks not lies, this young man smokes one hundred and twenty -pipes each day, which is a great foolishness indeed; for in this way -his pleasure is no longer his servant, to come and go at his bidding, -but rather he has become the slave of his pleasure. Neither is his -case an exception, for nearly all you Western foreigners are alike in -this matter, and ever you go to the extremes. Either you will not touch -the drug--most probably because you are afraid of yourselves--or, if -you once begin, you will increase each day the number of pipes you -smoke, until your pleasure kills you, instead of remaining content with -a moderate use of it." - -In speaking thus Tho was but echoing the opinions of his compatriots, -for the inhabitants of Indo-China, like the Chinese, are convinced -of their superiority, so far as intelligence is concerned, over the -European. - -Partly from curiosity and also because I was determined to show -this little brown man that I possessed more self-restraint than he -gave me credit for, I consented one evening to make the experiment, -and smoked four pipes. I was rewarded by a most violent headache, -prolonged nausea, and a sleepless night crowded with waking nightmare. -It is hardly necessary to add that I did not repeat the experiment; -and though for some time Tho persisted in telling me that I had not -given the drug a fair trial, he finally dropped the subject. But it is -probable that my inability to partake of his favourite pleasure was to -him another proof of the decided inferiority of the European. - -About the middle of June, Lieutenant Deleuze, the intelligence officer -from Thaï-Nguyen, to whom reference was made in a preceding chapter, -came to us to assist in the operations that were going on, for owing -to his knowledge of the vernacular, of the natives and their customs, -he was able to obtain information when others, less gifted, would most -certainly have failed. This officer was also instructed to complete a -new map of the region, for the late expedition had brought to light -the many errors and omissions contained in the former surveys of the -province. My friend Lipthay accompanied the Lieutenant, for he was to -assist in the topographical work. - -I was pleased, indeed, to see my friend again, and was happy at being -able to congratulate him on his recent promotion, for he was now a -corporal; and we "wetted his stripes" on the evening of his arrival -with several bottles of good wine. In confidence he informed me that I -was myself to be attached to the intelligence staff of the district; -and, though he disclaimed all knowledge of the cause, I soon found out -that I owed this chance of promotion to his good offices. - -I little knew at the time what important changes in my existence this -new departure would bring me, though had I possessed that knowledge it -could hardly have increased my gratitude for the "good turn" my chum -had done me. - -For a month I worked with Lieutenant Deleuze, and accompanied the -different reconnaissances and little columns; making rough surveys of -the ground covered, and bringing back the sketches to Nha-Nam, where -they were amplified and checked. During these expeditions I was mounted -on a native pony, and armed with a carbine instead of the longer and -less handy rifle. - -My new life was a most agreeable one, for not only did I escape all the -drudgery of fatigue duties in the fort, but when the reconnaissance -with which I might happen to be out, got in touch with the enemy, I -would put away my compass and _planchette_ and do duty as a galloper; -carrying information from the scouts to the commanding officer, and -going back again with orders. My mount was only 11-1/2 hands in height, -so that when I was in the saddle my feet were but a few inches from -the ground, but the animal's pluck, endurance and surefootedness were -extraordinary. - -On the 15th July, Lipthay, together with the other members of the -district staff, returned to Thaï-Nguyen. I was left behind, as my -employment had only been a temporary one; but I continued to do -topographical work for our Captain, and was in consequence spared the -ordinary company routine. - -Owing to the extreme heat which had now set in, the authorities gave -orders for the suspension of all operations, except in case of great -urgency, so that nothing more exciting went on than an occasional hour -of drill or theoretical instruction. Having failed to capture De-Tam -while it was still possible to move the troops, the authorities were -now obliged to wait for cooler weather. - -Within the _réduit_, or little citadel, of our fort, a military -telegraph office had been erected, communicating with Bo-Ha and -Thaï-Nguyen by wire, and with Mo-Trang and Mona-Luong by the -heliograph. Two French operators, a marine and a gunner, were in charge -of the station. - -Since I had been detached on special service I had messed with these -two telegraphists, and it was not long before we were the best of -friends. Bougand, the marine, and Gremaire, the gunner, were Parisians -of good family and education; and, thanks to their natural versatility -and wit, we soon found means of introducing a certain amount of fun -into our existence, which helped to relieve the terrible monotony of -life in the fort. - -By nailing a damp sheet over a window which gave upon the gun-platform, -and with the aid of a powerful lamp, sometimes used for signalling -at night, we started a shadow theatre. Our troupe and scenery we cut -out of thick cardboard, and we were able to present adaptations of -some of the most popular dramas and comedies of the day, the text and -_mise-en-scène_ of which would have been a startling revelation to the -original authors. - -These performances were given twice a week, and lasted from 7.30 till -9 P.M., and our audience was composed of all the Legionaries not on -duty and such of the native troops as cared to attend. There was, of -course, no accommodation for the spectators, who were indeed above such -details; and they contented themselves with standing, or squatting, -upon the hard ground to watch the show. Though some of our audience -saw fit to make rude remarks concerning the tone of voice in which -the feminine _rôles_ were read, the majority were unsparing of their -applause; and the appearance of the silhouettes of such famous artists -as the golden-voiced Sarah or the two Coquelins brought down the house. -Now and again some ready-witted interruption from one of the spectators -would cause the temporary disappearance of the actors from the stage -and a momentary cessation of the performance, for, unable to control -our emotions or continue the dialogue, we would fall on the floor of -the little mat-shed hut, where we would lie convulsed with laughter, -until the noisy public threatened to pull down the house unless we -continued the play. - -Success ofttimes breeds foolhardiness, and in an evil hour, finding -that we had exhausted the _répertoire_ our memories offered us, of -plots from the Parisian stage, we decided to draw on local incidents -for the construction of our plays. At first all went well, for such -farces as _The De-Tam's Defeat_, in which that chief, after refusing -the hand of the Governor-General's daughter and a big dowry, died -through incautiously tasting the contents of a tin of bully-beef, -supplied by the Commissariat for the use of the troops, were -successful, and produced no untoward results. But, craving for still -greater popularity, we were foolish enough to put upon our stage -the too transparently caricatured counterpart of one of the senior -non-commissioned officers in the company of native troops, who, though -an excellent soldier, was possessed of many eccentricities. This -veteran resented our impudence, and we were reported and obliged to -suspend our performances. - -The instruments were placed in the upper storey of the little telegraph -station, and I was in the habit of sitting upstairs for a couple of -hours each evening with either of my friends who happened to be on -duty. Here we would chat and smoke--for the messages were few and far -between after eight--and while away the time till eleven. - -On the evening of 22nd May I was there as usual; Bougand was on -duty, and we had been exchanging opinions concerning the adjutant, -who had succeeded in obtaining the _clôture_ of our theatre, when -our conversation was suddenly interrupted by a call on the Morse -from Thaï-Nguyen. In the middle of the message he was receiving, my -companion gave a sudden whoop of astonishment; though this did not -cause me much emotion, for I was accustomed by now to his pet mania, -which consisted in telling me all sorts of tall stories concerning the -wires he received, and I prepared myself to greet a yarn about the -capture of De-Tam, or my promotion to the much-desired dignity of a -full blown corporal. When the message was finished, and he had rapped -back that he had read the same correctly, he jumped up excitedly, came -over to me and, holding out his hand, shouted: - -"_Mon vieux_, I congratulate you!" - -"_Blagueur!_" I answered. "Spare me your mouldy joke. It's much too hot -to laugh, so be sensible. Let's take a glass of wine, if any remains in -the bottle, and then I'll go to bed." - -"I assure you----" He almost yelled it, but I would not let him go -on, and taunted him with the staleness of the joke he was trying -to play; till, in despair of obtaining a hearing, he rushed over to -the instrument, tore off the band and handed it to me to read. To my -amazement I saw, clearly printed in little blue letters upon the narrow -strip of paper, beyond the possibility of a hoax, the following message: - - "_Major--Thaï-Nguyen, to Captain-Commanding Nha-Nam.--Send soldier - Manington by first convoy to Phulang-Thuong, from whence he will - proceed to Bac-Ninh to take service as secretary, Brigade Staff._" - -The next few minutes were exciting ones, and it was not until we had -hauled Gremaire from his bed downstairs, communicated the news to him, -and drowned our emotion in a jugful of wine and water, with a lemon cut -up in it, that things began to assume their normal proportions. - -I slept but little that night, and lay speculating as to how it was -that fortune had so favoured me, for a berth on the Staff meant -interesting work, extra pay and comfortable quarters; in fact, -a return to partial civilisation. The change carried with it one -drawback, however, which made me hesitate as to whether it would not -be better for me to propose another man in my place, for I knew that -promotion was very slow on the Brigade, the number of "non-coms" there -being limited to three, and I was already somewhat disappointed at not -receiving my "stripes" at the same time as my friend Lipthay; though -this had been owing to the fact that several corporals had been sent -out to the corps with the last batch of troops from Algeria, so that -the vacancies had been few, and only the best had been chosen. - -Next morning I was called up to the _rapport_, and after Captain Watrin -had informed me of the order received from our Major, I told him of -my fears; but he would not listen to them at length, and informed me -that I must go: that he was proud that a man from his company had been -chosen, and that I might congratulate myself on my good luck. - -"Why, _mon garçon_," he said, "you have only to do your work well -and keep sober--and you will do that, I know, for the honour of the -company--and promotion will come in good time. In two years you will -probably be a sergeant; and then, if you so choose, you will be able to -go to St Maixent (the military school for sergeants who wish to become -officers), and get a commission. Now go to the sergeant-major and get -your _feuille de route_, for you will leave with the convoy to Bo-Ha -to-morrow morning." Then, offering me his hand, this excellent man and -true gentleman said: "Now, good luck to you; and be careful to remember -always that you belong to the Legion, and that the honour of the corps -is yours also." - -After packing my kit and getting my papers from the sergeant-major, -who chaffed me good-naturedly by saying that now that I was going -to be on intimate terms with a general, he hoped I would not put on -too much "side," I went round the company to say good-bye. Later I -slipped away to Tho's hut in the native village, and told him of my -coming departure. The little man was evidently chagrined at the news; -nevertheless, he congratulated me most heartily, and made me promise to -write to him, saying, with evident pride, that he was now able to read -a little French, so that, with the aid of one of the native clerks in -the Commissariat Department, he would be able to decipher my letters. - -We had a grand dinner that evening in the little telegraph station, -a tin of salmon and several bottles of beer having been purchased to -swell the _menu_ provided by our usual rations. - -My friends drank to my success, and I to their health and speedy return -to France; and it was late in the night before I retired to rest for -the last time in the fort which had, with few intervals, been my home -for the past fifteen months. - -Several of my comrades were present to bid me "Godspeed" when, early -the next morning, I filed out with the convoy through the gates of our -position. - -Together with several sick men, both Legionaries and _tirailleurs_, -who were going down to the hospital, I left Bo-Ha that evening. We -descended the river in _sampans_, and reached Phulang-Thuong next -morning. - -On the morning of the 26th July I left for Bac-Ninh with the weekly -convoy to Hanoï which carried the mails. We passed through Dap-Cau -at noon, and arrived at our destination at 2 P.M. The country we -traversed was a big cultivated plain, dotted with villages, with here -and there occasional small groups of low hills. - -At Bac-Ninh there is a small citadel, built, no doubt, towards the -end of the eighteenth century by one of the engineers lent by Louis -XVI. to his ally, the Emperor of Annam. It is hexagonal in shape, and -constructed according to the principles of Vauban. Each of its sides -has a frontage of about 1000 yards, and is furnished with numerous -flanking bastions and demi-lunes. There was a company of marines, a -battalion of the 3rd Regiment of _Tirailleurs Tonkinois_, and about -a thousand militia in garrison there. Inside the citadel were the -houses of the General Commanding the 2nd Brigade, the Resident of the -province, the officers' quarters, the barracks of the troops, the Staff -offices, and the lodgings of the soldier-secretary. - -On my arrival I reported to the Brigade Major, Captain Michaud, who -sent me on with an orderly to the Intelligence Department, where I was -to be employed. - -The chief of this office, Lieutenant Cassier, received me very kindly; -and, after telling one of the secretaries, a marine, to go and show me -where our lodgings were situated, he informed me that I might rest that -afternoon, and come to work the next morning. - -I found that I was quartered, together with the other scribes--five -privates and two corporals--in a one-roomed brick building with a -verandah in front, which was situated at the end of the General's -garden, and looked out into the parade ground of the native infantry. -On the other side of this open space, about 300 yards away, were the -buildings occupied by the French marines. - -I washed, disposed my kit above the cot which I noted was of the -comfortable pattern in use in Algeria, and went for a stroll into the -town, about a couple of hundred yards outside the fortifications, for I -desired to reconnoitre the surroundings before dinner, which I had been -informed was at 6 P.M. - -The little town of Bac-Ninh is situated on the old mandarin road from -Hanoï (the capital of Tonquin) to Lang-son and the Chinese frontier, -about 18 miles from the metropolis. It contains a population of eight -thousand natives, is the capital of the province of the same name, and -has a cathedral, seat of the Spanish bishopric of eastern Tonquin. -Though it is not a manufacturing centre of any importance, its only -local production being silk embroidery work--for which, however, it is -famous--it is considered as one of the principal commercial towns of -the colony, because its markets are a medium of barter or exchange for -objects imported from the surrounding provinces and also from China, -through the frontier towns of Lang-son and Cao-Bang. I wandered through -the narrow streets for an hour or so, and was delighted with the life -and bustle of the little town. It was market day, and the busy throngs -jostled one another as they passed to and fro. The natives are noisy -individuals, and their shrill cries as they hawked their wares or -wrangled over the price of some article for household use--a basket -of rice, yams, or some other comestible--were perfectly bewildering -at first to me; for I had become so used to the silence of the empty -plains and the jungle-covered hills, that even the tiny stir of this -overgrown village produced an impression akin to what an inhabitant of -Exmoor might feel were he suddenly transported to the busiest centre of -London. - -I got back in good time to the citadel, for I was anxious not to commit -so serious a breach of etiquette as to make my new comrades await -dinner for me. - -I received a hearty welcome from them all, though only one of them, -a lance-corporal, who was working in the general office, belonged to -the Legion: he came from the 2nd Regiment. We sat down to our meal in -a small building close to the offices of the Brigade; and the fare, -which was better than I had been used to at Nha-Nam, and the unexpected -luxuries of china plates, real glasses, a table covered with white -oil-cloth and a punkah, were more than sufficient to reconcile me to -my new surroundings. Owing to the extra pay we drew--about one and -sixpence a day--it was not only possible to keep up a good mess, but, -besides the cook, we were able to maintain a boy, at four _piastres_ a -month--about eight shillings--and this faithful servitor swept out our -quarters, made the beds, cleaned our boots, pipe-clayed our helmets, -and performed a hundred and one other services, which I had become -so used to doing for myself that it was several days before I could -become accustomed to leave the work to him, much to the amusement of -the other secretaries. - -The morning after my arrival I rose and dressed at 5.30 A.M., as I had -been used to do in my company; but I got roundly sworn at by the other -occupants of the room for awakening them by my noisy ablutions. The -fault lay with them, however, for they had neglected to inform me that -the office opened at eight, though it was several weeks before I could -accustom myself to lie abed till seven each morning. - -I found that my task consisted partly in aiding in the drawing up of -a new map of the Yen-Thé, and partly in clerical and intelligence -work. This last part was the most interesting, for I had to write down -the reports of the different spies attached to the Brigade, and the -depositions of the captured brigands when they were interrogated by the -lieutenant in charge of our office. Besides this, I had to pass an hour -each morning with the Brigade Major, as it was my duty to register all -the correspondence received, the letters and reports being handed over -to me for that purpose by Captain Michaud, as soon as he had perused -them. By this means I became acquainted with everything of interest -that was going on in the colony, so far as rebellion, brigandage and -military operations were concerned; and I had not been long on the -staff before I realised that the little warfare in which my company -had taken a part in the Yen-Thé was but a chapter in the history of a -struggle that was still going on all over the country, outside of the -Delta provinces, between the French on one hand and the Tonquinese -rebels and Chinese bands on the other. Columns were marching, or -being organised, against such chiefs as Luu-Ky, whose powerful gangs -of well-armed plunderers overran the provinces of Quang-Yen, Lam and -Lang-son; the veteran banditti of the quasi-feudal lords, Ba-Ky and -Luong-Tam-Ky, in the districts of Cao-Bang and Ha-Giang, on the higher -reaches of the Red River, and the frontiers of Yunan, Kwang-si and -Kwang-tung; and skirmishes were reported daily by the officers who -commanded the numerous forts and blockhouses, whose garrisons were -continually coming in touch with the bands infesting the mountainous -regions of the colony. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - General Voyron--Organisation of the Brigade--Piracy on the Lang-son - railway--Politics and pacification--Topography and a tiger hunt--Among - the Staff records--Colonel Gallieni--General Pernot--Hanoï--General - Coronnat--Death of a friend--Adieu to the army. - - -Time dealt gently with the able officer who was in command of the 2nd -Brigade at Bac-Ninh in 1892; for this General, when at the head of -the French corps, serving ten years later with the allied army under -Marschall Waldersee in China, was still the same thick-set, active -soldier, whose rugged features bespoke the energy and determination -of the man, and whose eyes held the genial light which did not belie -the kindly nature of the soul within. Throughout the whole of his long -career this officer was associated with France's colonial army. As a -young officer he was severely wounded at the defence of Bazeille in -1870. He served afterwards under Faidherbe in the Soudan and Senegal, -and with Brière de l'Isle in Tonquin. - -The man-in-the-ranks of all armies is never at a loss to find an -appropriate nickname for a superior who appeals to his regard or -dislike, and this General had not been long in command before he became -known to the men, in the French and foreign battalions alike, as "Papa -Voyron." It would, indeed, have been difficult to find another cognomen -conveying with equal truthfulness the just, firm and fatherly manner in -which he treated the troops under his orders. - -It is a pleasure to do justice to the high military capabilities and -admirable characteristics of this popular French officer; but it -must nevertheless be stated that the speech made by General Voyron -at Marseilles, on his return from Pekin in 1902, containing as it -did several adverse and unmerited criticisms on the discipline and -courage of our Indian troops, was a source of some surprise to me. -However, when one takes into consideration that of late years politics -have unfortunately occupied a predominant place in the minds of -France's most capable military men, and also that public feeling was -unfavourable to England at the time this speech was made, it may be -assumed that these aspersions, which tally badly with the character of -the gallant officer, were but the result of a passing wave of popular -sentiment, to the effects of which the Gallic temperament is always so -susceptible. - -The Commandant of the Brigade, like many others of his profession, -possessed a hobby, as far removed from _le métier des armes_ as the -not infrequent desire fostered by many old merchant skippers for -keeping a poultry-farm is from the art of navigation. This hobby was -horticulture. It should be mentioned that during the cooler months of -each year in Tonquin--October to April--all the edible green stuffs of -the temperate zones can be grown with success; though to obtain really -good results fresh seed must be procured annually from Europe. General -Voyron made it his special care that all the stations in the interior -where white troops were garrisoned should possess a kitchen-garden. -Thanks to this wise measure the men, to the benefit alike of their -health and palate, were, and are still, supplied during six months -out of twelve with abundant quantities of fresh vegetables; and the -quality of the crops obtained from the trim, well-kept gardens is a -cause of emulation in each of these small garrisons. - -Whenever the General inspected the different forts situated in the -regions under his care, he never failed to look round these gardens; -and, when they showed proof that care had been bestowed upon them, he -was lavish in his expressions of satisfaction; but there would be a -_mauvais moment à passer_ for the unfortunate officer who had neglected -or ignored the Brigadier's circulars containing recommendations -concerning the necessity of ensuring a liberal supply of vegetables for -the men. - -The internal organisation of the Brigade Staff was very simple. There -were three departments, the first being the general office, the staff -of which was charged with the elucidation of all questions relating to -administration, promotion and discipline in the corps belonging to the -Brigade, the printing and despatching of general orders and circulars, -and the drawing up of the monthly reports concerning the available -effectives, the existing stocks of arms and ammunition, and the general -health of the troops. - -The Intelligence Department was the second section, and the duties of -its chief were both numerous and delicate, some of the most important -being the control of the surveying and topographical bureau, the -interrogation of spies or prisoners, and administration of the Secret -Service funds, the translation of code telegrams, the classification -of the documents relative to the active operations of the Brigade, and -the editing of the monthly confidential reports concerning the existing -bands of rebels and brigands, which gave detailed information as to -their organisation, approximate strength, armament and zones of action. - -The third department was the office of the Brigade Major, through which -all completed work passed for inspection and annotation before being -transmitted to the General for signature, and from which the first two -sections received instructions. - -The Chief of the Staff, who was at the head of this office, was also -charged with the transmission of the General's decisions, relative to -punishments or censure inflicted on officers under his orders; and -to his care were entrusted the confidential notes concerning each of -these subordinates. These notes consisted of information concerning -the past services, punishments, special aptitudes or failings, as the -case might be, of each officer in the Brigade, and were contained in -a little parchment-covered book known as the _livret individuel_, on -the outside of which was written the name of the person it concerned. -One such book is made out for every sub-lieutenant as soon as he -passes out of St Cyr and obtains his commission, and this little -tell-tale record follows him from corps to corps during the whole of -his career. It will be easily understood that it is considered a matter -of extreme importance that no officer should ever become acquainted -with the contents of his _livret individuel_, and to this effect the -only persons who are allowed to handle them are the commandant of his -regiment, who notes therein every six months his appreciations of his -subordinate's military capabilities and moral conduct, the Chief of the -Brigade Staff and the General. - -The Secretaries on the Brigade took turns on night duty, for it was -necessary that a man should be at the office from 6 P.M. to 6 A.M. to -receive the telegrams when they arrived, and, in event of their being -of urgent importance, to send them on to the Chief of the Staff. We -were so busy in the Intelligence Department that in the first week in -September the Major decided to get another man, so as to relieve me -and aid in the topographical work. To my delight Lipthay was chosen -for the post, so that a few days later I was able to welcome my old -chum into his new quarters. This increase in work was due to the state -of affairs on the railway then in construction from Phulang-Thuong to -Lang-son, for the region was overrun by bands of Chinese brigands, -under the orders of the famous Luu-Ky, who attacked the working -parties, and carried away into captivity several of the French -engineers and contractors. Encouraged by their success, the robbers -ambuscaded several of the convoys going by road to Lang-son, and, after -slaying the majority of the escort, carried off important quantities of -treasure, several cases of Lebel rifles and a good deal of ammunition. -In one of these engagements a major of the _Infanterie de Marine_, -Commandant Bonneau, was shot dead. So great was the mobility of these -bands, and such excellent cover was offered by the mountainous -country on either side of the road, that all attempts to engage and -scatter them, made by the little parties of troops garrisoned in -the different forts, proved of no avail; and it soon became evident -that it would require a strong and well-organised column to secure -any favourable results, to ensure the security of the route, and to -allow of the work upon the railway being continued. In August General -Reste, the Commander-in-Chief at Hanoï, made an urgent appeal to the -Governor-General for permission to undertake operations against Luu-Ky, -on a scale to ensure success; but M. de Lanessan refused to countenance -any such movement, and declared that the military authorities ought to -be able to crush the bands with the forces already at their disposal, -in garrison along the Lang-son route. There is little doubt that the -Governor in making this reply was influenced by political motives. -The recent successful operations in the Yen-Thé had been utilised to -further his political aspirations in France, and the metropolitan -press had repeatedly announced, with a great flourish of trumpets, -that rebellion and brigandage were now dead in Tonquin. Indeed, in one -of his reports to the Colonial Minister, M. de Lanessan had declared -that, owing to the success of his administration, the pacification -of the colony was now an assured fact, and it was possible to wander -over the country with no other protection than a stout walking-stick. -The absurdity of such statements was clear in Tonquin, but they found -favour with the public in France, where people were only too willing to -believe that an era of peace and plenty was at last to open in their -Far Eastern possessions, with a consequent cessation of the enormous -sacrifices of men and money that had accompanied the past ten years. -The Governor, because of this advertisement, was declared to be the -first of France's Viceroys capable of grappling with the situation; -and as it was his firm intention to again contest, in the near future, -the seat in the Chamber which he had resigned on accepting the high -position he was now filling, he can hardly be blamed, in a country -where men take up politics as a business, for fostering interests -which would assure him a considerable number of votes when the time -came. That this state of affairs was detrimental to the progress -of the colony is certain, but political influence, party hatred -and electioneering jobbery have had much to do with retarding the -development of Indo-China, since its administration was placed in the -hands of a civilian governor and staff in 1886. - -It is, however, possible that the Governor made these declarations -in good faith, for he had hardly been a year in the country, and was -obliged to rely for advice on the Residents and Vice-Residents; and -these civilians, hating the military element, were only too eager -to throw doubts on the exactitude of the information contained in -the reports coming in from the military territories, and they openly -declared that the officers of the colonial army were intentionally -exaggerating the gravity of the situation in the hope of provoking -operations likely to bring them promotion and decorations. The -contradictory advice of his civilian staff was possibly one of the -causes which led the Governor to pooh-pooh the importance of this new -upheaval, declaring that the Generals were alarmists, and that the -well-armed and organised bands of Luu-Ky were "_que des voleurs de -vaches pour venir au bout desquels il suffirait de quelques gendarmes_" -("only cattle-stealers with whom a few policemen could deal"). These -declarations provoked the anger and disgust of every officer and man -in the colony, and very soon a veritable hatred reigned between the -civil and military elements. The different newspapers sided with the -parties appealing most to their sentiments or their pockets; for it was -an open secret that some of these journals were subventioned by the -Government, and a wordy warfare wherein neither insults nor invective -were spared, was the order of the day. Doubtless there were faults on -both sides; and it is certain that the Commander-in-Chief committed -an unpardonable error by issuing general orders to the troops, to be -read at parades and posted up in the barracks, in which the civilian -authorities were belittled and reproached with having insulted the -army. This necessarily added fuel to the fire; and the situation became -so strained that officers and civilians came to fisticuffs in the -streets of the capital, and several serious duels took place. - -Things were, however, brought to a climax towards the end of August -by the abduction of three Frenchmen on the railway-line, one of whom, -M. Vezin, was the principal engineer representing the big contracting -firm, Fives-Lille & Co. The consternation in high quarters when this -news was received was considerable, for there existed no possible -chance of keeping such thrilling information out of the newspapers in -Paris. - -As soon as the _coup_ had been successfully carried through, Luu-Ky -retired into the security of his lair in the mountains of the Bao-Day -range, and from here he sent out messengers to the nearest military -station, announcing that he would release the prisoners on the receipt -of a sum of $100,000 in silver; but he also declared that, in event -of the troops approaching his encampment he would have the captives -executed immediately. The excitement throughout the colony was intense, -and party rancour was forgotten in the general anxiety felt for the -three unfortunate prisoners, as the cruelty of the Chinese bandits -was well known to all. After three weeks of negotiation a slight -reduction in the ransom was obtained, and the three gentlemen were -released, after having suffered indignity and torture at the hands of -their captors, with the result that their constitutions were wrecked by -privation and exposure. - -The Governor still refused, however, to authorise effective operations -against the robbers; and it was not until several military convoys -had been captured, and a good many officers and men slain, that M. de -Lanessan finally agreed that the bandits were worthy of more serious -attention than they had previously received. When the column actually -commenced operations its work was considerably facilitated by the death -of the famous chief Luu-Ky, from the effects of a wound received during -the attack made on the convoy when Major Bonneau was killed; but, owing -to the rugged nature of the country in which the operations took place, -it was fully six weeks before the brigands were defeated and scattered. -A good many of the bandits escaped into Kwang-si, and others fled to -the mountainous regions in the north. - -The telegrams and reports, coming in from the column, were of great -interest to me, as my company was taking part in the _battue_. I -happened to be on night duty one evening towards the end of September, -when a wire was received stating that a detachment of my comrades had -been caught in an ambuscade, among the rocky defiles of the Kai-Kinh, -at a point not far from Cho-Trang, my former garrison. This despatch -mentioned that Captain Watrin, our commander, was among the slain. Both -Lipthay and myself were shocked at this news. We experienced, however, -a certain relief on hearing next day that the body of our chief had not -fallen into the hands of the enemy, though seven of the men were hit -while carrying the corpse out of a narrow defile to a place of safety. - -Several months later I met a man who had assisted at this engagement, -and he informed me that the Legionaries went raving mad when they -learned that this popular officer was killed, and, after rushing the -position--to gain which they had to pass, one at a time, down a sort -of narrow funnel, 50 feet long, swept by the enemy's fire--they slew -every Chinaman found behind the improvised ramparts. Our losses were -very heavy, owing to the strength of the position, but the men would -not be denied, and took a terrible revenge for the death of their -Captain. In October the rebel chief began to give trouble again. -He made overtures for peace, and, profiting by the confidence thus -inspired, and the absence of the majority of the troops from the -region, he left his retreat in the forest, and captured and occupied -a strongly-fortified village called Ban-Cuc, about 10 miles south -of Nha-Nam. He established his headquarters there, and ravaged the -surrounding district, until, a fortnight later, he was driven from -his fastness by a column under Major Barr, and again escaped to the -mountains with the majority of his men. - -Notwithstanding the hard work we were having on the Brigade, time -passed agreeably at Bac-Ninh, for there was plenty to see in the town -when we were off duty--that is, for any one interested in studying -the native industries and customs. Besides, to relieve the monotony -of garrison life, the General had encouraged the French troops to -organise a theatrical _troupe_, which gave some very amusing concerts -and dramatic performances in a temporary theatre in the barracks, the -Commandant of the Brigade and his staff never failing to attend. In -October General Reste was recalled to France, and General Duchemin took -over the supreme command of the troops in the colony, after which the -animosity between the civilians and military subsided. - -At this time I was often left in charge of the Intelligence Department, -for Lieutenant Cassier and Lipthay were away three days in each week, -making a new survey of the surrounding country. During one of these -outings they were approached by the headman of a village, who begged -them to come and slay a man-eating tiger that had established his -headquarters in a cluster of trees inside the hamlet itself. The -beast had been there three days already, and each morning had seized -upon and devoured one of the unfortunate inhabitants, so that the -remainder were afraid to leave their houses. The natives declared -that they had employed every available means of driving the fierce -brute away, but the beating of drums and gongs, the throwing of lances -and lighted torches into the scrub, had only served to enrage their -uninvited guest, and that very morning one of the villagers who had -approached too near to the thicket, had been slain before the eyes of -his comrades. The officer and my friend, taking with them their escort, -consisting of ten native soldiers and a corporal, proceeded at once -to the scene of the tragedy. The _tirailleurs_, instructed to shout -and keep on firing off their rifles in the air from time to time, were -told to advance upon the little clump of trees from three sides at -once, while the lieutenant and Lipthay waited on the other. By these -means they succeeded in driving the tiger out into the open, and he -was despatched with a couple of well-aimed shots. I saw the beast when -brought into Bac-Ninh; he was a fine specimen of his kind, measuring 9 -feet 7 inches from the tip of the tail to the muzzle. - -At this period of my service I was promoted to the post of -_archiviste_, and thus was placed in charge of all the records of the -Brigade. I should mention that at this time they were in a serious -state of disorder, owing to the negligence of the secretary who had -preceded me in this work; so that I was obliged to set to and sort the -whole of them. It was somewhat weary work at first, wading through -this mass of paper: the greater part consisting of musty, dust-covered -_dossiers_, dating back, some of them, to the conquest of the country -by the French. But there were documents of immense interest among this -medley of yellow, evil-smelling and worm-eaten despatches; and the -reconstruction, with the aid of all the original reports of the famous -march of General de Négrier to Lang-son and the frontier of China, the -subsequent retreat to Kep, and the enquiry prior to the court-martial -held on the unfortunate Colonel Herbinger, who took over the command -of the troops after the General was wounded at Ky-Lua, was a source of -pure joy to me for several days. - -In December General Voyron left Tonquin for France, and Colonel -Gallieni, later a General and Governor of Madagascar, came down from -Lang-son, where he was in command of the 1st Military Territory, and -took over the service _par interim_. The Governor-General, who had -already done away with the brigade at Son-Tay, thinking, no doubt, -that this was a magnificent occasion to weaken still further the hand -of the military party in the colony, decided to dispense with another -brigadier, so he issued a decree abolishing the command at Bac-Ninh. -Probably the fact that the announcement of this step would be hailed in -France as another proof of the supposed pacification of the country was -an inducement to the taking of this measure. - -It is doubtful, from a military standpoint, if the change was a wise -one; for, though it saved the colony about £4,800 a year--the salary -of two generals--it was hardly possible for the Commander-in-Chief in -Hanoï to deal directly with the commandants of the different regiments, -military territories and garrisons in the Delta, who were scattered all -over so vast a country. Indeed, the insufficiency of the new system was -so evident that the authorities eventually returned to the original -arrangement; and to-day, though the country is almost completely -pacified, there exist two brigades in Tonquin and one in Cochin-China. - -However, though M. de Lanessan planned this important change in the -colony, the Colonial Ministry in Paris did not look at affairs in the -same light. As soon as they learned that General Voyron was leaving, -they sent out General Pernot to replace him, and the latter arrived in -Indo-China to find that the post he had come out to fill, no longer -existed. - -M. de Lanessan would have liked to send the General back to France--and -indeed he proposed to do so--but the authorities in Paris, probably -because they had no post for the officer at home, insisted that he -should remain. Thus the brigade was resuscitated for his benefit, -and its secretaries, already on their way to rejoin their respective -regiments, were recalled to Bac-Ninh. I had been in Phulang-Thuong -four days, and was awaiting a convoy for Nha-Nam, when the order -arrived for my return, and its arrival caused me no little surprise and -speculation. - -Two days later I was back in my old place, my absence having lasted -about a week, and the following morning General Pernot came up from -Hanoï with his staff. - -He was a short, fat, red-faced man with a very loud, disagreeable -voice, and a temper that was worse; and his reputation with the men -of being a crusty martinet was not altogether unjustified. The day -following his arrival he came to the office and passed a review of the -secretaries. On learning that I was in charge of the records, he came -over to where I was standing at "attention," and asked: - -"You are naturalised, I suppose?" - -"No, _mon Général_," I answered. - -"What! not naturalised yet! You have the intention of becoming so, of -course?" - -"No, _mon Général_," I replied. - -He glared up at me with an angry stare, and his face took a dull-red -colour. I thought he was going to burst. - -"Oh, indeed!" he blurted out at last. "You _must_ put in an application -to become a French citizen, or go back to your battalion. I will have -no foreigners in a post of confidence on _my_ staff. _Grand Dieu!_ -what have they been doing to allow such a thing? It is shameful! _Nom -de nom!_" - -He almost shouted the last words, so great was his indignation, and -from the expression he put into them one might have been justified -in imagining that the Republic was in danger owing to my presence -there. I did not become naturalised, and I heard nothing more about -the question; and in justice to this cantankerous officer, I must -acknowledge that, during the fifteen months he commanded the Brigade, -he treated me with consideration on the rare occasions that I had -any direct business to transact with him. He had risen from the -ranks--indeed, I was told that he began his career as a sailor on a -man-of-war--and it is therefore probable that his modest origin and the -hard times he experienced at his _début_ accounted for his rough and -rude manners. - -Our new Brigade Major, Captain Bataille, was a quiet and reserved -gentleman, who studied hard at his profession and was a most capable -officer, having already brilliantly distinguished himself in the field, -for which he had been decorated with the cross of the Legion of Honour. - -We had now no Intelligence Department; and all questions formerly dealt -with by this branch, together with those relating to active operations -by the troops, were treated by the Headquarters Staff at Hanoï. - -The Governor had not succeeded in doing away with the Brigade, but he -had taken his revenge by reducing its importance to a minimum, and the -_rôle_ of its chief now consisted almost entirely in looking after -the details of administration and discipline of the regiments under -his orders, and in conducting the annual inspection of the troops in -French Indo-China. In January, 1893, we received orders to transfer our -offices to Hanoï, and we had rather a lively time of it for several -days packing up the records and stowing them away, together with all -the portable furniture, into a long string of commissariat mule-carts. -Our march to Hanoï was not a fatiguing one, for the distance is not -great--about 20 miles--and the road is probably the best in Tonquin. - -Owing to the numerous carts we were escorting our progress was not -as rapid as it might have been, and it was late in the evening when -we reached a point on the left bank of the Red River, just opposite -the capital. The country we had traversed during the day was perfectly -flat and covered with paddy fields, and I do not think we saw the -smallest patch that was not cultivated. The weather was bitterly cold, -the mercury having descended almost to freezing point (the winter of -'92-'93 was a record one in the colony), and thrice along the route we -came upon the bodies of natives who had died from exposure. Our convoy -was transported over the stream--nearly a mile wide at this point--by -a steam ferry. The accommodation on this ferry was so restricted that -only two carts could be taken at a time, so that it was quite dark when -we reached the citadel, situated some distance from the landing-stage. - -Our new offices were inside the fortress--a fine place, constructed on -the same plan as that of Bac-Ninh, the difference between the two being -that the superficial area of the first was twice that of the second. -These fortifications, first captured by the French in 1872, no longer -exist, and on the former site of their ramparts and ditches can now be -seen one of the finest quarters of the European town. - -Hanoï, the capital of Tonquin, was important and imposing when I first -saw it in 1893; and to-day, thanks to the enterprise and good taste -of its municipal council, it is certainly one of the finest cities in -the Far East. Its rapid development and flourishing condition leads -one to reflect on what the colony itself might be were its destinies -placed, like those of the metropolis, in the hands of a representative -chamber of colonists elected by their fellow-citizens, instead of -being entrusted to an army of political functionaries. The city was -founded in 865 A.D. by the Emperor Cao-bien, and its original name was -Dai-la-Thanh. A succeeding monarch, Thay-Son, constructed a palace -there in 1028. Hanoï is admirably situated for commercial purposes, -being at the extreme northern limit of the Delta provinces, at a point -on the river, 82 miles from Haïphong, where communication with lower -Tonquin, by means of the numerous estuaries and canals, is easy and -rapid. The same may be said with regard to upper Tonquin and Yunan, -which can be reached by the Song-Koï itself. The Dutch merchants -established factories or trading posts here, and at Hung-Yen, Nam-Dinh -and Haïphong, towards the end of the sixteenth century. - -Hanoï has the form of an isosceles triangle, the base of which -extends along the river bank for about 2 miles. The inhabitants of -the capital owe a good deal to M. de Lanessan, who was the first to -suggest the demolition of the immense and useless citadel, which, -owing to its situation, retarded the growth of the city northwards. -The native quarter of the town is extremely picturesque, and the neat -whitewashed houses, not two of which are alike in size or height, with -their quaintly-curved, red-tiled roofs, and step-like cornices, the -numerous pagodas ornamented with dragons, griffins and genii, produce -a vista of pleasant aspect and great interest to the European. There -are hundreds of small shops, wherein the natives squat on a piece of -matting, surrounded by their wares. Workmen of a like craft, merchants -in similar lines of business, flock together and live in the same -quarter, so that the majority of the streets in the Annamese portion -of the town are named after the objects made or for sale there. -Thus it is that one sees at the corners of the thoroughfares such -indications as "Bamboo Matting Street," "Hat Street," "Fan Street," -"Copper Street," etc., etc. The main arteries of this quarter present -a crowded appearance, and traffic is continual, but, contrary to the -usual state of affairs in most Oriental cities, the streets are clean -and odourless, a fact which can be attributed to an excellent system of -police supervision. - -The _riksha_ is the favourite means of transportation, although an -admirable system of electric tramways has now been started. The native -inhabitants of the town dress somewhat more carefully than their -fellow-countrymen in the villages; that is to say, the merchants and -shopkeepers do so. They all wear the big hat made of palm leaves; and -the wealthier classes embellish its appearance by applying a light -brown varnish to its exterior and surmounting its crest with a cap of -silver scroll-work and a small spike of the same metal. - -The Asiatic population of Hanoï is very dense, and in 1902 consisted of -100,000 Annamese and 3,500 Celestials. According to the returns, there -were 6,110 native houses in the city, covering a total area of about -165 acres. - -The French may well be proud of the European quarter of the capital of -Tonquin, for its fine, well-laid-out boulevards and streets, handsome -public buildings, big shops, comfortable hotels and well-appointed -_cafés_ would do honour to the _prèfecture_ towns of Southern -France, such as Arles, Avignon, or Montpelier. Though the principal -thoroughfares of the town do not present the busy appearance of our -Eastern commercial centres, such as Singapore or Hong-Kong, and one -does not meet the hurrying throngs that give to these two cities the -characteristics of Anglo-Saxon activity, yet the prospect of the -Rue Paul Bert, the principal street at Hanoï, at the hour of the -_aperitif_, is extremely pleasing, and reminds one of the Parisian -boulevards. In front of the more important _cafés_ the pavement is -occupied by the numerous round marble-topped tables so dear to the -boulevardier. After five o'clock every evening these terraces are -crowded with _habitués_ who, while sipping their iced _absinthe_, -_vermouth_ or _bitter_, sit enjoying the cool breeze, exchanging -the tittle-tattle of the town, discussing the latest departmental -or social scandal, or watching the passing carriages--smart little -victorias or dog-carts drawn by diminutive, well-groomed ponies, and -provided with yellow-skinned coachmen and "tigers," glorious in their -neat liveries and top-boots. At this hour the ladies of the colony, -whose means permit of this luxury, drive through the town, out to the -fine botanical and zoological gardens, and alight at the _Kiosque_, -to enjoy a stroll in the fresh of the evening, and to listen to the -band or partake of a cup of tea or an iced _sorbet_. The male sex is -also _en evidence_ at these gatherings and promenades; consequently -the _toilettes_ are brilliant and of the latest fashion, and, with -a slight flight of fancy, one might imagine oneself back at the -_Cascade_ or the _Pré Catalan_ in the Bois de Boulogne. In 1893, as -it is to-day, the palace of the Governor-General, the residence of -the Commander-in-Chief, and the offices of the Headquarter Staff are -situated in a portion of the town known as the Concession--a strip -of ground fronting the river, about 1 mile long by 700 yards broad. -This small territory was conceded to the French in 1882 by the Emperor -of Annam, and, together with the Concession at Haïphong, which was -occupied a few years previously, it may be said to represent the first -foothold of France in Tonquin. - -The public buildings in the Concession are well built, and are -surrounded by fine gardens. The town is provided with a splendid system -of surface drainage; it is lighted throughout with electricity, and -possesses an adequate water supply, which, however, is the cause of -some complaint, owing to the fact that the water is pumped from wells -situated in the native quarter of the town and close to the river, -from which, it is more than probable, there exists a considerable -infiltration. - -In the centre of the European quarter of Hanoï there is a lake. The -borders of this are covered with trees and shrubs and laid out with -paths framed in verdure, so that the effect of the whole is charming. -There are two small islands on the lake, and on each of these is a -small pagoda. On the largest island, which can be reached by a fine -native bridge, about 30 yards long, built of ironwood, is a beautiful, -though small, specimen of a native temple, known as the pagoda of the -isle of Jade, and for the last five hundred years it has been the -_rendezvous_ for the _literati_ of the capital. The zoological and -botanical garden, to which reference has already been made, is situated -in the extreme north-west corner of the city. It is splendidly laid -out, and covers several acres of ground. It is here that the "Society" -of Hanoï comes to drive or promenade of an evening before dinner; and -its fine avenues, flower-beds, groves and lawns compare favourably with -the Cinnamon Gardens in Colombo, or the waterfall at Penang. The roads -throughout the town are wide and well built, and in this respect, as in -the laying out of the streets, and the style of architecture adapted -for the government buildings or for private residences, the French are -by far our superiors. This is due partly to the naturally artistic -taste they possess, and also to the wise regulations adopted by the -Public Works Department in the colony, with regard to the construction -of new buildings, all plans having to be approved by the Department -before a permit to commence building is granted. - -In July, 1892, when I had arrived in Bac-Ninh, it seemed, after my -protracted stay in the wild regions of the upper Yen-Thé, that at last -I had returned to a large town, and the sight of a few scores of brick -buildings was, for the first few days, quite a novelty; but when, six -months later, I found myself in the capital of Tonquin, it was like -getting back to a big European city, and, though we sometimes regretted -the charms of our former adventurous existence, both Lipthay and myself -soon began to find a new pleasure in the renewed acquaintance with the -comforts and distractions of civilisation. We were not as free as we -had been at Bac-Ninh, as we were lodged in a room set apart for us, -in the barracks of the 9th Regiment of _Infanterie de Marine_, and -were for a few days the pet grievance of the "non-coms" of that corps, -who put us on fatigue duty and made us take part in the inspections. -This, however, was soon stopped by the Chief of the Staff, and we were -allowed to continue the even tenour of our way. There is always a -certain amount of jealousy felt for the scribes of the army, and the -French sergeants were probably indignant at the thought that we were -drawing as much pay as they were, that we were allowed out every night -till 10 P.M., and also because we took our meals at the canteen, in a -room specially reserved for us. The latter arrangement was adopted to -avoid indiscretions, for a few of us were continually and unavoidably -in possession of facts it was of absolute importance the majority of -the troops should not learn. - -For the next twelve months we continued our somewhat uneventful life as -staff secretaries within the ancient precincts of the Annamese citadel, -the only break in the monotony of our career being my promotion to the -grade of corporal, which occurred in November. I had waited a long time -for my stripes, and should have had them sooner had I remained with -my corps; but till then there had been no vacancy on the staff for a -"non-com," so I had nothing to complain of. In February our offices -were again moved, this time to the Concession, in a building close to -the Headquarters Staff, and we were lodged with the secretaries of -that organisation. Since I had come to Hanoï my health had considerably -improved; and very soon after my arrival I was no longer troubled with -the attacks of malaria, which formerly, at almost regular intervals, -used to lay me up for a day, and sometimes more. The change of air was, -I suppose, chiefly responsible for the amelioration, and the better -food and more comfortable quarters probably helped to mend matters. -Life in the capital was very agreeable, though during the summer -months the heat was terrible. This is due to the fact that, because of -the low situation of the city, the south-west monsoon is little felt -there. The French colonials I happened to come in contact with were -extremely kind and hospitable, and during my military career I made -several acquaintances which ripened into friendships that never failed -me during the subsequent years passed in the colony as a civilian. -The French settler, be he either planter, merchant, manufacturer -or shopkeeper, is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen. He -possesses an admirable faith in the rich country he has adopted, and a -supreme contempt for his government, which seems to delight in throwing -every possible obstacle in the way of private enterprise, and in ever -increasing the number of functionaries he has to pay for. - -In April, 1894, General Pernot practically reached the age-limit of -his rank, and returned to France, his place being taken by General -Coronnat. At the time he took over the command he was the youngest -Brigadier-General in the French army, having, thanks to the services -he had rendered to the Republic, and to his wide knowledge of his -profession, attained that rank when most officers in France's forces -esteem themselves happy if they are in command of a regiment. This -distinguished soldier was by birth a Basque, the son of a modest -cooper, who plied his trade in a small and picturesque village -situated at the foot of the rugged and majestic Pyrenees; but he was -in demeanour, speech and conduct, one of the truest gentlemen it -has been my lot to encounter. Tall, and somewhat sparse, fair, with -blue piercing eyes, a straight thin nose, a small light-coloured -moustache, and a very strong chin. When listening he was reserved, -attentive and courteous; when speaking his voice was wonderfully soft -for a military man, and as clear as a bell. On first acquaintance he -appeared to affect a certain aloofness; but this was only apparent, -and was due, most probably, to the erectness of his bearing, and to -his habit of speaking but little, and of fixing his eyes on the person -who was addressing him, so that, unless they were acquainted with -this particularity, he would stare them out of countenance. Having -gained a hard-earned scholarship, the General obtained his grade of -sub-lieutenant by passing through the military school of St Cyr, -instead of being obliged, like many of small means, to work his way up -from the ranks. - -The work of pacification went on steadily, but it was destined that I -should remain at my post on the Brigade, and take no active part in the -different expeditions sent against the pirates and rebels in 1894-95. -In October, 1894, I lost my friend Lipthay. He died in the military -hospital at Hanoï, worn out with fever and debility acquired during our -campaigns in Yen-Thé. I was by him almost to the end, and he passed -away calm and courageous, like the noble, true-hearted gentleman he -had always proved himself to be. He had been promoted to the rank of -sergeant, and had been made a Knight of the Dragon of Annam shortly -before his death. - -On the 27th February, 1895, I was liberated, having completed a period -of five years under the French flag. The experience I had gained was -invaluable, and I felt no regret for the step I had taken in enlisting. -Nevertheless it was with an emotion akin to delight that I hailed -my return to the liberties of civilian life. It should, however, be -mentioned that I experienced a certain regret at severing my connection -with the French army and the Legion. - -While serving in that corps I had learned that there were good and -brave men outside my own country, and that courage, obedience, -self-abnegation and national pride are not the monopoly of any one race. - -By living side by side with them, fighting, and ofttimes suffering, in -the same cause, I had been taught to like and respect the foreigners. -The French, Italian, German, Austrian, or any other European soldier -is very much like our own. He has his virtues and his vices; and the -stronger his race and national character, the more likely is he to -possess a superabundance of the latter. - -British interests in Siam and Southern China render the development -of the French colonies in the Far East a matter of importance to -us. The majority of the foreign products imported into Yunan, _via_ -the West River route, or through Tonquin, are of British origin. -Our treaty arrangements with France and the good feeling at present -existing between the two nations should make it no difficult matter -for Frenchmen and Englishmen to agree in the settlement of questions -arising out of their trade relations with Kwang-si, Kwang-tung and -Yunan. - -The recent concessions made by Siam to France have increased the -responsibilities of the latter, and it remains for France and Great -Britain to develop the commercial resources of Siam and South China. - -[Illustration: - - CARTE - DES - POSTES DU TONKIN - - d'après une Carte du Service topographique - de l'état major des troupes de l'Indo-Chine - - ECHELLE] - -By the aid of the railway system, agriculture and manufacturing -industries are being fostered in the French colonies of the East, and -a great future undoubtedly exists for them; but before real success -can be obtained Indo-China must be provided with functionaries who are -not only able administrators, but who have a knowledge of the language -and customs of the country. They must be workers with a single aim for -the success of the colonies under their administration, and not merely -politicians whose personal ambitions colour their perceptions. Then the -colonies, wherein I spent the years of which I have written, will have -a future of constantly-increasing prosperity before them. - - -THE END - - - - -INDEX - - Administration errors, 106-107 - - ---- changes, 192 - - Algeria, arrival in, 21 - - Ambuscades that failed, 138-155, 310-311 - - Annamese language, difficulties of, 159-160 - - Arzew sanatorium, 57 - - Attack on a village, 180-187 - - - Bac-Ninh, arrival at, 332 - - Bamboo, native uses of, 132 - - Bands of the regiment, 50-51 - - Bo-Ha, arrival at, 261 - - Brigade staff, work on the, 337-338, 342-345 - - British interests in Siam and South China, 376 - - - Campaign, start and end of, 257, 279-284, 287-301 - - Caves at Cho-Thuong, 277-278 - - Chaplain of the transport, 65-66 - - Chinese allies, De-Tam's, 273 - - Cho-Trang's unhealthy fort, 223 - - Commerce in the colony, 196-197 - - Coronnat, General, 373-374 - - - Delta provinces, scenery of, 87-89, 91 - - ---- native population, 89-91 - - De-Nam, rebel leader, career of, 97-102 - - ---- death of, 265 - - De-Nam's body disinterred, 299 - - Deserters, rebel, 297 - - Deserter's statement, rebel, 314-315 - - De-Tam wounded, 221 - - De-Tam's force routed, 298 - - ---- last stand, 303-305 - - Discipline in the Legion, 29 - - Discouraging interview, a, 10-11 - - Ditties, military, 41 - - Doy-Tho, native sergeant, 161-165 - - Drilling recruits, methods of, 27-28 - - - Education, military, 37 - - Enlisting, reason for, 2 - - Execution of prisoners, 198-203 - - - Feet, care of the, 41-42 - - Ferry's downfall, Jules, 81 - - Fever, epidemics of, 56, 232-233 - - Fight with De-Nam's troops, 215-219 - - Fighting, watching the, 291-294 - - Food in French army, 20 - - Fortifications, rebel, 298-299 - - French area in the East, 69 - - Funeral of _tirailleur_, 220 - - - Godin's expedition, General, 103-105 - - - Haïphong, growth of, 85-87 - - Hamlet defences, 123-124 - - Hanoï, transferred to, 361 - - ---- history of, 363-370 - - Heat discomforts, 156-157, 169-170 - - Hospitals, in the, 243-253 - - Hou-Thué, engagements at, 107-112 - - - Indo-China, French influence in, 75-78 - - Indo-China's future, 377 - - _Infanterie de Marine_, the, 254-256 - - Inspection of corps, 43-49 - - - Jokes, practical, 37 - - Jungle scenery, 225-228 - - - Lanessan's good work, 193-195 - - Legion, farewell to the, 375 - - ---- history of the, 8, 12-17 - - Legionaries, types of, 15-16, 30-32, 34-36 - - Linh-Nghi, career of, 187-190, 203-209 - - Lipthay, the Hungarian, 173-174 - - Lipthay's story, 265-271 - - Lipthay, death of, 374 - - Luu-Ky causes trouble, 345-346 - - - Man-hunting, 315 - - Marseilles barracks, 17-19 - - Military changes, 357-358 - - _Ministère de la Guerre_, the, 1 - - - Native spies, work of, 136-137 - - ---- troops, 133-134 - - Nha-Nam, arrival at, 112 - - Night attack, the first, 125-132 - - ---- marching, difficulties of, 275-277, 309-310 - - - Officers act as doctors, 233 - - Officer's blunder, an, 297 - - Opium-smoking, effects of, 321 - - ---- methods of, 165-168 - - Oran, arrival at, 61 - - - Panthers, attack by, 231 - - Pernot, General, 359-360 - - Phulang-Thuong, arrival at, 92 - - Plessier, Captain, 114-115, 217, 305 - - Promoted, 323, 329, 356, 371 - - - Reconnoitring, methods of, 117-122, 209-213 - - Records of the Brigade, 356 - - Recreations in camp, 158 - - Recruiting station, the, 3 - - Recruits, types of, 4-6 - - Red-tapeism, government, 157 - - Regimental march, 50 - - Rifles used by troops, 38 - - - Saigon, arrival at, 67 - - _Sampan_, voyage in a, 258-261 - - Sapper corporal's bravery, 54 - - Sidi-bel-Abbes, life at, 21-28 - - Signals, rebel code of, 279 - - Snow in Africa, 26 - - Storm in the paddy fields, 177-178 - - Superstition, native, 96-97 - - Surrender of chiefs, 301 - - - Tent routine, 25 - - Theatricals, amateur, 59, 325-327, 354 - - Tigers in the streets, 211 - - Tonquin, arrival at, 67 - - ---- history of, 69-75 - - ---- political situation in, 78-82, 346-352 - - ---- disasters in, 80 - - ---- brigandage in, 82-84 - - Topography, military, 174 - - Tragedy in the jungle, 315 - - Training, system of, 39-41 - - Transport life, 63-65 - - - Volunteers for the East, 60 - - Voyron, General, 339-342 - - - Watrin, Captain, 306-308, 352 - - - Yen-Thé, region of the, 95-96 - - ---- anarchy in the, 105-106 - - - Zones, military, 195 - - -PRINTED AT THE EDINBURGH PRESS, 9 AND 11 YOUNG STREET. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's A Soldier of the Legion, by George Manington - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SOLDIER OF THE LEGION *** - -***** This file should be named 53902-0.txt or 53902-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/9/0/53902/ - -Produced by Brian Coe, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: A Soldier of the Legion - An Englishman's Adventures Under the French Flag in Algeria and Tonquin - -Author: George Manington - -Editor: William B. Slater - Arthur J. Sarl - -Release Date: January 6, 2017 [EBook #53902] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SOLDIER OF THE LEGION *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span></p> - -<p class="ph2">A SOLDIER OF THE LEGION</p> - - - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus13.jpg" alt="carrier" /> -<a id="illus13" name="illus13"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> - NATIVE WOMAN CARRIER.<br /> - -<i>Frontispiece.</i> -</p> - - - - - -<p class="ph1" style="margin-top: 5em;"> -A SOLDIER<br /> -OF THE LEGION</p> - -<p class="ph3"> -AN ENGLISHMAN'S ADVENTURES UNDER<br /> -THE FRENCH FLAG IN ALGERIA<br /> -AND TONQUIN</p> - -<p class="ph2" style="margin-top: 3em;"> -BY GEORGE MANINGTON</p> - -<p class="ph5" style="margin-top: 5em;"><span class="smcap"><small>Edited by</small><br /> -WILLIAM B. SLATER and ARTHUR J. SARL</span></p> - -<p class="ph4" style="margin-top: 5em;">WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS</p> - -<p class="ph6" style="margin-top: 5em;">LONDON<br /> -JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET<br /> -1907 -</p> - - - - -<p class="ph3" style="margin-top: 5em;"> -TO THE MEMORY<br /> -OF MY COMRADES WHO FELL IN THE FORESTS OF<br /> -YEN-THÉ AND THE JUNGLES OF KAI-KINH,<br /> -THIS WORK IS DEDICATED -</p> - - - - -<p class="ph2" style="margin-top: 5em;">PREFACE</p> - - -<p>Sitting at the terrace of a well-known <i>café</i>, on the main boulevard -of the French capital, some time ago, I happened to glance down the -columns of a Parisian newspaper, and was struck by a realistic account -of the recent combat at El-Moungar.</p> - -<p>After describing this action,—a long, arduous, but successful defence -of a convoy of arms and ammunition by a handful of men from the Foreign -Legion against the repeated attacks of more than a thousand fanatical -Moorish horsemen,—the journalist expressed his admiration for the -courage and disinterested devotion of which this corps has so often -given proof.</p> - -<p>The final phrase of his article can well<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[Pg x]</a></span> serve as an excuse for, and -introduction to, the present volume:—<i>Si quelque philosophe ouvrait un -jour une chaire pour enseigner l'heroïsme et le dévouement, son cours -pourrait se tenir tout entier dans la lecture des citations obtenues -par la Légion Étrangère.</i></p> - -<p> -<span style="margin-left: 65%;">G.M.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">HONG-KONG.</span><br /> -</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - - -<p class="ph2" style="margin-top: 5em;">EDITORS' NOTE</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[Pg xi]</a></span></p> - -<p>The restless spirit of adventure which prompted the author, Mr George -Manington, to enlist in the French Foreign Legion, at a later date -called him post haste from London, and thus caused us, his friends, to -promise to see the manuscript of "A Soldier of the Legion" through the -press.</p> - -<p>Though well under forty years of age, he had been a student in France -and Germany, a prospective doctor in Paris, a soldier in Algeria and -Tonquin, a man of commerce in Indo-China, an interpreter, traveller, -and journalist in South China, besides a participator in more fleeting -occupations in many lands, including Japan and the Philippines.</p> - -<p>It was in the restful periods between these various enterprises that -this book was written.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[Pg xii]</a></span> Malaria and kindred ailments, contracted during -his military service in Tonquin, hampered him from time to time, and -while he was recuperating in England from an attack, "A Soldier of the -Legion" made most progress. Presently a journalistic offer came from -Hong-Kong, and the prospect it afforded of more adventurous missions in -the remoter regions of the Far East proved irresistible. He accepted -by cable, called upon us to deal with the manuscript, and within a few -days was mailing further sections of the book from ports "somewhere -east of Suez."</p> - -<p>We have dealt as lightly as possible with the manuscript, for it is -permeated with the brave and cheery spirit of the author, and, beyond -giving an eye to the connection of the narrative as the various -sections came to hand, our duties have been light.</p> - -<p>An educated gentleman, Mr Manington has given an insight into the -unusual experiences of an Englishman in the French Foreign<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xiii" id="Page_xiii">[Pg xiii]</a></span> Legion, -such as no ordinary "mercenary" could have done. Most of the narrative -deals with Tonquin, and the fighting there against the rebels in their -forest fastnesses. Incidentally, in giving an account of his friendship -for the native sergeant, Doy-Tho, the author has been able to impart to -the pages of the book an Oriental atmosphere that we think will prove -attractive to the reader.</p> - -<p>Acknowledgment is due to his friend, M. Cézard, who is fully acquainted -with the ground covered, both as a public servant of France and as an -accomplished artist, for the illustrations which appear in this volume; -also to General Frey and Messrs Hachette, the author and publishers of -a military work on Tonquin, for permission to reproduce the map and -plans of forts, in relation to the events spoken of in the description -of the author's service under the Tricolor. The map was prepared by the -officers of the topographical section of the French army in Tonquin, -and gives a detailed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xiv" id="Page_xiv">[Pg xiv]</a></span> outline of the country in which most of the -experiences described by "A Soldier of the Legion" took place.</p> - -<p> -<span style="margin-left: 65%;">W.B.S.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 65%;">A.J.S.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><small><span class="smcap">London</span>, <i>June 1907</i>.</small></span><br /> -</p> - - - - - - - - -<p class="ph2" style="margin-top: 5em;">CONTENTS</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xv" id="Page_xv">[Pg xv]</a></span></p> - -<table summary="toc" width="78%"> -<tr> -<td align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a> -</td> -<td align="right"><span class="smcap"><small>PAGE</small></span> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">The <i>Ministère de la Guerre</i>—The recruiting office—Would-be -warriors—The Commandant—A repulse—Enlisted—Something -about the Legion—Marseilles—The <i>Abd-el-Kader</i>—Oran—Sidi-bel-Abbes -—In camp—Snow in Africa—Another Briton—Instruction of recruits—An -American—The 3rd Battalion—Barrack-room pranks—Route-marching</p> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_1">1</a>-42 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">General inspection—The band of the Legion—The <i>caporal</i> -<i>sapeur</i>—Off to the manœuvres—A near thing—Convalescence—Arzew -—Amateur theatricals—Bel-Abbes again—Volunteers for Tonquin—Oran -again—A good send-off—The troop-ship <i>Bien-Hoa</i>, life on -board—The Padre—Saigon—Along Bay</p> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_43">43</a>-68 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xvi" id="Page_xvi">[Pg xvi]</a></span> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">Some information concerning Tonquin—Haïphong—Phulang-Thuong—The -2nd Battalion—The Yen-Thé Rebellion—General Godin's column—A -surprise at Cao-Thuong—Colonel Frey's column—Nha-Nam—The -building of a fort—Reconnaissance—Night attacks—Native troops</p> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_69">69</a>-134 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">The difficulties of obtaining military intelligence—Native -spies—Ambuscades—Life at Nha-Nam—Doy-Tho—De -Lipthay—A tropical storm—The capture of Linh-Nghi—Monsieur -de Lanessan—French colonial administration</p> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_135">135</a>-197 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">An execution—A rebel chieftain—A bid for liberty—De-Nam's -mistake—Linh-Nghi speaks—A new road to Thaï-Nguyen—In -the enemy's country—A sharp encounter—Cho-Trang—The fever-fiend—In -the hospital—Quang-Yen</p> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_198">198</a>-247 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">La Sœur Agnes—Exeat—Nha-Nam again—Picking up the -threads—Bo-Ha—Preparations for the campaign—With -General Voyron's column—An error in the art of war—A -big butcher's bill—Collapse of the rebellion—Stamping -out the embers</p> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_248">248</a>-301 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xvii" id="Page_xvii">[Pg xvii]</a></span> -</td> - -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">The last struggles of a rebellion—Departure of Captain -Plessier—Our new commander—Man-hunting—A friend -in need—A false alarm—An unexpected rise in life—On -the Brigade Staff</p> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_302">302</a>-338 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">General Voyron—Organisation of the Brigade—Piracy on the -Lang-son railway—Politics and pacification—Topography -and a tiger hunt—Among the Staff records—Colonel -Gallieni—General Pernot—Hanoï—General Coronnat—Death -of a friend—Adieu to the army</p> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_339">339</a>-377 -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - - - - -<p class="ph2">LIST OF MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS</p> -<table summary="list" width="90%"> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus13">NATIVE WOMAN CARRIER</a> -</td> -<td align="right"><i>Frontispiece</i> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus01">TONQUINESE NATIVE TYPES</a> -</td> -<td align="right"><i>To face page</i> 72 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus02">RIVER SCENE AT HAÏPHONG</a> -</td> -<td align="right">" 80 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus03">BOULEVARD PAUL PERT, HAÏPHONG</a> -</td> -<td align="right">" 86 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus04">THE FORTIFIED POSITION AT HOU-THUÉ.</a> <i>From a sketch -by a French Staff Officer</i> -</td> -<td align="right">" 100 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus05">SECTIONAL SKETCH OF THE REBEL DEFENCES AT HOU-THUÉ</a> -</td> -<td align="right">" 104 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus06">INTERIOR OF THE FORT AT HOU-THUÉ</a> -</td> -<td align="right">" 110 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus07">A NATIVE SPY</a> -</td> -<td align="right">" 136 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus08">PAGODA USED FOR AMBUSH</a> -</td> -<td align="right">" 152 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus09">WATER BUFFALOES</a> -</td> -<td align="right">" 184 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus10">A <i>SAMPAN</i> ON THE RIVER NEAR PHULANG-THUONG</a> -</td> -<td align="right">" 258 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus11">REBEL RAMPARTS FACING POINT A.</a> -</td> -<td align="right">" 282 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illus12">MAP OF TONQUIN.</a> <i>Published by permission of General -Frey and Messrs Hachette & Co. of Paris</i> -</td> -<td align="right"><i>End of Book</i> -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">A SOLDIER OF THE LEGION</p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">The <i>Ministère de la Guerre</i>—The recruiting office—Would-be -warriors—The Commandant—A repulse—Enlisted—Something about the -Legion—Marseilles—The <i>Abd-el-Kader</i>—Oran—Sidi-bel-Abbes—In -camp—Snow in Africa—Another Briton—Instruction of recruits—An -American—The 3rd Battalion—Barrack-room pranks—Route-marching.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>Most Englishmen, whose knowledge of the gay city of Paris is in the -slightest degree superior to that of the ordinary summer tripper, -are acquainted with the fine red stone building on the Boulevard St -Germain, which is known as the <i>Ministère de la Guerre</i>, therefore it -is unnecessary to give a lengthy description of this imposing edifice; -above all, as its connection with the present history is of the -shortest. It must, however, be explained why I, on the morning of the -26th February 1890, after<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> pushing aside a big swing-door, found myself -in the vestibule of this home of the supreme direction of one of the -largest standing armies in the world, whose glorious traditions began -on the field of Ivry, and amongst whose galaxy of leaders figure the -personalities of Condé, Turenne, Carnot, Hoche, Bonaparte, Canrobert -and MacMahon.</p> - -<p>I chanced one evening, after I had been living for the past two years -in the French capital, whilst in the company of several army officers, -to meet an Austrian gentleman, of old lineage and great wealth, who -entertained us with the recital of his experiences during the Tonquin -campaign of 1883-85. Owing to an <i>affaire de cœur</i>, he had enlisted -in the Foreign Legion, had risen to the rank of sergeant-major, was -twice wounded, and had been decorated with the <i>médaille militaire</i> for -bravery in action.</p> - -<p>This narrative so excited my imagination and desire for adventure that -I fell into slumber that night only after having decided on taking a -similar course, in the hope of warring in strange lands and seeing life -out of the rut.</p> - -<p>I should here say, before going further, that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> owing to the action so -suddenly decided upon, I was often in the future to undergo suffering -and privation; yet never once during the five years of my service did I -regret the step taken and wish it retraced.</p> - -<p>The next morning I put my project into execution, and, as aforesaid, -went to the fountain-head for information. Perhaps the officials may -have had serious doubts as to whether I was in my right mind; and there -was some excuse for them, for it is not every day that an individual -comes to the <i>Ministère</i>, and in a matter-of-fact manner asks to -enlist, in just such a way as one might ask for a room at an hotel. -Whatever their thoughts may have been, they were exceedingly obliging, -and informed me that I must go to the Rue St Dominique, the central -recruiting office, and obtain all the necessary information.</p> - -<p>Somewhat disappointed at the delay, I started off at once for the -destination they had indicated to me, which is near to the famous Hôtel -des Invalides, and half an hour later found myself in a room which bore -a strong resemblance to the booking-office of a London railway station. -There were wooden benches round three sides of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> it, and five wickets -in the wall on the fourth. Facing the entrance and in the corner of -the room was a door, on which was painted in white letters, "Bureau -du Commandant de Recrutement"; and in the other corner, on the same -side, was another exit, leading to the room where, as I afterwards -learnt, the medical examination of future recruits took place. Upon the -whitewashed walls were several notices all bearing the same heading, -"République Française—Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité," and containing -instructions to conscripts as to the time and place at which they must -present themselves for enlistment.</p> - -<p>It is hardly necessary to state that military service is compulsory in -France. There were about thirty men in the room, some sitting alone, -or in pairs, on the benches, others standing in groups. They were of -all classes of society, if one could judge by their costumes, and the -conversations which were going on were little above a whisper. A sort -of timid expectancy seemed to reign supreme.</p> - -<p>Little or no attention was paid to my entrance, so I had time to take -things in. Espying over one of the wickets the words,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> "Engagements -Volontaires," I walked up to it, and attracted the attention of a -sergeant of the line who was in the office writing in a big ledger. -When I had stated my object he stared very hard at me, and, having -taken my name, told me to wait until called for.</p> - -<p>I went over and sat on one of the benches, from which could be seen -all that was going on in the room, and amused myself by examining the -different types present, speculating, meanwhile, on the social status -of each and the wherefore of their presence.</p> - -<p>There were many who were mere lads, the eldest of whom could not have -been more than nineteen. From scraps of their conversation which -reached me it was evident that they were volunteers who came to offer -their services before the time had arrived for their incorporation, -which is generally between the ages of twenty and twenty-one years. -They were drawn from all classes, and were attired in anything from -the silk hat and blue velvet-collared sacque coat of the well-to-do -<i>bourgeois</i> to the dark cotton blouse and <i>casquette</i> so popular on -the <i>boulevards extérieurs</i>. Seated in one corner<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> were two young men -who bore the outward stamp of respectability. These, I afterwards -learnt, were in quest of the medical certificate which would allow them -to enter the Military Academy of St Cyr, which, like our college at -Sandhurst, is a school for army officers.</p> - -<p>My attention was next drawn to a group of six or seven individuals -who were standing in a circle round one, whose rotund face and short -red hair could be seen above their heads. They were all men of from -twenty to thirty years of age. Several of them were neat and clean -in appearance, and seemed to be of the artisan class, but there were -others in a decidedly "down-at-heel" condition. The red-headed man -was evidently a wit in his way, if one could judge by the smiles and -low laughter which greeted his frequent sallies; and I was regretting -that I could not catch the meaning of his words, being too far away -for that, when by chance our eyes met; and after making his way out -of the group, he came across the room, sat beside me, and opened the -conversation with a polite "<i>Bonjour, Monsieur!</i>"—to which I responded -with equal urbanity.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Excuse me," said my interlocutor, "but you are not a Frenchman, are -you?"</p> - -<p>"No; I am an Englishman."</p> - -<p>Then desirous, no doubt, of excusing his seeming indiscretion, he -continued:</p> - -<p>"I asked you that question because I am myself a stranger—a Swiss—and -from your appearance I thought you might be here with a similar -intention to my own: that of enlisting in the Foreign Legion. Am I -right?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," I answered, having no reason to conceal the object of my -presence there, and, besides, the looks of the man rather pleased -me. He was evidently a frank-speaking, good-tempered fellow, and his -clean-shaven face and neat exterior indicated a certain respectability. -I took him for an actor or a gentleman's valet. Knowing that I should -be likely to meet and mix with all sorts and conditions of men in the -road I had chosen, on taking my decision I had determined to accept -things as they were without complaint, so long as the life would bring -me new experiences which I could not hope to encounter in the ordinary -stay-at-home, humdrum existence.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Well," he continued, "it appears that we have both chosen the same -route. I hope we shall be in the same regiment."</p> - -<p>"The same regiment!" I exclaimed in surprise, "I thought there was only -one Legion."</p> - -<p>"Formerly it was so," he replied; "but that fellow over there—a -German, who is going to enlist for a second time—tells me that about -five years ago the old Legion was formed into two corps, which go by -the name of the 1st and 2nd Régiments Étrangers."</p> - -<p>I looked in the direction he indicated, and saw a tall man of about -thirty, whose stalwart form and straight shoulders betokened the -soldier. He was reading one of the bills on the walls. This information -interested me immensely, and I was just thinking of how I could best -approach this individual with the view of obtaining fresh details, -when the door of the Commandant's office opened suddenly and a -non-commissioned officer appeared, and, to my consternation, shouted -out my name. Instinctively I rose and answered "Present," just as if I -were answering to a call-over at school, all the other occupants of the -room eyeing me curiously as I did so.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> - -<p>In response to a gesture from the sergeant I stepped across, entered -the office, and found myself in the presence of a gentleman in the -uniform of a major of the line, who was seated at a big table covered -with papers and text-books. He was a red-faced man of about forty, with -short-cropped grey hair and a heavy moustache of the same tint. The -eyes that looked into mine had a kindly light in them, which belied the -somewhat brusque manner of their owner.</p> - -<p>I uncovered as I entered the room, and saluted him with the stereotyped -"<i>Bonjour, Monsieur!</i>" to which he nodded a response, and, without -further preamble, said:</p> - -<p>"So you are desirous of enlisting in one of the Régiments Étrangers?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," I replied.</p> - -<p>"Since when have you come to that decision?"</p> - -<p>This unexpected question rather nonplussed me, but regaining my -composure I answered with apparent coolness:</p> - -<p>"Oh! since yesterday."</p> - -<p>He smiled, and then said, to my astonishment and anger:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p> - -<p>"<i>Eh bien!</i> you are a fool, my friend. Ah! that hurts you, doesn't it?" -(I had flushed at his observation). "Sure proof that stern discipline -would not suit you," he continued. Then in a softened and more kindly -tone he rattled along so quickly that there was no chance of putting in -a word:</p> - -<p>"<i>Sacré bleu!</i> The Legion—why, you don't know what it is. Well, I -will tell you—hard work—hard knocks—hard discipline, and no thanks. -And how does it end? Your throat cut by some thieving Arab if you have -luck; if not, wounded, and then his women make sausage meat of you. In -Tonquin the same sort of thing—only worse, with fever and sunstroke -into the bargain. A bad business! yes, a bad business!" Then his -voice took quite a paternal tone, and he continued: "You look like a -gentleman—you are one, I'm sure. Mind you, I don't mean to say there -are not others over there—there are many—poor fellows! Your family, -too!—think of them—such a sudden decision. <i>Sapristi!</i> and all for -some trifling <i>bêtise, sans doute</i>. A petticoat, I'll swear—don't deny -it—I have been young also—a faithless sweetheart—Pish! There<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> are a -thousand others who would be delighted to console you. No! No! A good -dinner, the <i>Moulin Rouge</i>, and to-morrow you will be cured, <i>sacré -bleu!</i>" He laughed, and added: "Try that; and if to-morrow you still -feel the cravings for a military career, well, come and see me."</p> - -<p>Disappointed and somewhat resentful, for at the time I did not -appreciate the kindly intention which underlay the advice he had given -me, and imagined that I had been treated with undue contempt and -familiarity, I replied:</p> - -<p>"To-morrow I shall return, sir!"</p> - -<p>He laughed again good-naturedly, and said:</p> - -<p>"Well, well, we shall see;" at which I bowed and left the room.</p> - -<p>The outer office was silent and deserted, for it was the luncheon hour. -I was annoyed at this, having counted on obtaining more information -from the other men who had come to join. However, recognising the -inutility of waiting there, I proceeded to my usual restaurant in -a very disappointed state of mind, though in no way turned from my -determination.</p> - -<p>At an early hour the next morning I returned<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> to the Rue St Dominique. -The major, my friend of the day before, received me with many -deprecatory remarks concerning my persistence; but seeing that they -were evidently lost on me, he carefully perused my passport, which I -had been particular to bring with me, and I was passed on to the doctor -for examination. "<i>Bon pour le service</i>," ran the verdict given, and I -was then signed on for a period of five years.</p> - -<p>After much waiting a <i>feuille de route</i>, a railway requisition for -Marseilles, and the sum of three francs for expenses, were given me. -The sergeant-major who handed them to me was kind enough to mention -that should I fail to put in an appearance at my destination within the -next forty-eight hours, I would be considered a deserter, and treated -as such. I left Paris that evening from the "Gare de Lyons," and -arrived at Marseilles about twenty-four hours afterwards.</p> - -<p>At this stage of my story it is right to give a short historical -description of the corps in which I had enlisted, and concerning which -so many errors have been written, and so many delusions exist.</p> - -<p>The Foreign Legion first came into existence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> in the early 'thirties -of the last century. It was composed chiefly of foreign adventurers -who had flocked to Algeria at the time of the French invasion of that -country. Shortly after its formation it acquired a reputation for -courage and recklessness which has never been allowed to die, and of -which its officers and Legionaries are proud to a fault.</p> - -<p>Since its creation it has served with honour and distinction in -nearly every campaign undertaken by France. In Algeria, the Crimea, -Mexico, Tonquin, Formosa and Madagascar the Legion was to the fore. -The Legionaries, led by their colonel, MacMahon, the future Marshal -and President of the Republic, were the first to scale the breach -and enter the city of Constantine on the 12th October, 1837, after -an hour's bloody hand-to-hand conflict, during which half of their -effective were blown sky-high by a mine. They shared the same honours -with the Zouaves at the Malakoff under Canrobert, and the defence of -Tuayen-Quang (Tonquin), by eight hundred of this corps under Commandant -Dominé, during nearly four months of continual sap and assault, against -an army of twelve thousand well-drilled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> Chinese troops, is one of the -finest feats of arms in modern times. In France the blood of this fine -corps has flowed like water. In the winter of 1870, when it was decided -by France's generals that Orleans should be evacuated, two battalions -of the Legion, which had just arrived from Africa, were entrusted with -the defence of the suburbs of the town; thereby covering the retreat -of the main army. During six hours they held back the Prussian forces, -and were practically annihilated, for they lost seventy-five per cent. -of their total strength in killed or wounded, and it was never possible -for them to figure again as a corps of any importance in the campaign -which followed; but they saved the Army of the Loire, for the Prussians -suffered such terrible losses, and were so completely exhausted by -their repeated efforts, that all immediate pursuit was out of the -question.</p> - -<p>The corps also holds a record for having had as officers men who -eventually became some of the most famous commanders of modern -France; MacMahon, Canrobert, Chanzy, De Négrier, Servière, and the -ill-advised but brave and romantic Villebois de Mareuil were amongst -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> number. Originally, in addition to the many adventurers, whom -military instincts, hopes of plunder, and desire for excitement had -led to enlist, there were certainly a good many scallywags, perhaps -criminals; but to-day there are few, if any. Police methods have -changed considerably since the beginning of the last century, and a -fugitive from justice would be a fool indeed if he thought he could -evade punishment by joining the ranks of a "Régiment Étranger"; for -by so doing he would be thrusting his head into the noose, even had -he been able to procure papers affording him a change of identity to -enlist with, for nearly every one at one time or another has had their -photograph taken, and it is no easy matter to cheat the camera, neither -is it possible to evade the searching tests of the anthropometric -system.</p> - -<p>The Legion, or rather the two Foreign Regiments of to-day, are composed -of deserters from other armies—of these the Germans are in the -majority—men out of work who don't wish to starve, and who can't beg; -scallywags, <i>i.e.</i> those men who have gambled or squandered their money -and can't work; officers who have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> been forced to resign owing to some -private scandal; and the hundred other culprits and victims of the -social conventions of to-day, the description of whose grievances, or -the peccadilloes which brought about their presence in the corps, would -require a volume in itself. Besides all these, strange as it may seem -to the calm, well-balanced mind of the properly educated majority of -respectable society, there is a comparatively great number of seekers -after adventure who enlist, some of whom actually possess an income -of their own, and are often too generous with it, for, much to the -annoyance of the sergeant for the week who controls the peregrinations -of the men punished with pack-drill, wine is cheap and good in Algeria. -Be they what they may when they join, deserter, unemployed, ex-officer, -gambler, defrocked priest, member of a reigning family (for I knew -of two such during my service), taken collectively they are all -Legionaries and <i>bons camarades</i> once under the flag, for, with but few -exceptions, they possess at least one, and sometimes many good traits -of character, and together they form one of the smartest and bravest -infantry corps in the world.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Legion originally possessed its own artillery and engineers, -but these were abolished in the 'fifties, and it became exclusively -an infantry corps. In 1885 it was formed into two regiments of four -battalions each, and in 1895 the effective of each corps was increased -by a battalion.</p> - -<p>I arrived in Marseilles about nine o'clock in the evening, and having -addressed myself to a non-commissioned officer who was on the platform, -I was conducted by him to the depot, known as the "Incurables," and -lodged for the night. This was my first experience of a military bed -and barracks, and it must be confessed that I was not favourably -impressed by their cleanliness, or rather their want of it. Here I met -again my friend of the recruiting office, and six other volunteers for -the Foreign Regiments, and learnt from him that his name was Balden, -and that, like myself, he had been placed in the first of these two -corps. He had arrived the day before, and told me that we should leave -for Oran on the morrow by the steamer <i>Abd-el-Kader</i>.</p> - -<p>The next morning, 1st March, 1890, we awoke for the first time to the -note of the bugle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> sounding the <i>réveil</i>; and after a wash and brush -up in the lavatory, came back to the barrack-room, where I had slept, -to partake of the usual morning meal of the French soldier—a mug of -sweetened black coffee and a slice of bread.</p> - -<p>The room in which we had passed the night was, together with the -furniture it contained, of the regulation type, to be met with in the -barracks of most Continental armies. It was about 75 feet long, and 20 -broad; there was a door in the middle of each of the longest sides, -and three windows at either end. It contained twenty-four cots, six -on either side of the doors. These beds consist of two iron trestles, -with three pine planks laid over them. A straw mattress, a bolster, a -brown blanket, and two coarse sheets complete the outfit. Along both -sides of the room is a shelf upon which each French soldier arranges -his neatly-folded kit, which must be placed just above the bed he -is occupying. From several hooks fixed underneath the shelf, are -suspended the water-bottles, belts, cartridge cases, bayonets, and -canvas wallets of the men. These must, of course, be arranged in a -similar<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> and regulation manner by each one. In the middle of the room, -between the two doors, is the gun-rack in which all the rifles of the -occupants are placed. Between the rack and the window, at either end -of the room, is a plain wooden table with benches; it is at this that -the meals are taken. Just over every cot is suspended, from a nail in -the edge of the shelf, a card bearing the name, number and grade of -the man who occupies it. The room lodges two squads, each of which is -under the orders of a corporal; the "non-coms" being responsible for -the maintenance of order and cleanliness. Generally the rooms in French -barracks present a very clean and smart appearance. Such was not the -case with the one we slept in at Marseilles; but this can easily be -accounted for by the fact that it was used by a succession of passing -recruits, who possessed no kit and no knowledge of their duties, and -who occupied it for two or three days at a time, or for a night only.</p> - -<p>At nine that morning I was detailed off by a sergeant to go with -another man and fetch the meal for the room. We brought it back from -the cook-house in a sort of big wooden tray<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> with a handle at each end. -The repast consisted of a loaf weighing about one pound and a half—the -day's ration of bread—and a tin pannikin full to the brim with stewed -white beans, a piece of boiled beef and two boiled potatoes, for each -recruit. I must say that the food did not appeal to me at the time, but -it was good and clean, and exercise and a healthy appetite soon made it -palatable.</p> - -<p>Food in the French army varies somewhat in its composition—that is -to say, lentils or rice are sometimes substituted for beans, pork or -mutton for beef; but the mode of cooking was the same at each meal, and -it was only on such grand occasions as the 14th July or New Year's Day -that roast meat was given. This, however, only applies to the troops -in France or Algeria, for those in the Colonies receive a much greater -variety of diet. I have heard also, since leaving the army, that -considerable change has taken place in this respect, and that some of -the regiments of the line are now quite famous for their <i>menus</i>.</p> - -<p>At eleven we were called down to the barrack-yard and lined up. Here -we were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> joined by another detachment in civilian clothes; these -were recruits for the French regiments in Algeria, the "Zouaves" and -"Chasseurs d'Afrique." The roll was called, and we were afterwards -marched down to the "Vieux Port" and embarked on the steamer -before-mentioned, which proceeded to sea shortly afterwards.</p> - -<p>We arrived in Oran about six in the evening on the following day, and -were immediately conducted to the barracks, where we found a preceding -detachment awaiting our arrival to proceed to the interior. Of this -Algerian city I saw little or nothing on this occasion, as my stay -consisted of a few hours only, and during the whole time we had to -remain in the barracks.</p> - -<p>The next morning sixteen of us left by an early train for the town of -Sidi-bel-Abbes, at which is the depot of the 1st Régiment Étranger, -and we arrived at our destination about five o'clock in the evening. -I felt some emotion as I marched with my companions through the gates -into the barrack-yard, whilst the sentry and the men on duty standing -about outside the guard-room eyed us with evident curiosity; and some -of the latter made audibly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> rude remarks concerning our unsoldierlike -appearance, and the amount of licking into shape we would require. The -quadrangle, which was about 100 yards long by 80 broad, was surrounded -on three sides by two-storied buildings. To the right and left these -consisted of barrack-rooms and companies' offices on each floor; but on -the third side, facing the gate, the building contained the infirmary, -canteen, store-rooms, armoury and workshops of the regiment. No sooner -had we been halted than we were surrounded, but at a respectful -distance, by hundreds of soldiers in all sorts of costumes—fatigue, -guard, undress and walking-out order—for the "non-coms" who had -conducted us from the station threatened with dire pains and penalties -all those who should approach too close. Chaffing queries in every -European language were thrown at us, of which I came in for a good -share, as, owing to my being the tallest present, I was the Number One, -right-hand man of the detachment. One onlooker politely suggested that -I had joined because the feeding of such a big specimen was too great -an expense to my family. Unaccustomed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> to so much attention, I was -somewhat annoyed by our reception, although outwardly preserving a cool -demeanour; and I was greatly relieved when a sergeant-major appeared -on the scene and called up several men from the guard-room to disperse -the crowd. Our names were then called over, and we were conducted to a -room in the barracks where we passed the night. On the morrow we were -examined by the regimental doctor, and were given a regimental number. -This is done for every soldier in the French army, and this number is -stamped on every article of clothing and piece of kit he possesses.</p> - -<p>The same day we were conducted to the Depot Camp, which lies just -outside the town walls; for it is here that the recruits are kept for -about six months until they are sufficiently drilled and disciplined to -be drafted into the battalions.</p> - -<p>At this time the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the regiment were in -Tonquin, and the 3rd and 4th at Bel-Abbes, with detachments at -Mecheria, Ain-Sefra, and in other smaller garrisons towards the south.</p> - -<p>Here I was taken to the squad in which I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> had been placed, and handed -over to the corporal who commanded it.</p> - -<p>This "non-com" was an Alsatian, whose rough and rude exterior concealed -a certain good-heartedness. Judging by appearances, I thought I -had fallen into the hands of a brute, but soon discovered that -notwithstanding the invectives and threats with which his mouth was -for ever full, he was not a "bad sort," his bark being worse than his -bite. His name was Hirschler, and he came from Strassburg. He possessed -a pet grievance against the Government because Prussians were allowed -to enlist in the regiment; and he hated the men of this race most -heartily, for which there was some excuse, his father and mother having -been killed by a shell during the bombardment of his native city in -1870.</p> - -<p>He conducted me to the tent in which I was to lodge, pointed out -my place, and went with me to the stores to draw a straw mattress, -sleeping-sack, bolster and a blanket. This done, he showed me how to -fold them up and to dispose my kit.</p> - -<p>This tent, like the others in the camp, was of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> the ordinary -bell-shaped pattern. Round it a small trench is dug to prevent the rain -from coming in. The floor is of beaten earth, and is about 6 inches -higher than the ground outside of it. It usually gives shelter to eight -men. During the day the mattresses are doubled up and placed round the -interior close to the flies, which are then lifted so as to secure -ventilation.</p> - -<p>The blankets and sleeping-sacks are folded neatly and placed on the -top of the bedding. About 6 feet from the ground is a circular board, -and through the centre of this the pole of the tent passes; thus -serving as a shelf on which the pannikins, tin cups, spoons, forks and -knives of the men are kept. Underneath this shelf are hooks on which -the rifles, belts and water-bottles are hung. Each man's knapsack is -placed flat on the ground to the right of his bed, and his kit, which -must be well folded, is placed upon it. The inside of the tents is -kept very clean and tidy, and presents quite a smart appearance. This -particular one contained seven occupants, including the corporal. The -camp, which sheltered from five to six hundred men, was situated in a -grove of laurel and eucalyptus<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> trees; and during the spring and summer -it presented a very picturesque and sylvan appearance. The weather was -still very cold, and my first experience of outdoor life was rather -a trying one. The winter of 1890 was exceptionally severe, as may be -judged by the fact that on the morning of the 9th March I awoke to find -the tent I was in covered with snow—an almost unprecedented occurrence -in Algeria.</p> - -<p>During the first few days of my service I, together with the last batch -of recruits, was drilled in camp each day. When we had sufficiently -mastered the art of forming fours, marching and halting at the word of -command, we were allowed to go out with the other companies to morning -exercise on the parade ground outside the main gate of the town.</p> - -<p>Sidi-bel-Abbes, like many French towns built in Algeria since the -conquest of that country, is surrounded by a loopholed wall and ditch, -with one or several gates on each side of it. I had been drilled at -school, and found this of great help to me, so far as squad and section -movements were concerned; but I had never handled a gun, and had rather -a hard time learning the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> rifle and bayonet exercise, for the early -mornings were very cold during the first six weeks, and my fingers -would get so numbed that each time I touched the steel of my weapon -it seemed to burn them to the bone. During the frequent intervals for -rest the recruits of each squad would run round their stacked rifles, -swinging their arms the while—like the cabmen on the ranks at home—to -restore the circulation; and they would keep this up until the bugle -sounded the "fall in" again.</p> - -<p>However, when the weather became warmer and we "shaped" better, I -rather enjoyed these three hours every morning; the first two of -which were devoted to squad and section drill under the order of -the "non-coms," and the last one to company and battalion movements -directed by the officers.</p> - -<p>At 9 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> we would march through the town back to camp, with -the drum and fife band at our head. At 9.30 the first meal was served -out. At 10 the companies assembled to hear the daily "report" read; -and from 10.30 to 4 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span> the time was taken up by gymnasium -classes, fencing lessons, and the lectures and explanations<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> given by -the sergeants on duty, of the different text-books.</p> - -<p>The whole day of Wednesday in each week was occupied by route-marching, -and the afternoon of Friday by shooting on the range. The evening meal -was at 4.30, and afterwards all men not on duty or the defaulters' book -could go out till the <i>retraite</i>, which was at 8.45. Roll call was -sounded at 9, and "lights out" at 10 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span></p> - -<p>The life, though somewhat hard for a recruit, is not so bad as one -might imagine. Discipline is always somewhat irksome at first, but one -gets used to it. Some of the "non-coms" were objectionable, and seemed -to delight in getting the men into trouble; but they were exceptions, -and I managed to keep clear of them, thanks to my efforts to do my -best, and a certain amount of goodwill. The corps maintained a great -reputation for smartness, and a very searching kit inspection took -place every Saturday afternoon. It was then that the private whose -accoutrements were dirty, or whose linen was unwashed, got into serious -trouble.</p> - -<p>In the barracks there were lavatories, a washhouse, bath-room and an -abundant supply of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> water; in the camp a stream which ran through -it served the same purposes. With a little trouble a man could keep -himself and his outfit in a state of cleanliness, and it was his own -fault if he did not.</p> - -<p>Much has been said concerning the iron discipline which reigns supreme -in the Legion, but whilst serving with the corps I never suffered -any real inconvenience from it: unless a punishment of "two days to -barracks" can be considered of much account. It was well merited, for, -through sheer carelessness, or perhaps because I wanted to get out a -little sooner, I forgot that I was orderly man for the day, and left -all the tin platters in the room after the evening meal was finished, -instead of taking them down to the cook-house.</p> - -<p>A regiment of men is not like a girls' school, and it is impossible to -maintain discipline in a corps composed, as mine was, of so many "hard -cases" unless a certain amount of severity is used.</p> - -<p>In nearly all instances when prolonged punishments of "cells" and -pack-drill were inflicted the offences originated through drunkenness; -and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> same is the truth for nine out of every ten cases in which -court-martials were necessary.</p> - -<p>Drink is the curse of all armies, and of the French one in particular. -Wine is cheap, and, what is worse, absinthe is also; and the abuse -of this stimulant is responsible for most of the individual cases of -military crime in Algeria. Therefore the authorities are perfectly -justified in using the severest methods to restrict and discourage the -use of it.</p> - -<p>About a fortnight after my arrival I was sitting one evening in my -tent engrossed in the cleaning of my rifle, when the flap was lifted, -and another private came in who did not belong to my squad. He was -tall, fair, wore a heavy moustache, and presented a very erect and -soldier-like appearance. He came straight up to me, and said in my own -tongue:</p> - -<p>"You are the Englishman, are you not?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," I replied, much surprised at being thus addressed by a man I had -never seen in my life before. "Who are you?"</p> - -<p>"My name is Knox," he answered; "I joined last week at Calais. I am -English too—or rather Scotch," he added with a laugh. "Having heard<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> -of you from some fellows in my tent, I have come over to look you up."</p> - -<p>Really pleased to meet another Briton, I proposed an adjournment to -the canteen, where we could talk at our ease. He acquiesced, and I -proceeded to put the breech-bolt of my rifle together again. As I was -doing so he picked up my gun, and after squinting down the barrel to -see if it were clean, buckled the leather sling on again, for I had -taken it off before starting operations, as one is instructed to do. -He manipulated the weapon in such a "know-all-about-it" manner that I -could not help observing:</p> - -<p>"This is not the first time <i>you've</i> handled a rifle, Knox."</p> - -<p>"You are right," he replied with a smile; "I was six years in the -British army."</p> - -<p>He handed me my gun, which, after adjusting the breech-bolt, I hung up -on its hook. We then went over to the little wooden canteen, and over -a pint of Algerian wine we exchanged confidences. He told me that he -was from Edinburgh, had failed to get into Sandhurst, and "listed" as -a private in an infantry regiment.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> He served in India with his corps, -rose to the rank of sergeant and was broken after a "drunk"; was again -promoted, and was in charge of a military telegraph station in Burmah -during the last campaign. Tired of the service, he had "bought out," -and returned to Scotland. Once home he had gone on a series of "busts," -which had so disgusted his people that they had refused to come to his -aid when he had run through all he possessed.</p> - -<p>Almost devoid of resources, and having heard of the Legion, he went -over to Calais and enlisted. He told me that he had the firm intention -of turning over a new leaf and of doing his utmost to obtain a -commission in his new corps, and I have no doubt, considering his -previous experience, that he would have succeeded. Unfortunately, his -career was cut short in a most untoward manner, much to my grief, an -account of which is given in its proper place in this narrative.</p> - -<p>Knox and I soon became fast friends. His knowledge of the calling was -a great aid to me, and he was always glad to help by giving me "tips," -which, small though they might seem, were of great assistance and often -kept me from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> getting into trouble. On evenings and Sundays we passed -all our spare time together, going for walks in the town, or outside of -it.</p> - -<p>We often visited the Arab quarter, which is the great curiosity of -all Algerian towns. Together we would enjoy a dish of <i>kus-kus</i>, a -slice of braised mutton, or a plateful of fresh dates, in a Moorish -tavern; or sit over small cups of thick coffee and listen to a native -story-teller, or watch the <i>Moukirs</i> dance in an Arab <i>café</i>.</p> - -<p>On Sundays we went further afield, and took long walks through the -vineyards, during which we would talk of home and our people, and -speculate on what they might be doing.</p> - -<p>When the warm weather had set in we would go out a few miles, on the -road to Ain-Sefra and the desert, to a cluster of big olive trees—our -favourite spot. We would lie down on the grass in the shade and talk -over our chances of seeing active service, either in Tonquin or on the -frontier of Morocco, until, tired of doing so, we would lapse into -silence and, stretched flat on our backs, stare up at the patches -of light blue sky visible between the green foliage, or at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> -ascending smoke of our cigarettes as it faded into space. Sometimes -the soft warmth of the Algerian spring, the drone of the bees, and -the monotonous chirp of the big grasshoppers would seduce us into a -siesta, from which we awoke to watch with lazy eyes, which blinked at -the strong sunlight, the veiled women coming from a spring near by, -as with easy and graceful carriage they balanced on their heads the -big earthenware pitchers full to the brim with water; or a long line -of camels, laden with fresh dates and figs, striding along in their -ungainly way towards the town, the silence broken only by the dull, -shuffling sound made by their hoofs in the dust, or an occasional -"Arawa!" from their white-clad Arab conductors.</p> - -<p>During the month of May we made the acquaintance of a private whose -name was Daly. He was an American, and an artist of no mean talent. He -had studied painting in Paris, and was for some time, I believe, in the -studio of Gérôme. Daly was a man of about five-and-twenty, under the -average height, and of refined and pleasant manners. He had joined, he -told me, after a run of very bad luck at Monte<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> Carlo, where he had -lost all the money allowed him by his father to defray his expenses -during his period of study in France.</p> - -<p>Although he had already been more than a year in the regiment when -I met him, he had never handled a rifle. Since he had joined he had -done nothing but paint the portraits and decorate the quarters of the -officers. He willingly accompanied Knox and myself in our excursions, -and shared our small pleasures, and we found him a most entertaining -companion. He possessed the smallest feet I have ever seen on a man; -and we would often chaff him about this trait, which was the despair -of the regimental "corporal shoemaker," who was forced to make special -boots for him, for the stores contained no fit for such diminutive -extremities. I lost touch with him when I left Algeria, and have never -heard of him since. I trust, however, that he continued an artist till -the end of his military career, and that he is now enjoying the success -his talent deserves somewhere in "God's country," as he used to call -his native land.</p> - -<p>Although I have only spoken of my intimates,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> Knox and Daly, I was -soon on good terms with all the other men in my company whom I came in -contact with, and the fact that I could converse in the languages most -in use was of great help to me in maintaining good relations with them.</p> - -<p>About sixty per cent. of the Legionaries belong to Latin or -French-speaking races; of these the Belgians, Swiss, and the majority -of the Alsatians use that language, and the Italians and Spaniards very -soon acquire it; but it was the rapidity with which the German and -Austrian recruits gained a colloquial knowledge of it that surprised -me. I attribute this to the fact that their education was generally of -a higher standard than that possessed by the men of other nationalities.</p> - -<p>About the middle of July, together with a batch of other recruits whose -primary training had been found satisfactory by a board of examining -officers, I was drafted into the 1st Company of the 3rd Battalion, -which was lodged in the barracks.</p> - -<p>On our arrival in our new quarters we were subjected to the usual -series of practical jokes invented for the special benefit of "Johnny -Raw," or "Le Bleu," as "Dumanet" calls the recruit.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> These pranks -are of various descriptions, one of the most favourite being that of -arranging a man's cot in such a manner that by pulling on the supports -at the foot of it, it collapses, and its occupant slides out with all -his bedding and kit on top of him.</p> - -<p>Mock courts-martial by candle-light are also held on offenders who have -broken the unwritten law of the barrack-room. The culprit is always -found guilty, but generally escapes with a fine, consisting of a few -<i>litres</i> of cheap wine, which is drunk by his room-mates, and of which -he is invited to partake.</p> - -<p>I never saw any real malice brought to bear in these jokes, and any one -possessing a reasonable amount of good-humour can pass the ordeal, and -even laugh at one's own occasional discomfiture.</p> - -<p>The military education of the men in the battalion is a very serious -matter, and is carried much further than at the depot. Particular care -is given and a considerable amount of time devoted to perfecting the -men in shooting and in training them for route-marching.</p> - -<p>Good shots are encouraged by the distribution<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> of badges placed on the -sleeves, silver chains to be worn across the tunic, and watches of the -same metal.</p> - -<p>When I was drafted into the battalion, the troops were still using -the rifle, model 1874—better known as the "Fusil Gras," the calibre -and trajectory of which closely resembled those of the old Martini of -the British army. This weapon was on the side-bolt principle, and its -mechanism was so strong and simple that in the event of it becoming -hard to manipulate owing to constant tiring the breech-bolt could be -slipped out and cleansed of black powder grit in a few seconds by -washing it in a puddle, or by pouring a little water over it. I have -seen this done on several occasions in Tonquin when there had been hard -shooting, for during the first year I was out there we still retained -this weapon. When using the rifle, however, one had to be careful not -to shoot with a loose shoulder, for its "kick" was tremendous; and I -have sometimes seen a black eye or a bleeding nose the reward of those -who neglected these precautions. The bayonet of this arm was of the -sword pattern, with a blade about 2 feet long.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> - -<p>The system of training the infantrymen to perform long marches is an -excellent one in the French army, and I have read the opinions of -English military experts who declared that they are second to none in -speed and endurance. Each Wednesday was devoted to this useful branch -of military art.</p> - -<p>The recruits start on their first march with their rifle and side arms -only, and cover a distance of about 20 kilomètres—that is, about -12½ miles.</p> - -<p>This distance is gradually increased, as is also the weight carried, -until, a man loaded with all his kit, rifle and bayonet, reserve -food for two days, a blanket, an entrenching tool and 120 rounds of -ammunition, which represent a total weight of about 50 pounds, can -perform a march of 45 kilomètres—that is, about 28 miles—in ten hours -with ease. This space of time includes a rest of ten minutes in each -hour whilst marching, and a halt of an hour for a meal. Deducting the -time lost during the halts, the average speed is about 3½ miles an -hour. In many cases during forced marches much better work is done, but -the results given above are what the French infantryman who has been -nine<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> months with the colours can do with ease; and he maintains this -standard during the remainder of his service, thanks to the continual -training he undergoes. The men in each battalion of the Legion are -very proud of the capabilities of their unit in this respect, and when -called upon by their officers will make every effort to break records -of forced marches made by other corps.</p> - -<p>On the return to barracks after the march the non-commissioned officers -of each company inspect the men's feet, and instruct their subordinates -in the proper manner of treating blisters or chafes. I have myself -seen an example when the results of this excellent system of training -to resist fatigue has been of most signal service. As this incident is -described in detail in a later chapter, I may simply mention that in -January, 1892, a small relief column, of which I was a unit, performed -a forced march of about 52 kilomètres,—or 32 miles—in eight hours.</p> - -<p>This may not seem an extraordinary performance for Europe, but it must -be borne in mind that it was done in the tropics, and that the road—if -a path about a foot wide can be so called—ran through dense jungle -and forest, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> over slippery rocks, and that part of the distance was -covered at night. In England the men are trained to route-marching -during the summer and autumn only, which is due, no doubt, to the -inclement weather of our winter and spring months; but in France and -Algeria the troops are thus exercised right through the year. Whilst -marching outside the towns the troops are allowed to smoke and sing.</p> - -<p>All these military ditties, some of which date back in their origin to -the early part of the eighteenth century, possess a swinging chorus, -which is taken up by the whole column, with a surprisingly encouraging -effect on the dust-stained, tired men, who, towards the end of a long -day's tramp, are "swallowing the last kilomètre" with weary legs and -aching loins.</p> - -<p>It is of interest to note that the majority of French soldiers wear -no socks when route-marching; this is owing to the fact that they -generally chafe the feet of the walker. Some of the men wrap their feet -in a triangular piece of linen which they call a <i>chaussette russe</i>; -but in most cases nothing at all is worn inside the boot. Personally, -I have found the last system the best<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> conducive to comfort when a -long distance has to be covered; but care must be taken that the boots -worn fit well at the heel, ankle and instep, so that the foot does not -slip about in them. They should be broad across the toes, and about -half an inch longer than the foot itself; and, most important of all, -should be so well greased that the leather of the uppers is as supple -as india-rubber. Tallow is as good as anything for this purpose, but -in Tonquin I found castor-oil—which is cheap and plentiful in the -colony—a most excellent substitute.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">General inspection—The band of the Legion—The <i>caporal sapeur</i>—Off -to the manœuvres—A near thing—Convalescence—Arzew—Amateur -theatricals—Bel-Abbes again—Volunteers for Tonquin—Oran again—A -good send-off—The troop-ship <i>Bien-Hoa</i>, life on board—The -Padre—Saigon—Along Bay.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>Time flies apace when one is engrossed in mastering a new profession or -calling, and I could with difficulty realise that only six short months -separated me from my old life and complete ignorance of all things -military, as, on one bright, hot morning in August, I stood at ease as -the front rank man in No. 2 file of my company, which had mustered with -all the strength of the regiment, and glanced at the serried ranks of -the men of my corps, formed up on three sides of a square, round the -barrack-yard. In the centre of this hollow square of men was the band -of the regiment, and the detachment of sappers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p> - -<p>A few paces behind these were the colours, carried by a subaltern, and -flanked by their guard with bayonets fixed. In front of the band and -facing the barrack gates, which were in the centre and open side of the -square, was Colonel Barbery, our commanding officer, mounted on a white -Arab stallion with streaming mane and tail.</p> - -<p>Our chief, if one could judge by the anxious glances he threw at his -men and the repeated tugs he gave to his heavy white moustache, was -impatient and a little nervous, for the corps was about to undergo -the searching inspection of the General commanding the 19th <i>corps -d'armée</i>, of which our regiment was a unit.</p> - -<p>Only those who have assisted as an actor in an ordeal of this kind, can -fully appreciate the nervous tension produced on all present by the -last few minutes of waiting prior to the event.</p> - -<p>The previous day, and indeed part of the night, has been spent in -preparations.</p> - -<p>"Troops to be paraded in full campaigning order"—so ran the general -command; and in consequence there were stores and ammunition to be -served out in addition to the ordinary<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> work which devolves on the -private and his superiors previous to a big review. Into the preceding -twenty-four hours has been crammed as much hustling, rushing, brushing, -scrubbing, polishing as the men and their officers can be expected to -support; and now that the activity has been suddenly succeeded by a -dead calm, and the query has arisen in the minds of all present as to -whether everything necessary to the upholding of the good traditions of -the corps has been done, the three thousand rank and file present and -their chief can be reasonably excused the feeling of nervous tension -which pervades them, and which owes its origin to the brusque reaction -of the change from febrile activity to silent and immobile expectancy.</p> - -<p>At such moments the most trivial incidents, which at ordinary times -would pass unnoticed, will produce a general impression, even as a tiny -twig falling into a well will create a ripple on the surface of its -water.</p> - -<p>Impressed, perhaps, by the silence of the motionless men around him, -the Colonel's charger arches his beautiful neck, paws the stone -pavement and whinnies. The mounts of the majors<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> and company commanders -take up and echo his shrill cry, break into little impatient movements, -and are at once curbed by their riders. The incident, if so it can -be called, is over in less time than it takes to describe; but even -this banality has sufficed to provoke a grin which passes on from face -to face, until a wave of still and nervous mirth ripples across the -features of all.</p> - -<p>Some one's steel-shod rifle-butt, breaking the tense silence, clangs -on the stones, and one can almost feel the passing of the silent -curses which, quicker than thought, go out from each to the comrade -for his carelessness. Then in the distance there is a sound—at first -a murmur—which as it approaches gains volume, until the noise of -trotting hoofs and the occasional clink of steel can be distinguished.</p> - -<p>All eyes are at once turned to the barrack railings and the gate with -its flanking guard house. Beyond this, on the opposite pavement, can -be seen the expectant crowd, composed of a big element of French and -Spanish colonists in ordinary European attire, many stately Arabs clad -in long white <i>burnous</i>, and head-dress of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> the same colour, which is -secured with the usual cord of camel's hair; a sprinkling of Algerian -Jews in baggy knickerbockers and gaudy-hued embroidered jackets, and -here and there a few native women of the lower classes, most of whom -wear the <i>haik</i> or long veil which conceals their hair and all their -features save the eyes, unless they be of Kabyle blood, and expose -their small and comely traits.</p> - -<p>The faces of the crowd are all turned in one direction, their hands -raised, shading their eyes from the glare of the African sun, which -brings out, with almost painful vividness, the bright dashes of colour -in their costumes, as they gaze eagerly towards the approaching -cavalcade, the sound of which is now so near that it mingles with the -sharp words of command, and the rattle of the rifles of the guard at -the gate as they come to the salute. The Colonel draws his sword, and -spurs his charger forward a few paces.</p> - -<p>From the "adjudant major" comes the sharp order, "Garde à vous!" and -there is a rustle along the ranks as the men stiffen up to attention.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p> - -<p>Then, "Bayonnettes aux canons!" A sharp rattle, and the lines are -tipped with steel.</p> - -<p>Suddenly through the iron railings can be seen a rush of bright -colours, and the General and his escort are in view. Coming along, -almost at a gallop, he turns sharply and enters the gate; and as he -does so, the Colonel, who then faces him, brings his sword up to the -salute, and the command rings out "Portez armes!"—"Presentez-armes!" -each order being followed by the short, crisp "crash!" of three -thousand smartly-handled rifles.</p> - -<p>From the men in the crowd outside come cries of "Vive la France!" "Vive -la Légion!" And the native women join in the din with their repeated -yells of "How! How! How!" The flag is unfurled, and floats out proudly -on the light breeze.</p> - -<p>There is a glare of polished brass, as forty bugles are brought up with -a jerk to as many mouths, and they blare out the salute to the flag "Au -Drapeau."</p> - -<p>The General, who has drawn up his charger with a jerk, and sits with -his right hand brought up to the peak of his white-plumed cocked hat,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> -is in the full uniform of a commander of a <i>corps d'armée</i>, and his -escort of Arab cavalry, in red cloaks and blue and white turbans, which -has halted just inside the gates after wheeling smartly into line, -forms a most picturesque background, which shuts out from sight the -eager, shouting throngs in the street.</p> - -<p>The General, and indeed all the officers and troops present, remain at -the "Salut," until the last notes from the bugles die away; and then -comes the order, "Portez armes," a rattle—and all is still again.</p> - -<p>The detailed inspection of the troops and their quarters terminated, -the regiment is marched out to the parade ground, where manœuvres -are gone through, the duration of which depends entirely on the whim of -the Inspector-General.</p> - -<p>However, these rarely last more than two hours, and then the corps -marches back to barracks through the town, much to the delight of -the Arab population, who are a warlike people and thoroughly enjoy a -military pageant.</p> - -<p>Also the Legion presents a pleasing sight to a soldier's eyes, as with -bayonets fixed the men swing by, each battalion, company and file -at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> its proper distance. The tramp of feet resounds with clockwork -regularity, in union with the musical rhythm of the band, and the blare -of the bugles, crashing out the regimental march with its rattling -chorus, the words seeming to hover over the lips of all the men:</p> - -<p> -<span style="margin-left: 10%;">"Tiens voila du boudin! voila du boudin! voila du boudin!</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 15%;">Pour les Alsaciens, les Suisses et les Lorrains,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 15%;">Pour les Belges il n'y en a point,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 15%;">Pour les Belges il n'y en a point,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 15%;">Car ce sont des tireurs au flanc.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 15%;">Pour les Belges il n'y en a point,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 15%;">Pour les Belges il n'y en a point,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 15%;">Car ce sont des tireurs au flanc."</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>No other regiment in France can approach the Legion for smartness at -drill and on parade. The men are proud of the reputation, and make -every effort to maintain it.</p> - -<p>The bands of the 1st and 2nd Régiments Étrangers are of the best. That -of the first of these corps is particularly good, and it possesses -a weird and barbaric sort of musical instrument—if so it can be -called—which was captured in an engagement with the troops of the -famous Arab chief Abd-el-Kader, some sixty years ago.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> - -<p>It consists of a haft of polished hard wood about 5 feet long; at -the top of this is a big silver crescent, and below, at intervals of -about 6 inches one from the other, and on either side are five metal -brackets, the ends of which are decorated with long streamers of -horse-hair dyed a bright red. From these are suspended a multitude -of small silver bells, producing a gay and exhilarating sound when -shaken in cadence with the music. When the regiment is on the march the -detachment of sappers is several paces ahead of the band.</p> - -<p>Like their <i>confrères</i> in our own army these men carry axes, spades and -saws; the original idea of their presence there being, I suppose, that -they might clear the route for the troops behind.</p> - -<p>However, taking into consideration the existing railways and good -roads of to-day, one may safely conclude that their presence in modern -infantry corps is due rather to a respect for tradition than to actual -utility.</p> - -<p>The corporal who was in command of the sappers, at the time I am -writing of, was the biggest man in the regiment. He was six feet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> four, -and broad in proportion. He was of Belgian nationality, and called -Mertens, and was the hero of an episode of which all the regiment was -justly proud. This incident took place at the capture of the fortified -town of Sontay, in Tonquin, on the 16th December, 1883, which place was -defended at the time by Prince Hoang-Ke-View, governor of the province, -with about twenty thousand troops, composed principally of Chinese -blackflag braves.</p> - -<p>When the fire from the French gun-boats and field artillery had made -a breach in the thick walls of the city, Admiral Courbet, who was in -command of the expedition, launched a battalion of Arab light infantry -(<i>Tirailleurs Algériens</i>) against the position.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the fact that these men were seasoned troops and born -fighters, they were beaten back with severe loss, which speaks much -for the desperate resistance offered by the Chinese garrison, some of -whom were daring enough to dart out through the gap in the walls and -decapitate the dead and wounded left in the track of the retreating -column. The bleeding heads, placed atop of bamboo poles, were planted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> -on the crest of the ramparts amid the shrill, triumphant yells of the -Celestials.</p> - -<p>The Arabs, reformed and stiffened by two companies of French marines, -rushed once more to the assault, but with no more success, and indeed -with greater loss than the first time. Now the white-faced, gory-necked -heads of some of the French marines balanced side by side with the -dusky bleeding features of their African comrades. The Chinese, howling -drunk with success, and heedless of the fire from the French artillery, -which was covering the retreat, stood on the wall to yell defiance -and invective at their enemy. Indeed, so greatly was the garrison -encouraged that a sortie was made which threatened to develop into a -strong attack on the flanks of the expeditionary force.</p> - -<p>The Admiral then played his last and trump card, and a battalion of the -Legion, which till now had formed part of the reserve, rushed at the -breach with the band playing and colours flying.</p> - -<p>These troops advanced at the <i>pas de charge</i>, and were met by a -terrible fire; many fell, but they were not to be denied.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> - -<p>In a few minutes the first ranks reached the edge of the ditch, and -leaping down on to the slope of <i>débris</i>, formed by the stones and -earth detached by the cannonade, they scrambled up to the breach, tore -away the bamboo palisade, rushed, or were pushed, through it, and -gained the crest.</p> - -<p>The Legionaries suffered fearful loss; and it is to be feared that, -excited by this and the cruel murder of their wounded comrades, they -gave little mercy to those who opposed them.</p> - -<p>Among the first to gain a footing in the place were a subaltern bearer -of the colours, and big Mertens.</p> - -<p>The first was immediately shot dead, whereupon the sapper seized the -flag, and, rushing to the ramparts, stood on them in view of the whole -army. Waving the bullet-torn, powder-stained tricolour above his head, -he shouted: "Vive la Belgique! Vive la Légion!"</p> - -<p>There was something grimly comical, but truly typical, in the conduct -of this mercenary, who, forgetting the country for which he was -fighting, and after just risking death a hundred times, coupled in his -shout of triumph the name<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> of his motherland and that of the corps to -which he belonged.</p> - -<p>Mertens received the <i>médaille militaire</i> for his bravery; and it is -reported that Admiral Courbet, when complimenting him on the courage he -had shown, said: "And you would have had the Legion of Honour had you -cried, 'Vive la France!'"</p> - -<p>This last, however, is probably a soldier's yarn.</p> - -<p>With September came the manœuvres which were held in the south of -the province of Oran, and along the Morocco frontier towards the Tuat -and the Figuig oases.</p> - -<p>My battalion went by train as far as Mecheria, where the column was -concentrated.</p> - -<p>From this point we proceeded afoot to Ain-Sefra, and thence south, -along the caravan routes into the desert.</p> - -<p>It was terribly hard work marching through the sand under the scorching -African sun, laden as we were with all our kit.</p> - -<p>South of Ain-Sefra there is little or no vegetation, save at an -occasional oasis. The landscape consists of stretches of sand hillocks, -with here and there patches of mimosa and Alfa grass, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> monotony -being broken only at rare intervals by the brown tents of an Arab -encampment.</p> - -<p>Fuel was so scarce that it was necessary to burn dry camel dung for -cooking purposes. We had been out about ten days when I fell ill with -typhoid fever, and was sent back to Sidi-bel-Abbes.</p> - -<p>The convoy of sick, of which I was a unit, travelled part of the way by -camel or mule <i>cacolet</i>, and the remainder by rail.</p> - -<p>It was a terrible journey, and the sufferings I endured will never be -erased from my memory. Indeed, even to-day it is a source of wonder to -me that I pulled through it, for I was in a sorry state when carried -eventually into the military hospital of our garrison town.</p> - -<p>During the latter part of my stay in the hospital I learnt from -fellow-patients that a violent epidemic of typhoid had swept through -the corps; and I was terribly grieved when, on my return to the -barracks, I was told that my friend Knox had been among the first to -be carried off by the scourge. I remained for a long time under the -sad impression which his loss had caused me. He was a true friend and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> -a good soldier, and, had he lived, would have carved out a place for -himself in the regiment.</p> - -<p>On rejoining my corps I was examined by our battalion surgeon, Dr -Aragon, a kind and really clever medical officer, who liked "mes -legionnaires," as he called us, but who was unsparing to malingerers -who shammed sickness to shirk work.</p> - -<p>He declared that I could not possibly go back to my duties for several -weeks, so, on his recommendation, I was sent off to Arzew, a small and -charming little seaport town, situated on the coast about 100 miles -west of Oran. This city was the "Arsenaria" of the Roman Empire.</p> - -<p>It possesses a fine natural harbour, and the ancients used to put in -there with their vessels to escape from the westerly gales so prevalent -on this coast.</p> - -<p>A chain of hills, varying from 1,000 to 2,000 feet high, encompass the -town landwards, and on these, facing the sea, are several forts.</p> - -<p>One of these works of defence served as a sanatorium for the weak and -convalescent men of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> the Legion who had returned from Tonquin, or who, -like myself, were recovering from diseases contracted in Algeria.</p> - -<p>The fort was splendidly situated on the crest of one of the hills, -1,200 feet above the sea, which washed its base. A pine-wood extended -from the beach right up to the edge of the moat, and from the other -side of the hill one could look right down into the town and count the -red-tiled roofs, or the people in the market-place.</p> - -<p>I stayed here during three months and recovered all my old strength and -vigour, thanks to the pure air and rest I enjoyed during that period. -My time there passed swiftly and pleasantly, for we were at liberty to -go for many long walks, and indulge in as much sea-bathing as we liked.</p> - -<p>There was also a small theatre fitted up in one of the casemates. -The sergeant who was in charge of this, a most enthusiastic amateur, -decided, though I could never explain his reason for so doing, that I -possessed a latent talent for the stage, and he pressed me into the -troupe to perform minor parts. At first reluctant, I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> soon found that -there was a great deal of amusement to be got out of the rehearsals and -performances.</p> - -<p>I did not shine in men's <i>rôles</i> which it was my lot to fill, but when -I appeared as the Alsatian maid-of-all-work in "<i>La consigne est de -ronfler</i>" my success was unmistakable.</p> - -<p>I am close on six feet, and the skirt and bodice which, an hour before -the performance began, were given me to wear, had probably been made -for a lady about five feet four. When attired, my dress reached a -little below my knees, the sleeves finished just above my elbows, and a -blonde wig, surmounted by a big silk bow, added another good two inches -to my height.</p> - -<p>If I can judge by the screams of laughter and thunderous applause which -greeted my appearance each time I "went on," and by the hilarity of my -fellow-actors, who sometimes failed to preserve their gravity when I -gave them the "cue," I ought to consider that I made a palpable "hit" -in a feminine part.</p> - -<p>When I had been two months at Arzew I felt so much better that I -applied to the garrison<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> doctor for permission to return to my corps, -and, after a medical examination, was authorised to do so.</p> - -<p>I arrived at my former quarters in Bel-Abbes on the 20th January, 1891. -A fortnight after my return an official announcement was made that a -detachment of five hundred men, reliefs for the companies in Tonquin, -would shortly be sent East, and that those desiring to volunteer should -send in their names.</p> - -<p>The conditions required were—good conduct, nine months' previous -service, and a satisfactory examination by the doctors. It is needless -to state that I applied at once, and my jubilation was great when, -a month later, I was informed by my sergeant-major that I had been -accepted.</p> - -<p>On the morning of 2nd March, attired in our colonial service kit, we -marched out of barracks to the station, escorted by the remainder of -the regiment in review order. The Colonel and his staff, the band, and -the colours were formed up on the platform. Our chief addressed a few -well-chosen words to the detachment, wishing us a safe return, stating -that he was confident that we would do our best at all times and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> under -all conditions to maintain the splendid reputation of the corps.</p> - -<p>Then, as our train slid slowly out of the station, the band struck up -"The Marseillaise," the troops presented arms, and the colours were -lowered. Our Colonel and his staff stood at the salute as we rolled by, -and our comrades sent off cheer after cheer, to which we replied to -the best of our ability. It was destined that I should not return as -a Legionary to the headquarters of the regiment, but the enthusiastic -send-off given by the corps to our detachment will never fade from my -memory.</p> - -<p>We stayed in Oran five days awaiting the arrival of the trooper.</p> - -<p>Here we met with the most cordial hospitality from the regiment of -Zouaves which garrisoned the town and in whose barracks we were -quartered, and the popularity of our corps was clearly demonstrated -by the repeated gifts of tobacco, pipes, books and games of all kinds -which were made to us by civilians, and were destined to solace the -tediousness of the long journey we were about to take.</p> - -<p>Oran is too well known to the English tourist<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> of to-day for it to be -necessary to describe at length this picturesque old city; which in -its history and situation resembles Algiers. Both were formerly the -strongholds of the Moorish pirates who swept the Mediterranean during -several centuries.</p> - -<p>The whitewashed, red-tiled houses rise terrace above terrace, in the -form of a crescent from the sea, and a heavy fortress palace known as -the "Kasba," formerly the residence of the <i>Bey</i>, dominates the city -and seems to hold it in submission.</p> - -<p>On the 8th March, accompanied by an armed picquet and the band of the -Zouaves, we marched down to the quay and embarked on the <i>Bien-Hoa</i>, -a government transport of about 5,000 tons register, which sailed the -same day. Besides our own detachment there were about six hundred men, -reliefs for the <i>Infanterie de Marine</i> and batteries in Tonquin, and -one hundred and fifty battery mules.</p> - -<p>Fortunately for the French soldier of to-day, the Republic no longer -undertakes the transport of her troops over seas, and these operations -are confided to private firms who own big steamers, specially fitted -out for the trade.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span></p> - -<p>The advantages of this system are considerable, both from the point of -view of economy to the Government and of comfort to the passengers. On -board the <i>Bien-Hoa</i> the troops were submitted to the same discipline -as the crew. We were divided into messes and watches, and had to take a -turn at scrubbing the decks in the morning, hauling in and slacking the -lead ropes at sail drill, and aiding in the several other duties of the -ship, which a landsman can safely do without imperilling life and limb. -We grumbled a great deal, for that is a soldier's prerogative; and were -grumbled at still more for our clumsiness; but the work kept us fit, -and was an excellent cure for those disposed to sea-sickness.</p> - -<p>Frequent parades and kit inspections were also held by our own -officers, and these did away with the tendency to slackness and loss -of discipline which are the consequent results of the tedium and -inaction of a long voyage. The food was good and plentiful. Fresh meat, -vegetables and bread were served out four days in each week; salt beef -or pork, dried beans or lentils, and ship's biscuits formed the <i>menu</i> -of two days' meals; and Friday being a fast-day—for at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> that time -the French navy still retained many Catholic institutions—meat was -replaced by sardines and cheese. There was an abundance of good coffee -and pure water at the disposal of thirsty men, and each private drew a -daily ration of a pint of red wine.</p> - -<p>Defaulters, however, were deprived of this wine during the term of the -disciplinary punishment they had incurred.</p> - -<p>All the military passengers, from the sergeants downwards, slept in -hammocks slung in the 'tween decks, and, judging by my own experience, -it is certain that many of us found this mode of accommodation far from -comfortable during the first week or so. However, we all seemed to -become reconciled to it in the long run, although, even towards the end -of the voyage, I would have preferred to sleep on the deck, and I know -there were many more of the same mind; but this was strictly forbidden.</p> - -<p>There is certainly, if one can depend on what the sailors say—and they -ought to know—a way of obtaining as much rest in a hammock as in a bed -if one only knows how; but I am convinced, from experience, that to -gain that knowledge one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> must serve a long apprenticeship and begin it -when young.</p> - -<p>Some very good concerts were organised on board, and these, together -with the exciting games of draughts, dominoes or loto, were of great -help in assisting us to pass the time when we were not at drill, on -duty, or undergoing inspection.</p> - -<p>The <i>aumônier</i> or chaplain of the ship was a great favourite with all. -This kindly cleric was a fine specimen of manhood, who stood over -six feet. His erect mien and the grey beard which fell on his black -<i>soutane</i> gave him a most apostolic and benevolent exterior, which was -justified by the really good, gentle and merry soul it contained. He -would often go out of his way to intercede with the commander in favour -of a punished man, and have the guilty one sent to his cabin, where, by -simple straight-spoken homilies, of which he knew the secret, he would -appeal to the pride and manhood of his hearer.</p> - -<p>More often than not he succeeded in moving the men to real emotion, -and few were such fools as to be bold enough to interrogate the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> -abashed and sometimes red-eyed delinquent who might be returning from a -half-hour with the <i>padre</i>.</p> - -<p>Neither did he confine his special attention to the souls of the few -black sheep of his flock, for at the close of his admonitions he -would often comfort the body of the repentant and affected sinner by -administering a glass of Malaga taken from his own special bottle, -which would be accompanied by more paternal advice concerning the -future conduct of his <i>cher garçon</i>.</p> - -<p>More than once did I remark this excellent man, when, after one of -these interviews he would come from his cabin, and, leaning on the -rail, gaze out at the expanse of blue water dancing in the tropical -sunlight, and note on his benevolent features the gentle, contented -smile which bespoke indulgence for the faults of others, and the -satisfaction of a duty accomplished.</p> - -<p>Our journey was a long one, for the ship, though a very seaworthy -craft, could not steam more than twelve knots at her best. The engines -broke down on two occasions, once in the Red Sea, when we were delayed -for two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> days, and again in the Indian Ocean, where the trooper lay -like a log for seventy hours before the necessary repairs could be -effected.</p> - -<p>For coaling purposes we touched at Colombo and Singapore, but remained -only a few hours in these ports.</p> - -<p>The <i>Bien-Hoa</i> arrived at Saigon on 13th April, and stayed there for -four days, during which we were quartered in the barracks of the 11th -Regiment of the <i>Infanterie de Marine</i>.</p> - -<p>Here we were able to stretch our legs a little by going out and -visiting the town, which is a fine one, and possesses a splendid -Botanical Garden and zoological collection. Most of us were specially -delighted at being able to sleep for a few nights in a cot again.</p> - -<p>We sailed early in the morning of the 18th, and anchored in Along Bay -(Tonquin) on the evening of the 21st April.</p> - -<p>Here we saw for the first time the land we had all been so impatient -to reach, and from which many of us were destined never to return, -and speculations were rife concerning the military operations going -on. We were all agreeably surprised to find, after our experience of -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> damp, depressing heat of Saigon, that the climate here was quite -supportable, and resembled somewhat that of a warm spring day in -Europe. However, we were soon to make acquaintance with the tropical -summer of Tonquin, which usually sets in about the middle of May—that -is to say, as soon as the south-west monsoon is well established, when -the terrible intensity of its heat is all the more appreciable owing to -the suddenness of its arrival.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">Some information concerning Tonquin—Haïphong—Phulang-Thuong—The 2nd -Battalion—The Yen-Thé Rebellion—General Godin's column—A surprise -at Cao-Thuong—Colonel Frey's column—Nha-Nam—The building of a -fort—Reconnaissance—Night attacks—Native troops.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>France possesses an empire of no small importance in the East, the -total area of which, some 256,000 square miles, is more than three -times greater than her home territory. French Indo-China, which -includes Cochin-China, Cambodia, the Laos country, Annam and Tonquin, -consists, roughly speaking, of the basins of the two great rivers, the -Mekong and the Song-Koï (Red River), and is situated between 8 deg. 30 -min. and 23 deg. 23 min. N. lat., and 97 deg. 40 min. and 108 deg. 30 -min. E. long. The total population is about 24,000,000.</p> - -<p>Tonquin forms the north-eastern extremity of French Indo-China. It is -bounded on the north<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> by the Chinese provinces of Yunan and Kwang-si, -on the west by the Laos provinces, on the south by Annam and the Gulf -of Tonquin, and on the east by the Chinese province of Kwang-tung. Its -total area is about 35,000 square miles, and it contains a population -of over 12,000,000.</p> - -<p>Near the sea the country consists of a rich alluvial plain intersected -by numerous waterways, the principal one being the Red River, which -rises in Yunan, and empties itself into the Gulf of Tonquin. From about -100 miles inland the ground rises gradually, and the whole country -breaks up into a confusing jumble of hills and rocky pinnacles, which -as one proceeds further north and east become mountain ranges, some of -the peaks on the Tonquin-Yunan frontier attaining a height of about -9,700 feet. Along the Kwang-si frontier there are also altitudes of -some importance. Attached to the great mountain chains of north and -middle Tonquin, there are numerous series of lesser heights, which -diminish as they come towards the south. The hills are covered with a -dense grass higher than a man's shoulders; the mountains with thick, -impenetrable forests. The rich alluvial plain or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> Delta, which extends -from the sea, is densely populated, and produces yearly two very -important rice crops.</p> - -<p>The country was originally inhabited by a race known as the Kmers, who, -if one can judge by the rare specimens of their architecture which -exist along the coast of Annam, attained a comparatively high standard -of civilisation.</p> - -<p>At an epoch which it is impossible to designate with any exactitude, -but which can be placed with some probability about 2,500 -<span class="smcap">B.C.</span>, the Kmers were overwhelmed by an Annamese invasion, and -almost exterminated.</p> - -<p>The survivors fled northwards towards the mountains and high tablelands -difficult of access, leaving the rich Delta plains in the hands of -their conquerors. The numerous mountain tribes of to-day, known as the -Muongs, Mans and Thos, which are to be found in the highlands of Annam -and Tonquin, are most probably the descendants of the former owners of -the country.</p> - -<p>As a race they are superior both in physique and courage to the -Annamese, although they do not possess the cunning and craftiness of -this race.</p> - -<p>It was probably owing to a want of cohesion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> and organisation, or -to the fact that the invaders possessed better weapons and superior -methods of warfare, that they were driven from their homes. In speech, -appearance, dress and customs, these aborigines bear a striking -resemblance to the mountain tribes who inhabit the interior of the -islands of Hainan and Formosa, and it is probable that they belong to a -once-powerful race which existed at a distant period along the littoral -of Eastern Asia. Their skin is of a very light yellow tint; some of the -women are almost white.</p> - -<p>Their features are small and regular, and they do not possess the -narrow eyes, flat noses, prominent cheek bones and enormous mouths -of the Annamese. They are also taller, stronger, and present a much -healthier appearance.</p> - -<p>Their costume consists of a cotton blouse and short trousers reaching -just below the knee, the uniform colour being a deep blue.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus01.jpg" alt="natives"/> -<a id="illus01" name="illus01"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> TONQUINESE NATIVE TYPES.</p> - -<p>These people wear their hair very long, and it is wound round the top -of the head and enclosed in a turban of similar colour and texture to -their costume. Like some of the natives of the Laos provinces and the -Yunan, the Muongs<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> always wear a sort of puttie, made of blue cotton -cloth, which is wound round the leg from ankle to knee.</p> - -<p>They are expert mountaineers and hunters, and will not hesitate in -attacking a tiger or panther with no better weapons than poisoned -arrows, or a matchlock gun.</p> - -<p>The origin of the Annamese or Tonquinese—for they are one and the same -race—is very obscure, since they possess no reliable records going -back for more than eight centuries, which is considerably posterior to -the epoch at which their ancestors must have invaded Indo-China.</p> - -<p>Some writers declare them to be of Mongolian origin, though this is -hardly probable, for, if one can judge by the territory the race -actually occupies, they probably came from the south-west. Others have -declared them to be a branch of the Malay family.</p> - -<p>In physique they resemble the Siamese, and are not so sturdy as the -Malay. Their skin is of a deep copper colour. They are very small, -their average height being about 4 feet 10 inches. Their lower members -are strong and well formed, but the bust is long, thin and weak.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p> - -<p>The everyday costume of the men consists of a kind of jacket and -trousers of cotton cloth reaching almost to the ankles, the colour of -which is generally a dark brown. The garments of the women are somewhat -similar, but over those already mentioned they wear a sort of long -stole which falls almost to the feet.</p> - -<p>Both sexes wear their hair very long; it is rolled up in a strip of -silk or cotton cloth, and wound round the head like a turban.</p> - -<p>Their features are far from pleasing—indeed, one might qualify them as -almost repulsive; flat noses with distended nostrils, high, receding -foreheads, prominent cheek bones, narrow eyes and an enormous mouth -being their principal traits.</p> - -<p>Their character also presents few good points. That they are -intelligent and possess a wonderful power of assimilation there can -be no doubt, but these good traits are negatively qualified by the -enormous amount of vanity, laziness, cruelty and cunning with which -they are gifted.</p> - -<p>Buddhism and ancestor-worship form the base of their religion, which -is as strongly impregnated with Chinese ideas as is their language -with words of the same origin, this being the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> natural result of their -conquest by that race in the year 116 <span class="smcap">B.C.</span>, from which epoch -to the arrival of the French the kingdom of Tonquin formed a fief of -the Celestial Empire.</p> - -<p>The influence of France in Indo-China dates back to 1585 when a Jesuit -Father, Georges de la Mothe, established several missions, homes and -schools at different points in the Mekong Delta.</p> - -<p>Owing to the activity of the French Fathers the influence of that -country increased enormously; and in November, 1787, thanks to Bishop -Pigneau de Béhaine, who was at that time the trusted friend and -counsellor of the Emperor Gia-Long at Hué, a treaty was signed at -Versailles by Louis XVI. and Cang-Dzue, son of the above-mentioned -sovereign. By this treaty the French king placed at the disposal of -his Eastern ally a naval squadron composed of twenty men-of-war, -five European regiments and two native ones; also a sum of 1,000,000 -dollars, of which 500,000 were in specie, and the remainder in arms and -munitions of war. In return for these favours the Emperor of Annam made -territorial concessions in the Island of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> Poula Condor and at Tourane -to the French nation.</p> - -<p>On his death in 1820 Gia-Long was succeeded by his son Tu-Duc, who -detested the Europeans. The French settlers were driven from their -concessions, and the missionaries persecuted and massacred.</p> - -<p>Being at this epoch engrossed by the political situation in Europe, it -was not until the end of 1858 that the French Government was able to -undertake active measures for the protection of her interests.</p> - -<p>In that year the port of Tourane was captured, and in February, 1859, -Saigon, the capital of Cochin-China, was also taken.</p> - -<p>From the occupation of these two ports may be said to begin the era of -French conquest in Indo-China, of which the principal events are the -following:</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>1867. Capture of Finh-Larg, Sa-dec, Cho-doc and Hatien (Cochin-China).</p> - -<p>1873. Capture of Hanoï (capital of Tonquin) by Francis Garnier.</p> - -<p>1879. Cochin-China declared a French colony, with Saigon as the -capital.</p> - -<p>1883. Insurrection of the Black Flags in Tonquin, which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> was secretly -encouraged by the Emperor Tu-Duc. Massacre of Francis Garnier and -Commandant Rivière near Hanoï. Death of Tu-Duc. Treaty signed at Hué -by the Regent Hiep-Hoa, acknowledging the French Protectorate over -Annam and Tonquin.</p> - -<p>1884. Defeat of the Black Flags by Admiral Courbet at Nam-Dinh, -Bac-Ninh and Son-Tay. Rupture with China, who refused to renounce her -feudal rights.</p> - -<p>1885. Signature of the treaty with China, by which that country -renounces all sovereignty over Tonquin. Rebellion at Hué suppressed -by the General de Courcy. Capture of the young Emperor Ham-Nghi, who -was exiled to Algeria, the French Government placing his half-brother -Than-Thai on the throne.</p> - -<p>In 1886 M. Paul Bert was appointed first Governor of Indo-China. -The kingdom of Annam and the Tonquin Delta were placed under the -administration of Residents with a Civil staff.</p></blockquote> - -<p>From this it must not be imagined that the pacification of the country -was complete. The treaty of 1885, which secured the evacuation by -the Chinese army of the provinces of Lao-Kay, Ha-Giang, Cao-Bang and -Lang-son, had put a stop to any organised warfare; and the exile of -the young Emperor Ham-Nghi to Algeria in the same year had crushed -the open resistance of the court of Hué. However, thousands of Black -Flag soldiers and Hunan braves had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> remained in Tonquin, and these -occupied the mountainous regions in the north and east of that country, -from which they descended at intervals to prey on the rich villages -and towns in the plains, and to harass or capture the outlying French -garrisons.</p> - -<p>In Hué also there were many mandarins, who, though they openly -professed friendship to France and acknowledged the sovereignty -of Than-Thai, were partisans of the exiled monarch, and secretly -subventioned and organised insurrections in the provinces of Than Hoa -(Annam), Son-Tay, Bac-Ninh, Thaï-Nguyen and the Yen-Thé (Tonquin).</p> - -<p>These officials were also in communication with the Chinese bands, -three of whose principal leaders, Ba-Ky, Luong-Tam-Ky and Luu-Ky, were -former lieutenants of the old Black Flag General, Lieu-Vinh-Phuoc.</p> - -<p>In 1891, when I arrived in Tonquin, the political situation of the -colony was little better than in 1885, so far as the question of -general pacification was concerned. The Delta provinces had accepted -the French rule, and the principal towns were growing in importance and -prosperity<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> under a wise system of administration, but the neighbouring -provinces were rampant with brigandage and open revolt. Organised -resistance to the new order of things existed within a few miles of -Hanoï the capital, and Haïphong the seaport, of the colony.</p> - -<p>Indeed, as late as in 1892 the suburbs of the first-mentioned were on -several occasions attacked, looted and partially burnt; and in 1891 the -Chinese bands who occupied the mountainous region known as the Bao-Day -would raid the villages on the left bank of the Cua-Cam, and out of -sheer bravado fire a volley or two over the river into Haïphong.</p> - -<p>Military columns were sent out each winter, but with small results. -Before these forces the bands would retire to their rocky highland -fortresses, and to reach them the troops had to pass through many miles -of most difficult country, covered with dense forest and jungle, and -traversed by few paths, the whereabouts of which were kept secret by -the enemy.</p> - -<p>Information was most difficult to obtain, the fear of the Chinese being -so great that even their victims refused to give the officers any aid -in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> matter, knowing full well that reprisals would follow.</p> - -<p>Frequently disasters would occur, and a reconnoitring party would -be cut up in a narrow defile, or a convoy ambuscaded and captured. -From 1887 to 1891 each successive General commanding the troops in -the colony had urged on the Government the necessity of undertaking -operations on a more extensive scale than heretofore; and had these -officers been allowed a free hand in the matter, there is little doubt -that this chronic state of insurrection and anarchy would have been -brought to a speedy end.</p> - -<p>But the Ministry in Paris would not hear of such a thing. In France -the mere mention of the word "Tonquin" raised a babble of excited -recriminations. The public would have none of it.</p> - -<p>In 1883, 1884 and 1885 nearly fifteen thousand of the flower of the -French army had perished of disease, or had been slain by a merciless -enemy.</p> - -<p>The expedition had cost hundreds of millions of francs, and the large -army of soldiers it was still necessary to maintain in the colony was -of great expense each year to the metropolis. The majority of Frenchmen -who had never at any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> time possessed serious cravings for a Colonial -Empire, were tired of the whole business.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus02.jpg" alt="scene"/> -<a id="illus02" name="illus02"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption">RIVER SCENE AT HAÏPHONG.</p> - -<p>Right up to 1890 it was seriously debated in the Chamber, on different -occasions, whether it would not be better to abandon this new colony. -Fortunately for France she retained her rich prize.</p> - -<p>The Tonquin question had caused a hetacomb of Ministries.</p> - -<p>Jules Ferry, France's greatest politician since Gambetta, owed his -downfall to Général de Négriers reverse at Ky-Lua, and the subsequent -retreat of the army from Lang-son. Notwithstanding his undoubted -talents he was never able to recover his former influence in State -affairs.</p> - -<p>In 1885 the excited Parisian mob would have torn him to pieces had he -fallen into their hands.</p> - -<p>"À bas Ferry!" "À bas le Tonkinois!" was their cry.</p> - -<p>To-day every serious Frenchman acknowledges his respect for this great -statesman, who was undoubtedly the founder of the splendid Colonial -Empire his country possesses.</p> - -<p>From 1887 to 1891, owing to the state of public opinion, it became -absolutely necessary for succeeding Ministers, who had any respect for -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> stability of their portfolios, to adopt a special line of conduct -in regard to Tonquin, which might be defined as a policy of mild -procrastination.</p> - -<p>Instructions were given to the Governors of the unhappy colony which -might be summed up as, "Don't ask for more men; don't ask for more -money. Do the best you can with what you have, and make no noise over -it."</p> - -<p>In consequence, the Governors were obliged to repress the legitimate -aspirations of the military officers, and refused to sanction -operations on an extensive scale, which, though necessary, would most -probably attract public attention in France. The natural result of -this situation was that during the whole of this period the relations -between the civil and military powers in the colony were of the worst. -In the French Chamber the Ministry would announce from time to time -that the work of pacification was making rapid strides, that organised -resistance was at an end, and that the occasional depredations which -occurred—the importance of which, they stated, was magnified by the -sensational press of the metropolis—were the acts of a few stray -Chinese brigands (<i>Voleurs de Vaches</i>), whom the local militia and -gendarmes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> were quite able to bring to order. In the meanwhile, the -bands aforementioned, secure in the comparative inactivity of the -French, continued to plunder the villages and capture the native -authorities, who were liberated after payment of a ransom. In 1889 the -famous Luu-Ky succeeded in carrying off three French colonists, the two -brothers Rocque and Baptiste Costa. They were surprised whilst on a -shooting expedition a few miles from Haïphong. They remained prisoners -of the band for upwards of two months, and suffered every possible -indignity and great privations. They were finally liberated on the -payment of 80,000 dollars.</p> - -<p>Encouraged by the success of their compatriots, the Chinese soldiers, -who garrisoned the blockhouses and forts along the Kwang-si and -Kwang-tung frontiers, would leave their uniforms behind them and pass -into the provinces of Lang-son and Cao-Bang, where they would raid the -rich valleys, burn the villages, drive away the cattle, slaughter the -male inhabitants, and carry back the women into captivity.</p> - -<p>In the Yen-Thé the partisans of Ham-Nghi, who were secretly encouraged -by the mandarins in Hué, had raised the standard of revolt.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p> - -<p>They occupied strong and well-fortified positions, possessed an -abundance of arms and ammunition, and were ably generalled by De-Nam, -a former military mandarin of the exiled Emperor, who received tribute -in money or rice from the majority of the rich villages in the Upper -Delta, the inhabitants of which undoubtedly sympathised with the -rebels, and aided them by every means in their power.</p> - -<p>Such was the position of affairs in the Tonquin in April, 1891.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 22nd April our detachment was taken on board one -of the small but well-built river steamers which resemble in form the -boats running on the Mississippi.</p> - -<p>These vessels are of very light draught, owing to the numerous shallows -which exist in the upper reaches of the Tonquin rivers. After dodging -around for more than an hour among the innumerable high stalactite -rocks, covered with dwarfed vegetation, which tend to make Along Bay -one of the most curious and picturesque spots in the world, our steamer -entered one of the numerous estuaries by which the Song-Thuong and -Song-Cau rivers empty themselves into the sea. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> banks on either -side were of soft mud, covered as far as the eye could reach with -mangroves.</p> - -<p>The water, which in the bay had been of a green tint, was now of a dark -red-brown, and presented a consistency of good pea-soup.</p> - -<p>Far away to the north-east could be discerned the high spurs of the -mountain range increasing in altitude, and extending towards the -Kwang-si and Kwang-tung frontiers. But the sight of these was soon -lost, as from one estuary we passed into another, and the landscape -became one monotonous stretch of mangrove swamp over which the damp -atmosphere seemed to dance in the bright sunlight. At last, after -rounding a sudden curve, we caught our first glimpse of Haïphong, -which, owing probably to the continued and depressing vista we had just -been subjected to, had the appearance of quite a big town.</p> - -<p>At the time of which I am writing this city had emerged from its -chrysalis state of a town built of mud upon mud, and a considerable -transformation was taking place.</p> - -<p>Whatever may have been the errors made by France with regard to the -economical and political<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> administration of her colonies in the past, -she was, and still is, undoubtedly our superior as a builder of towns; -and the case in point may well serve as a demonstration of the fact.</p> - -<p>In 1884, Haïphong, a Sino-Tonquinese seaport, was an agglomeration of -miserable dwellings constructed for the most part of mud, bamboo and -matting, inhabited by natives, with here and there a few decent brick -buildings occupied by a small number of Europeans and Chinese merchants.</p> - -<p>It was situated in a swamp, and certain quarters of the town were -invaded by the high tides several times each month. During the summer -the blazing tropical sun converted the place into a cesspool. It reeked -with disease, and cholera and malaria were ever rampant.</p> - -<p>Seven years later, when I first saw the city, it presented the -appearance of a well-built European centre; possessed floating wharves, -well-laid-out streets, fine boulevards and good roads. An excellent -system of surface drainage was being laid down, and the thoroughfares -and many of the buildings were already lighted by electricity.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus03.jpg" alt="boulevard"/> -<a id="illus03" name="illus03"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> BOULEVARD PAUL PERT, HAÏPHONG.</p> - -<p>Since 1891 Haïphong has steadily increased<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> in area and importance, -and is now an up-to-date, progressive city.</p> - -<p>Our steamer only stayed here about an hour, the time required to draw a -day's rations for the detachment.</p> - -<p>We now learnt that our destination was Phulang-Thuong, an important -town situated on the Song-Thuong, about 65 miles inland from Haïphong, -at which place the depot of the 2nd Battalion of our regiment was -stationed.</p> - -<p>We were soon off again, and to our relief the aspect of the surrounding -country became a more hospitable one.</p> - -<p>The flat expanse of slime, mud and mangroves had disappeared. Now the -river ran in between high artificial embankments; beyond these, on -either side, could be seen a well-cultivated plain whose only limit -was the horizon, and which was divided up by low banks of earth into -holdings of every shape and size. It had the appearance of an enormous -fantastic chess-board, on which none of the divisions were of the same -dimensions and few of them rectangular. All of them, however, were of -the same colour—green; not green of a uniform shade, for each field -seemed to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> possess a different <i>nuance</i> of that colour, from the light, -nearly yellow, tint of the freshly-planted rice, to the dark, almost -brown, hue of the tobacco plant.</p> - -<p>If the first impression one receives from the Delta landscape be a -pleasing one, this is due to the novelty of the scenery, and soon -wears off. Its place is taken by a sense of weariness, owing to the -ever-recurring sameness of the vista; and the eyes are fatigued by -the crude, garish brilliancy of the verdure, the uniform blue of an -almost cloudless sky, and the painful reflection of the bright tropical -sunshine on the water in the paddy fields.</p> - -<p>The uniformity of the plains of the Delta provinces is broken by the -numerous hamlets surrounded by a ditch and an embankment, on the crest -of which is a dense, impenetrable thicket or hedge of live bamboo, -reaching up as high as 20 or 30 feet. In the interior of these villages -each hut possesses a garden or plantation which is a tangled mass of -luxuriant tropical vegetation, and through this from outside one can -catch but faint glimpses of the brown thatched roofs of the dwellings. -Plantains, guava, persimmon and custard-apple trees abound here.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p> - -<p>Coming straight out of this wealth of foliage are clumps of tall, -stately areca palms, which, as they tower above the homesteads, seem to -gaze out into the plain like sentries, whose duties it might be to warn -the villagers of the approach of the <i>yak</i> (pirates).</p> - -<p>Close by the majority of these hamlets, situated generally on a slight -eminence, and in the shade of one or more ancient banyan trees, are -fine pagodas with quaintly-sloping, red-tiled roofs, and curved eaves, -the crests of these being ornamented with gruesome-looking dragons -and griffins. When the village is rich the temple is surrounded by -a whitewashed wall, the upper portion of which is a kind of open -trellis-work in brick, with a doorway flanked by tall, curiously-shaped -columns, each surmounted by a many-hued, hideous plaster genie.</p> - -<p>It was easy to see that the population was very dense in this part of -the Delta. Hard at work in the fields were many natives, the majority -of whom were women. There were others winding their way along the -narrow paths which top the small banks separating each holding, or on -the rough roads upon the summit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> of the embankments which accompany the -sinuosities of the river.</p> - -<p>These were in batches of from ten to thirty individuals, each carrying -upon his or her shoulder a light bamboo, 4 feet long. Suspended from -both extremities was a basket containing rice, vegetables, or some -other local product which they were conveying to the nearest market for -sale. These natives moved at a sort of jog-trot which gives a spring -to the bamboo pole they carry, thus relieving them in a measure of the -weight suspended at either end.</p> - -<p>They can carry as much as 70 pounds during eight hours each day (that -is exclusive of occasional rests), and they go at an average pace of 3 -miles an hour.</p> - -<p>The Tonquinese of both sexes wear enormous hats made from the leaves of -the macaw palm. Those worn by the men are pointed at the top, and bear -a strong resemblance in shape to a big paper lamp-shade. The weaker sex -possess a headgear circular in form and flat on the top, around the -edge of which is an inverted brim which shields the face and neck of -the wearer from the horizontal rays of the sun.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> These hats have often -a diameter of as much as 30 inches.</p> - -<p>Four hours after we left Haïphong the aspect of the country underwent a -decided change, and low hills were frequent. They increased in number -and height as we went on, and the river soon wound its way between the -first spurs of the Bao-Day range. This is a group of hills known as -the "Ninety-nine Summits," which vary considerably in height from an -altitude of 600 to 1,800 feet. All of them are covered with long grass, -affording an excellent pasture for the cattle belonging to the numerous -villages established in the valleys.</p> - -<p>Although it was almost dusk the view from our little steamer was a -varied and pleasing one, as the river twisted and turned between these -almost cone-shaped elevations. Sometimes it seemed as if a big hill had -slipped right into the river and blocked the way; but the stream would -narrow and go right round its base, and, as we swept by, we could look -straight up the side of the slope. At such times we could not refrain -from thinking of what might happen if a few enterprising rebels took up -a position on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> the side of such a hill. They could have fired volleys -on to our crowded decks, and from such an angle that we could not have -replied with the machine gun fixed on the roof forward.</p> - -<p>However, fortunately for us, nothing of the kind did happen.</p> - -<p>We arrived at Phulang-Thuong at nine o'clock in the evening, and having -disembarked were quartered in an enormous pagoda which could easily -have accommodated another five hundred men.</p> - -<p>Each soldier was provided with a straw mattress and a blanket, and it -was not long before silence and sleep reigned supreme. The picquet and -guard were supplied from the garrison, for we were as yet unarmed. -During the next day rifles, ammunition, and a khaki campaigning kit -were served out to us. At this time putties were not worn in the French -army; they have, however, been adopted since the 1900-01 campaign in -China.</p> - -<p>Each man made his own cloth leggings or gaiters, which reached about -half-way up the calf of the leg, and were buttoned at the side. -I should here remark that the French infantry<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span>man, whilst in the -Colonies, wears a white sun-helmet, similar in shape to the one served -out to our own troops, and, like the latter, it has a removable cover -of khaki cloth.</p> - -<p>The rifles we received were of the "-74 Gras Model." These, however, -were replaced by "-86 Lebel Model" in May of the following year. The -latter is a small calibre, smokeless powder, repeating weapon.</p> - -<p>I was included in a batch of sixty men who were to reinforce the 1st -Company of the 2nd Battalion, quartered at Nha-Nam, about 21 miles to -the north of Phulang-Thuong.</p> - -<p>There is a good road between these two points, which is constructed on -an embankment 4 feet above the level of the surrounding paddy fields. -It has probably been in existence for several centuries, and it is -certainly one of the old mandarin routes, which were made throughout -lower Tonquin by order of the Emperor Le-Vrang-Tong, who reigned during -the latter part of the sixteenth century.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 24th April our detachment crossed the Song-Thuong -river by the ferry, and stepped out briskly towards our new garrison.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p> - -<p>We were under the orders of a sergeant-major, who, owing probably to -the instructions he had received, organised the little column in a -strictly regulation manner: with vanguard, rear-guard and flankers. -These precautions led to speculations among us as to whether we should -get through our first day of service in the colony without smelling -powder. The majority would certainly have hailed with delight any -chance of a scrimmage, but we were destined to be disappointed in that -respect—for the time being, at all events. We reached Cao-Thuong about -midday, at which place we partook of a meal cooked by ourselves. On -the 6th November, 1890, an important engagement had taken place here -between the rebels—who occupied a strongly-fortified position—and a -French column of about twelve hundred men. This combat, which may be -considered the first blow struck at the partisans of the exiled Emperor -Ham-Nghi, was the opening engagement in a lengthy struggle lasting -nearly three years, and which transformed large, well-cultivated, -densely-populated plains into desolate tracts of country, overgrown -with jungle, dotted here and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> there with the charred and blackened -ruins of once flourishing villages.</p> - -<p>That part of Tonquin known as the Yen-Thé region is bordered on the -south and west by the Song-Cau river, on the east by the Song-Thuong, -and on the north by a chain of rocky heights running from Thaï-Nguyen -to Vanh-Linh, which is situated a little to the north of the new -railway from Phulang-Thuong to Lang-son. The southern part of it, which -is generally designated as the Lower Yen-Thé, is an immense plain -rising gradually to the north, and studded here and there with small -isolated groups of hills, none of which exceed 500 feet in height. It -is traversed by numerous streams all running into the Song-Thuong and -Song-Cau rivers, and to these the district owes its wonderful fertility.</p> - -<p>The soil of this region is composed of a dull-red clay, containing -innumerable small round pebbles. It does not produce such fine rice as -the black alluvial mud plains of the Delta, but it is better adapted -than these for the growing of yams, tobacco, the mulberry tree and -castor-oil plant.</p> - -<p>About 20 miles north of Phulang-Thuong<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> this plain terminates, and -it is succeeded by a mass of hills which here and there enclose -small marshy plains. The country is overrun by dense forests, into -which a few paths, made by charcoal burners, offer the only means of -penetration.</p> - -<p>It would need a master-pen to produce an adequate description of -the savage wildness of this region, which teems with game. Tigers, -panthers, bears, many kinds of deer, wild pigs and boars abound; -peacocks, silver-pheasants, partridges and snipe are very numerous.</p> - -<p>For centuries past the Tonquinese have associated the Upper Yen-Thé -with the mysterious and the supernatural. Native folk-lore declares -that a former Emperor, thanks to a powerful magic he possessed, -succeeded in driving from the lowlands a race of cruel and wicked -genii. To escape complete destruction these fled into the forests, -where, so runs the legend, they still live and guard the rich mineral -treasures which are said to exist there.</p> - -<p>The native of the Delta possesses a real dread of this part of the -country, for, not only is the Tonquinese the most superstitious of -humans, but the lowlander who comes into these regions is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> speedily -attacked by a virulent form of paludo-hæmaturic fever, which in most -cases terminates fatally.</p> - -<p>It was owing principally to these reasons that the native troops, with -the exception of the few companies recruited from the Muong tribes, -were of small service during the operations which took place there.</p> - -<p>In this maze of hills, covered by virgin forests, rank swamp and -deep jungle, De-Nam established his headquarters in 1887. He was no -commonplace individual, this Asiatic; indeed, when one considers -his subsequent career, it is impossible to repress a sentiment of -admiration for this man, who, during the four years he led the -rebellion, proved himself to be a capable administrator, a talented -military engineer, and a clever and a daring general.</p> - -<p>He belonged to the <i>literati</i>, or educated class, and was born near -Dap-Cau, a town on the Song-Cau river, in 1836. Like his father, he -became a mandarin, and filled successively several important posts in -the Civil Administration of his country. On the establishment of the -French Protectorate he withdrew to Hué,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> the capital of Annam; but -on the exile of Ham-Nghi he returned to his birth-place, and began -secretly to organise the insurrection in the province of which he was a -native, aided, as it has already been stated, by covert encouragement -and subsidies from some of the high native officials at the Court.</p> - -<p>His choice of the Yen-Thé as a centre of resistance to the French was -in itself no small proof of the acumen the man possessed. Apart from -the difficulties which the surface configuration of the region offered -to the movements of European troops, the natives were stronger and -more courageous than those of the Delta, and it was from them that -the greater part of the old army of Tu-Duc was recruited. After the -capture of the citadels of Son-Tay and Bac-Ninh by the French, these -troops, abandoned by their Black Flag allies, returned to their homes, -concealed their arms, and, with the suppleness innate in the Asiatic, -became for the time being peaceful cultivators of their native soil.</p> - -<p>Their minds were, however, deeply imbued with the delights of -their past career—the satisfaction based on a sense of swaggering -superiority<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> over their unarmed compatriots, and the consequent -facilities which had existed for plundering them. The long "siestas," -slack discipline, and numerous pipes of opium were still causes for -keen regret, and they hated the monotony and hard work attached to the -pursuit of agriculture. It is, therefore, easy to imagine with what -eager joy these former warriors received the whispered appeal of secret -propaganda—an appeal combining the glamour of patriotism with the -promise of rapine, plunder, and the other joys so dear to the majority -of Orientals—and the mysterious manner in which the message was -communicated to them was in itself a fascination owing to their belief -in the supernatural.</p> - -<p>In 1888 the majority of the population of the Yen-Thé were fervent -partisans of De-Nam, and but few villages had refused to throw in their -lot with the insurgents. All the hamlets that abstained from joining -the revolt were Catholic centres, for numerous missions of the Roman -Church had been established in this district for more than a century.</p> - -<p>It was at this time that the leader of the insurrection decided on -building a fortified strong<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span>hold towards the north-east of Nha-Nam. -A strong fort, rectangular in shape, with flanking bastions at each -corner, was constructed. Within it were placed substantial native -buildings capable of accommodating from six to eight hundred men. The -position chosen was in a dense forest of which just the necessary area -to be covered by the defensive work was cleared. Two narrow paths -only led to it, and these approaches could be raked by cross-fires -from the walls and bastions. The surrounding vegetation was so thick -that it was impossible to make headway outside of the two tracks; and -owing to its density, and to the fact that the position was situated -in a slight hollow, there were no means of obtaining a glimpse of -the fortifications until the first palisade, which enclosed them at -a distance of about 25 feet, was reached. There were three of these -palisades, and in the grass-covered space between them were planted -numerous pointed bamboo stakes, the whole forming a most serious -agglomeration of auxiliary defences.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus04.jpg" alt="position"/> -<a id="illus04" name="illus04"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> THE FORTIFIED POSITION AT HOU-THUÉ.</p> - -<p>The preceding details may apply to the numerous other defensive works -subsequently<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> erected by the rebels, all being on the same plan, and -occupying similar sites.</p> - -<p>From Hou-Thué—for this was the name given by the natives to the -citadel—De-Nam administered the whole of the province in the name of -the exiled Emperor. The villages paid taxes into his treasury, and -furnished rice and other requisites for his army, which at this time -consisted of about two thousand five hundred men, one thousand five -hundred of whom were armed with breech-loading rifles.</p> - -<p>The unfortunate hamlets which refused their support were mercilessly -pillaged and burnt, and their inhabitants massacred as an example -to other recalcitrants. It must, however, be stated, in justice to -the rebel chief, that he protected those who were faithful to his -rule, for, on several occasions, in 1889-90, he defeated detachments -of native militia sent by the Resident in Bac-Ninh to collect taxes -from the peasants. During this period the attention of the French -authorities was so actively engrossed by the movements of the Chinese -bands in the provinces of Lang-son and Cao-Bang on the Song-Koï and -Black rivers, that action in the Yen-Thé was put off until the end of -1890.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span></p> - -<p>As a natural result of this policy of tergiversation, the power and -prestige of De-Nam increased considerably; and so great was his -confidence in the ultimate success of the insurrection, that he -established a strongly-fortified position at Cao-Thuong, in which he -placed a garrison under the orders of De-Tam, the most trusted and -capable of his lieutenants.</p> - -<p>This subordinate not only administered the surrounding country, and -levied toll in the name of his chief, but by night he often crossed -the Song-Thuong and raided the rich villages around Phulang-Thuong, -the inhabitants of which had been living in security and growing rich, -thanks to the close proximity of the French troops garrisoned in that -town. It was frequently the lot of the unhappy Resident to watch, -through the night, from his verandah, the burning houses of these -unfortunates.</p> - -<p>Patrols would be sent out, but their departure was at once signalled, -and they would arrive on the scene only to find that the raiders had -decamped with their spoil; and sometimes these detachments, being at -a disadvantage in the gathering darkness, would be ambuscaded by the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> -rear-guard of the enemy, and suffer severe losses.</p> - -<p>At last, something had to be done, and a column under General Godin -was sent against the rebel position at Cao-Thuong. It was with some -difficulty that the fort was located, owing to it being concealed in -the midst of a dense thicket. Part of the expedition was surprised, -and suffered losses. Eventually, thanks to the fire of half a battery -of mountain guns, the position was evacuated, and the enemy, after -breaking up into small groups, succeeded in escaping northwards. No -dead or wounded Tonquinese were found in the fort, but its solid -construction and the judicious selection of its site was cause for -great surprise to all the officers present. There can be no doubt -that in this, and also during the subsequent operations against Hou -Thué, the French considerably underrated the strength and military -capabilities of the enemy. It would not, however, be wise for us to -criticise too severely, since we have committed similar errors in most -of our own colonial expeditions.</p> - -<p>A fine village close to the enemy's fort, was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> found to be abandoned, -and was burned. With this the operations terminated, which fact -demonstrates the ignorance of the French officials concerning the -extent of the rising, for they now concluded, somewhat hastily, that -the centre of resistance had been destroyed.</p> - -<p>In reality the garrison of a small outpost only had been dislodged, -and the enemy returned to the position as soon as the troops had gone. -They did not, however, remain there long, for shortly afterwards the -authorities constructed a strong fortification on the crest of a hill -which overlooked all the surrounding country, and this was occupied by -a detachment of native militia, under the orders of a French officer.</p> - -<p>Elated with the knowledge that they had slain several French and native -soldiers, the rebels most probably concluded that the victory had been -theirs. Certain it is that for long afterwards every minstrel in the -province sang of the prowess exhibited by De-Tam's troops on that day.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus05.jpg" alt="sectional"/> -<a id="illus05" name="illus05"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> SECTIONAL SKETCH OF THE REBEL DEFENCES AT HOU-THUÉ.</p> - -<p>Before General Godin's column was broken up, the civil authorities -decided on one wise measure. To ensure the tranquillity of the region -after<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> the taking of Cao-Thuong, a position was chosen at Nha-Nam, -about 8 miles further north, and a fort was built there. A company of -the Foreign Legion, one of native infantry with a mountain gun, and a -few artillerymen were left behind to construct the fort.</p> - -<p>Encouraged, no doubt, by the non-discovery of their strong positions -in the north, and by the trifling loss they had sustained, the rebels -became more venturesome than ever. Placards declaring war on the -French Government, and threatening with death all natives who remained -loyal to the foreigners, were posted up in the roads, by-ways and -market-places of the province. Rich villages, situated but a mile or -so from the garrison towns of Dap-Cau, Bac-Ninh and Phulang-Thuong, -were pillaged, burnt, and many of the inhabitants slaughtered. Almost -each night would see the troops under arms, and the sky reddened with a -conflagration.</p> - -<p>The civil authorities were supposed to supply intelligence to the -military, and they had secret service funds at their disposal to pay -for the work, but there was never any forthcoming. The enemy, however, -were better served, and not an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> ambuscade could be planned or a patrol -sent out but they were immediately informed of the fact. Towards the -end of November a perfect state of anarchy, a veritable reign of -terror, existed throughout the province; and, as a last resource, the -Yen-Thé was placed under martial law, and the administration of the -district entrusted to the Brigadier-General in command of the 2nd -Brigade at Bac-Ninh.</p> - -<p>To such as are cognisant with the French methods of recruiting the -<i>personnel</i> of that country's colonial civil service, there is little -cause for surprise at the maladministration of Tonquin at this period -of its history. To have a parent in the Ministry, a relation who was -a deputy, or an electioneering agent, or to possess a friend with -political influence—these were the surest means of obtaining a soft, -well-paid billet under the tropics. Few, if any, of the candidates -nominated knew anything about the country, its people, their customs -or language prior to their arrival in it; and even to-day, when some -apology for a competitive examination has become necessary—though this -is not always the case—not one in fifty of France's public<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> servants -in Indo-China possesses a sound knowledge of the vernacular.</p> - -<p>Very shortly after matters had been taken in hand by the military -authorities things began to take a turn for the better, thanks to -sterner measures and a better organised system of <i>espionnage</i>.</p> - -<p>When information had been obtained disclosing the existence of a strong -main position at Hou-Thué, a reconnaissance was sent out from Nha-Nam -on the 9th December to locate the route. This action led to a vague -knowledge of the whereabouts of the enemy being obtained, and a small -column, under Major Fane, marched against the rebels on the 11th.</p> - -<p>After a good deal of skirmishing and groping about in the dense forest, -the detachment, which had blundered blindly on the fortifications, was -very severely handled and forced to retreat.</p> - -<p>A new expedition, a thousand strong, under the command of -Lieut.-Colonel Winckel-Meyer, attacked the rebels on the 22nd December. -An attempt was made to assault the stronghold.</p> - -<p>Owing to the fact that the enemy's works were only visible at a -distance of a few yards,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> and also to the impracticability of clearing -a road for the guns through the trees and undergrowth, it was found -impossible to aid the attack by a preparatory action by the artillery. -For a similar reason the assaulting party were obliged to move in -Indian file along two narrow paths, exposed all the time to a severe -cross-fire. Under such conditions the impetus so necessary to success -was impossible, progress was slow, and casualties numerous.</p> - -<p>The foliage was so dense that the few rays of the sun which pierced -through it produced an effect of dim twilight. Through this -semi-obscurity, which was intensified by the clouds of powder smoke -which clung to the damp vegetation, could be distinguished the -countless red flashes from the enemy's rifles. The continuous rattle of -the musketry, the crashing clatter of the branches and twigs severed -by the hail of lead, the insulting yells of the rebels, the monotonous -boom of their war-drum, the complaints of the wounded and dying, -produced a sensation of fearsome nightmare.</p> - -<p>The European troops behaved splendidly. Those who escaped the zone -of fire on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> paths tried their best to break through the first -bamboo fence, but were shot down almost as soon as they reached it. At -one point a hole was made in the enclosure, and two Legionaries got -through. They made a rush for the second palisade, but before they -could reach it one of them fell, and his thigh was pierced by a pointed -stake. Fortunately, his comrade succeeded in carrying him back the way -they had come, and escaped himself without a scratch.</p> - -<p>Unable to stand the continued strain, a company of native -troops—<i>tirailleurs Tonkinois</i>—retreated in disorder. Some of them -actually threw away their arms, and, with turbans gone, their long hair -falling in confusion over their face and shoulders, fled shrieking and -panic-stricken.</p> - -<p>Seeing that success was not possible under the circumstances, the -commander of the expedition wisely ordered a retreat. The engagement -had lasted barely an hour, and over a hundred of the rank and file had -been killed or wounded.</p> - -<p>When the troops retired a good many of the slain, together with their -arms and ammunition, fell into the hands of the rebels.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> - -<p>The column withdrew to Nha-Nam, and reinforcements of men, guns and -mortars were sent from Bac-Ninh. Colonel Frey, who commanded the -brigade, arrived, and took over the direction of the operations, which -lasted from the 30th December to the 11th January, 1891.</p> - -<p>Trenches were opened, but progress was very slow. Eventually, a -position was reached about 100 yards from the first palisade, from -which a glimpse of the interior of the fort could be obtained. A -battery composed of two mountain guns and as many small mortars was -established, and the shells thrown from them soon caused serious -loss to the enemy, and set fire to one of the thatched roofs of the -numerous buildings it contained. Most of these constructions were -built of bamboo and plaster, so that the conflagration spread rapidly; -and towards evening the interior of the citadel was a mass of flames. -The rebels displayed striking courage, for they clung to the walls, -and fired incessant volleys at the guns until late into the night. -Profiting by the darkness, they then evacuated the fort, after burying -their dead, and retired with their wounded to positions a few miles -further north.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus06.jpg" alt="interior"/> -<a id="illus06" name="illus06"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> INTERIOR OF THE FORT AT HOU-THUÉ.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p> - -<p>These positions were stronger than at Hou-Thué, and consisted of a big -entrenched village, the approaches being covered by several forts and -numerous rifle-pits, the importance of which was unknown to the French, -so well had the secret of their construction been guarded.</p> - -<p>On the following morning an assaulting column found the position -at Hou-Thué empty, and the defences were partially destroyed by -dynamite.<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> After a few reconnoitring parties had been sent out, and -no trace of the enemy discovered, the civil authorities concluded that -the rebellion had been squashed, and the Governor gave orders for the -column to be broken up.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> A most excellent and detailed account of the operations -against Hou-Thué is to be found in "Pirates et Rebelles au Tonkin," by -General Frey, published in 1892 by Messrs Hachette et Cie, Paris. The -maps of the region and sketches of the position are reproduced from -that work by the kind permission of the author and publishers.</p></div> - -<p>However, to ensure tranquillity, it was decided to maintain the -garrison, and strengthen the position at Nha-Nam, situate about 3 -miles south-west of Hou-Thué, on a small elevation dominating to the -south, east, and west the plain which extends towards the Song-Cau -and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> Song-Thuong rivers, and northwards of which is the mass of -forest-covered hills already described.</p> - -<p>The garrison consisted of a company of the Legion, one of native -infantry, and a mountain gun. The construction of the position went -on very slowly, for the military authorities were able to obtain but -few coolies, and the greater part of the labour had to be performed -by troops who were continually harassed by night attacks; for the -rebels, encouraged, no doubt, by the failure of the French to discover -their new stronghold, were soon as active as before. Fortunately, the -garrison experienced small loss, for the enemy contented themselves by -firing into the place at night from a distance of about 300 yards.</p> - -<p>The strain on the men was very great, however, as three or four nights -a week they were under arms in expectation of an attempt to rush the -position. This was the state of affairs when our detachment arrived at -Nha-Nam on the evening of the 24th April.</p> - -<p>Our arrival at the fort caused some little excitement, and numerous -were the questions asked us concerning friends in Algeria.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> - -<p>We were at once distributed over the company, and I found myself placed -in the second squad of the first section, which was lodged in a small -pagoda, situated about 10 yards inside the fort gate, and almost facing -it. This building was in very good condition, and faced the south. A -vacant bed was given me, the former occupant of which, having been -rather severely wounded in a skirmish about a fortnight previously, -was in the hospital at Phulang-Thuong. I say bed, but in reality it -was an apology for the comfortable cots used in Algeria. The trestles -were of wood, and placed upon these was a plank about 2 feet broad. A -regulation blanket folded in two served as a mattress. A good meal was -awaiting us, and, after partaking of it, I arranged my kit, and in a -quiet spot, with the help of a comrade, "washed down" with a bucketful -of water.</p> - -<p>Our long tramp, and the heat, had made us comfortably tired, so we -turned in early and were soon sound asleep, notwithstanding the -restricted dimensions of our couches. Our slumbers were undisturbed, -and the night passed without incident.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p> - -<p>On the morrow the men who had composed our relief detachment were -paraded for inspection by our company commander, Captain Plessier. He -addressed us with a few words of welcome, adding some sensible advice -concerning the great dangers which existed from sunstroke, fever, and -the abuse of alcoholic liquors, and the best way to avoid them. After -that he questioned us individually concerning our previous knowledge -of building and engineering. Before he interrogated a man, the -sergeant-major who stood near him reading from a list he held, would -inform our commander of the name and nationality of each in turn. To my -surprise he addressed me in very good English, saying:</p> - -<p>"What was your profession before you enlisted?"</p> - -<p>"I had not yet adopted one, sir," I answered.</p> - -<p>"Hum! You evidently possess a good education, and we are in want of -intelligent work." Then, turning to the non-commissioned officer behind -him, he continued in French: "Sergeant-major! Make a note of it: this -man to be put on the brick-making gang in his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> spare time." As he -passed on to the next private he threw a quick glance at me, in which I -read a kindly sense of the humour of the situation.</p> - -<p>To another who told him he was formerly an artist, he said:</p> - -<p>"Excellent! excellent! the very man I want. My hut and the new kitchen -will be finished to-morrow, so you can set about whitewashing at once."</p> - -<p>This officer was a man of medium height, about thirty-five years of -age. He was dark, and wore a small moustache. He was well-built, very -active, and seemed to be about at all hours of the day and night. -Though a strict disciplinarian he was extremely just, and never -inflicted a punishment unless it was merited. Owing to this, and also -to his cool courage under fire, his men were devoted to him, and would -have followed him anywhere.</p> - -<p>The morning was given to us, so as to permit of our settling down in -our new quarters.</p> - -<p>That afternoon I was initiated into the rudiments of brick-making. -The clay pit and yard were at the bottom of the western slope of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> -our position, on the top of which was the <i>réduit</i> or citadel of our -little fort. Eight Legionaries were employed at modelling the bricks -and stacking them in the kiln (I was one of the gang), and ten native -<i>tirailleurs</i> brought water from the well, chopped up the rice straw, -and brought in wood for the fire. A picquet of ten men and a corporal, -on the watch for snipers, protected us.</p> - -<p>We stopped work at 5 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span>, and went up to the fort to take our -evening meal, after which I hurried round our positions to take things -in, and see all I could before the sun disappeared with that swiftness -so startling to the newcomer in the East. In this part of the world -there is no twilight.</p> - -<p>Again we were favoured with a quiet night. At five o'clock the next -morning, just before the bugle sounded the <i>réveil</i>, a sergeant-major -came into our abode and gave us the orders for the day. My section, -and another from the native regiment, were to start on a morning -reconnaissance at six o'clock under the orders of our Captain; the -remainder of the garrison was to continue work at the fortifications -and build<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span>ings in construction. I soon learnt that this was the daily -routine, each unit taking alternate turns at reconnoitring or building. -A quarter before the hour indicated the section was lined up, outside -our pagoda, facing the south gate of the fort.</p> - -<p>We were in our khaki kit of cotton drill, and carried our rifles, side -arms, 120 rounds of ammunition, water-bottles filled with very weak -coffee, and a sort of heavy-bladed half chopper, half knife, which was -in a wooden sheath suspended from the belt on the right side. This -tool, which is a cross between a Gurkha <i>kookerie</i> and a Manila <i>bolo</i>, -is about 18 inches long, and has a blade which is broader and heavier -at the end than at the shaft. It is used to cut away the creepers, -bamboos, and undergrowth, although at a pinch it makes a formidable -weapon. A few minutes later the detachment of native troops who were -to take part in the expedition, came from their quarters and formed -up behind us. Their uniform, which was of similar texture and shade -to ours, consisted of a vest, short trousers, and putties of the same -pattern as those worn by the Muong tribes.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> The men were unshod, and -as a head-dress wore a round, flat hat made of bamboo, which is known -as a <i>sakalo</i>. This has a diameter of about 8 inches, is painted with -red lacquer, and has a small brass spike in the centre. In shape it -somewhat resembles an inverted soup-plate. This hat is placed on the -top of the chignon-turban worn by the Tonquinese, and secured to it by -red cotton streamers. On occasions like the present one, the head-dress -was covered by a khaki <i>coiffre</i>, which not only hid the sakalo, but -also fell over the neck of each soldier at the back, as a protection -from the sun. They were armed with the cavalry musket and bayonet. This -weapon was of the same model and calibre as the one we were then using, -but it was shorter and lighter. In addition to the native "non-coms" in -these regiments each section possessed two French sergeants. These, of -course, wore a uniform very much the same as ours.</p> - -<p>As I stood in the ranks curiously watching through the trellis-like -palisade the red ball of the tropical sun as it rose swiftly above -the horizon and lit up the plain before me with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> colours so brilliant -that their glare seemed to burn the eyeball, I overheard the following -remarks made by two comrades in proximity to me:</p> - -<p>"<i>Himmel!</i> Sidi Mahomet (the sun) promises well to-day. We shall lose -some fat before we get back, Bauer."</p> - -<p>"Fat! I've none to lose," was the reply. "I found the last of mine in -my boots yesterday, when we got back from Yen-Lé (a native village five -miles south). That load of bamboo did it. I shall sweat my flesh away -now. <i>Pauvre Légion!</i> Have you got a <i>cibiche</i> (cigarette)?"</p> - -<p>"That load of bamboo!" said the first speaker, as he handed his chum -his pouch. "Do you think I carried back the <i>buthuong's</i> (native -headman) feather mattress? <i>Schafskopf!</i> An ironwood pagoda beam, -my boy. Eighty kilos, if it weighed a gramme! I heard the <i>Capitän</i> -(captain) say, 'This would make splendid doorposts, but it's too -heavy,' so I tried it. <i>Sacré nom!</i> It was a blow. When we got here I -was nearly dead. <i>Kaput!</i> Sweat? Why, when I went to the kitchen to -get a drink of tea, Schmidt stared at me, and asked if it had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> -raining. <i>Dummer Kerl!</i> The cartridges in my pouch were quite wet. I -believe the powder in them must be damp, too."</p> - -<p>I joined in the laugh at this sally, and asked:</p> - -<p>"Do you know which way we shall go this morning, Bauer?"</p> - -<p>"No, I don't," he replied; "and neither does any one else. The 'old -man' (<i>le vieux</i>) arranges such matters with himself as he takes his -coffee in the morning. All I do know is that if we go south, east or -west we shall each bring back a load of bamboo. <i>Mein Gott!</i> It does -take a lot to build this place. If we go north we shall have some fun, -and some one will probably get hurt."</p> - -<p>"No such luck," said the corporal on my right; "there will be no -vacancies in the <i>cadre</i> to-day."</p> - -<p>As he spoke our Captain came walking down from the <i>réduit</i>, and a few -paces behind him one of the buglers leading his mount, a small white -native pony, not much bigger than a Shetland, but as beautifully formed -as an Arab. Our commander carried no arms; a pair of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> field glasses -slung over his shoulder, and a small malacca cane, constituted all his -impedimenta.</p> - -<p>He glanced at the detachment, and then said to our lieutenant:</p> - -<p>"Monsieur Meyer, the reconnaissance will proceed in the direction -of Yen-Lé." (I heard a suppressed groan from the men near me.) "The -Tirailleurs will supply the vanguard."</p> - -<p>At the word of command one of the native infantrymen left the ranks -and went out of the gate at a jog-trot. Once outside, he brought -down his rifle from the shoulder, slipped in a cartridge, closed the -breech-bolt, and carried his arm at the slope. This man was what is -known as the "point" of the column.</p> - -<p>When he had proceeded about 40 yards, the "cover-point," composed -of a corporal and four men, followed, and behind these, at an equal -distance, came the vanguard; which in this case consisted of half a -section under the orders of a sergeant. When another interval of 40 -yards had been established, the remainder of the column proceeded, with -the exception of a small rear-guard of ten men and a corporal, who -followed about 100 yards behind us.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> As we went through the gate, Bauer -said to me: "We can be thankful the <i>demoiselles</i>—he meant the native -troops—are in front to-day; we shan't have to stretch our skittles -(legs)."</p> - -<p>Once outside the fort we slung our rifles and marched at ease.</p> - -<p>Our road was on a narrow embankment which wound snake-like over the -rice fields, and we could only proceed in Indian file.</p> - -<p>The country here was very much like that of the Delta, which I have -already described. A well-cultivated plain, studded over with villages -hidden in clumps of verdure, and surrounded by tall, graceful bamboos, -which bent and creaked, and whose delicate foliage rustled under the -slightest breeze. The only difference was that here and there were -small hills, some covered with long grass, others with a dense and -luxuriant vegetation, the pleasant aspect of which broke the monotony -of the landscape.</p> - -<p>Many of the villages were occupied, and from some of them, as our -little column passed by, the notabilities would come out and make -obeisance, and offer refreshments to our com<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span>mander. They had accepted -the protection of the French authorities, and paid taxes into the -treasury at Phulang-Thuong; but the mere fact that their village was -not a mass of charred ruins was the best proof that they must also -have been paying toll to De-Nam, and most probably supplying him with -rice. Others of these hamlets openly gave proof of their hostility by -barring the gates before we arrived. An order would be given and a -few men would make a rush for the entrance, pull back the heavy beams -placed one above the other, the ends of which fitted in slots cut in -two massive posts, and break in the ironwood doors beyond.</p> - -<p>No one was found in the place, all the inhabitants having escaped -through some exit at the back of the village, generally leading into a -dense jungle, where they hid with all the cattle they had time to drive -before them.</p> - -<p>The defences of these hamlets are much stronger and more elaborate than -those of the Delta provinces. A double and sometimes triple embankment -and bamboo hedge surrounds them. Between the first two of these are -numerous deep ponds of stagnant water. Twisting, narrow<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> lanes, just -large enough to allow of the passage of the tame buffalo, divide up the -interior, and make of each thick clay-walled house a veritable citadel. -Leading up to each of the two or three doors, which must be passed to -gain an entrance, are narrow passages through which only one man can -go at a time, and these can be raked from end to end by the fire from -well-placed loopholes.</p> - -<p>I was greatly interested by what I saw that morning, and by the really -clever system of defence adopted for their houses by these Asiatics. -It is certain that had they offered us any serious resistance we would -have suffered severe loss. That they did not, I attribute to the fact -that they were fully cognisant that in such a case a gun could be -brought from Nha-Nam, against which their fortifications would have -stood but a poor chance. As Bauer had predicted, we ended up our -morning by bringing back from Yen-Lé a load of bamboo. This we cut from -the hedge of that village, which was not inhabited, for it had been -burnt about two months previously, because its occupants had fired upon -a passing detachment of troops.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> The task of carrying our load back to -Nha-Nam was no light one, and much bad language was used by the way. We -reached our position about midday.</p> - -<p>Had it been possible to obtain sufficient coolies, the troops would -have been spared this labour. However, it did none of us any harm, for -we were well fed, and drew a daily ration of a pint of good wine and a -lot of rum, so that we could stand a little extra work.</p> - -<p>Owing to the extreme heat, unless there was urgent need of their -services, the troops were kept under cover each day from 10 -<span class="smcap">a.m.</span> to 2 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span> From then until near sunset work would -be resumed on the buildings and fortifications.</p> - -<p>On the 5th May, at 1 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span>, I had my first experience of a -night attack. My squad had come off guard-duty on the evening of the -4th, and we had turned in at nine, and were soon fast asleep. White -duck pants and a soft linen shirt constituted our usual sleeping -costume; each man placing the end of a sheet over his bare feet to -protect them from the mosquitoes. In the event of an alarm it was easy -for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> men to slip on their boots, buckle on their belts, seize their -arms and hurry to their posts, of which each was already cognisant. A -few seconds sufficed for our little garrison to be prepared to repel -any attack on their position. A small light, screened from the outside, -burnt in each room, and this prevented the confusion which complete -obscurity would have created.</p> - -<p>What it was exactly that awoke me it would be difficult to state. -Instinctively I had sprung off my cot and was groping about for my -boots, which were on the other side of it. After cursing myself for -my stupidity, I found and slipped them on. Satisfied at being shod -once more—a sense of weakness and inferiority dominates the white man -caught barefooted—I did not wait to lace them, but buckled on my belt, -took down my rifle from its peg, and hurried over to the opposite side -of our pagoda to take up my place at the window, between two other men. -But a few seconds had elapsed since my awakening, and now, as I stood -with my head and shoulders above the opening, the butt of my rifle -pressed under the arm-pit, the right hand gripping the stock with one -finger<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> on the trigger, now only did I realise what had brought me -from my slumbers. Previously, my awakening intelligence had been able -to concentrate itself on one object only, that of arming myself, and -reaching my post as soon as possible.</p> - -<p>There was no moon, but the night was clear, the stars ablaze. A few -yards in front of us I could see the dim outline of the palisade, and, -beyond it in the darkness, a grey streak of road which disappeared into -the night. Along a front of perhaps 400 yards the sombre background -was punctuated again and again, at a distance of about a quarter of a -mile, by lightning like red flashes. Rat! tat! tat! tat!... These were -Winchesters. Boom! boom!... Sniders or muzzle-loaders. Then Rat! tat! -tat! again in quick, continuous succession.</p> - -<p>With a sharp whirr, or a long drone, the bullets fly overhead. A swish -and a crackle. Ah! that was lower, and has hit the palisade. Thud! -Thud! they come into our good wall. A corporal blows out the light; -wise man! A crack and a jingle of broken crockery—the tiles of our -pagoda are getting it now. Flop!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> a leaden messenger has come through a -window, and flattened itself against the opposite wall.</p> - -<p>In our room all is silent. Each man stands with his finger on the -trigger; a corporal is behind each squad; we are waiting for orders. -In the trenches on the crest of the slope behind us, and in the brick -buildings scattered over our position, our comrades, like us, are -expectant, ready and confident. The enemy's fire increases, and we hear -it break out on the left. The flashes from their rifles come closer and -closer; some of them are now not more than 100 yards away.</p> - -<p>A good many bullets are finding their way into our building. A tin -pannikin, with a hole drilled through it, falls with a clatter from the -shelf, and an earthenware jar which contained cold tea is smashed. We -can hear the soft trickle of the liquid over the tiled floor.</p> - -<p>We take all the cover we can as we peep out into the darkness. No one -has been hurt, but it begins to be trying to the nerves.</p> - -<p>A ball flicks the window-ledge, and fills our eyes and nostrils with -brick-dust. "<i>Schweine!</i>" exclaims my neighbour, rubbing his eyes.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> -"Silence!" says the corporal who stands just behind.</p> - -<p>I have a growing desire to say something to somebody, and feel terribly -lonely. Next I swear mentally that after counting ten I will open fire -and stand all chances. I count ten; then—do nothing, and keep on -waiting—it seems for hours. The whole thing lasts about thirty minutes.</p> - -<p>At last! We hear footsteps coming down the hill, and Lieutenant Meyer -appears walking at a quick pace, a bugler behind him. He comes into -our quarters, and looks around in the obscurity to see that all are -present. Just then some more of our tiles go to glory with a smash. He -laughs lightly, and says:</p> - -<p>"<i>Ça chauffe, mes enfants</i>," and a titter runs through the room. Then, -turning to a "non-com": "Schmidt! go over to the guard-house" (a few -paces away to our left), "and tell the corporal that when the bugle -sounds, he will open a fire of six cartridges from the loopholes. You -can remain there and join in." Then to us: "Attention! for independent -firing! at <i>one</i> hundred metres——"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span></p> - -<p>Every man present braces himself and jubilates. The bugler, at a sign -from our officer, steps forward to the doorway and sounds the "Open -fire."</p> - -<p>In a second we are all at it. Crash! bang! bang! The sentry at the gate -also joins in, and we can see the flash and hear the report of his -weapon as he fires from behind his shelter of sods.</p> - -<p>All my nervous impatience is gone, and I no longer growl at fate -and speculate on my chances of being shot in the dark. I am hitting -back now, and feel joyful at it. Also I seem to possess two distinct -individualities, one watching the other; and the one knows that the -other will be pleased if I do not hurry, as I slip another cartridge -into the breech, and close the bolt with a snap. So I effect the -operation in the regulation manner, though I am craving to rush through -it with lightning speed, and would do so, were not my invisible double -watching me so attentively. My rifle is as light as a feather as I -bring it up to the shoulder. Then I peep along the barrel, and wait -a second for a flash from the enemy. It is too dark to see<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> the top -sight, so when the flash comes, with a steady pull I loose off at it.</p> - -<p>Now the bugle brays the "Cease fire," and the rattling din ceases -suddenly.</p> - -<p>Within our room all is still again, except for an occasional cough, for -we are breathing powder smoke. The place is full of it, and it hangs -around like a fog.</p> - -<p>The enemy's fire on our front is almost extinct. The little there is -comes from a long way off—500 or 600 yards, perhaps. An occasional -twinkle and a following pop! and then it ceases altogether.</p> - -<p>On the right of our position they are still keeping it up, till we hear -the quick successive crashes of two volleys fired by our comrades from -the trenches, after which it dies away and is soon finished. So ends -the night alarm.</p> - -<p>Awaiting orders we remained under arms until our captain came round, -accompanied by M. Joly, our surgeon, to enquire if there were any -casualties. On our lieutenant replying in the negative, we heard our -commanding officer laughingly inform him that the only patient for the -doctor was the sergeant-major's dog, which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> had been shot clean through -the body. Strange to say, this animal, a liver-coloured pointer, -recovered completely from its wound.</p> - -<p>At about a quarter to two the "dismiss" was sounded, and we returned to -rest again.</p> - -<p>For the next few weeks the work of building went on apace, and by the -end of May all the garrison was comfortably lodged and the defences -completed. The <i>tirailleurs</i> laboured with us at this task; and it was -whilst watching them at work that I was struck by the diversity of uses -to which these natives are capable of adapting the bamboo. They used it -for almost everything. Roof-beams, doorposts, window-frames and rafters -were obtained from it for building purposes, and also beds, tables, -chairs, matting and blinds. The whole of our position was surrounded by -two barriers of bamboo, and in the space between them, about 20 feet, -thousands of small pointed stakes of the same wood, boiled in castor -oil to harden them, were planted in the ground. The native troops -were undoubtedly cunning workmen, and were of great assistance in the -construction of the fort.</p> - -<p>They are, however, held in small respect by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> the Legionaries, whose -opinion of them as fighters is of the poorest.</p> - -<p>The majority of these troops, recruited in the Delta provinces—the -population of which are good agriculturists, but possess no military -virtues—are of small value as a fighting unit.</p> - -<p>The few companies formed of Thos and Muongs (mountain tribes of the -Tonquin) have, however, rendered great service to the army, and their -courage and <i>morale</i> is of the best.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, only about one-fifth of the total strength of each -regiment is composed of these highlanders.</p> - -<p>At the beginning of 1891 the colony possessed three regiments of -<i>tirailleurs Tonkinois</i>. Each of these corps was composed of four -battalions of one thousand men. In June, 1895, a fourth regiment of -three battalions was raised, and in 1902 a fifth of similar composition -was added to the strength of the army in Tonquin.</p> - -<p>Each corps possesses a <i>cadre</i> of French officers and "non-coms," -composed as follows: a colonel and an adjutant-major for each regiment, -a major to each battalion, and a captain, two lieutenants and twelve -sergeants to each company.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span></p> - -<p>There exists, however, a great defect in the organisation of these -native corps, of important significance to those acquainted with the -admirable system adopted for our Indian army, for not two per cent. of -the Frenchmen who compose the <i>cadres</i> of the <i>tirailleurs</i> regiments -can speak the vernacular. The disadvantages consequent on this state of -things are too evident to require explanation.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">The difficulties of obtaining military intelligence—Native -spies—Ambuscades—Life at Nha-Nam—Doy-Tho—De Lipthay—A tropical -storm—The capture of Linh-Nghi—Monsieur de Lanessan—French colonial -administration.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>Owing to the fact that the majority of the population of the Yen-Thé -were partisans of De-Nam, and also to the terror with which this chief -had inspired the remainder, it was with the greatest difficulty that -any information could be obtained concerning the organisation and -movements of the rebels.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the proverbial cupidity of the natives, and that all -intelligence was well paid for—a Special Secret Service fund being -devoted to this purpose—the military authorities found it almost -impossible to learn what was going on, or what might be expected to -happen. It was not until a regular system of espionage<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> was instituted -in April, 1891, that any useful knowledge could be obtained.</p> - -<p>A score or so of men from the native regiments who had furnished some -proofs of courage were chosen, and these, disguised as travelling -musicians, beggars or pedlars, wandered from village to village -gleaning in the meantime all the information it was possible to obtain. -This they would communicate to the officers commanding the forts at -Nha-Nam and Bo-Ha, or to the Intelligence Department of the Brigade at -Bac-Ninh. These spies were instructed in certain signs and passwords -which they used as a proof of their identity when they came to any of -the centres with news; and their arrival at and departure from these -places were always effected secretly and at night.</p> - -<p>By these means it became possible to the French officers to have some -idea of what was going on in the lower Yen-Thé, but the knowledge -obtained concerning the strength and situation of the rebels' fortified -positions in the north was extremely vague.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus07.jpg" alt="spy"/> -<a id="illus07" name="illus07"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> A NATIVE SPY.</p> - -<p>Several of the spies had made attempts to penetrate into the region -north of Ha-Thuong.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> Some were turned back; others, who had probably -excited suspicion, were tortured and decapitated; but none of them -succeeded in obtaining a glimpse of the strongholds, or in gaining any -certitude concerning the paths which led to them.</p> - -<p>However, thanks to these spies, it became known that important convoys -of grain and food stuffs, coming from the villages near Bac-Ninh, were -sent northwards twice a week, by paths which passed a little to the -west of our position, and were not visible from it. The usual time for -the passage of these supplies near Nha-Nam was from one to three in -the afternoon, at which hour, owing to the heat, the troops were under -cover.</p> - -<p>Acting on orders received from General Voyron, who had just taken over -the command of the 2nd Brigade at Bac-Ninh, small parties were sent out -on several occasions in hopes of surprising the convoy.</p> - -<p>They were concealed in one of the deserted villages along the paths -supposed to be frequented by the rebels, and at points from which a -good view of the track for some distance could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> be obtained. I took -part several times in these small expeditions. One of them is perhaps -worthy of mention, since it provided some excitement for all those who -assisted in it.</p> - -<p>Our detachment on this occasion consisted of eight Legionaries, and as -many <i>tirailleurs</i>, under the order of a corporal of our regiment. We -proceeded due south about 3 miles along the high road to Cao-Thuong to -a fine pagoda, the wall of which skirted the highway. Just facing the -entrance to the building, and at right angles to the main road which it -joined, was a small path that ran across the fields to the west, and -was visible for about 400 yards, afterwards turning off sharp to the -left behind a range of small hillocks covered with long grass.</p> - -<p>At the apex of the angle formed by the junction of this path and the -main road was a big banyan tree with a clump of bushes at its base.</p> - -<p>It was here that our ambuscade was placed, after a scouting party had -gone through a big empty village, situated just behind the pagoda, and -it was certain that there existed no sign of occupation, or trace of a -recent passage of the enemy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span></p> - -<p>Six Legionaries, two natives and the corporal remained behind the -pagoda wall, and through the open brickwork in the top part of it they -could see across the fields. Together with four <i>tirailleurs</i> I was -posted on the opposite side of the road. We were a little to the right -of the others, our backs towards them, behind the clump of bushes at -the foot of the banyan.</p> - -<p>Perched up on one of the branches of this tree and concealed by its -dense foliage was a Legionary, who, from the position he occupied, -obtained a fine view to the south and west: these being the only -directions from which our position could be approached, since the -bamboo hedge of the village behind us skirted the road to the east for -at least 500 yards, and nothing could come from the north without being -seen by our sentries at Nha-Nam, who had received orders to keep a -sharp look-out.</p> - -<p>It was ten in the morning before we had settled down. Our instructions -were to reserve our fire, and, if possible, capture one of the enemy -alive.</p> - -<p>The heat was terrible—this was in the second week in June, and the -rains had not broken—and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> although, thanks to the shade from the -tree above me, I could doff my helmet and profit by the occasional -light puffs of breeze, just sufficient to move the airy foliage of -the bamboo, it required all my energy to fight against the invading -drowsiness.</p> - -<p>From time to time I would question the man in the tree in the hope that -he would announce the advent of a troop; but he disappointed me each -time with a reply in the negative.</p> - -<p>My attention was soon drawn to the four natives beside me, for I -perceived that they were fast asleep. The natives possess a faculty -of dropping into a sound slumber without respect to time or position; -and these, though seated, their bodies bolt upright and their legs -crossed before them, were snoring. The Tonquinese, like the Arabs, -have a proverb which says: "A man is better sitting than standing, -better asleep than sitting, and better dead than asleep." However, -this was no time to ponder on the ethics of Oriental philosophy, so -I applied myself to awakening these weary ones, and, after a good -deal of vigorous shaking, succeeded in doing so. The corporal, who -from his hiding-place had taken in the situation, adjured me, in low -but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> energetic tones, to make use of the butt of my rifle to infuse -enthusiasm into the unfortunate <i>tirailleurs</i>. Then all was quiet -again, and our weary watching was resumed.</p> - -<p>The time seemed to drag along with painful slowness, and the glare -and heat increased in intensity. Hardly a sound disturbed the drowsy -tranquillity, and had it not been for the chirping song of the cicalas -and the far-away whistle of a kite, which soared above us and whose -shadow flitted occasionally across the open ground in front, one could -have imagined that there was nothing living for miles around.</p> - -<p>The sun began to move westwards, and its rays struck the white wall -behind me, only to be reflected with such force that I was obliged to -put on my helmet to protect the back of my head. It was nearly two in -the afternoon when we were startled by a short exclamation from the -sentry perched above us.</p> - -<p>"What is it?" somebody enquired.</p> - -<p>"There is something moving," he replied, "a long way off—two -kilomètres, perhaps—two men—Ah! there are some who carry baskets. -<i>Nhaques</i> (peasants) going to market, I suppose." Then with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> growing -excitement in his tone he continued: "I see a glitter. Got for deck!" -(he was a Belgian). "The two men in front carry rifles—they are the -<i>point</i>! Yes! Yes! the point! Further back there are more coolies with -baskets, and more men with rifles—now two men on ponies."</p> - -<p>"Where are they?" I tried to speak quietly, but could have shouted with -excitement.</p> - -<p>"On the path which runs behind the hillocks—the path which turns in -<i>here</i>. They come from the south, and walk very quickly. Wheew!" he -whistled, "there are quite sixty coolies, and as many men with guns. -They have a rear-guard. The first will be on the path before us in ten -minutes. <i>Prévenez vite le caporal—Nous allons rire!</i>"</p> - -<p>I ran across the road behind us, through the gateway into the pagoda -yard, and informed our "non-com." Though he was only half awake when I -began—for the heat had been too much for <i>him</i>—he was quite alive to -the situation before I had said many words, and almost shook hands with -me in his joy at the news.</p> - -<p>"Don't shoot," he said, "unless they are alarmed and run, then shoot -straight. Let them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> come up on the road here and we can collar one, -<i>mais pour l'amour de Dieu</i>! Keep an eye on your <i>demoiselles</i>—I have -no faith in them!"</p> - -<p>I went back to my hiding-place. Hellincks, the man in the tree, said to -me:</p> - -<p>"Hurry up! The two first will be round the corner in a minute or so."</p> - -<p>I glanced at the <i>tirailleurs</i>. They were kneeling now, and throwing -eager glances through the foliage. In a low voice I told them to fix -bayonets and load, and noticed that the man next to me trembled like a -leaf as he did so. Excitement, I thought—or was it fear? From a deep -bronze his skin had changed to a dirty yellow. I should have known and -taken away his weapon, but this was my first experience.</p> - -<p>Mechanically I slipped my right hand into the pouch of my belt, took -out a cartridge, and after wetting the bullet with my tongue, slipped -it into the open breech of my rifle and closed it. Now nothing moved, -and the only sounds that struck the ear were the song of the cicalas, -the whistle of the kite, and the gentle rustle of the bamboos in the -breeze.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, round the corner of the last hillock,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> came a man; then, a -yard or so behind, another. Though expected, their actual appearance -produced an impression of surprise; perhaps because we had waited so -long.</p> - -<p>Both wore a kind of uniform of green cotton cloth, and putties of the -same colour. Their long hair was rolled in a silken turban of similar -hue. Hanging on his shoulders, suspended by a string which passed round -the front of his neck, each man had a big palm-leaf hat.</p> - -<p>The sun glittered on their brass cartridges fixed in a belt round the -waist, and on the Winchesters which they carried on the shoulder, as a -gardener carries his spade; the end of the muzzle in the hand, the butt -behind them.</p> - -<p>On they came at a sort of jog-trot, and we could hear the pad! pad! -pad! of their naked feet on the hot path.</p> - -<p>Now they were within 100 yards of us, and I fancied I could perceive -a look of relief on the ugly flat features of the first as he glanced -towards the pagoda.</p> - -<p>The first of the long string of bearers with their bamboo and baskets -were now visible, coming along at a jerky run. I felt something<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> touch -my left elbow, and glanced round to find that Hellincks had come down -from his perch and was kneeling beside me.</p> - -<p>The two armed men were quite near now. We could see a bead of -perspiration on the face of the first as it came from his hair and -trickled down his forehead. We could hear the regular, short pant of -his hard breathing, note his half-open mouth, and distinguish his -black-lacquered teeth.</p> - -<p>Pad! pad! pad!—a soft puff of breeze brought to my nostrils the acrid -odour of the perspiring native. Another few seconds, and by thrusting -my rifle through the leaves I could have touched his breast with the -muzzle.</p> - -<p>These two will surely be ours; nothing can save them!</p> - -<p>Unable to control himself, mastered by excitement or fear, the -<i>tirailleur</i> on my right suddenly sprang to his feet, and shouted in -the vernacular:</p> - -<p>"<i>Toi!</i>" ("Stop!") "<i>Adow di?</i>" ("Where go you?")</p> - -<p>From the pagoda behind us I heard an angry murmur, and could -distinguish the corporal's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> voice: "Kill the swine! Oh, kill -him!"—Hellincks cursed and groaned like a man struck with fever. -I felt that I had stopped sweating, and a big lump rose from my -chest into my throat, and seemed to choke me. I gave a great sob of -disappointment and surprise.</p> - -<p>The next instant we were on our feet, for Hellincks rose with me, and -as he shouted, "We can yet catch one," I knew that he had a similar -thought to mine. But we had hardly taken the first step forward, prior -to forcing our way through the bushes and jumping down into the paddy -field, than we were blinded for a second by two bright flashes from a -few feet in front of us, and half deafened by the close report of the -rebels' Winchesters. The <i>linh</i> (native soldier), the cause of all the -racket, pitched head foremost into the foliage. There was no time to -lose, so both of us rushed through the little cloud of smoke, through -the bushes, and the next instant we were down in the field.</p> - -<p>Fifteen, perhaps twenty, yards away I saw the backs of the two -green-clad natives who were running for dear life. They were side by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> -side in the field, for the path was littered with the baskets and -bamboos of the coolies, who had disappeared as if by magic. "Too late!" -I shouted. Hellincks jerked up his rifle and covered the native on the -left. The next instant, acting on his example, I was peeping along my -sights and bringing them in line on to the middle of the palm-leaf hat, -which bumped as it hung on the receding back of the man to the right.</p> - -<p>Before I could press the trigger Hellincks had fired, and a cloud of -smoke floated across my line of vision. It was gone in a second, and I -got my chance. Through the white puff from my rifle I saw a dark figure -spring into the air with the pose of a marionette of which all the -strings have been jerked together; and, as I brought down my weapon, -jerked out the empty cartridge and reloaded, I saw a dark mass lying -motionless on the damp ground amongst the bright green stalks of young -rice.</p> - -<p>"Vite! vite! you fool, mine is winged, and will escape if you do not -hurry!" cried my comrade, as he started off at the double.</p> - -<p>On we ran for about 30 yards; then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> Hellincks stopped, and, pointing -to the ground, jerked out: "I told you so"; and I saw a small blotch -the size of a man's hand, which, as the bright sunshine played upon it, -glittered red like a splendid dark ruby.</p> - -<p>"These fellows have as many lives as a cat," he continued hurriedly. -"He was down and up again in a second; limped away across the path into -that tall grass on the right"—pointing in that direction. "Come! we -may yet have him."</p> - -<p>On we went a few more yards, when the Belgian came a cropper, having -tripped over the foot of the thing spread-eagled in the rice field. In -his hurry he had passed too close. I had given it a wide berth. I came -back to help him up, and had to look at it. There was a small round -hole in the back of the neck, just below the base of the skull.</p> - -<p>Hellincks scrambled up, panting. How he cursed!</p> - -<p>"What are you staring at, man? Take his gun—quick!"</p> - -<p>Bending down, I picked up the Winchester. In doing so I almost touched -the body, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> with difficulty suppressed a murmured, "I beg your -pardon," because I was dominated by a sentiment of awesome respect for -the thing that had been, and was no more. I wished to walk softly, on -tiptoe, and felt <i>so</i> thankful that he had fallen face-downwards.</p> - -<p>All this had passed in the space of a few seconds. "Come back! come -back!" It was the corporal shouting to us, and there was a note of -warning in his voice.</p> - -<p>Before turning to go I glanced up, and saw a puff of white smoke arise, -float for a second over the top of the hillock ahead, and I heard a -report. Something struck the wet ground a little in front and to my -right. A speck of mud hit me on the chin; then, along a distance of 50 -yards or so, the crest was covered with smoke, and there was a rattle -of musketry.</p> - -<p>As we ran the ground and the air seemed to me to be alive, and I could -not go quickly enough to please myself.</p> - -<p>Hellincks said between pants: "We forgot the cartridges."</p> - -<p>"Oh! d—- the cartridges!" I replied, and it was as if some one else -had said it.... How far<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> it seemed!—there were not more than 40 yards. -How hot the sun was! I believe I was terribly afraid during the few -seconds it took us to get back to shelter again.</p> - -<p>How we got back I don't remember; I only know that I felt quite -surprised to find myself standing, somewhat blown, behind the big tree, -telling my "non-com" what had happened, and feeling very anxious not to -appear flustered.</p> - -<p>Hellincks lay panting and laughing on the grass beside the other -men—three Legionaries, who were making caustic remarks concerning our -running powers, and five <i>tirailleurs</i>. The latter were either kneeling -sheltered by the tree, or extended flat on the road, their rifles ready -to reply to the enemy's fire, which was increasing in intensity.</p> - -<p>To my explanation the corporal replied:</p> - -<p>"<i>Bon! bon!</i> It was the fault of that dog of a native. Pity he was -not hit—killed. They shot off his <i>sakalo</i>, and he fainted. Three -of our fellows and two <i>tirailleurs</i> are behind the pagoda wall to -the right; they can see the enemy's position from there. Go and take -command of them" (I was an <i>élève-caporal</i>—<i>i.e.</i>,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> lance-corporal—at -this time), "and follow up each volley we fire from here by -another—distance, 300 yards."</p> - -<p>I went over to my little command, my nerves steadied by the thought of -the responsibility which was now mine.</p> - -<p>I lined the men up, each before an aperture in the open brickwork of -the wall, and recommended them to aim carefully, and wait for the word -of command before firing.</p> - -<p>Half sitting, half lying, with his head against the wall, was the -<i>tirailleur</i> who had been the cause of our abortive ambuscade. The -upper half of his face was scorched and blackened, and a little red -stream trickled down from forehead to chin. He looked dazed and stupid, -and his eyes were half closed. From his lips came a continual moan, -which he interrupted every few seconds to murmur: "<i>Tiet! Tiet!</i>" -("Dead! Dead!")</p> - -<p>My attention was called from him by the crash of a volley from the -corporal's party.</p> - -<p>As soon as the smoke had risen the smart rattle of our volley rang out. -Three times I gave the same commands, and each detonation<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> seemed an -echo to the one from the rifles of our comrades. Then there was a pause.</p> - -<p>The enemy's fire had slackened considerably, and the noise of the -projectiles as they struck the wall and roof of the pagoda, sang -overhead or clattered through the branches of the banyan, was hardly -noticeable when compared to the racket they had kept up a few minutes -before. From the hillocks before us only occasional puffs of smoke -arose, followed by isolated reports from their rifles.</p> - -<p>At his call I went out to our "non-com," who said:</p> - -<p>"They seem to be sick of it, and certainly show no disposition to rush -us. I wish they <i>would</i> try, <i>Sacré bleu</i>! The ground is too open for -them. If we could depend on the <i>linhs</i>—but we can't—we might make -a dash for the convoy; without them the odds are too great, so I have -decided to withdraw. I will start off with this lot. When we have got -away give them a volley to keep them still; and if they show any signs -of moving, a little independent firing. Don't be extravagant, though. -You understand?"</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus08.jpg" alt="pagoda"/> -<a id="illus08" name="illus08"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> PAGODA USED FOR AMBUSH.<br /> - - -[<i>See page <a href="#Page_139">139</a>.</i>] -</p> - - -<p>"Yes," I answered. "But you must take that wounded <i>linh</i>; he would -hamper me."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Of course," he replied. "<i>Sacré bon Dieu!</i> I had forgotten the coward. -Can he stand?"</p> - -<p>"I don't think so."</p> - -<p>Thereupon he told two men off to fetch the poor beggar, and I felt -sorry for him when he appeared tottering, though supported by the two -Legionaries.</p> - -<p>As already explained, the banyan tree and the bushes masked the pagoda -gateway, so that these movements could not be seen by the enemy.</p> - -<p>"He'll do," said the corporal. "You two men hold on to him, and help -him to keep up. Here you"—this to another <i>tirailleur</i>—"tell him to -run his best when we go."</p> - -<p>This was explained; and he nodded, mumbled, and would have started off -alone if he had not been held. He seemed in a hurry to get away, and we -all laughed.</p> - -<p>"Now," said our chief, "the Brigade will retire by echelons." Then, -with a grin and a bow to me: "You, monsieur, will cover our withdrawal -with your battalion. When you hear a volley from us, double out and -rejoin with your party. Good luck to you!"</p> - -<p>"<i>Bonne chance!</i>" I replied, and went back to my men.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span></p> - -<p>A couple of sharp orders, and the others clattered by at the double. -The next minute the enemy's fire broke out with renewed vigour. They -probably thought that everybody had left, for no bullets came our way.</p> - -<p>Crash! went our volley at them, but they still kept it up: the running -white men were too tempting a target.</p> - -<p>I waited half a minute, and ordered independent firing of four -cartridges per man, and joined in the fun.</p> - -<p>This calmed them a little, and I got my men outside, sheltered behind -the friendly banyan, ready for the run, as it was probable that the -others would soon halt.</p> - -<p>The road went off slightly to the right, and was hidden from view -by the corner of the wall. We had not long to wait, for in a few -seconds the rattle of the rifles told me it was time to start, so -away we went in single file at the run. We found the first detachment -sheltered behind a ridge between two fields, from whence they had fired -two volleys to cover our withdrawal. No one had been hit, the only -damage done being to the stock of a rifle belonging to a man<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> who had -retreated with me, which had been smashed by a rifle bullet.</p> - -<p>There can be no doubt that the rebels were very poor shots at anything -over 100 yards; and it is doubtful if any of them knew how to hit a -running object. It was not for us to grumble at this, however.</p> - -<p>Their fire ceased completely, as soon as we had joined forces. This -was due, probably, to the fact that, owing to the continued sound of -firing, the picquet from Nha-Nam had been sent out to meet us—though -we were unaware of this, as a slight rise of the ground hid the fort -from us. We moved off cautiously, and very soon met the relief. This -detachment, about fifty strong, went on in hope of engaging the enemy, -but were disappointed; for, although they occupied the hillocks from -which we had been fired upon, the rebels had not waited for them but -retreated, together with the convoy, leaving behind them but a few -baskets of rice. So terminated my first experience under fire from a -visible enemy.</p> - -<p>That night we were awakened, and remained under arms for an hour, for -the enemy amused themselves by treating us to a long range fire.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> -It was a waste of ammunition, for nobody was hurt, and we did not -reply. Some of my comrades suggested that this was a reprisal for -our ambuscade of the afternoon. Personally, I am inclined to believe -that it was a feinted attack on our position, designed to engage our -attention, and ensure the passage of the belated convoy which had -escaped us.</p> - -<p>The weather now grew hotter every day, and several cases of heat, -apoplexy and fever occurred in our little garrison. It is probable -that the fever was due to the digging which had taken place during the -construction of our fortifications. This was inevitable, of course; but -it is always very dangerous to break new soil in these districts, since -the surface to the depth of 3 or 4 feet is mainly composed of decayed -vegetation in which the malaria microbe is abundant.</p> - -<p>All the newcomers were, of course, victims to prickly-heat, in addition -to which many of us were afflicted with small boils. These would not -come one or two at a time, but sufferers were literally covered with -them. I was one of the first to pay toll to this extremely painful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> -malady. In addition to these unavoidable inconveniences, the whole -company suffered from another discomfort which was a cause of deep -complaint on the part of the men, since it was due to the neglect of -our commissariat department. Because some trifling formality had not -been executed, mosquito-nets were not served out to us till late in -July, and the lack of them caused many hours of sleepless agony during -the hot nights.</p> - -<p>A surprising amount of red-tapeism still remained in the commissariat -department of France's colonial army; and, though this branch was -remodelled at the beginning of 1901, it is generally acknowledged that -the authorities responsible for the new order of things have obtained -little or no improvement in this respect.</p> - -<p>In July the heat became tremendous; the afternoons, which were the -hottest part of the day, averaging 110 degrees in the shade. The -men were kept indoors from nine in the morning until three in the -afternoon, and operations were restricted to short reconnaissances, -which took place either in the early morning or in the evening.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p> - -<p>These excursions were always made to the south, east or west, but not -northwards, as orders had been received from the Brigade to abstain -from penetrating into the enemy's country until the summer months had -passed. In consequence, the garrison of Nha-Nam disposed of a good deal -of leisure time, which the men made use of according to their varied -tastes.</p> - -<p>Making cloth belts embroidered with flags and other warlike devices -was a favourite pastime with many; books and newspapers were in great -demand, and a fortnightly convoy from Phulang-Thuong, which brought -the European mail, was an incident of importance to all. A rifle range -had been built about 500 yards to the west of our position, and each -morning saw some unit of the garrison at practice.</p> - -<p>Close to the fort, on the south-west side, was a small village -inhabited by the camp followers, wives and children of some of the -native troops. It contained one small store kept by a Chinaman, at -which the troops could obtain tobacco, tinned goods, and strong drinks.</p> - -<p>The sale of intoxicants was, however, sub<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>jected to strict regulation, -any infringement of which would have entailed the peremptory closing -of the storekeeper's establishment. The men not on duty were allowed -to go into the village from 5 to 7 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span> only, so that -would-be topers had small facilities for over-indulgence, and cases of -drunkenness were few and far between. Thirsty souls could obtain good -wine from the Government stores in the fort at a very reasonable price, -though this supply was with reason restricted to half a <i>litre</i> (a -little more than a pint) a day per man.</p> - -<p>Our diet was good, for the natives from some of the surrounding -villages brought in a plentiful supply of eggs, poultry, pork, fruit -and yams, which were readily purchased, as the troops received a -mess-grant in addition to their daily ration of bread, fresh meat, -coffee, sugar, rice and salt.</p> - -<p>During the period of comparative inaction, and profiting by the leisure -at my disposal, I made an attempt at learning the Annamese language. -Progress was very slow, for the vernacular, like Chinese, is composed -of a multitude of sounds, many of which are so similar to each other -that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> only a well-trained ear can distinguish the difference; also, -there exists neither alphabet nor grammar to aid the student, and -success depends entirely on the possession of a good memory, and -inexhaustible patience.</p> - -<p>In writing this language the natives use the Chinese characters, each -representing a sound; and the extent of knowledge of their <i>literati</i> -class is gauged by the number of these each individual has succeeded -in retaining. Thus a native who has passed examinations which prove -that he possesses five thousand characters, is said to be clever; and -one who has shown that he can make use of double that quantity is -considered to have reached a very high standard of education indeed.</p> - -<p>As in the Chinese and Japanese languages many words possess an -honorific as well as a common form. Thus an official, in speaking to -an inferior, will refer to himself by using the word <i>tao</i> (I); but in -conversing with a superior this form of pronoun in the first person -becomes <i>toy</i> (I). It is needless to state that this peculiarity adds -considerably to the difficulties the student has to reckon with.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span></p> - -<p>During my search for an insight into the native tongue I came -in contact with one of the native sergeants, known as Doy-Tho -(<i>doy</i>—sergeant, and <i>tho</i>—a mountaineer). This non-commissioned -officer belonged to the hardy and brave mountain tribes of Northern -Tonquin, mention of which has already been made.</p> - -<p>He had distinguished himself on several occasions, and especially so -during the operations against Hou-Thué in December and January.</p> - -<p>In appearance, and in his love of danger, he bore a strong resemblance -to a Gurkah; and the following account of an incident which took place -during one of the attacks on the rebel stronghold, related to me by a -Legionary who was present, will give the reader some insight into the -character of this plucky little soldier, and indeed into that of his -fellow-tribesmen, of whom he was a good example.</p> - -<p>During one of the first engagements a section of the native regiment -under the orders of a lieutenant succeeded in reaching the first -palisade. From behind the trees, or lying flat on the ground, the men -opened a smart fire on the rebel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> position, which was returned with -vigour and punctuated by Oriental abuse, composed of rude remarks -concerning the individual family of each <i>tirailleur</i>, and the graves -of his ancestors.</p> - -<p>Doy-Tho, maddened by these insults, stood up in full view of the enemy, -and poured forth upon them a torrent of curses and invective.</p> - -<p>In their admiration of his daring, and their surprise at the volubility -and scope of his abuse, most of the combatants forgot to fire, and a -momentary lull took place in the engagement. It lasted a few seconds -only, for, lashed to fury by the stinging retorts of the speaker, every -rifle on that side of the rampart was turned upon him.</p> - -<p>His <i>sakalo</i> and cartridge-cases were shot away, and his clothes -riddled with bullet holes; and it is probable that his body would have -resembled a sieve had not his lieutenant sprung forward and dragged -the howling mountaineer into safety behind a big tree. After this the -rebels' fire slackened, and they shouted friendly invitations to the -native troops to kill their officers and join them, saying that De-Nam -would treat them well, and give one hundred<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> dollars for every head of -a French officer they would bring in.</p> - -<p>Tho replied with renewed invective from behind the tree, where he had -been ordered to remain, and each pause, made through want of breath, he -punctuated with a shot from his rifle.</p> - -<p>When the engagement was over, and the troops were retiring to Nha-Nam, -the lieutenant aforementioned asked the little sergeant if he thought -the promises of the rebels were <i>bona fide</i> ones. The nearest -translation of Doy-Tho's reply in bad French was something after the -following:</p> - -<p>"Hum! they belong big liars. Suppose I bring your head, <i>mon -lieutenant</i>, perhaps I get ten dollars only."</p> - -<p>He and I soon became fast friends, and of an evening, before the -door of the fort was closed, I would sometimes go for an hour to his -<i>caigna</i> (native hut), and sit and talk with him whilst his wife -prepared his evening meal of rice, dried fish, prawns and native salad.</p> - -<p>While we discussed the topics of the day, his sons—two sturdy, -pot-bellied brats, aged<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> respectively five and seven, naked as they -were born—would squat down on the floor of beaten clay and stare -open-mouthed at me.</p> - -<p>His meal despatched, the little sergeant would stretch himself out on a -clean rice straw mat placed on a platform-like bed made of split bamboo -which covered half the room. His wife would then bring in a hardwood -tray, whereon was a diminutive lamp, a bamboo opium pipe with a blue -clay bowl, some little skewer-like implements of silver, and a tiny box -of the same metal containing the daily ration of this seductive drug.</p> - -<p>Tho would lie on his right side, a hollow block of green-enamelled -earthenware, serving as a pillow, beneath his head. His wife would -stretch out opposite to and facing him. Between them was placed the -tray with its little implements, and the lamp was lit.</p> - -<p>This was the solemn moment of the day.</p> - -<p>Tho reached out his skinny little brown hand and picked up his pipe, -fondling it an instant prior to warming the bowl in the flames, his -keen black eyes glancing over his favourite with the fond look of -satisfaction and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> gratitude one sees on the face of a man who greets a -well-beloved wife.</p> - -<p>This pipe, if such it can be called (for neither in bowl nor stem did -it resemble the instrument we give that name to), was of similar form -to that used by all Orientals who inhale opium fumes. It consisted of -a stem, about 2 feet long, of polished bamboo, about 1½ inches in -diameter, the lower end being closed by an ivory cap, while the other -extremity was covered by a disc of silver with a small round hole in -the centre of it. To this the lips were placed when the fumes were -inhaled.</p> - -<p>About 6 inches from the lower end of the stem the bamboo was pierced to -receive the neck of the bowl, shaped like a hollow, flat bulb. The top -had a diameter of about 3 inches, and was well polished and slightly -convex. In the middle was a tiny hole about as big as a pin's head.</p> - -<p>It is, perhaps, as well to explain that no opium gets into the bowl, -for it is consumed over the hole in the smooth convex surface on -the top, owing to the air in the bulb having been inhaled and the -consequent creation of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> a temporary vacuum. Thus only the fumes pass -through the little orifice, up the stem and into the lungs of the -smoker.</p> - -<p>Now Tho was warming his pipe over the flame of the lamp, withdrawing it -now and again to gently polish the surface of the bulb upon the sleeve -of his khaki jacket. His better-half dipped one of the little silver -skewers into the tiny pot, and after turning it round drew it out -covered with a coating of the rich brown drug, which looked like thick -treacle.</p> - -<p>This she held over the flame for a second. It frizzled and gained in -consistency; she withdrew it, and dipped it again into the drug, and it -increased in volume. Three or four times this operation was repeated, -until there was sufficient opium on the skewer to make a good pipe.</p> - -<p>The <i>Doy</i> now held his pipe to his mouth, and the tip of the flame -licked the smooth, warm surface of the bowl on which his spouse began -to roll the opium, holding the other end of the pipe in her left hand -to steady it.</p> - -<p>Her dexterity was marvellous. In a few seconds the drug was detached -from the skewer,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> and was rolled into a little ball about the size of a -pea.</p> - -<p>She threw a glance at Tho which meant, "Are you ready?" He nodded, and -started drawing at the bamboo. A gentle movement, and the skewer pushed -the ball of opium on to the tiny hole, and it was held just over the -lamp.</p> - -<p>There was a frizzle as the drug began to burn, continuing under the -steady prolonged suction of the smoker. There was no smoke, for it -was all going up the pipe into the little brown man's lungs. His eyes -were half closed, and his features expressed a gentle beatitude, but -his chest was swelling, swelling. Soon he could not continue the -steady suction, and he drew at the bamboo with a succession of quick, -small pants. His wife, in the meanwhile, held the bowl well over the -flame, and pushed up to the orifice the tiny particles of the drug -still adhering to the convex surface. Presently all was consumed. I, -on seeing this for the first time, sighed with relief, as one who had -escaped from witnessing a catastrophe, when the smoker opened his -mouth, and allowed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> the black smoke to escape slowly from between his -lacquered teeth, which shone like ebony in the dim light of the tiny -lamp.</p> - -<p>Tho watched the opaque column as it climbed slowly upwards to the -bamboo cross-poles of his hut, and, forming into a little cloud, clung -to the thatch of the roof. "<i>Biet!</i>" (good) he exclaimed, and then -prepared for another.</p> - -<p>The air in the tiny room was now heavy with the odour of the drug, -which at first seemed acrid and unpleasant, but it improved on -acquaintance, and soon became soothing and enjoyable.</p> - -<p>The <i>Doy</i> liked to smoke his opium in peace, and, knowing this, I sat -waiting until he should see fit to break the silence. Outside, the day -was fast drawing to a close, and the short eastern sunset would in a -few minutes be changed into night.</p> - -<p>From the Chinaman's shanty a few paces away came the sound of a -rollicking ditty sung by some of my comrades over a pint of wine or -a glass of absinthe. The noise seemed to wake all the cicalas in -the neighbourhood, for they started at once a concert of chirping -whistles. In the half-dried-up pools outside the village<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> thousands -of noisy members of the batrachian tribe broke into an endless chorus -of complaint at the unwonted dryness of the season, while from time -to time their big uncles, the bull-frogs, added a booming croak of -approval. The matting hanging before the doorway of the hut swung back -a little, moved by a hot breeze which brought to the nostrils a whiff -of flowers and vegetation in decay; and I could see the fireflies -already circling down the little street or about the thatch-covered -<i>caignas</i>.</p> - -<p>The heat was terrific, and seemed, if possible, less supportable now -than it had done during the hours of blinding, scorching sunshine. All -the earth seemed to radiate the caloric it had been stoking up during -the day.</p> - -<p>When would the rains break? Those rains the other men who knew had told -me of. Rains that chilled you to the bone, and made your teeth chatter.</p> - -<p>The thought that in the past—it seemed years ago—I had somewhere -shivered with the cold, made me laugh aloud, as, after throwing off my -light cotton jacket and rolling up my shirt-sleeves, I sat mopping the -perspiration from my forehead.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> The veins of my neck seemed to swell, -and my breath came in gasps.</p> - -<p>Thinking that it might be somewhat cooler there, I stepped into the -street, and taking out my pouch, tried to roll a cigarette. Three -times the thin paper broke in my sticky, perspiring fingers before I -succeeded in obtaining a damp and flabby apology for a smoke. This -slight exertion had caused me to perspire from every pore, and it -seemed hotter outside than within. My light clothes clung to my limbs -like those of a man pulled out of a pond. Disgusted, I returned and -sat down again on the edge of the bed, and, after endless difficulty, -succeeded in lighting my damp cigarette with a still damper match.</p> - -<p>The tiny twinkle of the opium-lamp deepened the darkness outside the -small circle of its light. Tho's brownish-yellow features, on which -it shone, reminded me of a quaint and clever old Japanese ivory I had -once seen; and the dark background of the night was like the black -velvet-lined case which had contained it.</p> - -<p>From where I sat I could see the arm of the sergeant's wife—bare from -the elbow—and I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> watched with a kind of sleepy fascination her small -and nimble fingers as they manipulated the drug. The soft light gave to -her skin a rich gold tint, and made the arm and hand look graceful and -comely. The Rembrandt-like effect of the picture gripped me, and for -the moment the heat was forgotten.</p> - -<p>Tho's voice brought me from a waking dream when, after laying down his -pipe, he said:</p> - -<p>"Patience, <i>camarade</i>! It will come. When the bull-frogs join in the -song the great waters are not far off. Were you on sentry to-night you -would hear the dreary note of the rain-bird, for I'd stake a week's pay -she will be out. Ba (his wife) tells me it sang to-day before sunrise; -but women were ever dreamers."</p> - -<p>The little woman looked up from her task of cleaning the silver skewer, -and retorted:</p> - -<p>"Dreamers! Oh, great slaughterer of men, and dost thou give me time to -dream? Is not my life as full of work as our mountain rise is full of -fat? Am I not still a <i>tho</i> from the Tam-Dao? (a group of mountains -to the west of Thaï-Nguyen). Are not my teeth white, though I have a -husband who has blackened his and become a plainsman?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> - -<p>As she smiled at her own wit I caught a flash of ivory between her -red lips, and noticed for the first time the regularity of her small -features. The <i>Doy</i> smiled good-naturedly, and replied:</p> - -<p>"Oh, thou silly one! Thou art pretty as an angry parrakeet, and talkest -faster." Then to me: "Had I not lacquered my poor teeth—though my -ancestors know the grief I suffered from it—how could I have gone, -dressed like a pedlar, to spy in the villages for the Government? Had I -tried so to do, the De-Nam would have eaten my liver long since. As it -is, some day I shall probably eat his. Ba, get ready another pipe for -me."</p> - -<p>"Nay! nay!" she answered, as she lit a small kerosine lamp of German -make, and placed it on the bed; "thou hast eaten ten times of the drug, -and it is thy just ration." She blew out the small light and carried -away the tray, saying to me as she did so: "Were I to listen to this -man he would turn all the Government dollars he gets into black smoke, -and I and my sons would have to go in shame to my father and beg for -food."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was very evident that Madame Ba ruled the roost, and it was probably -better so.</p> - -<p>Tho growled a little, and protested to me:</p> - -<p>"Was ever man burdened with such a wife? She has no respect for me—the -senior sergeant in the company. Now, had I married——" Here he was -interrupted by the first notes of the bugle calling us back to the -fort, and we rose together and hurried out of the hut. It was quite -dark outside. Tho did not speak until we had nearly reached the gate, -then he said: "<i>Camarade</i>, when the time comes, I hope you will find -for yourself a white woman with a heart like Ba's. <i>Bonne nuit!</i>" And -he ran off to his section.</p> - -<p>Lying on my bed that night I communicated to my neighbour, Lipthay, a -Hungarian, the incidents of the evening, and together we laughed over -the recital of little Tho's domestic worries. This room-mate of mine -had come out with our detachment on the <i>Bien-Hoa</i>. On our arrival at -Nha-Nam we had been given beds next each other, and our acquaintance -was fast ripening into a close friendship.</p> - -<p>Lipthay had joined in April of the preceding year. Shortly before this -he held a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> commission in the Austrian army, which he had resigned. A -braver, more loyal and upright nature I have never met. I have never -learnt the reasons which brought him into the Legion, but am convinced -they were honourable, for during the four years we were almost -continually together his speech and conduct were always those of a -gentleman in the truest sense of the word.</p> - -<p>He was an adept at military topography, and, to while away the time, -would give me further lessons in this useful art, of which I had -already some slight knowledge.</p> - -<p>This having reached the ears of our Captain, we accompanied in turns -the occasional reconnoitring parties, and made <i>topos</i> of the route -taken. His work was of the first quality, and his draughtsmanship of a -very high order.</p> - -<p>The following morning I came across Tho, who was conducting the sick -men of his detachment to the doctor. He halted an instant to ask me -if I was coming to see him that evening, and I told him I should be -deprived of that pleasure, as my section was on picquet duty at 5 -<span class="smcap">p.m.</span> At this he grinned, and said:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Well, then, we shall meet later, for there will be some fun to-night." -He then left me, and trotted off to rejoin his men.</p> - -<p>I knew it was no good trying to obtain further information from him, -for the <i>Doy</i> was like the majority of Orientals, from whom torture -will not wring a secret they have decided to keep, so I did not attempt -to see him again that day.</p> - -<p>However, as I knew that he served as interpreter to our commander when -spies were interrogated, I inferred from the hint he had given me that -some movement was to be made that night.</p> - -<p>My section assembled, and were inspected with the guard that evening, -and afterwards we were dismissed, but had to remain dressed and armed -in our room in the event of our services being required. I took Lipthay -into my confidence, and told him of the "tip" I had received. I induced -him to do as I did, and fill his water-bottle with cold coffee in case -of necessity.</p> - -<p>Fully dressed, with our belt and cartridge-cases on, we lay down on our -cots to snatch a few hours' rest. At 1 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> our squad corporal -shook us out of our slumbers, and,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> together with the other men of our -section, we snatched up our rifles and assembled outside as quietly as -possible.</p> - -<p>Here we found a half-section of native troops under the orders of Tho, -who nodded to me and grinned as I stepped up and took my place in the -ranks. Two hard-boiled eggs and a slice of bread were served out to -each man, which we were told to put in our wallet for future use.</p> - -<p>A few minutes later Captain Plessier came upon the scene, and noticing -that he was not mounted, I surmised that our coming peregrinations were -to take place over difficult ground.</p> - -<p>So indeed it proved, for, after the gate had been opened by the sentry, -our little column went out in silence, like a troop of ghosts, in -Indian file, turned to the right, and proceeded to the south-west -across the paddy fields by the narrow ridges which served as paths.</p> - -<p>The night was stifling and pitch-dark—so dark, indeed, that each man -had to hold on to the wallet of his comrade in front so as not to lose -his way. Thus progress was very slow. When we had been walking about -an hour, and had covered, perhaps, a mile and a half,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> the blackness -of the night was of a sudden lit up by a brilliant flash of lightning -which illuminated, for the fraction of a second, the surrounding -country. The weird aspect of it, with the tall outlines of the palms -and bamboo silhouetted against the sky, remained with a strange -vividness as if photographed upon the retina, for several minutes. This -was succeeded by a peal of thunder so deafening that it seemed to split -the ear-drums and shake the ground beneath us, and the rain came down -as it only can do in the tropics.</p> - -<p>For a few seconds our little troop was thrown into confusion, and some -of the men, temporarily blinded by the sudden light, stepped into the -fields, where they floundered about with water and mud almost up to -their knees. After this interruption we proceeded on our way.</p> - -<p>Very slowly though, for the lightning continued, flash following flash, -in quick succession for an hour, and our ears were weary with the -crashing of the thunder. The track, which was of clay, was sodden and -slippery. We were all wet through to the skin, and our boots, full of -water, emitted a curious squashing noise at each step.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p> - -<p>Fortunately the din of the thunder and the continued thresh of the rain -more than covered the noisy advance of our column.</p> - -<p>Ten minutes before, wet through with perspiration, I had mentally -cursed the heat; now my teeth were chattering and my fingers were -numbed with the cold. I felt a strange joy at it, smiled to myself at -the evident truth of Tho's recent prophecy anent the "great waters," -and thought how appropriate was his term for the downpour.</p> - -<p>For two hours we continued on our slippery way, and were then halted on -a patch of grass covered with little mounds—a village graveyard.</p> - -<p>Here our expedition was broken up into little parties, the one to which -I belonged being composed of ten Legionaries and a sergeant, and as -many <i>tirailleurs</i>, with Tho at their head.</p> - -<p>We proceeded a short distance, and were ordered to be down in some long -grass, behind a clump of cactus and hibiscus shrubs. As we did so, I -heard the <i>Doy</i> say to our sergeant:</p> - -<p>"When it will be light we shall see the door of the village from here; -the path to it is a little to our left."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span></p> - -<p>From this, and the movements I could hear on our right and left, I -gathered that the remainder of the column was surrounding a village -which lay before us, but owing to the darkness and the rain I could -distinguish nothing ahead of me.</p> - -<p>We had been lying on the ground some minutes, and, notwithstanding the -chill dampness, I was almost falling into a doze, for the walk had -tired me, when from the surrounding darkness a figure came noiselessly -and crouched beside me. The next instant Tho's voice whispered in my -ear:</p> - -<p>"I told you so; <i>it</i> has come."</p> - -<p>"Yes"—I shivered—"and I think I have had enough of it."</p> - -<p>"No! say not so! A few more hours and you will grumble at the heat once -more, <i>camarade</i>! 'Tis a fool who ever complains. Our land had sore -need of the rain; the crops will drink this as the mandarin does his -Yunan tea. When the sun rises all the earth will rejoice. The voice of -the tempest has shut the ears of our enemy to the noisy approach of the -<i>linhtap lanxa</i> (European soldier). This time we shall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> surely surprise -the brigands; therefore we should thank our Lord Bhouddah for his great -mercy."</p> - -<p>"What village is before us, friend?"</p> - -<p>"Yen-Trieu," he answered; "and in it is a <i>linh-binh</i> (sergeant) of the -De-Nam with twenty men. They are collecting the taxes, and were to have -left it this morning. But they will never leave it," he added, with -a low chuckle. "Yesterday the spies came and told the Captain. I was -there. Last night they surely feasted, drank much <i>choum-choum</i> (rice -alcohol), and smoked many pipes, for the headman is a great traitor, -and in secret a partisan of Ham-Nghi."</p> - -<p>"We shall have much trouble to enter," I ventured, "for we have not -brought axes."</p> - -<p>Tho chuckled again, and said:</p> - -<p>"Let not that trouble thee. I have advised the <i>Ong-quang-Ba</i> (the -Captain—literally, 'Lord of three stripes'), and these fools will open -the door themselves; even as I said to him."</p> - -<p>I turned to chide him for his presumption, but he had glided away -silently into the night.</p> - -<p>The rain had ceased now almost as suddenly as it had commenced, and -the smell of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> damp earth and vegetation reeked in the nostrils. -Turning, I glanced behind me, and saw that towards the east the sky -was grey. In a few minutes the forms of my comrades near by could be -dimly distinguished. The nearest—he was barely a yard away—was a boy -of twenty, an Alsatian. He was fast asleep, his head pillowed on his -arm, and dreaming pleasantly, for on his lips, which bore no trace of -a moustache, I could discern a smile. Fearing lest the sergeant should -find him thus, I awoke him, and he thanked me.</p> - -<p>It was now so light that a few paces away to the left I recognised -our Captain, seated on the ground. He was chewing the end of an unlit -cigar. In a low voice he called the sergeant, and talked for some -moments to him.</p> - -<p>Then our "non-com" came from one to the other of us and communicated -the instructions he had just received. These were:</p> - -<p>"Load, and fix bayonets as quietly as possible. Lie still until the -signal is given by the Captain with his whistle, then rise at once and -rush for the village gateway, and on into the houses beyond; weapons -not to be used until resistance<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> is offered; and every effort must be -made to capture an enemy alive."</p> - -<p>By looking through the foliage before us, we could now see in the -yet dim light that we were close to a pond or moat, covered with -rank duck-weed and lotus plants. On the other side of this was a big -village, surrounded by the usual embankment and bamboo hedge. Presently -we could hear the crowing of cocks, barking of dogs, and other sounds -of awakening life.</p> - -<p>The pond was crossed by a dyke about 6 feet wide, forming a path -leading to the heavy gateway of the hamlet. This was yet closed.</p> - -<p>By this time the eastern sky was a bright red violet, and against it -the great leaves of the plantains, the spiky foliage of the macaw -palms, and the delicate leafage of the bamboo seemed to be cut out of -tinfoil, reminding me of a tropical scene from a drama staged in one of -our large London theatres. The birds were out: troops of white-breasted -jays scurried from tree to tree, with an uncouth cry; sparrows darted -about with an endless twittering; and several carrion-crows started -a concert among the areca palms inside the village. Suddenly on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> -horizon there was a glitter, and a convex curve of fire appeared. The -mighty ball of the blinding sun rose inch by inch from the rice fields, -the wet surface reflecting its light with dazzling vividness.</p> - -<p>It was already hot, and our sodden linen grew stiffer and drier each -instant.</p> - -<p>All attention was now turned to the village, and behind the gate came -the noise of withdrawal of bolts and bars. The heavy ironwood portals -swung open, and out stepped a water-buffalo, on whose back straddled -a naked youngster, gripping tightly a cord attached to the iron ring -in the animal's nostrils. Just outside the unwieldy beast halted -its big head, and, throwing its great horns right back, sniffed the -air. Its eyes seemed turned towards our hiding-place. But there were -others behind who were impatient to get out, and a native woman darted -forward, and beat the beast's buttocks with a hoe. The boy on his back, -unconscious of the danger in front, drummed his little heels on the -black, hairless sides, and the animal moved slowly and reluctantly -forward.</p> - -<p>One, two, three of the beasts stepped out; a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> fourth was already in the -doorway, when suddenly came the shrill order from the whistle.</p> - -<p>In an instant we were up and racing like madmen for the causeway, -almost before the natives with their cattle had realised what had -happened.</p> - -<p>Lipthay was in front, leading me by 6 feet; we had been lying nearest -to the path. Tho was panting along at my side. My Hungarian chum was -now on the dyke, but he slipped on the wet clay, and came down with -a crash. Both of us jumped clear of him, and went sliding along for -several paces on the slippery surface. Soon we were up to the first -buffalo, which was trying to turn. Tho leaned forward, and drove his -bayonet into its hind quarters. With a roar it leaped off the path, and -fell with a mighty splash into the pond, the boy still clinging to its -back. I heard a peal of laughter somewhere behind me. On we went again, -and the next instant were at the door, in which two of the beasts were -wedged. Again the <i>Doy's</i> steel darted out, and one of the animals, -with a bellow of pain, was forced through, like a cork pushed into a -bottle.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus09.jpg" alt="buffaloes"/> -<a id="illus09" name="illus09"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> WATER BUFFALOES.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span></p> - -<p>In our ears rang the yells of the natives, beseeching each other to -close the way.</p> - -<p>The next instant we were through, and I saw a native heroically -striving to pull away a bamboo pole, so as to let fall an inner gate; -but before he could do so the rearmost buffalo, which was lumbering -along in headlong flight, cannoned against him, and he was knocked -sprawling. Tho had slipped in front, for we were now running in a -narrow lane, where only one could pass at a time. The sides were walls -of thick, sun-dried clay, in which, at irregular intervals, were little -round loopholes. No one fired from them, though a few seconds had -passed since the first alarm was given.</p> - -<p>Behind us came the clatter of nailed boots, and I turned to see that -Lipthay, his khaki and accoutrements caked with mud, had caught up -with us. He laughed and puffed as my eye caught his. Every few yards -the narrow way twisted and turned. We saw nothing, but could hear the -cries of alarm of the natives and the thumping gallop of the terrified -buffaloes just ahead. Suddenly the <i>Doy</i> turned off to the left, -through a door in the wall, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> next instant we were in a kind of -courtyard, covered with red tiles. In the middle was a guava tree in -full bloom, and facing us a thatch-covered native house, with green -blinds of split bamboo hanging from the roof.</p> - -<p>As we advanced one of these was lifted, and a tall, lank native, -holding a Winchester at the "ready," confronted us. His hair was long, -and hung over his shoulders; his eyes, still full of sleep, had a -fierce, wild glare in them.</p> - -<p>We spread out and advanced towards him.</p> - -<p>"The <i>lu-thuong</i>! (headman). Opium drunk," said Tho. "Surrender to us!"</p> - -<p>The native spat at him, jerked up his weapon, fired at the <i>Doy</i>, and -missed him.</p> - -<p>Already he had pulled back the lever, preparing to shoot again, when -Lipthay's rifle spoke. His weapon fell with a clang to the tiles, and, -his two hands clasped to his breast, he staggered back against the -screen, which gave way, and fell doubled up under the verandah. With -his back against the wall of the house, he watched us as we came to the -door. His mouth opened, and he tried to curse:</p> - -<p>"<i>De-oh!... de-oh!</i>" Then he coughed,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> and a rush of blood choked his -words. He toppled over on his side as our three rifle-butts, descending -on its surface, splintered the wooden door of his abode. He had done -his best to defend his guest.</p> - -<p>The scene inside was a strange one. We had expected resistance, but -found none, and were perhaps disappointed in consequence.</p> - -<p>On a big wooden couch, and inside a green mosquito-curtain, lay a -man, dressed in cream-coloured silk. Beside him was a tray on which I -saw the little silver box, the skewers and the lamp. The latter was -burning, and the brilliant stream of sunshine pouring through the -broken door seemed to drown its flicker.</p> - -<p>The man's face was long and emaciated, and, as the light struck it, I -noticed that his skin was very fair for a native, that he wore a green -silk turban, and that his hair was carefully rolled. The finger-nails -of his left hand, which held the pipe over the flame, were very long; -that of the little finger being at least 4 inches.</p> - -<p>On the index finger of the same hand was a massive gold ring.</p> - -<p>Beside him lay a woman, who was tending<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> the opium, even as I had seen -Ba do a few hours earlier. She was dressed in a long stole-like garment -of bright green.</p> - -<p>Neither of the pair moved or looked towards us, and for a few seconds -their indifference to our presence seemed complete and contemptuous. -When he had finished the pipe he had been smoking, he sat up and nodded -to Tho, who saluted him in the vernacular, saying as he did so:</p> - -<p>"Linh-binh, you must surrender and come with us. Fools, but not grave -men, resist the inevitable."</p> - -<p>There was a tremor in his voice, and a gleam in the little sergeant's -eye that said only too plainly how gladly he would have slain the rebel -then and there.</p> - -<p>I noticed a glitter on the floor near the bed, bent down and picked up -a Spencer carbine and a belt full of cartridges. Attached to it was a -hunting-knife in a leather sheath, and a holster containing a revolver -of an American pattern.</p> - -<p>The <i>linh-binh</i> slid off the couch and stood before us.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Cannot I die now?" he said to Tho.</p> - -<p>"No! no! we are to take you alive. Such are the orders which must be -obeyed." Then to me: "<i>Camarade</i>, you who are as strong as an ox, will -you hold his arms behind his back one little moment?"</p> - -<p>I did as he requested, and the <i>Doy</i> took the green turban from the -head of our prisoner, and tied his elbows together, leaving about a -yard of the silk loose, the end of which he wound round his own wrist.</p> - -<p>Then we left the hut with our captive. As we passed under the -verandah I saw that the <i>lu-thuong</i> was lying on his side, and -seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He was quite dead. Lipthay picked -up the Winchester, and walked with me behind Tho, before whom was -the prisoner. We noticed that they were talking together in quite a -friendly manner. The woman was following us, and I could hear the low -sobbing complaint which she kept up as she trotted behind. We could -hear much shouting, and the explosion of firearms in the village -not far from us, and it was evident that the rebels were offering a -stubborn but tardy resistance.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span></p> - -<p>Guessing the importance of our capture, and fearing a rescue, both -Lipthay and myself shouted to Tho to hurry on, and we all started off -at a trot.</p> - -<p>Outside, we found the Captain attended by a bugler. Our commanding -officer was seated on a mound watching the gateway, and smoking his -cigar. When we got up to him, he said:</p> - -<p>"What have we here?"</p> - -<p>"A rebel, <i>mon capitaine</i>," answered Lipthay.</p> - -<p>"The <i>linh-binh</i>, <i>mon capitaine</i>," I replied.</p> - -<p>"Linh-Nghi, <i>mon capitaine</i>," added Tho, who had learnt the name of the -prisoner.</p> - -<p>"And two rifles, and a pretty girl," added the officer with a laugh. -Then he continued: "Leave all here in charge of Calvet (the bugler). -You, Doy, go back to your section. You two men rejoin Sergeant Bevan in -the village, and tell him to get his detachment together and rejoin me -here."</p> - -<p>When we reached the sergeant, all resistance had terminated, and the -men were foraging in the huts or securing the prisoners.</p> - -<p>We communicated the orders.</p> - -<p>The little column assembled outside again,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> and we learned that two of -our men had been slightly wounded; we had captured six prisoners, taken -nine rifles, and five of the enemy had been killed. The surprise had -been complete. Although few, if any, of us realised the importance of -the capture we had made, it will presently be seen that our morning's -work produced results which eventually aided not a little towards the -success of the operations on a large scale undertaken against the -rebels at the beginning of the following year. We reached Nha-Nam at -eleven that morning, and an extra ration of wine was served out to us, -as a compensation for the drenching we had received.</p> - -<p>Our prisoners were lodged under the verandah of the house occupied by -the native troops, where there was a <i>barre de justice</i>—heavy ironwood -stocks—in which the right leg of each of the captives was secured. A -guard, furnishing two sentries, was placed over them. They were well -fed, and suffered no cruelty or insult; but, having been captured in -armed rebellion, there existed no doubt as to what their ultimate fate -would be.</p> - -<p>It is now necessary to give some details<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> concerning the important -changes which were taking place at this time in the administration of -the country.</p> - -<p>The Government in Paris, influenced, no doubt by the growth of -rebellion and rapine in the colony, had decided upon the appointment of -a Governor-General armed with greater power than his predecessors.</p> - -<p>For this purpose a decree, dated 20th April, 1891, was issued by the -French Cabinet, which accorded that functionary great freedom of -action. According to the new order of things, the Governor was vested -with absolute power in the colony, and both the civil and military -authorities therein were entirely under his control. All appeals or -reports made by the heads of departments in Indo-China to the Minister -in the metropolis were to pass through his hands.</p> - -<p>At this time M. Picquet, the Governor, was just returning to France, -and the Ministry appointed M. de Lanessan, a Radical deputy, who had -already given proofs of superior ability in Parliamentary circles, and -who was acknowledged to be a man possessing great initiative energy and -activity.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span></p> - -<p>The new Governor-General arrived in the East in May; and although his -enemies have reproached him—and not without some cause—with want -of tact and conciliation towards the military authorities, there can -be no doubt that from his administration dates the era of commercial -progress, which still continues in Indo-China.</p> - -<p>He was the first to insist on the necessity of constructing railways -and good roads in the colony, and, much as he did in this respect—for -the first railway to Lang-son owes its origin to him—he would -undoubtedly have done more had he not been hampered by the restricted -finances at his disposal.</p> - -<p>As it was, by his vehement insistence on the subject, he caused the -investing public of France to realise the latent wealth existing in -Tonquin, for the development of which it was absolutely necessary to -construct good means of communication. He thus paved the way for his -successors, MM. Rousseau and Doumer, who, thanks to his propaganda, -eventually secured large loans, guaranteed by the Government, enabling -them to construct a system of railways now almost<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> terminated, -traversing the whole of France's Eastern Empire, and penetrating into -two of China's wealthiest provinces, Kwang-si and Yunan.</p> - -<p>The first care of M. de Lanessan was to put an end to the intrigues -existing at the court of Hué, having for their object the dethronement -of the young king Than-Thai, and the restoration of the exiled Ham-Nghi -to power. Also he took urgent measures to restore order in Tonquin.</p> - -<p>To obtain these results he enquired into the grievances of the natives, -and adopted pacific methods when possible; but when these were of no -avail, he did not hesitate to employ rigorous and repressive measures. -He undoubtedly possessed the necessary qualities for an administrator -and organiser; and a few months after his arrival the Residents and -local mandarins vied with each other in stamping out, with the aid of -the native militia, the seeds of revolt and discord sown in the Delta, -so that he was able to turn his attention to the central, northern and -eastern districts of the colony, where rebellion and piracy existed in -an armed and rampant state.</p> - -<p>To ensure success in this work of pacification, M. de Lanessan made -every effort to do away<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> with the rivalry among the regular troops and -the native militia, the latter being controlled by the civil Residents. -To obtain this result he created in the unsettled provinces military -zones—districts wholly administered by officers in the army—so that -the powers and responsibilities of the different authorities were -clearly divided and defined. The all-powerful military authorities were -alone responsible for all that went on in the region committed to their -care, and to the civil authorities was entrusted the administration of -the Delta provinces.</p> - -<p>This system proved such an excellent one that it has been maintained to -this day, with few modifications; and at the beginning of 1903 there -were, in Tonquin, four military zones divided up into nine districts, -with a total population of about 2,000,000, and a superficial area of -20,000 square miles.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> 1. Territoire militaire, headquarters Lang-son, close to -Kwang-si and Kwang-tung frontier. -</p> -<p> -2. Territoire militaire, headquarters Cao-Bang, close to Kwang-si -frontier. -</p> -<p> -3. Territoire militaire, headquarters Ha-Giang, on the Yunan frontier. -</p> -<p> -4. Territoire militaire, headquarters Lao-Kay, on the Yunan frontier.</p></div> - -<p>Thanks to the system introduced by M. de<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> Lanessan, organised rebellion -no longer exists in the colony, and, although the provinces bordering -on Kwang-si and Kwang-tung are occasionally ravaged by the Chinese -bands which cross the frontier, the pacification of the country may be -said to be complete.</p> - -<p>That the commercial progress of the colony was a slow one at this -period there can be no doubt, but it was owing principally to the -want of means of communication with the interior, and also to the -prohibitive customs tariff and exorbitant transit rates on goods -passing through to China, which had been adopted by the French -Government.</p> - -<p>To-day things have considerably improved, thanks to the railways -already built, and they will go on improving when all the lines are -completed. But unless the authorities adopt a broader policy with -regard to transit duties on foreign goods imported into Yunan through -Tonquin, reduce the railway freights and modify the existing scale of -duties, the realisation of the full value of the country as a speedy -and safe route to the central Chinese markets, with the consequent -prosperity which would result, will<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> be lost to France; and private -enterprise, which as yet has developed but slowly, notwithstanding the -undisputed agricultural and mineral wealth of the Tonquin, will be -brought to a standstill.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">An execution—A rebel chieftain—A bid for liberty—De-Nam's -mistake—Linh-Nghi speaks—A new road to Thaï-Nguyen—In the enemy's -country—A sharp encounter—Cho-Trang—The fever-fiend—In the -hospital—Quang-Yen.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>The five prisoners captured with Linh-Nghi were executed the first week -in August. They had been tried and condemned by the native mandarins -entrusted with the administration of justice. These functionaries had -come over on purpose from Bac-Ninh in great state, and the execution -took place in an open space in front of our fort. We supplied a guard -and picquet for the occasion.</p> - -<p>None of the rebels had given any information, although it was whispered -that the native judges had submitted them to torture during their -interrogation. We had no means of controlling these rumours, for each -morning the prisoners<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> were handed over to the native police, and -they were returned at night; and, although they slept in the fort, -it was forbidden to communicate with them. From their appearance and -evident exhaustion I should be inclined to think they had suffered -maltreatment. There would be nothing very surprising in this, for -according to the native code of justice such methods were not only -recommended, but were actually indicated. It is certain that the rebels -showed no mercy to the loyal natives or French soldiers they captured -alive (fortunately it was rarely, indeed, that any of the latter fell -into their hands), and subsequently it was destined that I should -witness shocking proofs of the terrible cruelty they were capable of -employing.</p> - -<p>It is therefore probable that the native judges made use of all the -powers afforded them by the law of the land, and did not employ -European methods—for which, most likely, they possessed supreme -contempt.</p> - -<p>The execution was carried out in a very simple and expeditious manner.</p> - -<p>When a rectangular space had been cleared and lined by the troops, the -two mandarins,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> dressed in robes of embroidered silk, of which the -dominant colours were red and gold, their long hair neatly rolled in a -new crepon turban, took up a position in the middle of one side of the -square, and facing the centre.</p> - -<p>Behind them were massed their retainers. Bannermen carried tattered -triangular flags, and coolies bore aloft enormous umbrellas—two -to each official—whereon were painted in bright colours a quaint -design of dragons and griffins. Each mandarin was also accompanied -by a sword-bearer, a pipe-bearer, and a domestic to whose care was -confided a black-lacquered box containing the areca-nut and betel-leaf -of his master. They formed a dirty, motley crowd, without order or -cohesion—clad in shabby, tattered scarlet uniforms; and they laughed, -chatted or squabbled, one with the other, like a pack of old fishwives.</p> - -<p>They subsided into comparative silence, however, on the appearance of -Captain Plessier, our commander, who occupied the place of honour, a -little in advance of the two judges.</p> - -<p>The prisoners were now brought into the enclosure, under the escort of -a few <i>linh-le</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> (soldiers of the mandarin guard), whose dirty green -uniforms and still dirtier rifles and accoutrements were certain proofs -of their slovenly and undisciplined habits.</p> - -<p>Behind the little procession formed by the condemned men stalked the -executioner, a tall native dressed in a red embroidered vest and black -silk pantaloons. Upon his shoulder he carried a heavy curved sword, -about 3 feet long, and a good deal broader at the end than near the -handle.</p> - -<p>The five rebels, their hands tied behind them, walked to their death -without any tremor or hesitation. Chatting together merrily, they threw -curious glances at their surroundings, and expectorated from time to -time, with evident unconcern, the red juice of the betel-leaf they were -chewing.</p> - -<p>They were lined up, separated about four paces one from the other, on -the opposite side of the square occupied by the authorities, and facing -them.</p> - -<p>As each of the prisoners reached the place assigned to him, a native -soldier unbuttoned and turned back the collar of the rebel's vest; -then,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> one after the other, they knelt upon the grass, taking every -care that their position should be as comfortable as the circumstances -would allow.</p> - -<p>The sentence having been read aloud to the assembled natives, the -executioner, after thrusting his finger into his mouth, traced a wet -line of red betel juice across the back of the neck of the first of -his victims, about half an inch above the last big vertebra. Stepping -back a pace, he swung aloft his heavy sword with both hands. It poised -a second in the air; there was a glitter in the bright sunlight as it -descended; then a swishing sound and a dull thud. The head of the first -rebel, detached with a single blow, fell on the ground and rolled once -over.</p> - -<p>From the severed neck a rich red stream shot out quite 6 feet over the -grass; the body rocked once and subsided gently. Bending over it, the -executioner touched the open arteries, and smeared a little of the warm -blood over his own lips as a charm against any evil influence from the -spirit of the departed.</p> - -<p>The other prisoners, who had watched the execution of their comrade -with evident interest,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> made flattering remarks concerning the skill of -the swordsman.</p> - -<p>The next to die smiled, and prepared himself calmly, stretching his -neck as far forward as it was possible for him to do without losing his -balance.</p> - -<p>I felt deadly sick, and could not bring myself to watch the succeeding -decapitations, which were carried out with similar skill and expedition.</p> - -<p>The bodies of the condemned were handed over to their families, but -their heads, attached to the top of a tall bamboo pole, were exposed at -the entrance of the fort as an example to all rebels.</p> - -<p>The authorities had decided not to hurry on the trial of Linh-Nghi, in -the hope that they would eventually succeed in obtaining information -from him. He was interrogated during several days by the two mandarins, -who failed, however, to extract the slightest indication of the -strength of the enemy or the whereabouts of their positions. After the -departure of these functionaries, our commander made several attempts, -with the aid of Tho as an interpreter, to break through the reserve of -the chieftain, but without success.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span></p> - -<p>The treatment accorded him was a humane one; his diet was unstinted, -and his parents, an aged, white-haired couple, were allowed to visit -him as often as they chose during the daytime. His wife—for so the -woman whom we had found with him proved to be—remained constantly by -him, and attended to all his wants.</p> - -<p>To one privation only was he submitted, and that was the want of opium. -On this point our Captain was obdurate, and though Linh-Nghi, who was -well supplied with money, offered to purchase the drug, his craving -was not allowed satisfaction. To all his entreaties the same reply -was given: "Speak! tell us what we ask of you, and you shall have -opium—the very best—at our expense."</p> - -<p>Only those who have witnessed the powerful hold the subtle drug takes -on its votaries can imagine the torture endured by this native during -the hours at which he had accustomed himself to indulge in his passion. -These agonies, occurring shortly after the noon and evening meals, -would commence by protracted yawnings, and develop into spasmodic, -nervous contractions of the body and limbs, which broke into profuse<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> -perspiration. Unable to stand the strain, the unhappy victim of the -brilliant-hued, but treacherous flower, or rather its seed, would -entreat his guards to supply him with the smallest particle at no -matter what price; then, finding that his supplications were without -avail, he would break into a torrent of invective and malediction, -which grew in intensity and filthiness as his increasing and impotent -rage neared its climax. Then, speechless and foaming at the mouth, he -would fall back on the hard, beaten-clay floor of the verandah, with -mouth agape and black eyes fixed, staring at the roof above; his face, -pale yellow, framed in the thick, tangled mass of long black hair -escaped from his fallen turban. His chest would heave and crack under -the short, sharp pants which brought the air through the larynx with -a whistling hiss. Thus would he continue for perhaps an hour, until, -exhausted by the struggle, he would fall into a sound sleep, from -which he would awake refreshed and smiling, to laugh and chat with his -guards, his wife or parents, if they happened to be present. Had there -been any real danger to Linh-Nghi during these attacks I believe that -opium, or some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> anæsthetic, would have been administered to him by our -surgeon, M. Joly, who, on several occasions, was present during these -crises.</p> - -<p>On the 22nd August our prisoner made a daring bid for liberty. During -the night he had succeeded in picking the lock which secured the two -heavy beams forming the stocks wherein his ankles were imprisoned. -At four in the morning, profiting by the fact that the native sentry -was slumbering—though the soldier denied this, and attributed the -chieftain's escape to the miraculous—Linh-Nghi made a dash for the -palisade, and was astride it, when a native sergeant, who had heard the -rattling of the bamboo, ran to the spot from whence the sound came, and -succeeded in grasping a leg of the escaping rebel, to which he clung, -shouting the while for help. A few seconds later the prisoner was -brought back and secured, and the doctor attended to his wounds, for he -had been almost impaled during his struggle by the pointed bamboo poles -of the palisade.</p> - -<p>Shortly after this incident a terrible tragedy occurred, which -brought about a complete change in the attitude of our prisoner, and -eventually<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> made him a devoted partisan of the French cause.</p> - -<p>Linh-Nghi had enemies in the rebel camp, and one of these, desirous of -taking over his honours and command, informed De-Nam that the captive -<i>linh-binh</i> had succumbed to pressure, and had given information to the -French. He also provided evidence, which was false, to substantiate -his declaration. Enraged at the apparent weakness of one of his most -trusted lieutenants, the rebel chief decided to make an example, and -he gave orders for the immediate seizure and execution of Linh-Nghi's -aged parents. The details of this drama, which I obtained from Tho, -were confirmed by documents captured later from the rebels. I had an -opportunity of perusing them whilst serving on the staff of the 1st -Brigade some months later.</p> - -<p>At daylight on the morning of the 28th August, the European sentry at -the gate of Nha-Nam found a basket, which had been deposited outside -during the night. On being opened it was found to contain two heads and -a letter addressed to our prisoner.</p> - -<p>It is unnecessary to give further explanations,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> or to describe in -morbid details the reception of this strange parcel by the unfortunate -Linh-Nghi.</p> - -<p>Certain it is that its effect was immediate, for that very evening I -saw our <i>ci-devant</i> rebel, who had just returned from a long interview -with our commander, under the verandah, his former prison, where he was -squatting side by side with Tho, with whom he was engaged in a most -friendly conversation; whilst, with some damp clay and split bamboo, -he was constructing, with nimble fingers, neat little models of the -different fortified positions belonging to his chief of yesterday.</p> - -<p>From that time forward he was allowed all the opium he cared to smoke, -and, though for his own safety he preferred to remain in the fort -during several weeks, he was liberated, and lodgings were assigned -to his wife in the native soldiers' village. Linh-Nghi now became a -scout and guide to the French columns, and as such he rendered immense -services to the authorities, concerning which more will be mentioned -hereafter. Eventually, he was made a mandarin, and is now a local -prefect of a district formerly over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span>run by rebellion. He and Tho became -fast friends, and from their evening talks, when the "black smoke" hung -thick under the thatch, I was able to derive much amusement and some -knowledge.</p> - -<p>Owing to information furnished by Nghi, the authorities decided to -reconnoitre a road which had not been visited by French troops since -1886, when a column, under Major Dugenne, went by it from Tin-Dao (the -old name for Nha-Nam), to Thaï-Nguyen, an important town situated on -the Song-Cau river, about 20 miles as the crow flies to the north-west -of Nha-Nam. This road had probably been constructed several centuries -before, but, owing to the depopulation of the districts through which -it passed, and also to its proximity to the forest-covered, mountainous -region to the south, it was now but a path, which in some places -completely disappeared in the ever-advancing jungle.</p> - -<p>From a military point of view the reconnaissance of this route was -of the greatest importance, since, should it be found practicable to -infantry, it would be possible to make use of it, when the time served, -as the means of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> advance for a column destined to attack the enemy's -positions on the right flank.</p> - -<p>In Thaï-Nguyen there was a garrison consisting of two companies of -the Foreign Legion, one of native infantry, a section of mountain -artillery, and a detachment of militia.</p> - -<p>My squad formed part of the small column which left Nha-Nam on the 4th -September, at five in the morning, to explore this road.</p> - -<p>Though it had been supposed that the distance to be covered would not -exceed 25 miles, we actually marched close upon 35 before reaching our -destination.</p> - -<p>At intervals we were obliged to cut our way through the vegetation -which had invaded the track, and it was only by using the utmost care -that our little party succeeded in keeping in the right direction.</p> - -<p>On several occasions we disturbed big herds of deer, which scampered -away on our approaching them; the tracks of tigers were frequently -visible, and once the advance guard, consisting of half a dozen -<i>tirailleurs</i>, were considerably startled by the presence of a fine -python which lay basking in the sun, close by the track. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> was only -after several stones had been thrown at it that the big snake decided -on withdrawing into the long grass. Owing to the advisability of -concealing our movements from the enemy, it was deemed necessary not to -make use of firearms on this occasion.</p> - -<p>The men suffered much owing to the extreme heat; the path was in the -worst of conditions, and we were obliged to twice ford a river, which, -though not very deep, was exceedingly rapid, so that our expedition -proved to be a very arduous one to all who took part in it.</p> - -<p>It was nearly 8 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span>, and quite dark, when we reached our -destination, and several of the men fell exhausted whilst waiting -in the ranks for a hut to be prepared for us to pass the night in. -Thaï-Nguyen possessed a fine citadel, of the Vauban style, which was -built in 1798, and it was in this that the garrison dwelt.</p> - -<p>The town and its neighbourhood was at this time infested by tigers, -which prowled about the streets after dark, so that it was imprudent -for the inhabitants to go out without a torch or a light of some -kind. So great was the voracity and daring of these animals that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> on -several occasions they had penetrated into the citadel and carried off -dogs and goats belonging to the garrison. Indeed, the doctor, by an -extraordinary stroke of good luck, killed one with a revolver shot as -it was groping under his bed in search of a favourite pointer which had -taken refuge there. Report had it that the lucky slayer of this greedy -feline was so excited by his good fortune that he was found more dead -than alive by the guard who ran to the hut on hearing the report of his -weapon.</p> - -<p>He lost his dog, however, for the poor animal was found to be quite -dead, its skull crushed beneath the powerful paw of its enemy.</p> - -<p>Our column, having proved that the road explored could, if necessary, -serve as a means of penetration into the enemy's country, left -Thaï-Nguyen on its return journey the next day at 4 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span></p> - -<p>Lipthay had been in charge of the topographical work during our -exploration, and his sketch of the route so pleased Major Berard, who -commanded our battalion and was also in charge of the military zone, -that my chum was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> detained in Thaï-Nguyen, and attached to the staff -there. I was very sorry to lose him, but, for his sake, was glad of -this change in his prospects, as his new position brought with it a -greater chance of promotion.</p> - -<p>Our party did not return to Nha-Nam by the same route it had come, -but took a better known and more frequented track, passing more to -the south, through a district more populated, and consequently better -cultivated.</p> - -<p>On our way back we slept one night at Cassong-Thuong, a small fort -garrisoned by a detachment of militia under the orders of a European -officer. We continued our journey the following morning, and reached -Nha-Nam at 6 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span></p> - -<p>Owing to the fact that the military authorities were now in possession -of reliable information concerning the rebel's strength and positions, -orders were issued by the Brigade for reconnaissances to be made -from time to time, into the districts north of our fort, with a view -to exploring the region and obtaining topographical sketches of the -country, to be used in the production of a reliable map, for the use -of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> officers who were to assist in the big column, which the -Government had decided to put in the field during the winter months. -I took part in the first of these little expeditions on the 12th -September, the object of which was to determine whether the track to -Long-Thuong, a rebel village which had not been visited since January, -was still accessible to infantry, and also to see if the hamlet was -inhabited and fortified. We started out from Nha-Nam at three in the -afternoon. As it was not intended to make any attack on the enemy -should they be in force, our detachment was a weak one, composed only -of thirty Legionaries and as many <i>tirailleurs</i>. In order to make -things easy for the Europeans, for the heat was very oppressive, we -were instructed to take with us only the six packets of ammunition -contained in our belt-pouches—36 rounds. Fortunately for us all the -<i>tirailleurs</i>, who accompanied us, started with 120 rounds per man.</p> - -<p>We arrived within a quarter of a mile of our destination, which was -about a league and a half to the north of our position, without -incident.</p> - -<p>The fields were well cultivated, and the rice<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> was being harvested, but -on our approach, the reapers—all women—fled with loud cries towards -the hamlet. It is probable that the suspicions of Captain Plessier were -aroused, for, by his orders, we left the path, extended and advanced -towards the village across the cultivated ground; a small reserve -remaining upon the track under the orders of Lieutenant Bennet.</p> - -<p>When about 200 yards from the position, we were received by a hot -fire from a strong party of the enemy occupying the hamlet. Our line -halted, and took cover by kneeling behind the little embankments which -separated one field from the other. From here we replied to the rebels, -but, a few minutes later, were exposed to a severe cross-fire coming -from the left flank; and, in less time than it takes to describe, a -<i>tirailleur</i> was killed, and two others and one Legionary were wounded.</p> - -<p>The enemy who took part in this flanking movement were some of De-Nam's -regulars, who came from their entrenched positions in the forest, -having been summoned to assist by their friends in the village, who for -this purpose made use of long, copper speaking-trumpets, the weird<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> -bellowings of which we could hear above the reports of the rifles and -the repeated words of command.</p> - -<p>Our reserve had extended on our left, at right angles to our line, but -its fire failed to keep the enemy in check, and very soon we could -distinguish their skirmishers, as they advanced in line at regular -intervals, dropping now and again on one knee to discharge their rifles -at us.</p> - -<p>The situation was getting too warm to be pleasant, and most of the -Legionaries having expended their slender stock of ammunition, it -was found necessary to distribute among us the cartridges of the -men who had been placed <i>hors de combat</i>, and also to take a few -packets from each of the native infantrymen. Thanks to the wall-like -ridges behind which we lay, we suffered no further casualties, but -our cartridges were getting scarcer each minute, and we felt that -should any of the enemy succeed in getting out of the village by an -exit—which might possibly exist—other than the door before us, -there would be a possibility of an attack on our right flank, and -consequently a danger of the road to Nha-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span>Nam being closed to us. It -was very soon found necessary to restrict the efforts of the native -troops to volley-firing, for, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of -their French sergeants, they expended their ammunition with reckless -extravagance when acting independently. The majority of them, not -waiting to select a suitable target or to aim carefully, just loosed -off into space, happy so long as the excitement created by the report -of their rifle and the smell of their burning powder stayed their -rising fears.</p> - -<p>This was the first time I had seen our Captain under fire, and it was a -supreme satisfaction to me to note that his attitude came up in every -respect to the descriptions given me by my comrades, senior to myself -in the service. Calm and collected, he had an eye for every detail, -and seemed to foresee each new development in the situation. He was -never a man of many words, and now he spoke only to give some short, -crisp order to the bugler, or to a non-commissioned officer. Though he -happened that day to be dressed in a suit of white drill, he was the -only one among us who took no cover, and was in consequence the target -for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> many a rebel rifle. As he walked coolly up and down behind the -line of our crouching figures, his helmet cocked over his right ear, a -cigarette between his lips, flicking his leggings every now and again -with the cane he carried, he seemed to defy death itself. This attitude -inspired his men with enthusiastic confidence, and every Legionary -present would have hailed with joy an order from him to fix bayonets -and charge right at the enemy.</p> - -<p>The action had lasted but a few minutes when the order to retreat -by echelons was given. The object of the reconnaissance had been -accomplished, for it was clear that the track followed was accessible, -and also that the village was occupied in force as an outpost; and -under the circumstances it would have been a culpable breach of the -art of war, a wanton invitation to disaster, to have continued the -engagement.</p> - -<p>Our retirement was not effected without some difficulty, for the enemy -showed considerable daring and initiative in harassing our retreat; -and our progress was slow, because we were embarrassed by our dead and -wounded. Some difficulty was also experienced by the French<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> sergeants -in keeping their <i>tirailleurs</i> in hand, and it was undoubtedly due to -their efforts, and also to the example of cool steadiness displayed by -the Legionaries, that our withdrawal was saved from degenerating into -a total <i>sauve-qui-peut</i>. It was found necessary to tell off men of -my corps to bear away our comrades who were <i>hors de combat</i>, for the -native troops were too plainly victims to shattered nerves to bear the -strain of this task under fire. This somewhat reduced the strength of -our little firing line, which, however, received some assistance from -Lieutenant Bennet, who picked up a rifle and "downed" several of our -eager pursuers, for he was a first-class marksman.</p> - -<p>The enemy abandoned their attack when we were about a mile from -Nha-Nam; but it was a band of tired and thirsty men that reached the -shelter of our position that evening at seven.</p> - -<p>Warned by our Captain, who had galloped on ahead of us as soon as all -danger had ceased, the guard turned out and rendered the usual honours -to the dead and wounded as they were borne through the gate of the fort.</p> - -<p>The wounded were at once attended to in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> the infirmary, and were -transferred under escort the next morning to the hospital at -Phulang-Thuong.</p> - -<p>On the day following our engagement the whole garrison turned out under -arms to assist at the funeral of the <i>tirailleur</i> who had been killed. -He was buried in the small, well-kept cemetery, situated just below the -slope to the north-west of our position. The French people have had -at all times a great respect for their dead, and their soldiers whose -lot it has been to lay down their life, <i>au champ d'honneur</i>, as they -so eloquently express it, have always received their full share of the -respect paid to the departed. In France there exists a fund, known as -<i>L'Œuvre des tombes</i>, subscribed to by thousands of the charitable -public; and the money thus obtained is expended on the hundreds of -far-away colonial graveyards, which are kept in excellent order, and -in erecting an iron cross, bearing the name and corps of the deceased, -over the last resting-place of each soldier of the Republic who falls -in fight or dies of disease. This is done without restriction of race -or religion.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span></p> - -<p>I went to see Tho that evening, and found Linh-Nghi with him. They -both amused me by their evident regret at not having assisted in the -engagement of the previous day.</p> - -<p>The little sergeant's complaints were based on plain, unsatisfied -bloodthirstiness; those of my ex-rebel friend clearly originated in -that spirit of unslakable vengeance which only an Asiatic can acquire. -It was instructive to note how they, after each pipe of opium, built -fresh plans, and devised new methods for the merciless slaughter of -their enemies. From them I learnt that a spy had come in during the -day with information that De-Tam, the most capable of all the rebel -military leaders, had been in command of the troops that had attacked -us; and that this famous captain, for whom they evidently cherished -much hate, and a good deal of reluctant admiration, had been severely -wounded towards the end of the fight, his left arm having been -shattered by a bullet just below the shoulder. This proved to be a fact.</p> - -<p>I met the famous chieftain in 1897, when he was a partisan of the -French, and the crippled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> state of his limb—due, no doubt, to the -elementary treatment of the wound by the native medicine-man—was an -evident proof of it.</p> - -<p>I passed many pleasant evenings with Tho and Nghi, who would favour me -with stories of war and love, legends of ancient origin, in which the -actors were demi-gods, dragons and genii, and strange fables full of -local colour, replete with quaint proverbs and philosophical axioms -dear to the disciples of Confucius. Unfortunately, I was soon to be -deprived of the real pleasure obtained from these foregatherings, for -my section received orders to proceed to Cho-Trang, and I was thus -suddenly separated from my two friends. It was not without some regret -that I accepted this hazard of a soldier's life, against which one -should not murmur; and I was really sorry that the opportunity afforded -me for the study of the complex characteristics of Tho and Nghi should -have been such a brief one.</p> - -<p>My new location was a small fort situated to the north-west, on the -confines of the Yen-Thé province, about 60 miles from Nha-Nam as -the crow flies, but a good 80 by road.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> Owing to its position in a -rugged, forest-clad mountainous region, and to its being surrounded, -a few hundred yards away, by a chain of rocky heights, green with the -vegetation which flourished in the crevices, it was found to be so -unhealthy that the military authorities had, up till October 1891, -contented themselves with maintaining a garrison of native soldiers -there. Owing, however, to the approaching operations against the -rebels, and to the fact that Cho-Trang was situated on the left flank -of their positions, and close to several paths leading into their -country, it was found necessary to strengthen the force there for a few -months; since by these tracks it would be quite possible for some of -the Chinese bands, established in the hills around Lang-son, to come to -the assistance of De-Nam.</p> - -<p>From Nha-Nam our detachment marched <i>via</i> Cao-Thuong to Phulang-Thuong, -whence we served as an escort to a convoy going to Lang-son. We went -by the famous mandarin road which had been the scene of the retreat of -General de Négriers army in March, 1885.</p> - -<p>Our rate of progress was a slow one, for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> vehicles we escorted were -heavy carts, drawn by tame buffaloes, or native wheel-barrows of a most -peculiar pattern, constructed entirely of bamboo and ironwood, without -a single nail or screw. The wheel consisted of a big wooden disc about -3 feet in diameter, which revolved on a teak axle, and produced a loud -scratching noise as these clumsy carriages trundled over the rough -road. The regulation load for these barrows was about 180 pounds, and -to each of them there were two Chinese coolies. One pushed the barrow -from behind, with a strap, each end of which was attached to a handle, -passing over his shoulders, and thus relieving the wheel of some of the -weight carried; and another was in front, hitched to a rope tied to the -horn of this prehistoric little vehicle. The creaking of the wheels and -continued yelling chatter of the Chinese created a perfect pandemonium -of sound. Our convoy was more than 2 miles long, so that when the head -had reached a halting-place, and its escort was able to obtain rest and -refreshment, the unfortunate soldiers in the rear were still toiling -slowly along, and would arrive at an <i>étape</i> to find that only a short -space<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> of time remained for them to refresh their tired legs and empty -stomachs.</p> - -<p>After Kep, the scene of Major Dugenne's reverse in June, 1884, the -road passed through a stretch of scenery wild and magnificent. By a -succession of loops and curves the route rose and passed round the -flank of one mountain after another. Sometimes the convoy crept slowly -over small bridges spanning mountain torrents, overhung with dense, -tropical vegetation. Now the road would wind through beautiful thickets -of bamboo, so dense that it would have been impossible to penetrate -it. At times we skirted deep woods and charming combes full of thick -undergrowth, palms and creepers. Often the track dipped and traversed -fine valleys, covered with waving jungle grass; beyond this could be -seen a vista of hills overrun with black forest, or chain upon chain of -massive rocks, 1,000 feet high, all bedecked with variegated foliage. -On or near the track there were few signs of animal or bird life, with -the exception of the ubiquitous sparrow and the ever-present kite, -though the vanguard occasionally disturbed a flight of chattering -parrakeets, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> scared away small herds of deer, which, with a few -bounds, would disappear into the jungle. We halted at Kep, Sui-ganh and -Bac-Lé, and passed the night in the forts at these places. Here the -convoy was packed in an enclosure surrounded by a high bamboo fence, -fires being kept burning all night to scare away tigers and panthers, -as there were many in the jungle along the road.</p> - -<p>The coolies, on their arrival, were told off into squads, and the daily -ration of rice and salt fish was served out to them. This they cooked -in copper pots, and the men of each squad squatted round the fires -awaiting their evening meal, while one of their comrades, who acted as -cook for the occasion, kept stirring the stew with a bamboo stick.</p> - -<p>Most of these Celestials were tall, well-made men, whose lower -limbs were abnormally developed—a natural result of the calling -they followed—and, like the majority of their race, they evidently -possessed a strong dislike to soap and water, for they were extremely -filthy. They were clothed, like the men of the mountain tribes in -this region of the Tonquin, in a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> costume consisting of a vest and -pantaloons of blue cotton cloth, which, in most cases, was in a -terribly ragged condition.</p> - -<p>For pay they received twenty-five cents per diem (about fivepence), -plus their daily rations.</p> - -<p>The meal finished, the majority indulged in a few pipes of cheap -opium, locally known as <i>Sai</i>, and the surface of the compound was -starred over with the numerous tiny twinkles of their little lamps. -These went out one by one, and before midnight the camp was plunged in -silence and slumber, the naked limbs of the sleeping coolies having the -appearance of old ivory or new bronze in the flickering glimmer of the -watch-fires, round which they reclined. Then the stillness of the night -would be broken only by the song of the cicalas, the crackle of burning -wood, the occasional call of the sentries, and the far-away cop! cop! -cop! of a tiger hunting in the hills.</p> - -<p>At Bac-Lé our detachment left the convoy, and abandoning the highroad, -we struck off due north by a small path which led to Cho-Trang. We set -out before daybreak, so as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> to avoid marching in the midday heat, and -were accompanied by a guide and several coolies bearing lighted torches -made of split bamboo as a precaution against wild beasts.</p> - -<p>Cho-Trang is about 12 miles from the Lang-son road, and the little -track we followed passed for nine of these through a succession of -jungle-covered valleys, and over hills hidden in primeval forests of -teak, banyan, ironwood and palm trees, some of which were of enormous -size, with an impenetrable undergrowth of fern, interlacing creepers, -orchids and spiked rattan. In these woods the light of day was almost -shut out by the dense foliage; no birds seemed to live there, and -the strange, weird silence was only broken now and again by troops -of chattering brown monkeys, which, disturbed by our approach, would -scuttle away through the branches, jumping from one bough to another -with their usual agility, and maintaining the while such grotesqueness -of face and demeanour that our laughter was frequently provoked.</p> - -<p>When we had marched about five hours, for during the darkness the pace -had been a slow one, we found ourselves close upon the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> rocky chain -already described, which exactly resembled the pinnacles which rise in -hundreds from the sea in Along Bay. This strange configuration is known -as the Nui-dong-Nghi, and its jagged ridges run east from this point -right through Tonquin into Kwang-si, and also far north to the heart of -the province of Cao-Bang.</p> - -<p>We traversed the first chain through a pass known as the Deo-Mou-Phieu, -which in some places is so narrow that a native pony can only just -squeeze between the projecting boulders. This narrow cleft is evidently -the thousands-of-years-old work of the waters, which have eaten a way -through the calcareous rock. Indeed, there rushed through the pass a -rapid though narrow stream, wherein we had to wade knee-high.</p> - -<p>Between these high stone walls the scenery possessed a savage grandeur -I have never seen equalled, and the semi-darkness of the narrow way -produced a most awesome effect. A few lines from <i>La Mort de Rolland</i>, -recited by a comrade during one of the short halts we made, produced -such a feeling of intense sadness that I was glad when our little -column broke out<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> of these weird surroundings into the bright sunshine -beyond.</p> - -<p>From the pass, which was nearly a mile long, we debouched into a little -circular plain, with a superficial area of about 1½ square miles. It -was surrounded by high rocky walls, to all appearance without a break -in them, and the fort of Cho-Trang was situated almost exactly in the -middle of the plain.</p> - -<p>We found that the position was a solid one. It was rectangular in form, -with a small bastion at each angle, and the fortification consisted -of a well-built parapet and ditch, round which ran the usual bamboo -palisades.</p> - -<p>Our little detachment of thirty men was lodged in a big, one-roomed hut -of clay and bamboo, thatched with macaw palm. It had evidently been -prepared for our use, for it was clean and freshly whitewashed, and -contained the necessary bedding and mosquito-nets for the detachment.</p> - -<p>The fort was in command of a lieutenant of the <i>tirailleurs -Tonkinois</i>—an eccentric individual who had a strong aversion to the -Legionaries. Not that he was unnecessarily harsh or unjust<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> towards -us, but he had a mania for openly expressing a want of confidence in -our discipline, which wounded the pride of the men of our detachment, -the majority of whom soon hated him most cordially. He was married, -according to native custom, to a Tonquinese woman, who was living in -the fort; and this, added to the fact that he was an opium-smoker, did -not aid in increasing the small respect with which he was regarded by -the Legionaries.</p> - -<p>Strict orders had been given by the General commanding the Brigade that -we should not be overworked while staying in this unhealthy spot, so -that our life was rather a quiet and monotonous one. The only exciting -incident that happened during my stay here was an attack made on the -cattle stockade by two black panthers. One of these beasts succeeded in -gaining an entrance, and killed a bullock. He paid for his daring with -his life, however, and was riddled with bullets by some Legionaries who -had been awakened by the cries of the native sentry.</p> - -<p>The nights were gradually becoming cooler, for we were now in the -middle of October, and life was rendered unpleasant by the thick, damp<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> -mists which hung continually over our position. Owing to the high -walls of rock surrounding the little plain upon which the fort was -built, there was little or no breeze, so that these fogs hung about us -till late in each morning, when the midday heat of the tropical sun -dispelled them. No doubt this was one of the principal causes of the -prevalence of fever in this district; another being that the water used -by the troops, though it came from mountain streams, and was apparently -limpid, was strongly impregnated with copper, of which metal there were -considerable traces in the soil of the region. Filters were provided -for the garrison, and the troops were not allowed to use any water, -either for cooking or drinking, unless it had been previously boiled. -Even these precautions did not suffice to avoid disease, for when our -detachment had been three weeks in Cho-Trang, more than half of its -effective was laid up with fever, which takes a most virulent form in -this district.</p> - -<p>Its commencement, like ordinary malaria, is generally announced by -shivering fits, during which the sufferer experiences a sensation of -extreme cold. The hands and feet are numbed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> and glacial; the teeth -chatter continually, notwithstanding the fact that the thermometer -in the verandah is often, in such cases, at 95 degrees. This is -succeeded at the end of an hour or more by a feeling of burning heat; -perspiration ceases, the sufferer's temperature rises to over a -hundred; he is a victim of terrible pains in the head, and is often -delirious. At Cho-Trang this condition was usually complicated by -hematuric symptoms, which, fortunately, do not occur in the majority of -cases of ordinary jungle fever.</p> - -<p>There was no doctor in the fort (indeed, it would be impossible to -maintain a medical officer in each of the numerous small garrisons -in Tonquin), and it was the lieutenant who examined the sick men and -served out the medicines provided by the authorities without stint.</p> - -<p>In such cases commanders of forts are furnished with a manual, which -is well written, and gives in the clearest of terms explanations -concerning the symptoms and treatment of the different tropical and -other diseases they will most probably be called upon to treat. -Definite<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> instructions are also given in this little book to the -officers, concerning the transfer of the men to the nearest hospital -centre, whenever there are signs that the disease from which they -are suffering is of a persistent or malignant form. Though these -recommendations are not always adhered to, it would hardly be fair -in such cases to censure the commanders, since it often happens, on -numerous removals of this kind being made, that the officer receives -blame from headquarters for having neglected to take the necessary -precautions to ensure the satisfactory sanitation of his post, whereas -in most instances the epidemic has had its origin in the insanitary -position of the fort, or the dangerous composition of the soil it was -built on.</p> - -<p>It was noticeable that the first among my comrades to fall victims to -sickness were the younger members of the detachment. When they had a -strong and healthy constitution they generally recovered, and though -the fever clung to them for six months, and sometimes more, during -which period the attacks gradually decreased in force and occurred -at longer intervals, they eventually became seasoned, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> the fever -seemed no longer to have any hold on them. I know of a good many men -who have served four consecutive years in the colony, and who, after -paying a heavy toll to malaria, during the first year or eighteen -months, have never again been troubled by the disease.</p> - -<p>Hard drinkers were longer in resisting the attacks of the fever fiend, -but once the illness got a hold upon them, the results were generally -fatal. One of the peculiarities of the jungle fever, in any form, is -that the sufferer loses all appetite; indeed, he usually exhibits -almost a loathing for any kind of food. It is therefore necessary to -maintain his vitality, which rapidly sinks under the repeated attacks -of the disease. To obtain this result liberal allowances of liquid -food are administered to the patient. In Tonquin, milk, either fresh -or condensed, was the diet most frequently prescribed, and in most -cases with excellent results, except when the sufferers happened to be -confirmed alcoholic subjects. Then the patients would either refuse to -take milk, for which they possessed a decided repugnance, or they would -be unable to keep<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> and digest it after having forced themselves to -swallow it.</p> - -<p>It is easy to understand that, owing to the number of men incapacitated -through sickness, the duties of the few available for service were -considerably increased. It was no unusual occurrence to find oneself -detailed for guard three times in one week, and it was only by reducing -things to their strictest limit that sufficient men could be found to -escort the convoy which was brought from Bac-Lé every Thursday. The -convoy was absolutely necessary, for we depended on this weekly service -for our supply of food. A reserve stock of flour, wine, rice, coffee, -sugar and salt, sufficient to feed the members of the garrison for -three months, was stored in the fort; but this was only to be drawn -upon in cases of extreme urgency, such as siege or blockade.</p> - -<p>It was during this trying time that I was able to appreciate the -good-fellowship and unobtrusive self-abnegation possessed by the -majority of my comrades, and many instances of their kindly spirit came -under my observation.</p> - -<p>Whenever a man detailed for service fell<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> sick shortly before going on -duty—and this was by no means a rare occurrence—a chum would at once -cheerfully volunteer and take his place, though, as often as not, he -had himself just come off convoy or guard duty, or was recovering from -an attack of fever.</p> - -<p>The able men not on duty—they were generally but few—neglected their -own comfort, and sacrificed their rare hours of rest to attend, without -murmur, to their stricken comrades, and did their best, in their rough -but kindly way, to lighten their sufferings.</p> - -<p>It was a quaint and touching sight to watch one of these bearded -mercenaries, as he passed from cot to cot, and note his efforts to -repress his own impatience and clumsiness, as he piled blanket after -blanket on a shivering sufferer, changed the damp linen of another, who -had broken into the beneficent sweat that denoted the termination of an -attack, or calmed, with a voice which he tried to render gentle, the -ravings of a delirious friend, standing the while to change every few -minutes the wet bandages on the burning brow of the stricken one.</p> - -<p>With what gentle care the weak ones<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> would be lifted into a sitting -position, and how patiently, with cheery, though perhaps clumsy jokes, -would these self-appointed nurses encourage their patients to drink the -cup of milk which succoured the ebbing strength, or the boiling liquid -that provoked the saving perspiration.</p> - -<p>"<i>Allons! mon vieux.</i> You're not dead yet! The tree is not grown -from which your pine overcoat will be made. Courage! take this, and -to-morrow you will feel so well that you will want to go on convoy -guard, so as to see that little brown <i>congai</i> that winked at you last -time we were at Bac-Lé. Sly dog! <i>Va!</i>"</p> - -<p>Or:</p> - -<p>"<i>Bien quoi!</i> hold on, <i>mon ami</i>! There's a lot more wine in the -storeroom that wants drinking. Don't desert us; we shall never get -through it without the help of your steep throat."</p> - -<p>Often I would laugh at their coarse wit, though a big lump in my throat -betokened another kind of sentiment. Yet one might be joyful at the -evidence of the vast store of human kindness possessed by these rough -soldier-folk,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> which, though hidden till now, came splendidly to the -fore in this time of common misfortune.</p> - -<p>On the 20th November, as I was sitting on a stool close by the door of -the fort—for I was feeling decidedly queer, having just recovered from -a third severe attack of fever—the native sentry, who was posted on -a little wooden platform about 20 feet high, supported on four bamboo -poles, and fitted with a thatch roof, informed me with a shout that -he could perceive a troop of European soldiers, accompanied by two -mounted officers, coming out of the pass towards us. I was in charge -of the guard for the day, so I sent off a <i>tirailleur</i> to inform the -commander. A few minutes later the two officers seen by the sentry came -galloping into Cho-Trang on their ponies, and my surprise was great on -recognising Captain Plessier and Surgeon Joly.</p> - -<p>As they came through the gate I rose and saluted. Our Captain drew up -his little mount with a jerk, and after looking hard at me for a few -seconds, exclaimed:</p> - -<p>"<i>Mon Dieu!</i> Doctor, why, this is our Englishman. But how changed! Why, -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> man is as yellow as a buttercup, and as thin as a vine-pole."</p> - -<p>While he was speaking, the doctor had dismounted, and, after throwing -the reins to a native soldier who stood by, he came over to me. After -consulting my pulse, and looking at my tongue, he turned to Captain -Plessier and said:</p> - -<p>"This man is in a high fever, and ought to be in bed."</p> - -<p>He questioned me concerning the date on which I had had my first -attack, and obliged me also to give him other details concerning my -malady. Then he walked off and rejoined our Captain, who had gone on to -the quarters of the lieutenant in command of the fort. A few minutes -later a sergeant came up to the guard-house and told me that, on the -doctor's advice, the lieutenant had given orders for me to be relieved, -and he (the sergeant) had been instructed to tell me to go to bed.</p> - -<p>I was not sorry for this, for I was feeling very unwell; and when one -of my comrades put in an appearance I passed the service on to him, -hurried away to my hut, and was soon lying on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> my cot under a pile -of blankets, in anticipation of the attack of ague which was already -giving me signs of speedy approach.</p> - -<p>I had not been there long before Captain Plessier, accompanied by our -surgeon, came into the room. They visited the sick men who were in -their cots—there were nine besides myself—and then came over to me. -After examining me again, the doctor said:</p> - -<p>"This man should be sent down to the nearest hospital as soon as -possible. He might leave with us to-morrow morning."</p> - -<p>"We have not sufficient coolies to carry him," replied our Captain; -"and it would take at least two days to get some from Bac-Lé." He -reflected a little, and then asked me: "Can you ride?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, <i>mon capitaine</i>," I answered.</p> - -<p>"Well, doctor, I think the best thing will be to put him on my spare -pony," continued our chief; "that is, if you think he can stand the -ride, and one of our coolies can carry his baggage. Eh, doctor?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I think we can risk it, for it is better to get him away from -here as soon as possible," answered M. Joly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span></p> - -<p>No sooner had our officers left the room than several of my comrades -set to work to pack my kit, for I was now in a high fever again, and -consequently too weak and ill to attend to this operation myself. As -they bustled about, these good-hearted fellows, with many good-natured -jokes concerning my coming journey to the "sea-side," congratulated me -on my luck, and did their best to encourage me to get to sleep, so as -to gain strength for my long ride on the morrow.</p> - -<p>We started early the next morning, and though I was glad to leave -the "Sale trou," as my comrades termed the fort, I was sorry at the -thought that they would have to remain for several weeks longer in this -unhealthy spot. Dr Joly had announced the previous evening to the other -sick men that they would be removed as soon as sufficient coolies could -be obtained for their transportation.</p> - -<p>My mount was a big Tartar pony, whose only fault consisted in a -persistent desire to leave the path and gallop through the forest. -He succeeded in taking me unawares the first time, and my helmet was -knocked off and I was nearly brained by the bough of a tree. Like<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span> -most of these little horses, when they have been in the hands of the -natives, he possessed a terribly hard mouth, so that what with this and -the fever which had again taken a hold on me, I experienced a somewhat -lively journey.</p> - -<p>We reached Kep at four in the afternoon, and here I was put into a -carriage on the little railway to Lang-son, which was then in course of -construction, and had reached this point, 12 miles from Phulang-Thuong, -a few days previously.</p> - -<p>At Kep I said good-bye to my comrades who formed the escort, and -thanked our Captain and doctor for their kindness. I afterwards -learned that I had indeed reason to be grateful to them for my speedy -transference, for a week elapsed before sufficient coolies could be -obtained to transport the other sick men from Cho-Trang, and one of the -poor fellows died during the journey.</p> - -<p>On the arrival of the train at Phulang-Thuong a stretcher was in -readiness for me, instructions to that effect having been telegraphed -from Kep, and I was carried to the hospital. This establishment was -virtually a sort of base ambulance, from which the patients, whom the -doctors con<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span>sidered in need of a long treatment and change of climate, -were sent on to Haïphong or Quang-Yen. It was, however, well built, -possessed an efficient staff of surgeons and nurses, and was so fitted -up that every colonial disease or casualty likely to occur during a -campaign could be dealt with under the best of conditions. A great deal -of money and attention is expended by the French Government in the -building and fitting up of the hospitals in Tonquin, and the doctors -are well trained, clever and conscientious men.</p> - -<p>I remained here for a fortnight, during which time I do not think the -fever left me for an hour; indeed, during the first six days I was -almost continuously unconscious. I was treated with the utmost kindness -and care, both by the surgeons and Sisters. These excellent women, who -belong to the Roman Catholic Order of "St Vincent de Paul," do not, -unfortunately, possess the same scientific knowledge of medical nursing -as our British hospital nurses, but they are untiring in the care which -they give to the patients, and their unstinted efforts to relieve the -suffering are worthy of the highest praise.</p> - -<p>During that period of my illness when the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> fever was at its worst and -I was almost constantly delirious, it seemed to me that there were -moments when some section of my intellect, escaping from the frenzy -which possessed my brain, succeeded in retaining its lucidity, and was -able to obtain control over a portion of my personality, inspiring it -with a power to think and see independently of, and, as it were, apart -from, the remainder of my suffering organism.</p> - -<p>So vividly did this impression assert itself, that to this day I can -remember hearing my own ravings, and mentally consoling myself with the -thought that they were merely the results of delirium. I would at such -times watch the terrifying hallucinations, conjured up by the malady, -with a perfect knowledge that they were the results of an imagination -distorted by the fever which possessed me; and at the same time find -means to take notice of a tiny lizard, as it crawled, searching -for mosquitoes, up the curtain surrounding my bed, the flickering -night-light, the crucifix hanging on the whitewashed wall in front of -me, or the Sister on duty as she moved silently from cot to cot,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> to -administer medicine or to assure herself that her patients were asleep, -and whose picturesque costume, white <i>cornette</i> and collar, reminded -me of the poem, "The Black Musketeer," in the <i>Ingoldsby Legends</i>. My -experience is by no means unique, for several of my friends who have -also been victims to jungle fever, and with whom I have compared notes, -have been impressed by phenomena of a similar description.</p> - -<p>When my daily temperature began to take a slow but decidedly downward -curve, the head doctor informed me that I was to be sent to the -hospital at Quang-Yen, a small town situated on the coast not far from -Along Bay, where, said he, aided by the sea-air, I might possibly -succeed in shaking off the malaria; though he told me that he was -noting my clinic-sheet to the effect that he considered it advisable to -send me back to Algeria as soon as I could support the voyage. I felt -much disappointed at this information, though I recognised his kindly -intention; but it was far from my wish to return so soon to Africa, and -I determined to make every effort, in the event of my getting rid of -the fever, to induce the doctors at Quang-Yen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> to allow me to remain in -Tonquin, for I still hoped to participate in the coming winter campaign -in the Yen-Thé, the prospects of which had been a constant topic of -conversation with my comrades. A few days later I was carried on board -a river steamer, but during the journey I fell so ill again that I -was put on shore at Haïphong, and remained three days in the hospital -there. However, at the end of that period I was sufficiently recovered -to continue my journey, and eventually reached Quang-Yen on the 12th -November.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">La Sœur Agnes—Exeat—Nha-Nam again—Picking up the -threads—Bo-ha—Preparations for the campaign—With General Voyron's -column—An error in the art of war—A big butcher's bill—Collapse of -the rebellion—Stamping out the embers.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>The town of Quang-Yen, capital of the province of the same name, is -situated about 10 miles to the south-east of Haïphong, and close to the -sea. Thanks to its position on a series of small hills, it is swept by -the sea-breeze, and enjoys a well-merited reputation for its healthy -climate.</p> - -<p>A fine hospital was erected here by the French in 1888; this has since -been enlarged, and now affords accommodation for three hundred patients.</p> - -<p>On my arrival I was placed in one of the big fever wards, each of -which contained twenty-four beds, and the comfort and quiet of my new -quarters, the skill and care of the doctors and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> Sisters, and the pure -air of the region, soon produced most beneficial results.</p> - -<p>The attacks of malaria decreased in frequency and intensity, and my -strength augmented each day.</p> - -<p>There was something delightfully fresh and reposeful in the sensation -of finding oneself again in a comfortable bed, between spotless -sheets; and the vista of the long room, with its polished wood floor, -the neat cots of black-enamelled iron and shining brass, the white -mosquito-curtains and the sound of the crackling log-fire, which burned -in the open hearth during the early cool of the November mornings, -reminded one of the cleanliness and ease of Europe—of home. It was -pleasant, too, to watch the Sisters as they glided from bed to bed, -attending with untiring patience and gentleness to the wants of the -sufferers. It was both pathetic and droll to see one of these good -women as, with the tender care of a mother, she washed the face and -hands of some big and bearded Legionary who was too debilitated to -do anything for himself, but who kept his eyes open, notwithstanding -their smarting, so as not to lose a single movement of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> his ministering -angel; continually expressing his thanks the while, at the risk of -receiving a mouthful of soap and water. Neither could one watch -without emotion a Sister who had to deal with a patient who had lost -all desire for food, as was often the case with victims to persistent -fever. Insisting on the sufferer partaking of a cup of beef-tea, she -would administer it spoonful by spoonful, accompanying each of these -with gentle words of encouragement, so that the rough mercenary could -not do otherwise than gulp down the helpings—trying, meanwhile, to -look pleasant and grateful. There was a little chapel attached to the -hospital, wherein a Spanish missionary from a neighbouring village of -Roman Catholic converts officiated; and when the men were convalescent -and able to get about, they would manifest their gratitude to, and -respect for, their nurses by attending mass on Sundays, notwithstanding -the fact that many of them were Protestants, and that most of them -possessed little or no religion at all under ordinary circumstances. -The Sister who attended to me was a small and cheerful little person, -who seemed to be about at all hours of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> day and night, and her -activity and ceaseless surveillance were the terror of the native -servants who worked in the ward. She was a merry soul, who never missed -an occasion for drawing a laugh from her patients. Should I hesitate -and grimace before swallowing my dose of quinine—it was administered -in solution in those days—she would assure me that to <i>connaisseurs</i> -its taste was as agreeable as that of <i>fin champagne</i>, and declare -that it was only a question of time and habit for me to be able to -appreciate its delicate flavour.</p> - -<p>I owe much to this Sister for the care and attention she gave me during -my stay in Quang-Yen hospital—these were, of course, equally bestowed -on all the sufferers under her charge—and it was my good fortune, five -years later, to meet her under entirely different circumstances, when -I recalled myself to her memory and expressed my gratitude. To-day, -as I write, there comes back to me a vision of the ward at night, -when, having fallen asleep after blinking at the reflection of the -firelight on the polished <i>parquet</i> and brass knobs on the bedposts of -the neighbouring cots, a gentle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span> touch would awaken me from my first -slumber, and I could see, under the white <i>cornette</i>, the smiling face -of my nurse—<i>en religion</i>, <i>Sœur Agnes</i>—as, after lifting the -mosquito-curtain, she presented to my lips a small glass containing -the nightly dose of the bitter drug, while she whispered: "<i>Tenez, mon -petit St Jean—Voici votre grog.</i>"</p> - -<p>After attending to the wants of each, and seeing that all are -comfortable, Sœur Agnes would kneel down in the ward, and, with bent -head and clasped hands, repeat in a soft but distinct voice the prayers -for the night. Every soldier who was able to sit up in bed would do so, -and nearly all those who could, murmured with her the Lord's Prayer, -each in his own language. Probably most of them did so simply to please -the patient <i>religieuse</i>, who soothed their sufferings and attended -to their needs; but, be that as it may, there existed no regulation -which obliged them so to do, therefore their action was spontaneous and -impressive.</p> - -<p>When the Sister had left the room, after bidding a general "good-night" -to its occupants, it was very seldom that any conversation would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> -take place. It seemed as if the majority of the men were anxious to -court sleep while still under the impression left them by the saintly, -self-sacrificing woman to whom they had just listened, desiring, -perhaps, that it should bring to them dreams of those they loved, but -of whom they never spoke. Now and again a new patient, proud of his -cynicism, would scoff at his comrades, curse them for knock-kneed -<i>calotins</i>, or go so far as to laugh aloud, or even whistle a ribald -regimental ditty, during the evening prayer. They never did this -twice, however, for a straight-spoken, though perhaps somewhat lurid, -warning from their room-mates always sufficed to quell any desire for -persistence in this breach of the etiquette of the ward. Had it been -otherwise, it is certain that their suppression would have been both -rapid and awesome.</p> - -<p>On the 12th December I was called before the Repatriation -Committee (<i>Conseil de Rapatriement</i>), the members of which—three -doctors—seeing the progress I had made, decided to keep me in the -hospital for another fortnight, at the end of which period, if no -relapse had occurred, I could return to my corps. It is hardly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> -necessary to state that this decision was very agreeable to me, for -I had feared that these officers would order my return to Algeria; -and once assured of the realisation of my desires, I improved rapidly -in health and strength. Sometimes, when I suspected a slight attack -of fever, I "faked" my temperature, lest the doctor who examined my -"chart" each day should take another view of my case, and send me up -again before the Committee. I trust, however, that this confession of -my fault will bring with it forgiveness for the trick played upon my -kind and trusting nurse.</p> - -<p>During my stay at Quang-Yen I saw that the majority of the patients -were men from the <i>Infanterie de Marine</i>. These regiments passed -into the domain of the Minister of War in 1901, and are now known as -<i>L'Infanterie Coloniale</i>. I was very surprised at their youthfulness -and evident want of stamina. This corps was originally formed, like our -Royal Marines, for service afloat. Since 1860 their place on board the -men-of-war has been taken by sailors (<i>fusiliers marins</i>) who undergo -a special course of training in musketry and infantry drill; and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> -<i>Infanterie de Marine</i> was formed into twelve regiments, which now -garrison the naval ports on the French coast, the principal towns in -the Colonies, and take part in all expeditions overseas. Before the -reorganisation of the army, carried out after the Franco-German War, -the men of this fine corps had won a grand reputation for courage and -endurance, and the defence of the village of Bazeilles by a brigade of -French marines against a division of Bavarian troops, in 1870, will -ever remain one of the finest pages in the history of the struggle. -General conscription and the short service system have done much to -reduce the fighting value of these regiments, which were formerly -composed of men who had been submitted to a most searching medical -examination, and consequently stood a good chance of resisting the -insalubrious climate of the Colonies, and who volunteered for a -long period with the flag. To-day, the majority of these troops are -town-bred, beardless boys, of from eighteen to twenty years of age, -who are in these regiments because they have been unfortunate enough -to draw a low number from the conscription-urn. Like all France's -sons, they are brave and enthusiastic,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> but owing to their youth, -inexperience and hurried and incomplete military training they have -sometimes proved victims to sudden panic, and their but half-formed -constitutions and still growing physique make them prompt sufferers to -malady, fatigue and discouragement during the hardships of a tropical -campaign. Several French authorities on military matters have expressed -the opinion that the Government would do well to employ more seasoned -material for their colonial garrisons and expeditions, and reserve -these brave youths for the future battlefields of Europe, whereon may -be decided the destiny of their fatherland.</p> - -<p>Those of us who were able to get about attended the midnight mass -on Christmas Eve, and the little chapel, with its interior prettily -decorated by the willing efforts of the convalescent soldiers, was -full to overflowing; and, though probably the thoughts of the majority -present wandered away to the homeland, we joined vigorously in the -joyful anthem, "Noel! Noel! Voici le Redempteur!" to the visible -satisfaction of the beaming, buxom <i>sœur supérieure</i> and the smiling -Sisters. On the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> 30th I found myself "Exeat"—<i>i.e.</i>, discharged from -the hospital as cured—on the deck of a little river steamer which was -churning her way through the red, muddy waters of the Cua-Cam, past -miles of mangrove swamp, towards Haïphong.</p> - -<p>The weather was bright, dry and cold—a typical winter's day of this -part of the world—and the pure, crisp air, reminding me of home, -seemed delightfully invigorating after the stifling, damp heat of the -past summer months. At Haïphong I boarded another boat, which landed me -in Phulang-Thuong the next morning.</p> - -<p>Here I found signs of the coming campaign, for several little -river-steamers were discharging their cargoes of stores, ammunition -and material, and hundreds of coolies were employed in transporting -the goods to the big Government go-downs in the little town, where -they were stored for the time being. From here large quantities of -flour, tinned beef and other stores were forwarded to Nha-Nam and -Bo-Ha, these forts in turn serving as bases, from which the different -columns were revictualed. On my arrival, I reported at the office of -the garrison major, expecting to receive orders to leave by the first -opportunity<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span> for Nha-Nam, <i>via</i> Cao-Thuong—that is, by the same route -which our detachment, just landed from the <i>Bien-Hoa</i>, had taken eight -months previously—but information was given me by one of the military -secretaries to the effect that I would have to wait a few days, pending -the formation of a convoy which was to proceed in <i>sampans</i>, up the -Song-Thuong river, to Bo-Ha, and that I would form one of the escort, -to be composed of several Legionaries and a few <i>tirailleurs</i>.</p> - -<p>As Bo-Ha is only about 7 miles from Nha-Nam, entailing a march of -hardly two hours, and a journey in a native boat would be a new and -desirable experience to me, I did not regret the delay this unexpected -development was likely to create. I had not long to wait, however, for -three days later our little fleet of twenty-five <i>sampans</i>, four of -them occupied by the escort, glided away at three in the afternoon on -its voyage up the river.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus10.jpg" alt="sampan "/> -<a id="illus10" name="illus10"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption">A <i>SAMPAN</i> ON THE RIVER NEAR PHULANG-THUONG.</p> - -<p>These <i>sampans</i> are about 20 feet long, and in form somewhat resemble -a house-boat, though they are smaller and possess finer lines than -the floating villas one meets with on the reaches of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> our English -rivers during the summer months. The little house, or cabin, which is -placed amidships in each of these boats, is usually about 6 feet by 5, -and is so low that one can only sit or lie down inside it. Forward of -this cabin is a deck from which two natives work the long sweeps of -hardwood. These boatmen row in a standing position, with their faces -towards the bow of the boat. Aft of the cabin is a strip of deck about -3 feet long, and from that the stern rises up in much the same way as -one sees them pictured in the old prints of ships in the time of the -Armada. Upon this deck stands another boatman, who handles a long oar -which trails behind, and with this he both rows and steers. These boats -draw very little water—2 feet at the utmost, and that only when they -are fully laden.</p> - -<p>The evening was a beautiful one, so that I made the most of the -journey, and lay for several hours, my loaded rifle beside me, enjoying -the varied spectacle which was quite new to me. In the boat, besides -myself and the three boatmen, were three <i>tirailleurs</i>, but these gave -me no trouble, for, having consumed a big saucepanful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> of rice, they -fell asleep on the deck, the cabin being nearly filled with tin cases, -each containing thirty kilos of flour. The sleepers lay close together -to obtain more warmth, for the nights were chilly at this season.</p> - -<p>The river at this part was from 80 to a 100 yards wide; its water was -very clear, and ran over a sandy bottom, studded here and there with -large rocks, and between steep banks, from 20 to 25 feet high.</p> - -<p>Along either side ran groves of tall bamboos, which seemed to salute -us with a graceful nod as we glided by. Sometimes there was a break, -and an old pagoda, with a quaintly-curved roof of red-brown tiles, -came into view. Now the river would run through a few miles of forest -and jungle, offering no sign of occupation by man. Enormous trees rose -superbly from the banks of the stream, and their massive branches -extended for many feet over its waters, on which their foliage threw a -pleasant and picturesque shadow. From these great limbs hung numerous -flexible creepers, some of them starred with orchid-like blooms of -white and yellow hue. Many of these streamers swayed gently to and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> -fro before the light breeze, while others, having grown down into the -glassy waters, were held still in their cool embrace.</p> - -<p>Our journey between these walls of verdure, the forms and tints -of which were ever changing, was one of the most delightful of -experiences, the charm whereof is still fresh in my memory. When night -came down and blotted out all colour and outline, I turned on to my -back and watched the stars as they came out one by one. For an hour -or so I lay open-eyed, yet dreaming, till the monotonous chant of our -boatman, with its ever-recurring chorus of "Oh! Yah! Mōt-Haï-Ba!" -finally lulled me into a profound slumber. Our convoy reached Bo-Ha in -safety the following morning at nine.</p> - -<p>This fort was constructed and garrisoned in 1889, at the request of a -rich and influential native chief, lord of an important village, called -Dao-Quan. This native was formerly a leader of a group of bandits, -and, before the invasion of the country by the French, had ravaged -the Yen-Thé and defied the mandarins in Bac-Ninh. After the capture -of that citadel by the troops under General de Négrier, he was wise -enough<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> to throw in his lot with the invaders, and with his irregulars -he fought side by side with his new allies against the old <i>régime</i>. -In recognition of his services to the French cause, the Government -confirmed his right to administer the district he had settled in, -and made him a knight of the Legion of Honour. During the years that -followed the occupation of the country by the French, he remained -faithful to the cause he had adopted, and refused to have anything -to do with the mandarins at the court at Hué, who were, in secret, -partisans of the exiled Ham-Nghi, notwithstanding many overtures and -rich promises made to him. During the operations in the Yen-Thé he -rendered valuable service to the military authorities by supplying -coolies to the different columns, and by making use of the armed -irregulars, whom he maintained at his own expense, to guard the lines -of communication. After the campaign was terminated he successfully -negotiated the surrender of several influential minor chieftains, who, -thanks to his efforts, came in and delivered up their arms.</p> - -<p>We left Bo-Ha at two in the afternoon, our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> little troop consisting of -a sergeant, three Legionaries, who were bound for Nha-Nam, with ten -<i>tirailleurs</i> and a native corporal from the garrison we had left, the -latter having been lent to strengthen our effective.</p> - -<p>When we had marched for about half an hour and had crossed the -Song-Soï, a little stream which runs into the Song-Thuong a few miles -below Bo-Ha, we perceived, a hundred yards ahead of us, a small -detachment, consisting of six <i>tirailleurs</i>, led by a European mounted -on a native pony. I was one of the first to catch sight of them, for -at the time I was in charge of the vanguard, which was composed of -two natives. When we were close enough to get a good look at them, my -surprise was great on recognising in the cavalier my friend Lipthay. -When our mutual greetings and congratulations were over, he told me -that he was out surveying the route with a view to determining the best -positions for the poles of a telegraph line about to be established -between Nha-Nam and the fort we had just left.</p> - -<p>"I have done enough for to-day," said my chum, "and can easily finish -the job in a couple<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> of hours to-morrow morning. I will go and report -to the sergeant, and come back to Nha-Nam with you."</p> - -<p>A few minutes later he was riding beside me as I walked, and I was -asking him many questions concerning all that had happened since I -left, and as to when the operations were likely to begin; for now that -he was on the District staff I knew he was likely to be well informed -on these subjects.</p> - -<p>"Well, things have been pretty lively during the last two months," he -answered. "Captain Plessier has been keeping the company at Nha-Nam -busy with reconnaissances and ambuscades, but there has been no serious -engagement since the little affair at Long-Thuong, at which you were -present. We made a grand <i>coup</i> at the beginning of last month, though, -for we succeeded in finding a position rendering the enemy's big fort -visible; a position on which it will not be difficult to place a -battery of fieldguns, able to wish a better '<i>bonjour</i>' to our rebel -friends than those little toy pop-guns of the mountain artillery. What -a pity old De-Nam is dead! He would have been so surprised<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> when the -first 90-millimètre shells came with a flop and a bang right into his -secret lair; and from quite an unexpected quarter, too. Why——"</p> - -<p>"<i>Bon Dieu! mon ami</i>," I interrupted, "have pity on me and go slow. Do -you mean to say the old chief is dead?"</p> - -<p>"Dead as Cæsar," answered my friend. "He was poisoned in October by -some Chinese who came down from the north to sell arms and ammunition. -They were his guests, and killed him because he won back all the money -he had paid them at <i>bacquang</i> (a native game called <i>fan-tan</i> in -Chinese). So the spies who came to Thaï-Nguyen told us. <i>Dans tous les -cas</i>, he is dead, and was buried inside the big fort with great state; -and De-Tam, his former lieutenant, is now commander-in-chief."</p> - -<p>"But do you really mean to say that there is such a position as you -have described?" I asked, for from my experience of the manner in which -the rebels concealed their forts, such a thing seemed quite impossible.</p> - -<p>"Most certainly," replied Lipthay. "I was on it, <i>cher ami</i>. But I had -better tell you the tale from the beginning, for you matter-of-fact<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> -Englishmen are like St Thomas, and require palpable facts." He -slipped his feet out of the stirrups, so that his long legs dangled -comfortably, and, after shifting the carbine slung across his back into -an easy position, began his tale.</p> - -<p>"Towards the end of November, Linh-Nghi, the informer, was sent -on to us at Thaï-Nguyen. You know the man, probably?" I nodded an -affirmative, and he continued: "<i>Et bien</i>, Lieutenant Deleuze, chief -of our Intelligence Department, used to pass hours at a time with -him; took him to his house, and never lost sight of the fellow for -a week. Deleuze speaks the vernacular like a native—pity there are -so few like him—and the pair were soon like <i>corps et chemise</i>. I -knew there was something brewing, and was not surprised when, on the -2nd December, orders were issued for a <i>reconnaissance en force</i> to -proceed to Nha-Nam the following day. One company of the Legion and -one of <i>tirailleurs</i>—a column 350 strong—and, of course, Deleuze -and Linh-Nghi, were with them; so was I. Major Berard himself was in -command. We slept a night at Nha-Nam, and went on to Bo-Ha the next -day, after taking<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> with us the mountain-gun from the former fort. At -Bo-Ha we rested, and the following morning left by a path which runs -to the north-west and passes through two ruined villages, Cho-Kai and -Long-Ngo, which were burnt by Colonel Frey's column in January last."</p> - -<p>"Why, you must have been due north of where the enemy's new positions -are supposed to be!" I exclaimed.</p> - -<p>"So you would think," said my friend; "but in reality we were due west. -When we had got to a point about a kilomètre beyond where Cho-Kai -used to be, the enemy's scouts, stationed on the hills to our left, -signalled our advance by firing their rifles. Upon this the column left -the path and made a general demonstration to the south-east. Our men -got in touch with the enemy, and kept them occupied for a couple of -hours by feinting an attack <i>en règle</i>. Lieutenant Deleuze and I took -Linh-Nghi with us, and slipped quietly away to the west of the path. -For an hour we scrambled along through the long grass, Nghi acting -as guide. Then we went off to the north, walking all the time in the -valleys, and keeping<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span> to the jungle so as to escape all chance of -observation. At last we reached the foot of a hill somewhat taller than -the surrounding ones—it was about 800 feet high—which had neither a -bush nor a tree on its steep sides, but was covered all over with high, -yellow grass. Nghi whispered that we must go cautiously to the top, -so up we crawled on our hands and knees and lay flat on our stomachs -when we reached the summit. Then we crept along until the opposite -crest was gained. We had all brought big native hats with us, which -we were careful to wear. When I looked down I was surprised to see -that the path to Bo-Ha ran round the foot of this hill, and our column -might have come here with ease, had it not been that this would have -given the enemy some idea of what we were looking for. The view was a -splendid one. First about 500 mètres of tall grass and jungle, then a -kilomètre of forest which ran down to the Song-Soï, for we could catch -here and there the gleam of its waters; beyond this a mass of hills -thickly wooded, then more hills covered with grass, and beyond, bright -green blotches of cultivated land.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span></p> - -<p>"The weather was so clear that I caught sight of the flag at Nha-Nam, -though it was quite 12 kilomètres away, and I pointed it out to -Deleuze. Linh-Nghi stretched out his hand towards the forest, and, -indicating a spot close to a bend in the little river, exclaimed -excitedly: 'Look! look!' As I turned to him it seemed to me that his -face was drawn and yellow, and his eyes were much brighter than usual. -I could see nothing in the direction he pointed to but trees; but the -lieutenant, after looking through his field-glasses for more than a -minute, suddenly exclaimed: '<i>Sapristi! oui</i>—I see roofs!' I turned to -ask Nghi a question, but refrained from speaking, for he lay with his -head on his arms, his face to the earth. He was sobbing like a child, -and his heaving shoulders betokened the depth of his emotion."</p> - -<p>"Poor devil!" I interrupted.</p> - -<p>"Yes—poor devil," repeated Lipthay; then he continued: "Deleuze passed -me his glasses, and after careful searching I caught glimpses of brown -thatched roofs between the trees. These belonged to the houses within -the big fortified village which has been in existence for three<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> years -at least. It is situated in the dense forest at a point where the -Song-Soï forms a loop. So well is it concealed that had not Linh-Nghi -been with us, I am convinced we should have failed to make it out. -After a few minutes our native friend got the better of his emotion, -and he started giving more explanations to the lieutenant concerning -the position. While he was doing so I got out my <i>peigne</i> (a military -surveying compass), sighted the flag at Nha-Nam, and got a bearing; -then I obtained an angle on the Nuï-Dot—you know, the hill to the -south-west of Nha-Nam, where they have fixed up a heliographic station. -Time was getting on, and there was a danger of being sighted at any -moment, so we crawled down the way we had come, hurried back to the -column and reported. I fancy the Major was very glad to see us again, -and I am sure he must have been pleased with the information Deleuze -gave him.</p> - -<p>"The troops were called in, and the column formed up on the path and -marched back to Bo-Ha. I don't think the enemy had an inkling of what -we were after, and they were probably disappointed at not having -succeeded in drawing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span> our troops on into the forest, where they could -have adopted their favourite tactics.</p> - -<p>"Comments were rife among our men, for they had counted on an -engagement, and, as they expressed it: 'On a arrêté la danse au moment -où les violons étaient accordés.' As we were marching away I heard one -fellow say: '<i>Bon Dieu! bon Dieu!</i> I don't believe the old fossil knows -himself what we did go out for. They might just as well have sent a -few recruits from the <i>biff</i> (the line regiments). Why, for three long -hours we did nothing but waste our ammunition on half a dozen skinny -natives who were dodging about among the trees.' <i>Quel malheur!</i> If -they had known the result obtained, they would have sung another song; -but it must be kept secret, of course, until the campaign is opened, -and that will not be before the beginning of March."</p> - -<p>"Rather late, isn't it?" I asked.</p> - -<p>"Well, you see, it will be fine and cold then," answered my friend; -"and with the information we now possess I don't think the expedition -ought to last more than a fortnight." He now gave me more details -concerning the defensive organisation of the rebels.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span></p> - -<p>Besides the big fortified village already mentioned, about 4 miles -to the north of Hou-Thué (demolished by Colonel Frey's column a year -before), there were numerous positions, forts and entrenchments built -to defend the paths leading to it. All these obstacles were accumulated -to the south and east of the main position, from which it was evident -that the rebels were confident that all future attacks would come from -the same direction as the preceding ones.</p> - -<p>De-Tam possessed a force of about two thousand men, twelve hundred of -whom were armed with breech loading rifles of various patterns.</p> - -<p>It was also probable that this chief was aware that the French would -commence operations against him, as soon as the weather was cool enough -to allow of large bodies of European troops being moved about the -country, and that in consequence he had come to some understanding with -the powerful leaders of the Chinese bands in North and West Tonquin, so -as to secure their assistance in case of need. Of these, the two most -important were Ba-Ky and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> Luong-Tam-Ky, who occupied vast tracts of -mountainous country to the north of the Yen-Thé, into which the French -had, as yet, made no serious effort to penetrate. Both of these brigand -chieftains had established their domination in these districts some -time before the arrival of the Western foreigners in Tonquin.</p> - -<p>Colonel—now General—Frey in his admirable work on the subject, -compares them to the feudal lords of the Middle Ages, since they -administered the territory occupied as a fief, all the inhabitants -being subjected to regular taxation, wisely calculated so as not to -excite discontent, and their authority was undisputed. These two -leaders could dispose of from two to three thousand Chinese, armed -with rifles, part of which force they would certainly be willing -to place at the service of De-Tam on the payment of a stipulated -sum of money. In fact, this is what actually did happen. Ba-Ky and -Luong-Tam-Ky submitted to French rule in 1895, but their territory has -not been occupied by the troops, for two very good reasons: first, -because the district is so poor that the expense entailed would hardly -be justifiable, and also owing to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> the fact that the region is so -unhealthy that Europeans cannot remain there any length of time without -falling victims to fever and dysentery.</p> - -<p>When we reached Nha-Nam, I received a hearty greeting from my comrades, -some of whom, owing to my prolonged absence, were under the impression -that I had also fallen a victim to the Cho-Trang fever, as they called -it. It was comforting to find myself back in my former quarters, to -fall once more into the jargon of the corps and take part in the daily -routine of the garrison.</p> - -<p>Two days later Lipthay left for Thaï-Nguyen with Lieutenant Deleuze. -I saw this smart intelligence officer. He was a small, brown-faced, -wiry man, whose most remarkable trait was the quiet, low toned voice in -which he spoke to those under him. The men told wild tales concerning -his wonderful knowledge of the language and customs of the natives, -whereby, it was said, he had on several occasions been able to adopt a -disguise, and accompany some of the native spies on their expeditions. -Whether this was exact or not I should not like to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> declare, but it -is certain that this officer possessed a wonderful knowledge of the -vernacular, and was a topographical expert of no small merit.</p> - -<p>I had hardly time to settle down in my old quarters again, for a week -after my arrival my section was sent off to Bo-Ha to strengthen the -garrison in that part, which at the time consisted of a company of -native troops under the orders of Captain Perrin.</p> - -<p>One night, shortly after our arrival there—it was the 16th January, -1892—the section was suddenly called out, orders being given for -each man to take with him a flannel suit, rolled up in his waterproof -blanket—which was slung across the chest—and provisions for two days. -We soon learned that a long night's march lay before us; for a wire -had been received from the Brigade, to the effect that a portion of -Ba-Ky's band was marching on Cho-Trang with the intention of rushing -that outpost, and our orders were to get there as soon as possible by -the nearest way. A guide was supplied by the headman of Dao-Quan, who -led us away by a track slanting off to the north-east of Bo-Ha, across -a wild, uncultivated region, hitherto<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> little explored, and generally -considered impracticable.</p> - -<p>We started off at eleven, and it was easy walking for the first mile or -so, but once we had left behind us the cultivated district surrounding -our fort, the path went from bad to worse. We passed for several miles -over a plain covered with jungle, after which the track went into the -hills, and, though we kept up the pace, it was terrible work as we went -now up, now down, then splashing through the icy cold water of the -little streams coursing down each valley. Though the night was fairly -clear it was dark, and difficult to see ahead in the gullies and dips, -and we had to trust to luck sometimes when putting our foot forward.</p> - -<p>We reached Cho-Phang, a Muong village, at a quarter past three in the -morning, and a pedometer which I carried registered 18½ miles. We -had now gained the rocky chain of the Nui-Dong-Nai, and thence the path -ran along at the foot of these heights. We rested a quarter of an hour, -and then continued our hurried tramp till we reached the Deo-Mou-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span>Phieu -pass, concerning which I have already written when describing my first -journey to Cho-Trang. We passed through the cleft, going due north, and -reached our destination at a few minutes past seven.</p> - -<p>This was the hardest march it has ever been my lot to undertake, and, -as already stated, we covered close upon 32 miles in about eight hours. -The garrison—they were <i>tirailleurs</i>, for the detachment of the Legion -had left more than a month before—was on the alert when we arrived, -but had seen no sign of brigands. We were all glad to get inside the -fort and take a few hours' rest. During the morning a telegram was -received, stating that the band had taken another direction, and that -all danger was passed. Desiring, no doubt, that we should not pass -the night in so unhealthy a region, Captain Perrin, who had come with -us, started us on our way back at two in the afternoon. We went at a -moderate speed, passing the night at Cho-Thuong, where there are some -wonderful caves, the entrance to which is some 60 feet from the ground. -In these some of us tried to sleep, but were driven away by a host of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> -parasites. Access was gained to these caverns by means of long bamboo -ladders. When their village, which is situated at the base of the rock, -is attacked by bandits, the Muongs take refuge with their women and -children in these caves, where, after hoisting up the ladders, they are -absolutely secure from attack. Strange to say, they succeed in getting -their cattle into these shelters in time of danger, but whether they do -so by the aid of ropes, or through some lower entrance known only to -themselves, I was unable to ascertain.</p> - -<p>We reached Bo-Ha at three in the afternoon on the following day.</p> - -<p>During the next few weeks our detachment was kept very busy preparing -things for the troops, which were soon to be concentrated at this -point; and we spent a considerable part of our time working at the -road from the landing-stage on the Song-Thuong up to the fort. This -had to be widened and levelled so as to allow of the passage of field -artillery.</p> - -<p>It was very evident that the rebels were alive to the fact that -operations against them were intended, for their vedettes were -con<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span>tinually in evidence round Bo-Ha and Nha-Nam, and along the road -between these forts. No movement could be made by the troops of these -two garrisons without it being at once signalled by the enemy's scouts. -Their methods for communicating information at a distance were really -ingenious. By day they made use of a code of smoke signals, to obtain -which torches composed of chopped straw, resin and gunpowder were used; -at night oil lanterns with a sliding shutter attachment, or paper -balloons carrying a burning rag soaked in petroleum, served the same -purpose.</p> - -<p>Stores and ammunition continued to arrive, so that temporary sheds had -to be erected outside the fort, for the go-downs inside were filled to -overflowing.</p> - -<p>On the 5th and 6th March a company of the Legion from Lang-son, a -battalion of <i>Infanterie de Marine</i>, one of <i>Tirailleurs Tonkinois</i>, -a company of engineers, a battery of field artillery, one of -mountain-guns (in all, two thousand five hundred men and twelve guns), -and two thousand coolies arrived at Bo-Ha. These men, who were lodged -in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span> huts constructed of bamboo and macaw-palm, composed the first -column, destined to march to the north-east and seize the hill, which -had been the subject of Lipthay's discourse to me on my return from -Quang-Yen, whence they would be able to attack the enemy from quite -an unexpected quarter. At Nha-Nam a second column, composed of five -companies of the Legion, a battalion of <i>Infanterie de Marine</i>, three -companies of native troops, a battery of mountain guns and two mortars -(two thousand eight hundred men and eight guns), was concentrated, -preparatory to advancing in two groups, from the south-west, along -the paths already thoroughly explored by the troops operating against -Hou-Thué in the preceding year.</p> - -<p>From Thaï-Nguyen a third force, consisting of two companies of the -Legion, three of <i>tirailleurs</i> (one thousand and fifty men), and two -mountain-guns, was to march from the west, thus striking the rebels' -right flank, and joining hands with the column from Bo-Ha.</p> - -<p>The loyal Delta provinces supplied about one thousand irregulars armed -with rifles, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> these, officered by their local military mandarins, -had orders to cover the flanks of the different columns, and, whenever -possible, maintain communication between them. A French officer was -detached to control their movements.</p> - -<p>On the 8th March General Voyron arrived at Bo-Ha with his staff, and -a council-of-war was held at which all the commanders of columns -and groups were present. When the General had exposed his plan of -campaign, each of the officers present was provided with printed -instructions concerning the tactics to be adopted, particular stress -being laid on the recommendation to abstain from delivering attacks -on fortified positions, unless a careful preparation for the assault -had been made by artillery fire. Great enthusiasm prevailed among the -soldiers of the Legion, and all were burning with a desire to be in at -the finish, the men of my company being particularly keen, which is -easily comprehensible, since for more than a year this unit had been -continually <i>aux prises</i> with the enemy, and there were comrades to -avenge, and sleepless nights and long marches to make good. The old -soldiers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span> were impressed by the elaborate preparations that had been -made and the strength of the force employed, and they were unanimous in -the opinion that <i>this time</i> the "Valorous and Invincible Battalions," -as De-Tam pompously styled his troops, would be scattered to the -four corners of Tonquin, and their lairs would become the haunt of -the tiger, the panther and the bear. It is also probable that a good -many of the Legionaries secretly cherished the hope of doing a little -looting "on their own," for wild tales had been circulated concerning -vast treasures secreted somewhere within the precincts of De-Nam's -house, now occupied by his successor.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus11.jpg" alt="ramparts"/> -<a id="illus11" name="illus11"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption">REBEL RAMPARTS FACING POINT A.</p> - -<p>Next day two battalions of infantry and the battery of mountain-guns -left Bo-Ha, and, after a forced march, occupied the hill already -mentioned, which to facilitate orders was designated as Point A. As -soon as this position was securely held the engineers got to work, -prepared the track leading to it and cut a zigzag road up the flank -of the hill to its summit, so as to permit of the heavier artillery -being brought up. A thousand coolies worked with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span> the sappers, and -the task of preparing about 6 miles of road and cutting a path up the -sugar-loafed hill was completed in a little over forty-eight hours; so -that on the evening of the 13th a battery of six guns was established -on the top of Point A, and the whole of the column, with its reserve -of stores and ammunition, was entrenched at its base. The light field -fortifications necessary to shelter this force were made by the -infantry with the aid of the entrenching tools each soldier carried.</p> - -<p>During these four days the enemy had not been idle, for their -skirmishers maintained a constant fire on the column, the workers on -the road and the passing convoys, and we suffered some casualties in -consequence. At night their snipers claimed a few victims, but up to -this phase of the operations the losses on our side were few.</p> - -<p>At this time my section was chiefly employed in escorting the convoys -from Bo-Ha to Point A, or in covering the working parties on the road. -We sometimes slept in the fort, and sometimes in the camp with the -column: this depending on which of these two places was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> nearest to us -at the end of the day. We had several slight brushes with the enemy's -scouts, none of which, however, were of any importance.</p> - -<p>In the camp, when not on duty, I was glad to wander around from one -bivouac to another. In the French infantry lines things were generally -quiet, and these young soldiers, who had passed most of their time in -the colony, in the garrison towns, were evidently out of their element. -Most of them, when questioned on the subject, openly expressed their -desire that the operations might be of very short duration, though -these troops were undoubtedly as brave as their ancestors who fought -at Fontenoy, Jemappes or Jena, and had the call on their patriotism -been made for a supreme effort in Europe, they would have hailed the -chance with enthusiasm. As it was, the prospect was one of a violent -end, by the hand of an unseen foe, in some dark corner of the tropical -jungle, and this to further a colonial policy in which few of them -felt either interest or confidence. The ever-existing danger from the -deadly malaria, the distance separating them from their <i>patrie</i> and -their homes, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> the thought that their presence was due to the brutal -hazard and ill-luck attached to conscription: these were reasons hardly -conducive to a liking for the hardships and risks of the campaign. Not -that the <i>morale</i> or courage of these troops was in the least affected -by this state of things, but their dislike for the expedition was -evident and outspoken.</p> - -<p>With the Legionaries it was different, and their bivouac echoed with -the rollicking choruses sung by the men as they sat around the fires. -Between songs they would crack jokes at each other's expense, and enter -into friendly discussions as to who would be the next to "eat bananas -by the roots," which was their playful way of suggesting a hurried -burial in soft soil. These were grown men, vigorous and hardened, and -therefore better able to resist fever, fatigue and privation than the -youthful conscripts, their neighbours, who sat by the blaze and talked -in subdued tones of "la chaumière et les vieux" in sunny France. The -Legionary possesses a rude but kindly nature, and, like the soldier -of fortune that he is, he revels in the adventurous existence he has -adopted, the hazards<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> and dangers of it being the wine of life to -him. Without desire for honour or reward, without even the wish that -their deeds should receive public attention, these <i>condotieri</i> of -to-day perform incredible feats of daring and devotion. Professional -soldiers they are, and they will remain unmoved by brilliant discourses -concerning the glory and honour of war, except that they will express -their contempt for such speeches by an occasional wink and a smile at -their neighbour in the ranks. For they love deeds, not words, and, when -led by an officer who possesses their confidence and whose courage is -undisputed, they will be generously, almost foolishly, heroic, going to -meet death with light-hearted gaiety, laying down their lives for him -without a murmur.</p> - -<p>The native troops were not unworthy of interest. Squatting round their -fires on various pieces of matting they had procured from no one -knew where, their turbans removed and their long hair falling almost -to their waists, they agitated the paper fans, which each of them -usually carried thrust in his belt, thus driving away the mosquitoes -swarming<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> around. Their small hands, beardless faces, and rolling -walk as they moved about, and the quiet, singing drawl in which they -spoke, left on the observer an impression that they were effeminate. -It was hard to realise that under this gentle exterior these natives -possessed a talent for cruelty and cunning to a degree attained by few -other races. The causes and probable results of the campaign were of -small importance to them, if one could judge by the mask of Oriental -indifference they wore, though it was hard indeed to learn their real -sentiments on any subject, for it was rarely that they betrayed their -inner thoughts to a European, even though he knew their language and -could converse with them. The value of these troops as a military unit -is a question that has been treated in a preceding chapter.</p> - -<p>At 6 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> on the 14th the battery on the hill opened a -hot fire with a salvo of shrapnel aimed at what was supposed to -be the centre of the fortified village; the distance given by the -range-finders being 2800 mètres. The bombardment was kept up, the guns -being trained at various distances so as to sweep the position and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span> its -surroundings, till nine that morning, when a dense mist rose from the -intervening forest and obscured the target.</p> - -<p>Clouds of damp vapour hung about the trees during the remainder of the -day, so that all action of the guns was out of the question.</p> - -<p>Profiting by the cover offered by the fog, the Commander-in-Chief sent -out several companies of infantry towards the enemy's position, in the -hope of ascertaining whether the artillery had succeeded in damaging -the fortifications. The passage of these troops through the forest -was opposed by the rebel skirmishers, who, however, retired into the -fort when the attack was pressed home. The columns pushed forward -towards the enemy's defences, the men being instructed to go slowly -and take all the cover available, and it was discovered that from -this side glimpses of the ramparts could be obtained at a distance of -a little under 100 mètres, which was considerably more advantageous -to the attacking force than had been the case at Hou-Thué, where all -forward movements were executed in the dark, since the position was not -visible until the assaulting troops were right upon it. This<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> important -information obtained, the reconnaissance retired, without, however, -having been able to determine to what extent the fire of the guns had -been effective. That same morning the second column left Nha-Nam in -two groups, and, driving the enemy before them, proceeded slowly and -cleared the country up to Long-Thuong and Dinh-Tep, where they halted -for the night.</p> - -<p>The force from Thaï-Nguyen also started on its way, to find itself -opposed, after a march of 18 miles, by Ba-Ky's Chinese, who were -entrenched in considerable force close to Mona-Luong. The first -position on the road was assaulted and captured by the Legion, which -suffered several losses, but inflicted severe punishment on the enemy. -This column camped on the site of its success, and passed the night -there. Thus the first day of active operations had been a successful -one, and the advance had been general along the line of attack.</p> - -<p>On the 15th March, the weather being fine and clear, it was found -possible to renew the bombardment, and a slow, searching fire was kept -up all day. In all about two thousand shells were thrown into the -enemy's position.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span></p> - -<p>The troops skirmished towards the fortifications, and, behind them, -the engineers and coolies, with the aid of axe and saw, cleared a -broad track through the forest. Dynamite was used to level the big -trees, giants of the jungle, in dealing with which ordinary methods -would have been too long and laborious. Towards evening a position was -reached, about 200 yards from the ramparts, whence a good view of the -defences could be obtained, and offering to a mountain battery a fair -chance of effecting a breach. The column from Nha-Nam made slow but -steady progress during the day, and succeeded in driving the enemy from -several forts and entrenchments.</p> - -<p>The force from Thaï-Nguyen also effected a cautious and successful -advance, shelling and capturing trench after trench. Just before -sunset we could hear their little mountain-guns hammering away at the -retreating army. Before night fell a message was flashed from this -column stating that it had reached a point on the road leading to our -position, about 8 miles distant.</p> - -<p>During the day the losses on our side had been small compared with the -progress made;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span> and since the commencement of the operations the total -casualties of the expedition amounted to ten killed and thirty-two -wounded. It was certain that the enemy had suffered severely, for more -than forty of their dead had been found in and around the different -positions captured.</p> - -<p>My section had been on camp-guard duty all day, much to the disgust of -all of us, and, to pass away the time when not on sentry-go, I climbed -up the hill and watched events. From this position the sight was a -grand one, for, as I have said, a panorama of the whole region could be -obtained.</p> - -<p>Crossing the brush-covered plain, going to and fro between the -forest—that hid the enemy and our attacking force—and our camp -situated at the base of the hill on which I stood, was a constant -stream of humanity. Now it was a gang of coolies, under charge of a -sapper, going to relieve some of their comrades who were clearing a -way for the guns: then a string of more of these useful but ragged -and dirty auxiliaries, trotting along in couples with a long bamboo -between them, on which were suspended boxes of rifle ammunition. From -the forest came<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span> a little convoy of wounded, or dead—who could tell -from here? For the naked eye could just distinguish three crumpled, -reclining figures, each covered with a brown army blanket, lying on the -stretchers which the ambulance men carried carefully over the obstacles -in their path. One of the three groups formed by the stretchers and -their bearers suddenly stopped, and the burden was gently lowered to -the ground. I saw a man run off to the right, something at the end of -a strap swinging from his right hand, and suddenly I realised that -this balancing object was a water-bottle. A kindly artillery sergeant, -whose gun, close to where I had been standing, had just vomited a -shell, handed me his field-glasses with a smile, and with a salute I -thanked him for having guessed my eager desire. When I had adjusted the -glasses, the soldier was back by the stretcher, and kneeling beside -it was supporting his wounded friend's head with one hand, while with -the other he held to the poor fellow's lips the flask containing the -precious liquid he had been craving for. Only those who have been -wounded can form a true idea of the terrible thirst that seizes hold -of a man who has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span> been stricken down; water is like new life to him, -for all his anatomy seems parched up, burning, and the friend who can -procure it is an angel of mercy indeed. I recognised in the wounded -man and his chum two privates from the 3rd Company of the Legion, -despatched from Lang-son to assist in the operations. The "parrakeet -brigade" we laughingly styled them, because their brave but somewhat -eccentric captain had seen fit to dress them in green drill, which he -declared made his men less visible at a distance than the conventional -khaki. One of the men, the stricken one, was a Prussian; his comrade -an Alsatian: hereditary enemies, if some political historians are to -be believed, but here there was no room for race-hatred. There was no -thought of it in the Legion, and surely no better demonstration could -be given of the fact than the little incident I have described. Now the -belated stretcher was moving on towards a big tent situated in a corner -of the camp, from the top of which floated a red-cross flag. This was -the field hospital, in which the head surgeon, M. de Camprieu, and his -staff of doctors and orderlies were very busy; for besides the wounded -there<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span> were numerous cases of fever and dysentery to be attended to.</p> - -<p>With the glasses I tried to pierce the shadows of the forest, but -the foliage was too thick, and the only indications of the struggle -that was going on there under its vast roof of leaves, and between -its serried tree-trunks, were the occasional puffs of smoke filtering -through the verdure, the distant rat! tat! tat! of the rifles, -punctuated now and again by a sharp crack of an exploding dynamite -cartridge as it splintered the massive bole of a banyan or teak.</p> - -<p>I handed back the glasses to the kindly "non-com," and watched the -artillerymen working the guns. They were firing slowly now, one -a minute. A captain, standing behind the centre of the line of -long-necked, vicious-looking field-pieces, gave the command: "<i>Première -pièce ... feu!</i>" "Bang!" howled the ugly war-dog as it skidded back a -yard on its locked wheels, and from the distant forest came back the -sharp crack of the bursting shell, easily distinguished from the other -reports arising from the wood.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span></p> - -<p>The rebels were not the only sufferers from the guns, for the continued -detonations had driven from their usual haunts the herds of deer which -frequented the region, and in consequence the tigers, missing their -prey, were prowling about empty and enraged. At night their weird -"cop! cop! cop!" occasional snarl, or gruesome roar would waken the -stillness of the jungle, as they roamed around our camp; and on several -occasions I experienced an uncomfortable icy feeling from the back -of the neck downwards when these sounds approached me during my two -hours of sentry-go in the dark. Our column lost two coolies and three -commissariat bullocks, both men and cattle being carried away by these -"striped devils," as the natives called them. A <i>tirailleur</i> sentry -belonging to the Thaï-Nguyen force also fell a victim to their hunger.</p> - -<p>On the 16th a general attack was made by all our columns, and though -the results of the day's work were favourable—for we had succeeded in -establishing a mountain battery in a sheltered position within a short -distance of the rebel ramparts, and the force from Thaï-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span>Nguyen, after -brushing aside all resistance and capturing a big fort at Mo-Trang, -the existence of which was previously unknown, had joined hands -with us—yet this success was marred, early in the day, by a costly -disaster, overtaking one of the groups composing the southeastern -column. This unit, which was commanded by a major, only escaped -complete destruction and the loss of its artillery by little short of a -miracle. The two guns attached to the group got stuck in a swampy rice -field when coming to the assistance of the infantry, who had walked -into the close and unexpected fire of an enemy strongly entrenched -on a steep hill covered with dense vegetation. For some unknown -reason the commander ordered the surprised and somewhat disorganised -troops to assault the position. An attempt was made to execute this -order, but it was unsuccessful, and the column suffered severe loss, -two officers and twenty-six men being killed, and one officer and -thirty-two men wounded. A company of Legionaries who were scouting in -the neighbourhood fortunately created a diversion by attacking the rear -of the enemy's position, and this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span> allowed what remained of the little -column, principally composed of French infantry and <i>tirailleurs</i>, to -retire in comparative safety with their guns. Unfortunately, a certain -number of the slain were left behind among the trees on the side of -the hill, and these, with their rifles and ammunition, fell into the -hands of the enemy. The officer responsible for this gross blunder was -sent back to Hanoï, pending an enquiry, and the incident cast a passing -gloom over the operations.</p> - -<p>Though this partial success somewhat revived the already ebbing -courage of De-Tam's tried and devoted veterans, large numbers of his -less enthusiastic supporters were continually breaking away from his -little army, and gliding between our outposts, for it was impossible -to establish with the troops at the disposal of our leader a complete -cordon in a district so vast and offering such good cover. Some of -these small bands made their way to the south, and found refuge in the -friendly villages of the lower Yen-Thé; others went north, and obtained -security in the territories occupied by the Chinese chief.</p> - -<p>The following day saw the downfall of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span> enemy's central position, -for, after a bombardment of three hours by the guns on Point A and by -the mountain batteries of the different columns, which were now on -three sides of it, the defences were rushed at two points, at three in -the afternoon. Though I took part in this final assault, it is hardly -necessary to describe in detail the fighting. Suffice it that the rout -of De-Tam's force was complete.</p> - -<p>Once inside the fortifications one and all were struck by the -immense amount of labour and skill that had been expended on their -construction. The colonel in command of the artillery during the -operations stated in his report that it might be roughly estimated -that at least fifteen hundred coolies, working continually during -nine months, must have been employed to complete these defences. The -superficial area of the interior of the position was about one square -mile, and upon it more than a hundred constructions had been erected, -consisting of lodgings for the chiefs, barracks for the men, huts for -the women and children, two fine pagodas and a big grain-store, raised -from the ground on stone pillars, and containing more than 500 tons -of rice when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span> the position fell into our hands. The ramparts were -splendidly constructed, and in some places three lines of marksmen, -placed one above the other, could find protection behind them, being -sheltered from the artillery fire by casemates. On three sides the -Song-Soï served as a moat to the fort, while on the fourth a canal had -been cut for the same purpose.</p> - -<p>The enemy suffered great loss during the final development of the -attack, and numerous were the bodies strewn all over their position, or -hurriedly buried in the banana and areca-palm plantations surrounding -some of their houses.</p> - -<p>As an example to all insurgents, and also to put a stop to the -dangerous and superstitious legends in circulation concerning the -supernatural powers of De-Nam, the body of this chief was disinterred, -and his remains scattered to the four winds. The skull of the famous -rebel is now in the possession of a military doctor of high rank.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately De-Tam, together with a few of his most faithful -supporters, succeeded in making good his escape from the fort shortly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> -before the troops entered. Though this chief was never again able to -organise rebellion on such an elaborate scale, he nevertheless gave -great trouble to the French authorities, and inflicted severe losses on -the troops sent against him during the next five years.</p> - -<p>The most important part of the operations against the Yen-Thé rebels -was now terminated. During the following week the columns, split up -into groups, made regular <i>battues</i> through the forests and jungle of -the region, and many more of the rebels were captured or slain. There -can be no doubt that the success of the expedition, the rapid downfall -of the numerous strong positions, and the penetration by the French -troops into that mysterious region—the soil of which, the natives had -been led to believe, would never be violated by the foot of the Western -foreigner—produced a lasting and beneficial effect on the minds of the -whole of the population of Tonquin, and did more to impress on them the -fact that the domination of the country by the French was irrevocable -and definite, than thousands of printed manifestoes bearing the name of -a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span> President, or a Governor-General whose importance was small in the -eyes of the Annamese when compared with the lustre attached to their -exiled monarch.</p> - -<p>Several of the minor chiefs, recognising the futility of further -resistance, came in with their men and surrendered to the authorities -in Nha-Nam and Bo-Ha; in this way, during the fortnight that followed -the capture of their positions, the rebels brought in nearly two -hundred rifles.</p> - -<p>About five hundred of the enemy, who had succeeded in getting away to -the south, established themselves in several villages near Dap-Cau, -and pillaged the surrounding country. Their success was short-lived, -however, for, though the majority of the troops were now being sent -back to their respective garrisons, two thousand men and two guns were -sent against them under the orders of Lieutenant-Colonel Geil, and a -fortnight later, owing to the skilful tactics of this officer, the -flickering embers of revolt in the lower Yen-Thé were stamped out, and -the supporters of the movement scattered or slain.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">The last struggles of a rebellion—Departure of Captain Plessier—Our -new commander—Man-hunting—A friend in need—A false alarm—An -unexpected rise in life—On the Brigade Staff.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>The remnants of the rebel forces, which had been smashed and dispersed -by Colonel Geil's column in the lower Yen-Thé, fled north and rallied -round their chief, De-Tam, who was hiding, together with a small number -of his most trusted retainers, in one of the wildest spots in the -dense forest region of the north-west of Nha-Nam, and about 10 miles -from that fort. This district is known to the natives by the name of -Quinh-Low.</p> - -<p>At this time, owing to the large number of rebels we had slain or -captured, or who had surrendered during the past two months, the total -number of insurgents with De-Tam did not exceed two hundred. Efforts -had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span> been made by the provincial mandarins to secure the chieftain's -submission. The French Government, preferring, if possible, to adopt -a policy of conciliation, rather than run the risks and be burdened -with the heavy expense resulting from a protracted struggle with such a -brave, resourceful and mobile foe, authorised the native functionaries -to offer the leader of the insurrection not only his life and liberty, -but also a remunerative post in the local administration, on the -condition that he would come in with his men and deliver up his arms -and ammunition.</p> - -<p>These negotiations fell through, however, for De-Tam refused all offers -made to him, and wrote several letters to the French authorities in -which he informed them, in his usual high-flown, bombastic style, -that he would never surrender, and that he still possessed the utmost -confidence in the ultimate success of the cause he represented. -Notwithstanding these assertions, it is very probable that he would -gladly have accepted the terms offered had he been certain of enjoying -a quiet and comfortable life after his capitulation; but he was too -well versed in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span> natural cunning of his race not to know full well -that, in the event of his surrender, his very existence would be a -cause of constant dread to his former associates, the mandarins of the -Court of Hué, and they would most certainly find a way of ensuring his -silence, by means both wily and rapid, in the use of which Orientals -are experts.</p> - -<p>From papers captured by the French troops, when they surprised the -encampment at Quinh-Low a few weeks later, it was learnt that the chief -had decided on the construction of a new series of defensive positions -in this region, with the intention of carrying on the rebellion with -something like its former success. His desires in this respect were, -however, doomed to disappointment, for such was the constant activity -of the troops occupying the different parts in the upper Yen-Thé -that no rest or respite were allowed him or his men. When the main -expedition had been broken up at the end of March, General Voyron had -given orders for the permanent occupation of the fortified positions at -Mo-Trang and Mona-Luong. These two forts, which had both been captured -from the enemy by the Thaï-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span>Nguyen column, were well constructed, and -they required but little labour, mainly in the direction of felling -the trees that were too close up to the ramparts, to make them almost -impregnable when properly garrisoned. For several months after the -conclusion of the principal operations, the troops from these two -forts, together with the men from Nha-Nam and Bo-Ha, chased De-Tam from -one hiding-place to another; and, in consequence, he was never able to -establish any permanent centre of resistance.</p> - -<p>Early in May my section was relieved by a similar detachment of the -Legion from Thaï-Nguyen, and we left Bo-Ha—for good this time—and -returned to our company at Nha-Nam.</p> - -<p>On the 10th of the same month we were assembled under arms to witness -the departure of Captain Plessier, who was leaving for Haïphong, whence -he sailed for France a few days later. Our new commander, Captain -Watrin, took over the company and escorted his predecessor as far as -Cao-Thuong. Though the officer who was leaving us had always been a -severe disciplinarian, unsparing in regard to the work he had required -of us, yet his departure was a cause of chagrin to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> his Legionaries; -and their rough, though heartfelt expressions of regret were numerous -and outspoken. None of the officers are allowed to remain more than -three consecutive years in Tonquin, though they can return there after -a sojourn with their regiment in Algeria. Our Captain had completed his -period of colonial service, so that he could not have remained longer -with us even had he desired so to do. Officers of his stamp, that is, -men whose bravery is undisputed, who are severe but also anxious for -the welfare of the troops under their orders, will always be popular -with the Legionaries. His successor eventually became an even greater -favourite with the company, for, besides the qualities mentioned -already, he had a real affection for his men, though, when the occasion -required it, he tempered this sentiment with necessary sternness. He -regarded his command as a family, of which he was proud to be the head, -and made no show of the taciturn aloofness which had characterised his -predecessor. Captain Watrin, who was about thirty-eight years of age, -was a splendid specimen of humanity, for he was tall, broad-shouldered, -and extremely powerful. Fair,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> with blue eyes and a ruddy complexion, -he was a typical son of the "Lost Provinces"; and the fact of his -being a native of a village near Strassburg added not a little to his -popularity with the numerous Alsatians in the company. He seemed to -take a real pleasure in making himself acquainted with the individual -joys and sorrows of his men. Whenever the chance offered itself, -he would question us discreetly concerning our private hopes and -ambitions, and do his best to prove to his subordinates that he was to -them not only a chief, inflexible as far as questions of discipline -were concerned, but also a friend to whom they could confide their -troubles, ever ready with a word of consolation or advice, and all -the aid it lay in his power to render. His enquiries were probably -distasteful to such of the men as possessed a past they did not care to -recall; but when he perceived that a private was reluctant to confide -in him, he was too tactful to insist on the subject, and would smooth -matters over by a cheerful, "<i>Et bien, mon brave.</i> When you want a -confessor, come to me. I may perhaps be able to help you."</p> - -<p>A few weeks after his arrival he was able to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span> address every private -in his company by name, a trait which is exceedingly rare with the -officers in the French army. There is no doubt that the men were very -grateful to him for this detail, which certainly proved that their -chief was aware the Legionary was not merely an <i>enfant perdu</i>, to be -known only by the number stamped on each article of his kit, but that -he recognised that his men, like the rest of mankind, possessed their -just share of pride and passion, vice and virtue.</p> - -<p>He very soon showed us that his military talents were of sterling -quality, for in his first engagements with the enemy it was at once -evident that his dispositions for the attack were taken with great -coolness and forethought, and with the careful intention of avoiding -all wanton loss of life. During the final rush and scrimmage he was -ever to the fore, and would not be denied the place of honour at the -head of the assault, which he led with no other weapon than a thick -stick.</p> - -<p>Our company was kept continually on the move during the months of May -and June, reconnaissances and ambuscades being of daily<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span> occurrence. -Often we would make a night march, and, operating in conjunction with -parties sent out from the other forts, rush at dawn a village in which -several of the rebels had passed the night, or capture an encampment -situated in some out-of-the-way corner of the forest, or hidden in a -narrow jungle-covered defile between tall, steep hills.</p> - -<p>Our ambuscades were generally placed on the paths leading to the south -by which supplies, coming from the few isolated villages still friendly -to the rebel cause, reached the enemy. These expeditions always -took place at night, for our foes no longer possessed the strength -and confidence which had allowed them to move about the country by -day, as they had been in the habit of doing before the downfall of -their citadels. To the majority of us the excitement of these little -expeditions was a source of real joy, notwithstanding the dose of -fever or twinge of rheumatism that sometimes resulted. We enjoyed the -silent, stealthy march through the dark, the long wait, hidden in rank -jungle, with anxious eyes peering through the gloom, our fingers on -the trigger, all listening intently<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> to the thousand soft noises of -the night. Every nerve would be strained to its utmost tension, every -faculty keenly on the alert. The rustle of the long grass as a deer or -wild hog moved cautiously through it, the breaking of a twig, the hoot -of an owl, or even the sudden shrill chirp of the cicala would make the -heart leap with expectation, so that its hurried throb sent the blood -coursing through the arteries, and the system would tingle again under -a wave of suppressed excitement. More often than not our expectation -would be disappointed, for the enemy failed to put in an appearance, -though now and again our patience would be rewarded by a scrimmage, and -a convoy would be captured and several rebels slain or taken. Once our -ambuscade was surrounded and suddenly rushed by a strong band of most -determined Chinese banditti, of whose presence in the region we were -unaware. It is probable that they were going south with a convoy of -contraband opium. A desperate hand-to-hand struggle took place in the -dark. One of our men was killed in the first charge, and several were -wounded. One of the latter, a bugler,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span> died of his injuries a few days -later. It is difficult to surmise what would have been the result of -the combat had not another detachment of our men, which had been posted -at a small ford about half a mile away, come to our assistance, for we -were completely surrounded, and owing to the blackness of the night we -could hardly distinguish our foes, who were cunning enough not to make -use of their rifles, attacking us instead at close quarters with their -heavy swords. On finding themselves charged in the rear the Celestials -withdrew, and at daybreak we found six of their dead on or near the -position. All these had been slain by the bayonet, for there had been -but little firing on our side since, owing to the danger of shooting -our friends, it had been found necessary to keep to steel. Though our -adventure lasted only a few minutes, I think those of us who escaped -unhurt from the <i>mêlée</i> were passing thankful when it was over; for -never was it better proved that if in warfare an ambuscade can cause -great hurt to an enemy who comes upon it unawares, that same ambuscade -is in danger of total destruction should the enemy be forewarned of its -presence.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span></p> - -<p>At this time, thanks to the experience they had acquired during the -past year and a half, and also to their having been employed during -the last three months in continually chasing the enemy from place to -place, through the wildest country it is possible to imagine, the men -of my company had become splendid jungle fighters. Each of them was -now not only a hardened, almost fever-proof soldier, but also a good -shot and an efficient scout, ever on the alert to notice each sign by -the way, to catch each sound in the air, and understand their meaning. -A footprint, a broken twig, a tiny streak of smoke creeping up from -between the trees to the sky, the dull thud of the distant axe as it -hit the wood, and the hundred and one other trifling indications of -the passage of man in the tangle of forest-covered hills were at once -seized upon and put to profit.</p> - -<p>Conversant with the enemy's methods of fighting in the dark glades and -sombre thickets of his favourite haunts, the Legionaries and their -officers had learnt to trust no longer to the paths, but to advance -silently yet swiftly through the undergrowth, taking advantage of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span> -every bit of cover, and making of each tree in the wood, each rise in -the ground, a temporary rampart. Encouraged by their officers, the men -took great delight in this new sport, which seemed more like a hunt, -in which the quarry was man, than regular warfare. The fact of their -not being continually in touch with their officers and "non-coms," -and having consequently to depend sometimes on their own resources, -developed their individual initiative and self-reliance; whilst the -novelty of the situation gave full scope to their courage and love of -adventure. Perhaps with troops possessing less stamina and <i>morale</i>, -even these short periods of independent action would have been -dangerous, but with these well-disciplined and seasoned soldiers of the -Legion this new method of attack seemed rather to increase the zeal and -self-confidence of the men.</p> - -<p>The following statement, drawn up by a rebel deserter, the written -translation of which still exists, most probably, in the records at -the headquarters of the 2nd Brigade, will give some idea of how hard -pressed were De-Tam and his faithful few by our troops at this period.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span></p> - -<p>"The favourite wife of our old chief De-Nam was heavy with child when -the fire from the big guns and the approach of your infantry in such -great numbers obliged us to evacuate our positions. Notwithstanding -her condition she accompanied De-Tam and his lieutenants De-Truat and -De-Hué into the great forest at Quinh-Low. Here she gave birth to a -male child, posthumous son of our former leader; this was on the second -day of the fifth month" (May 26th). "At this time there were but few -men with De-Tam, for the majority of our troops had been scattered -all over the country, and many had gone south to their villages; thus -we were but sixty men armed with rifles, and with us were seven women -and two little ones. We had plenty to eat, for we drew rice from the -secret hiding-places in the forest, where great store of this food had -been placed many months before, by the wise orders of our Ong (Lord), -who was dead. But the white soldiers left us no peace, and each day -they pressed us so hard that we dared not sleep two nights in the -same place. At last we found a cave, to reach which we had to descend -a passage leading straight down into the earth." (In this district -are to be found numerous workings of former iron mines which were -abandoned several centuries ago, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span> are now overgrown with jungle. It -is probably to one of these that the deserter made allusion.) "We had -been in hiding in this place for several days when a party of soldiers, -who had followed the tracks of one of our men who had been sent out to -fetch water, nearly discovered our retreat. These soldiers hunted for -us until sundown and remained all the night in the forest, so that, -knowing this and fearing lest the cries of the young child should -betray us, De-Tam ordered us to dig a hole, and in it De-Nam's son was -buried alive.</p> - -<p>"When the mother was told of what had befallen her babe—for it had -been taken from her whilst she was sleeping, and she knew not where it -had gone—she was stricken with much sorrow, and went away from us, -weeping and complaining, into the forest, where she slew herself in the -agony of her grief.</p> - -<p>"On the morrow, when the troops had moved off a little, we succeeded in -getting away further into the jungle...."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The 9th June, 1902, I happened to be with a scouting party, and came -upon the body of the dead woman. It was still warm, and a native knife, -embedded right up to the hilt, had pierced the heart. Like the rest of -my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span> comrades, I imagined at the time that this unfortunate creature had -been murdered by the rebels; and it was only several weeks later, when -assisting at the examination of the deserter mentioned above, that I -learned what had really happened.</p> - -<p>On my return to Nha-Nam in May, I had been glad to renew relations with -my friend Doy-Tho; and whenever I found time to do so, I passed my -evenings in his <i>caigna</i>, and, seated beside him as he smoked, talked -over the situation.</p> - -<p>He was always very well informed on all that was going on, though he -most certainly owed much of his knowledge to his former enemy, but -now devoted friend, Linh-Nghi, who, since the termination of the main -operations, had been nominated to the important post of <i>lu-thuong</i> -(headman) of the village of Long-Thuong; and, in return for the -services he had rendered to the authorities, important stretches of -cultivated land, formerly owned by some of the rebels, had been made -over to him.</p> - -<p>It was from Tho that I learned of the lasting impression which the -rapid capture of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span> all De-Tam's fortifications had produced upon the -population of the Yen-Thé. The majority of the people, he said, were no -longer moved to enthusiasm by this chiefs appeals to their patriotism, -and they now possessed no confidence in the ultimate success of the -movement in favour of their exiled monarch. However, my friend was -never weary of repeating that, until the French succeeded in killing or -capturing De-Tam, the chief would be a source of constant trouble in -the region, because most of the peasants possessed such a real dread -of him, that but few of the villages would dare to refuse his demands -for money or rice, so long as he remained an outlaw, and had at his -disposal a band of cruel and determined partisans.</p> - -<p>Though I think that Tho was glad of my company, it was evident to me -that he was chagrined at my continued refusal to become a votary of the -soothing drug, which, like the majority of his compatriots, he regarded -as one of the necessities of existence. His disgust at my persistence -was all the more intense because it was an open secret that several of -the French officers and sergeants, serving in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span> native regiments, -smoked opium, and took but little pains to conceal the fact. He would -give me as examples the names of his superiors who indulged in the -pleasure procured by the subtle poison, hoping to induce me to follow -their example; though, curiously enough, he would generally conclude -his exhortations with quaint reflections full of irony, concerning the -excess to which most of the Europeans who indulged in this passion -would go; and he would then, in grandiloquent terms, replete with -Oriental conceit, inform me that he was himself complete master of his -own desires. He would swell with pride and delight when, to humour him, -I would praise his powers of self-control, though, for the matter of -that, I was convinced the length of his purse and the veto of Ba, his -wife, had more to do with the number of pipes he smoked, than any check -he was himself capable of imposing on his cravings.</p> - -<p>He would speak at length on this subject, bringing out his words with -a slow, drawling, sing-song cadence in which there was no indication -of emotion, though now and again, when he had given an opinion he -considered was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span> possessed of more than ordinary value, he would pause -somewhat longer than necessary, watching me intently the while, to see -if I had fully grasped the sense of his argument and appreciated the -beauty of his flowery metaphor.</p> - -<p>"Yes, friend," he would say. "Tell me, I beg you, has not Heaven -given to us men the different pleasures of life so that we shall draw -from them delight wherewith to lighten our troubles and to forget our -hardships? Indeed you do know, since I myself told it to you, that -our wise men have long since decided that these numerous and varied -pleasures can be classified according to their merits, which consist in -the degree of bliss they can procure us. Each of these emotions finds -its proper place in its proper section, which last is itself one of -'The Seven Joys,' even as a soldier has his appointed position in one -of the four battalions of his regiment. The ancients represented 'The -Seven Joys' by as many bats, because, like our pleasures, these animals -flit around us in eccentric curves; though it requires but a little -patience and a light blow to bring them to our feet. That is why in -our pagodas, our houses and upon the altars to our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span> ancestors you will -always see, sculptured or painted, the seven bats which are 'The Seven -Joys.'</p> - -<p>"Heaven has sent us a thousand flowers—of which the most beautiful is -the sacred lotus—so that we should admire their colours and shape, -glory in their scent and draw great joy therefrom; also the splendour -of our hills, our forests and our rivers, the beauty of our women, the -love of our little ones, the pleasures of the chase, and the gladness -in the slaughter of our foes, are only a few of the million joys in -life, amongst which <i>Ong-Tu-phian</i> (Lord Opium) is not the least in -importance; and these blessings have been generously accorded us by -the Lord Buddha himself, and any refusal to participate in them is -indeed rank blasphemy. But be warned that in all things there must be -moderation, and because of our friendship, I would not see you do like -the <i>Ong-Quan-hai</i> (lieutenant) I have already spoken of, for, if his -orderly speaks not lies, this young man smokes one hundred and twenty -pipes each day, which is a great foolishness indeed; for in this way -his pleasure is no longer his servant, to come and go at his bidding, -but rather he has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span> become the slave of his pleasure. Neither is his -case an exception, for nearly all you Western foreigners are alike in -this matter, and ever you go to the extremes. Either you will not touch -the drug—most probably because you are afraid of yourselves—or, if -you once begin, you will increase each day the number of pipes you -smoke, until your pleasure kills you, instead of remaining content with -a moderate use of it."</p> - -<p>In speaking thus Tho was but echoing the opinions of his compatriots, -for the inhabitants of Indo-China, like the Chinese, are convinced -of their superiority, so far as intelligence is concerned, over the -European.</p> - -<p>Partly from curiosity and also because I was determined to show -this little brown man that I possessed more self-restraint than he -gave me credit for, I consented one evening to make the experiment, -and smoked four pipes. I was rewarded by a most violent headache, -prolonged nausea, and a sleepless night crowded with waking nightmare. -It is hardly necessary to add that I did not repeat the experiment; -and though for some time Tho persisted in telling me that I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span> had not -given the drug a fair trial, he finally dropped the subject. But it is -probable that my inability to partake of his favourite pleasure was to -him another proof of the decided inferiority of the European.</p> - -<p>About the middle of June, Lieutenant Deleuze, the intelligence officer -from Thaï-Nguyen, to whom reference was made in a preceding chapter, -came to us to assist in the operations that were going on, for owing -to his knowledge of the vernacular, of the natives and their customs, -he was able to obtain information when others, less gifted, would most -certainly have failed. This officer was also instructed to complete a -new map of the region, for the late expedition had brought to light -the many errors and omissions contained in the former surveys of the -province. My friend Lipthay accompanied the Lieutenant, for he was to -assist in the topographical work.</p> - -<p>I was pleased, indeed, to see my friend again, and was happy at being -able to congratulate him on his recent promotion, for he was now a -corporal; and we "wetted his stripes" on the evening of his arrival -with several bottles of good wine. In confidence he informed me that I -was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span> myself to be attached to the intelligence staff of the district; -and, though he disclaimed all knowledge of the cause, I soon found out -that I owed this chance of promotion to his good offices.</p> - -<p>I little knew at the time what important changes in my existence this -new departure would bring me, though had I possessed that knowledge it -could hardly have increased my gratitude for the "good turn" my chum -had done me.</p> - -<p>For a month I worked with Lieutenant Deleuze, and accompanied the -different reconnaissances and little columns; making rough surveys of -the ground covered, and bringing back the sketches to Nha-Nam, where -they were amplified and checked. During these expeditions I was mounted -on a native pony, and armed with a carbine instead of the longer and -less handy rifle.</p> - -<p>My new life was a most agreeable one, for not only did I escape all the -drudgery of fatigue duties in the fort, but when the reconnaissance -with which I might happen to be out, got in touch with the enemy, I -would put away my compass and <i>planchette</i> and do duty as a galloper; -carrying information from the scouts<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span> to the commanding officer, and -going back again with orders. My mount was only 11½ hands in height, -so that when I was in the saddle my feet were but a few inches from -the ground, but the animal's pluck, endurance and surefootedness were -extraordinary.</p> - -<p>On the 15th July, Lipthay, together with the other members of the -district staff, returned to Thaï-Nguyen. I was left behind, as my -employment had only been a temporary one; but I continued to do -topographical work for our Captain, and was in consequence spared the -ordinary company routine.</p> - -<p>Owing to the extreme heat which had now set in, the authorities gave -orders for the suspension of all operations, except in case of great -urgency, so that nothing more exciting went on than an occasional hour -of drill or theoretical instruction. Having failed to capture De-Tam -while it was still possible to move the troops, the authorities were -now obliged to wait for cooler weather.</p> - -<p>Within the <i>réduit</i>, or little citadel, of our fort, a military -telegraph office had been erected, communicating with Bo-Ha and -Thaï-Nguyen by wire, and with Mo-Trang and Mona-Luong<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span> by the -heliograph. Two French operators, a marine and a gunner, were in charge -of the station.</p> - -<p>Since I had been detached on special service I had messed with these -two telegraphists, and it was not long before we were the best of -friends. Bougand, the marine, and Gremaire, the gunner, were Parisians -of good family and education; and, thanks to their natural versatility -and wit, we soon found means of introducing a certain amount of fun -into our existence, which helped to relieve the terrible monotony of -life in the fort.</p> - -<p>By nailing a damp sheet over a window which gave upon the gun-platform, -and with the aid of a powerful lamp, sometimes used for signalling -at night, we started a shadow theatre. Our troupe and scenery we cut -out of thick cardboard, and we were able to present adaptations of -some of the most popular dramas and comedies of the day, the text and -<i>mise-en-scène</i> of which would have been a startling revelation to the -original authors.</p> - -<p>These performances were given twice a week, and lasted from 7.30 till -9 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span>, and our audience was composed of all the Legionaries -not on duty<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span> and such of the native troops as cared to attend. There -was, of course, no accommodation for the spectators, who were indeed -above such details; and they contented themselves with standing, or -squatting, upon the hard ground to watch the show. Though some of our -audience saw fit to make rude remarks concerning the tone of voice in -which the feminine <i>rôles</i> were read, the majority were unsparing of -their applause; and the appearance of the silhouettes of such famous -artists as the golden-voiced Sarah or the two Coquelins brought down -the house. Now and again some ready-witted interruption from one of the -spectators would cause the temporary disappearance of the actors from -the stage and a momentary cessation of the performance, for, unable to -control our emotions or continue the dialogue, we would fall on the -floor of the little mat-shed hut, where we would lie convulsed with -laughter, until the noisy public threatened to pull down the house -unless we continued the play.</p> - -<p>Success ofttimes breeds foolhardiness, and in an evil hour, finding -that we had exhausted the <i>répertoire</i> our memories offered us, of -plots from the Parisian stage, we decided to draw on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span> local incidents -for the construction of our plays. At first all went well, for such -farces as <i>The De-Tam's Defeat</i>, in which that chief, after refusing -the hand of the Governor-General's daughter and a big dowry, died -through incautiously tasting the contents of a tin of bully-beef, -supplied by the Commissariat for the use of the troops, were -successful, and produced no untoward results. But, craving for still -greater popularity, we were foolish enough to put upon our stage -the too transparently caricatured counterpart of one of the senior -non-commissioned officers in the company of native troops, who, though -an excellent soldier, was possessed of many eccentricities. This -veteran resented our impudence, and we were reported and obliged to -suspend our performances.</p> - -<p>The instruments were placed in the upper storey of the little telegraph -station, and I was in the habit of sitting upstairs for a couple of -hours each evening with either of my friends who happened to be on -duty. Here we would chat and smoke—for the messages were few and far -between after eight—and while away the time till eleven.</p> - -<p>On the evening of 22nd May I was there as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span> usual; Bougand was on -duty, and we had been exchanging opinions concerning the adjutant, -who had succeeded in obtaining the <i>clôture</i> of our theatre, when -our conversation was suddenly interrupted by a call on the Morse -from Thaï-Nguyen. In the middle of the message he was receiving, my -companion gave a sudden whoop of astonishment; though this did not -cause me much emotion, for I was accustomed by now to his pet mania, -which consisted in telling me all sorts of tall stories concerning the -wires he received, and I prepared myself to greet a yarn about the -capture of De-Tam, or my promotion to the much-desired dignity of a -full blown corporal. When the message was finished, and he had rapped -back that he had read the same correctly, he jumped up excitedly, came -over to me and, holding out his hand, shouted:</p> - -<p>"<i>Mon vieux</i>, I congratulate you!"</p> - -<p>"<i>Blagueur!</i>" I answered. "Spare me your mouldy joke. It's much too hot -to laugh, so be sensible. Let's take a glass of wine, if any remains in -the bottle, and then I'll go to bed."</p> - -<p>"I assure you——" He almost yelled it, but I would not let him go -on, and taunted him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span> with the staleness of the joke he was trying -to play; till, in despair of obtaining a hearing, he rushed over to -the instrument, tore off the band and handed it to me to read. To my -amazement I saw, clearly printed in little blue letters upon the narrow -strip of paper, beyond the possibility of a hoax, the following message:</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"<i>Major—Thaï-Nguyen, to Captain-Commanding Nha-Nam.—Send soldier -Manington by first convoy to Phulang-Thuong, from whence he will -proceed to Bac-Ninh to take service as secretary, Brigade Staff.</i>"</p></blockquote> - -<p>The next few minutes were exciting ones, and it was not until we had -hauled Gremaire from his bed downstairs, communicated the news to him, -and drowned our emotion in a jugful of wine and water, with a lemon cut -up in it, that things began to assume their normal proportions.</p> - -<p>I slept but little that night, and lay speculating as to how it was -that fortune had so favoured me, for a berth on the Staff meant -interesting work, extra pay and comfortable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span> quarters; in fact, -a return to partial civilisation. The change carried with it one -drawback, however, which made me hesitate as to whether it would not -be better for me to propose another man in my place, for I knew that -promotion was very slow on the Brigade, the number of "non-coms" there -being limited to three, and I was already somewhat disappointed at not -receiving my "stripes" at the same time as my friend Lipthay; though -this had been owing to the fact that several corporals had been sent -out to the corps with the last batch of troops from Algeria, so that -the vacancies had been few, and only the best had been chosen.</p> - -<p>Next morning I was called up to the <i>rapport</i>, and after Captain Watrin -had informed me of the order received from our Major, I told him of -my fears; but he would not listen to them at length, and informed me -that I must go: that he was proud that a man from his company had been -chosen, and that I might congratulate myself on my good luck.</p> - -<p>"Why, <i>mon garçon</i>," he said, "you have only to do your work well -and keep sober—and you will do that, I know, for the honour of the -company<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span>—and promotion will come in good time. In two years you will -probably be a sergeant; and then, if you so choose, you will be able to -go to St Maixent (the military school for sergeants who wish to become -officers), and get a commission. Now go to the sergeant-major and get -your <i>feuille de route</i>, for you will leave with the convoy to Bo-Ha -to-morrow morning." Then, offering me his hand, this excellent man and -true gentleman said: "Now, good luck to you; and be careful to remember -always that you belong to the Legion, and that the honour of the corps -is yours also."</p> - -<p>After packing my kit and getting my papers from the sergeant-major, -who chaffed me good-naturedly by saying that now that I was going -to be on intimate terms with a general, he hoped I would not put on -too much "side," I went round the company to say good-bye. Later I -slipped away to Tho's hut in the native village, and told him of my -coming departure. The little man was evidently chagrined at the news; -nevertheless, he congratulated me most heartily, and made me promise to -write to him, saying, with evident pride, that he was now able to read -a little French,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span> so that, with the aid of one of the native clerks in -the Commissariat Department, he would be able to decipher my letters.</p> - -<p>We had a grand dinner that evening in the little telegraph station, -a tin of salmon and several bottles of beer having been purchased to -swell the <i>menu</i> provided by our usual rations.</p> - -<p>My friends drank to my success, and I to their health and speedy return -to France; and it was late in the night before I retired to rest for -the last time in the fort which had, with few intervals, been my home -for the past fifteen months.</p> - -<p>Several of my comrades were present to bid me "Godspeed" when, early -the next morning, I filed out with the convoy through the gates of our -position.</p> - -<p>Together with several sick men, both Legionaries and <i>tirailleurs</i>, -who were going down to the hospital, I left Bo-Ha that evening. We -descended the river in <i>sampans</i>, and reached Phulang-Thuong next -morning.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 26th July I left for Bac-Ninh with the weekly -convoy to Hanoï which carried the mails. We passed through Dap-Cau at -noon, and arrived at our destination at 2 <span class="smcap">p.m.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span></span> The country we -traversed was a big cultivated plain, dotted with villages, with here -and there occasional small groups of low hills.</p> - -<p>At Bac-Ninh there is a small citadel, built, no doubt, towards the -end of the eighteenth century by one of the engineers lent by Louis -XVI. to his ally, the Emperor of Annam. It is hexagonal in shape, and -constructed according to the principles of Vauban. Each of its sides -has a frontage of about 1000 yards, and is furnished with numerous -flanking bastions and demi-lunes. There was a company of marines, a -battalion of the 3rd Regiment of <i>Tirailleurs Tonkinois</i>, and about -a thousand militia in garrison there. Inside the citadel were the -houses of the General Commanding the 2nd Brigade, the Resident of the -province, the officers' quarters, the barracks of the troops, the Staff -offices, and the lodgings of the soldier-secretary.</p> - -<p>On my arrival I reported to the Brigade Major, Captain Michaud, who -sent me on with an orderly to the Intelligence Department, where I was -to be employed.</p> - -<p>The chief of this office, Lieutenant Cassier, received me very kindly; -and, after telling one of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span> the secretaries, a marine, to go and show me -where our lodgings were situated, he informed me that I might rest that -afternoon, and come to work the next morning.</p> - -<p>I found that I was quartered, together with the other scribes—five -privates and two corporals—in a one-roomed brick building with a -verandah in front, which was situated at the end of the General's -garden, and looked out into the parade ground of the native infantry. -On the other side of this open space, about 300 yards away, were the -buildings occupied by the French marines.</p> - -<p>I washed, disposed my kit above the cot which I noted was of the -comfortable pattern in use in Algeria, and went for a stroll into the -town, about a couple of hundred yards outside the fortifications, for I -desired to reconnoitre the surroundings before dinner, which I had been -informed was at 6 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span></p> - -<p>The little town of Bac-Ninh is situated on the old mandarin road from -Hanoï (the capital of Tonquin) to Lang-son and the Chinese frontier, -about 18 miles from the metropolis. It contains a population of eight -thousand natives, is the capital of the province of the same name, and -has a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span> cathedral, seat of the Spanish bishopric of eastern Tonquin. -Though it is not a manufacturing centre of any importance, its only -local production being silk embroidery work—for which, however, it is -famous—it is considered as one of the principal commercial towns of -the colony, because its markets are a medium of barter or exchange for -objects imported from the surrounding provinces and also from China, -through the frontier towns of Lang-son and Cao-Bang. I wandered through -the narrow streets for an hour or so, and was delighted with the life -and bustle of the little town. It was market day, and the busy throngs -jostled one another as they passed to and fro. The natives are noisy -individuals, and their shrill cries as they hawked their wares or -wrangled over the price of some article for household use—a basket -of rice, yams, or some other comestible—were perfectly bewildering -at first to me; for I had become so used to the silence of the empty -plains and the jungle-covered hills, that even the tiny stir of this -overgrown village produced an impression akin to what an inhabitant of -Exmoor might feel were he suddenly transported to the busiest centre of -London.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span></p> - -<p>I got back in good time to the citadel, for I was anxious not to commit -so serious a breach of etiquette as to make my new comrades await -dinner for me.</p> - -<p>I received a hearty welcome from them all, though only one of them, -a lance-corporal, who was working in the general office, belonged to -the Legion: he came from the 2nd Regiment. We sat down to our meal in -a small building close to the offices of the Brigade; and the fare, -which was better than I had been used to at Nha-Nam, and the unexpected -luxuries of china plates, real glasses, a table covered with white -oil-cloth and a punkah, were more than sufficient to reconcile me to -my new surroundings. Owing to the extra pay we drew—about one and -sixpence a day—it was not only possible to keep up a good mess, but, -besides the cook, we were able to maintain a boy, at four <i>piastres</i> a -month—about eight shillings—and this faithful servitor swept out our -quarters, made the beds, cleaned our boots, pipe-clayed our helmets, -and performed a hundred and one other services, which I had become -so used to doing for myself that it was several days before<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span> I could -become accustomed to leave the work to him, much to the amusement of -the other secretaries.</p> - -<p>The morning after my arrival I rose and dressed at 5.30 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span>, -as I had been used to do in my company; but I got roundly sworn at -by the other occupants of the room for awakening them by my noisy -ablutions. The fault lay with them, however, for they had neglected to -inform me that the office opened at eight, though it was several weeks -before I could accustom myself to lie abed till seven each morning.</p> - -<p>I found that my task consisted partly in aiding in the drawing up of -a new map of the Yen-Thé, and partly in clerical and intelligence -work. This last part was the most interesting, for I had to write down -the reports of the different spies attached to the Brigade, and the -depositions of the captured brigands when they were interrogated by the -lieutenant in charge of our office. Besides this, I had to pass an hour -each morning with the Brigade Major, as it was my duty to register all -the correspondence received, the letters and reports being handed over -to me for that purpose by Captain Michaud,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span> as soon as he had perused -them. By this means I became acquainted with everything of interest -that was going on in the colony, so far as rebellion, brigandage and -military operations were concerned; and I had not been long on the -staff before I realised that the little warfare in which my company -had taken a part in the Yen-Thé was but a chapter in the history of a -struggle that was still going on all over the country, outside of the -Delta provinces, between the French on one hand and the Tonquinese -rebels and Chinese bands on the other. Columns were marching, or -being organised, against such chiefs as Luu-Ky, whose powerful gangs -of well-armed plunderers overran the provinces of Quang-Yen, Lam and -Lang-son; the veteran banditti of the quasi-feudal lords, Ba-Ky and -Luong-Tam-Ky, in the districts of Cao-Bang and Ha-Giang, on the higher -reaches of the Red River, and the frontiers of Yunan, Kwang-si and -Kwang-tung; and skirmishes were reported daily by the officers who -commanded the numerous forts and blockhouses, whose garrisons were -continually coming in touch with the bands infesting the mountainous -regions of the colony.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">General Voyron—Organisation of the Brigade—Piracy on the Lang-son -railway—Politics and pacification—Topography and a tiger hunt—Among -the Staff records—Colonel Gallieni—General Pernot—Hanoï—General -Coronnat—Death of a friend—Adieu to the army.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>Time dealt gently with the able officer who was in command of the 2nd -Brigade at Bac-Ninh in 1892; for this General, when at the head of -the French corps, serving ten years later with the allied army under -Marschall Waldersee in China, was still the same thick-set, active -soldier, whose rugged features bespoke the energy and determination -of the man, and whose eyes held the genial light which did not belie -the kindly nature of the soul within. Throughout the whole of his long -career this officer was associated with France's colonial army. As a -young officer he was severely wounded at the defence of Bazeille in -1870. He served afterwards under Faidherbe<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span> in the Soudan and Senegal, -and with Brière de l'Isle in Tonquin.</p> - -<p>The man-in-the-ranks of all armies is never at a loss to find an -appropriate nickname for a superior who appeals to his regard or -dislike, and this General had not been long in command before he became -known to the men, in the French and foreign battalions alike, as "Papa -Voyron." It would, indeed, have been difficult to find another cognomen -conveying with equal truthfulness the just, firm and fatherly manner in -which he treated the troops under his orders.</p> - -<p>It is a pleasure to do justice to the high military capabilities and -admirable characteristics of this popular French officer; but it -must nevertheless be stated that the speech made by General Voyron -at Marseilles, on his return from Pekin in 1902, containing as it -did several adverse and unmerited criticisms on the discipline and -courage of our Indian troops, was a source of some surprise to me. -However, when one takes into consideration that of late years politics -have unfortunately occupied a predominant place in the minds of -France's most capable military men, and also that public feeling was -unfavour<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span>able to England at the time this speech was made, it may be -assumed that these aspersions, which tally badly with the character of -the gallant officer, were but the result of a passing wave of popular -sentiment, to the effects of which the Gallic temperament is always so -susceptible.</p> - -<p>The Commandant of the Brigade, like many others of his profession, -possessed a hobby, as far removed from <i>le métier des armes</i> as the -not infrequent desire fostered by many old merchant skippers for -keeping a poultry-farm is from the art of navigation. This hobby was -horticulture. It should be mentioned that during the cooler months of -each year in Tonquin—October to April—all the edible green stuffs of -the temperate zones can be grown with success; though to obtain really -good results fresh seed must be procured annually from Europe. General -Voyron made it his special care that all the stations in the interior -where white troops were garrisoned should possess a kitchen-garden. -Thanks to this wise measure the men, to the benefit alike of their -health and palate, were, and are still, supplied during six months -out of twelve with abundant quantities of fresh<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span> vegetables; and the -quality of the crops obtained from the trim, well-kept gardens is a -cause of emulation in each of these small garrisons.</p> - -<p>Whenever the General inspected the different forts situated in the -regions under his care, he never failed to look round these gardens; -and, when they showed proof that care had been bestowed upon them, he -was lavish in his expressions of satisfaction; but there would be a -<i>mauvais moment à passer</i> for the unfortunate officer who had neglected -or ignored the Brigadier's circulars containing recommendations -concerning the necessity of ensuring a liberal supply of vegetables for -the men.</p> - -<p>The internal organisation of the Brigade Staff was very simple. There -were three departments, the first being the general office, the staff -of which was charged with the elucidation of all questions relating to -administration, promotion and discipline in the corps belonging to the -Brigade, the printing and despatching of general orders and circulars, -and the drawing up of the monthly reports concerning the available -effectives, the existing stocks of arms and ammunition, and the general -health of the troops.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Intelligence Department was the second section, and the duties of -its chief were both numerous and delicate, some of the most important -being the control of the surveying and topographical bureau, the -interrogation of spies or prisoners, and administration of the Secret -Service funds, the translation of code telegrams, the classification -of the documents relative to the active operations of the Brigade, and -the editing of the monthly confidential reports concerning the existing -bands of rebels and brigands, which gave detailed information as to -their organisation, approximate strength, armament and zones of action.</p> - -<p>The third department was the office of the Brigade Major, through which -all completed work passed for inspection and annotation before being -transmitted to the General for signature, and from which the first two -sections received instructions.</p> - -<p>The Chief of the Staff, who was at the head of this office, was also -charged with the transmission of the General's decisions, relative to -punishments or censure inflicted on officers under his orders; and -to his care were entrusted the confidential notes concerning each of -these<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span> subordinates. These notes consisted of information concerning -the past services, punishments, special aptitudes or failings, as the -case might be, of each officer in the Brigade, and were contained in -a little parchment-covered book known as the <i>livret individuel</i>, on -the outside of which was written the name of the person it concerned. -One such book is made out for every sub-lieutenant as soon as he -passes out of St Cyr and obtains his commission, and this little -tell-tale record follows him from corps to corps during the whole of -his career. It will be easily understood that it is considered a matter -of extreme importance that no officer should ever become acquainted -with the contents of his <i>livret individuel</i>, and to this effect the -only persons who are allowed to handle them are the commandant of his -regiment, who notes therein every six months his appreciations of his -subordinate's military capabilities and moral conduct, the Chief of the -Brigade Staff and the General.</p> - -<p>The Secretaries on the Brigade took turns on night duty, for it was -necessary that a man should be at the office from 6 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span> to -6 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> to receive the telegrams when they arrived, and,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span> in -event of their being of urgent importance, to send them on to the Chief -of the Staff. We were so busy in the Intelligence Department that in -the first week in September the Major decided to get another man, so -as to relieve me and aid in the topographical work. To my delight -Lipthay was chosen for the post, so that a few days later I was able -to welcome my old chum into his new quarters. This increase in work -was due to the state of affairs on the railway then in construction -from Phulang-Thuong to Lang-son, for the region was overrun by bands of -Chinese brigands, under the orders of the famous Luu-Ky, who attacked -the working parties, and carried away into captivity several of the -French engineers and contractors. Encouraged by their success, the -robbers ambuscaded several of the convoys going by road to Lang-son, -and, after slaying the majority of the escort, carried off important -quantities of treasure, several cases of Lebel rifles and a good deal -of ammunition. In one of these engagements a major of the <i>Infanterie -de Marine</i>, Commandant Bonneau, was shot dead. So great was the -mobility of these bands,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span> and such excellent cover was offered by the -mountainous country on either side of the road, that all attempts -to engage and scatter them, made by the little parties of troops -garrisoned in the different forts, proved of no avail; and it soon -became evident that it would require a strong and well-organised column -to secure any favourable results, to ensure the security of the route, -and to allow of the work upon the railway being continued. In August -General Reste, the Commander-in-Chief at Hanoï, made an urgent appeal -to the Governor-General for permission to undertake operations against -Luu-Ky, on a scale to ensure success; but M. de Lanessan refused -to countenance any such movement, and declared that the military -authorities ought to be able to crush the bands with the forces already -at their disposal, in garrison along the Lang-son route. There is -little doubt that the Governor in making this reply was influenced by -political motives. The recent successful operations in the Yen-Thé had -been utilised to further his political aspirations in France, and the -metropolitan press had repeatedly announced, with a great flourish -of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span> trumpets, that rebellion and brigandage were now dead in Tonquin. -Indeed, in one of his reports to the Colonial Minister, M. de Lanessan -had declared that, owing to the success of his administration, the -pacification of the colony was now an assured fact, and it was possible -to wander over the country with no other protection than a stout -walking-stick. The absurdity of such statements was clear in Tonquin, -but they found favour with the public in France, where people were only -too willing to believe that an era of peace and plenty was at last to -open in their Far Eastern possessions, with a consequent cessation -of the enormous sacrifices of men and money that had accompanied the -past ten years. The Governor, because of this advertisement, was -declared to be the first of France's Viceroys capable of grappling -with the situation; and as it was his firm intention to again contest, -in the near future, the seat in the Chamber which he had resigned -on accepting the high position he was now filling, he can hardly be -blamed, in a country where men take up politics as a business, for -fostering interests which would assure him a considerable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span> number of -votes when the time came. That this state of affairs was detrimental to -the progress of the colony is certain, but political influence, party -hatred and electioneering jobbery have had much to do with retarding -the development of Indo-China, since its administration was placed in -the hands of a civilian governor and staff in 1886.</p> - -<p>It is, however, possible that the Governor made these declarations -in good faith, for he had hardly been a year in the country, and was -obliged to rely for advice on the Residents and Vice-Residents; and -these civilians, hating the military element, were only too eager -to throw doubts on the exactitude of the information contained in -the reports coming in from the military territories, and they openly -declared that the officers of the colonial army were intentionally -exaggerating the gravity of the situation in the hope of provoking -operations likely to bring them promotion and decorations. The -contradictory advice of his civilian staff was possibly one of the -causes which led the Governor to pooh-pooh the importance of this new -upheaval, declaring<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span> that the Generals were alarmists, and that the -well-armed and organised bands of Luu-Ky were "<i>que des voleurs de -vaches pour venir au bout desquels il suffirait de quelques gendarmes</i>" -("only cattle-stealers with whom a few policemen could deal"). These -declarations provoked the anger and disgust of every officer and man -in the colony, and very soon a veritable hatred reigned between the -civil and military elements. The different newspapers sided with the -parties appealing most to their sentiments or their pockets; for it was -an open secret that some of these journals were subventioned by the -Government, and a wordy warfare wherein neither insults nor invective -were spared, was the order of the day. Doubtless there were faults on -both sides; and it is certain that the Commander-in-Chief committed -an unpardonable error by issuing general orders to the troops, to be -read at parades and posted up in the barracks, in which the civilian -authorities were belittled and reproached with having insulted the -army. This necessarily added fuel to the fire; and the situation became -so strained that officers and civilians came to fisticuffs in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span> -streets of the capital, and several serious duels took place.</p> - -<p>Things were, however, brought to a climax towards the end of August -by the abduction of three Frenchmen on the railway-line, one of whom, -M. Vezin, was the principal engineer representing the big contracting -firm, Fives-Lille & Co. The consternation in high quarters when this -news was received was considerable, for there existed no possible -chance of keeping such thrilling information out of the newspapers in -Paris.</p> - -<p>As soon as the <i>coup</i> had been successfully carried through, Luu-Ky -retired into the security of his lair in the mountains of the Bao-Day -range, and from here he sent out messengers to the nearest military -station, announcing that he would release the prisoners on the receipt -of a sum of $100,000 in silver; but he also declared that, in event -of the troops approaching his encampment he would have the captives -executed immediately. The excitement throughout the colony was intense, -and party rancour was forgotten in the general anxiety felt for the -three unfortunate prisoners,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span> as the cruelty of the Chinese bandits -was well known to all. After three weeks of negotiation a slight -reduction in the ransom was obtained, and the three gentlemen were -released, after having suffered indignity and torture at the hands of -their captors, with the result that their constitutions were wrecked by -privation and exposure.</p> - -<p>The Governor still refused, however, to authorise effective operations -against the robbers; and it was not until several military convoys -had been captured, and a good many officers and men slain, that M. de -Lanessan finally agreed that the bandits were worthy of more serious -attention than they had previously received. When the column actually -commenced operations its work was considerably facilitated by the death -of the famous chief Luu-Ky, from the effects of a wound received during -the attack made on the convoy when Major Bonneau was killed; but, owing -to the rugged nature of the country in which the operations took place, -it was fully six weeks before the brigands were defeated and scattered. -A good many of the bandits escaped into Kwang-si,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span> and others fled to -the mountainous regions in the north.</p> - -<p>The telegrams and reports, coming in from the column, were of great -interest to me, as my company was taking part in the <i>battue</i>. I -happened to be on night duty one evening towards the end of September, -when a wire was received stating that a detachment of my comrades had -been caught in an ambuscade, among the rocky defiles of the Kai-Kinh, -at a point not far from Cho-Trang, my former garrison. This despatch -mentioned that Captain Watrin, our commander, was among the slain. Both -Lipthay and myself were shocked at this news. We experienced, however, -a certain relief on hearing next day that the body of our chief had not -fallen into the hands of the enemy, though seven of the men were hit -while carrying the corpse out of a narrow defile to a place of safety.</p> - -<p>Several months later I met a man who had assisted at this engagement, -and he informed me that the Legionaries went raving mad when they -learned that this popular officer was killed, and, after rushing the -position—to gain which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</a></span> they had to pass, one at a time, down a sort -of narrow funnel, 50 feet long, swept by the enemy's fire—they slew -every Chinaman found behind the improvised ramparts. Our losses were -very heavy, owing to the strength of the position, but the men would -not be denied, and took a terrible revenge for the death of their -Captain. In October the rebel chief began to give trouble again. -He made overtures for peace, and, profiting by the confidence thus -inspired, and the absence of the majority of the troops from the -region, he left his retreat in the forest, and captured and occupied -a strongly-fortified village called Ban-Cuc, about 10 miles south -of Nha-Nam. He established his headquarters there, and ravaged the -surrounding district, until, a fortnight later, he was driven from -his fastness by a column under Major Barr, and again escaped to the -mountains with the majority of his men.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the hard work we were having on the Brigade, time -passed agreeably at Bac-Ninh, for there was plenty to see in the town -when we were off duty—that is, for any one interested in studying -the native<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span> industries and customs. Besides, to relieve the monotony -of garrison life, the General had encouraged the French troops to -organise a theatrical <i>troupe</i>, which gave some very amusing concerts -and dramatic performances in a temporary theatre in the barracks, the -Commandant of the Brigade and his staff never failing to attend. In -October General Reste was recalled to France, and General Duchemin took -over the supreme command of the troops in the colony, after which the -animosity between the civilians and military subsided.</p> - -<p>At this time I was often left in charge of the Intelligence Department, -for Lieutenant Cassier and Lipthay were away three days in each week, -making a new survey of the surrounding country. During one of these -outings they were approached by the headman of a village, who begged -them to come and slay a man-eating tiger that had established his -headquarters in a cluster of trees inside the hamlet itself. The -beast had been there three days already, and each morning had seized -upon and devoured one of the unfortunate inhabitants, so that the -remainder<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span> were afraid to leave their houses. The natives declared -that they had employed every available means of driving the fierce -brute away, but the beating of drums and gongs, the throwing of lances -and lighted torches into the scrub, had only served to enrage their -uninvited guest, and that very morning one of the villagers who had -approached too near to the thicket, had been slain before the eyes of -his comrades. The officer and my friend, taking with them their escort, -consisting of ten native soldiers and a corporal, proceeded at once -to the scene of the tragedy. The <i>tirailleurs</i>, instructed to shout -and keep on firing off their rifles in the air from time to time, were -told to advance upon the little clump of trees from three sides at -once, while the lieutenant and Lipthay waited on the other. By these -means they succeeded in driving the tiger out into the open, and he -was despatched with a couple of well-aimed shots. I saw the beast when -brought into Bac-Ninh; he was a fine specimen of his kind, measuring 9 -feet 7 inches from the tip of the tail to the muzzle.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span></p> - -<p>At this period of my service I was promoted to the post of -<i>archiviste</i>, and thus was placed in charge of all the records of the -Brigade. I should mention that at this time they were in a serious -state of disorder, owing to the negligence of the secretary who had -preceded me in this work; so that I was obliged to set to and sort the -whole of them. It was somewhat weary work at first, wading through -this mass of paper: the greater part consisting of musty, dust-covered -<i>dossiers</i>, dating back, some of them, to the conquest of the country -by the French. But there were documents of immense interest among this -medley of yellow, evil-smelling and worm-eaten despatches; and the -reconstruction, with the aid of all the original reports of the famous -march of General de Négrier to Lang-son and the frontier of China, the -subsequent retreat to Kep, and the enquiry prior to the court-martial -held on the unfortunate Colonel Herbinger, who took over the command -of the troops after the General was wounded at Ky-Lua, was a source of -pure joy to me for several days.</p> - -<p>In December General Voyron left Tonquin<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</a></span> for France, and Colonel -Gallieni, later a General and Governor of Madagascar, came down from -Lang-son, where he was in command of the 1st Military Territory, and -took over the service <i>par interim</i>. The Governor-General, who had -already done away with the brigade at Son-Tay, thinking, no doubt, -that this was a magnificent occasion to weaken still further the hand -of the military party in the colony, decided to dispense with another -brigadier, so he issued a decree abolishing the command at Bac-Ninh. -Probably the fact that the announcement of this step would be hailed in -France as another proof of the supposed pacification of the country was -an inducement to the taking of this measure.</p> - -<p>It is doubtful, from a military standpoint, if the change was a wise -one; for, though it saved the colony about £4,800 a year—the salary -of two generals—it was hardly possible for the Commander-in-Chief in -Hanoï to deal directly with the commandants of the different regiments, -military territories and garrisons in the Delta, who were scattered all -over so vast a country. Indeed, the insufficiency of the new system was -so evident that the authorities<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</a></span> eventually returned to the original -arrangement; and to-day, though the country is almost completely -pacified, there exist two brigades in Tonquin and one in Cochin-China.</p> - -<p>However, though M. de Lanessan planned this important change in the -colony, the Colonial Ministry in Paris did not look at affairs in the -same light. As soon as they learned that General Voyron was leaving, -they sent out General Pernot to replace him, and the latter arrived in -Indo-China to find that the post he had come out to fill, no longer -existed.</p> - -<p>M. de Lanessan would have liked to send the General back to France—and -indeed he proposed to do so—but the authorities in Paris, probably -because they had no post for the officer at home, insisted that he -should remain. Thus the brigade was resuscitated for his benefit, -and its secretaries, already on their way to rejoin their respective -regiments, were recalled to Bac-Ninh. I had been in Phulang-Thuong -four days, and was awaiting a convoy for Nha-Nam, when the order -arrived for my return, and its arrival caused me no little surprise and -speculation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</a></span></p> - -<p>Two days later I was back in my old place, my absence having lasted -about a week, and the following morning General Pernot came up from -Hanoï with his staff.</p> - -<p>He was a short, fat, red-faced man with a very loud, disagreeable -voice, and a temper that was worse; and his reputation with the men -of being a crusty martinet was not altogether unjustified. The day -following his arrival he came to the office and passed a review of the -secretaries. On learning that I was in charge of the records, he came -over to where I was standing at "attention," and asked:</p> - -<p>"You are naturalised, I suppose?"</p> - -<p>"No, <i>mon Général</i>," I answered.</p> - -<p>"What! not naturalised yet! You have the intention of becoming so, of -course?"</p> - -<p>"No, <i>mon Général</i>," I replied.</p> - -<p>He glared up at me with an angry stare, and his face took a dull-red -colour. I thought he was going to burst.</p> - -<p>"Oh, indeed!" he blurted out at last. "You <i>must</i> put in an application -to become a French citizen, or go back to your battalion. I will have -no foreigners in a post of confidence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</a></span> on <i>my</i> staff. <i>Grand Dieu!</i> -what have they been doing to allow such a thing? It is shameful! <i>Nom -de nom!</i>"</p> - -<p>He almost shouted the last words, so great was his indignation, and -from the expression he put into them one might have been justified -in imagining that the Republic was in danger owing to my presence -there. I did not become naturalised, and I heard nothing more about -the question; and in justice to this cantankerous officer, I must -acknowledge that, during the fifteen months he commanded the Brigade, -he treated me with consideration on the rare occasions that I had -any direct business to transact with him. He had risen from the -ranks—indeed, I was told that he began his career as a sailor on a -man-of-war—and it is therefore probable that his modest origin and the -hard times he experienced at his <i>début</i> accounted for his rough and -rude manners.</p> - -<p>Our new Brigade Major, Captain Bataille, was a quiet and reserved -gentleman, who studied hard at his profession and was a most capable -officer, having already brilliantly distinguished himself in the field, -for which he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</a></span> been decorated with the cross of the Legion of Honour.</p> - -<p>We had now no Intelligence Department; and all questions formerly dealt -with by this branch, together with those relating to active operations -by the troops, were treated by the Headquarters Staff at Hanoï.</p> - -<p>The Governor had not succeeded in doing away with the Brigade, but he -had taken his revenge by reducing its importance to a minimum, and the -<i>rôle</i> of its chief now consisted almost entirely in looking after -the details of administration and discipline of the regiments under -his orders, and in conducting the annual inspection of the troops in -French Indo-China. In January, 1893, we received orders to transfer our -offices to Hanoï, and we had rather a lively time of it for several -days packing up the records and stowing them away, together with all -the portable furniture, into a long string of commissariat mule-carts. -Our march to Hanoï was not a fatiguing one, for the distance is not -great—about 20 miles—and the road is probably the best in Tonquin.</p> - -<p>Owing to the numerous carts we were escort<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</a></span>ing our progress was not -as rapid as it might have been, and it was late in the evening when -we reached a point on the left bank of the Red River, just opposite -the capital. The country we had traversed during the day was perfectly -flat and covered with paddy fields, and I do not think we saw the -smallest patch that was not cultivated. The weather was bitterly cold, -the mercury having descended almost to freezing point (the winter of -'92-'93 was a record one in the colony), and thrice along the route we -came upon the bodies of natives who had died from exposure. Our convoy -was transported over the stream—nearly a mile wide at this point—by -a steam ferry. The accommodation on this ferry was so restricted that -only two carts could be taken at a time, so that it was quite dark when -we reached the citadel, situated some distance from the landing-stage.</p> - -<p>Our new offices were inside the fortress—a fine place, constructed on -the same plan as that of Bac-Ninh, the difference between the two being -that the superficial area of the first was twice that of the second. -These fortifications, first<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</a></span> captured by the French in 1872, no longer -exist, and on the former site of their ramparts and ditches can now be -seen one of the finest quarters of the European town.</p> - -<p>Hanoï, the capital of Tonquin, was important and imposing when I first -saw it in 1893; and to-day, thanks to the enterprise and good taste -of its municipal council, it is certainly one of the finest cities in -the Far East. Its rapid development and flourishing condition leads -one to reflect on what the colony itself might be were its destinies -placed, like those of the metropolis, in the hands of a representative -chamber of colonists elected by their fellow-citizens, instead of being -entrusted to an army of political functionaries. The city was founded -in 865 <span class="smcap">A.D.</span> by the Emperor Cao-bien, and its original name -was Dai-la-Thanh. A succeeding monarch, Thay-Son, constructed a palace -there in 1028. Hanoï is admirably situated for commercial purposes, -being at the extreme northern limit of the Delta provinces, at a point -on the river, 82 miles from Haïphong, where communication with lower -Tonquin, by means of the numerous estuaries and canals, is easy and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</a></span> -rapid. The same may be said with regard to upper Tonquin and Yunan, -which can be reached by the Song-Koï itself. The Dutch merchants -established factories or trading posts here, and at Hung-Yen, Nam-Dinh -and Haïphong, towards the end of the sixteenth century.</p> - -<p>Hanoï has the form of an isosceles triangle, the base of which -extends along the river bank for about 2 miles. The inhabitants of -the capital owe a good deal to M. de Lanessan, who was the first to -suggest the demolition of the immense and useless citadel, which, -owing to its situation, retarded the growth of the city northwards. -The native quarter of the town is extremely picturesque, and the neat -whitewashed houses, not two of which are alike in size or height, with -their quaintly-curved, red-tiled roofs, and step-like cornices, the -numerous pagodas ornamented with dragons, griffins and genii, produce -a vista of pleasant aspect and great interest to the European. There -are hundreds of small shops, wherein the natives squat on a piece of -matting, surrounded by their wares. Workmen of a like craft, merchants -in similar lines of business, flock<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[Pg 365]</a></span> together and live in the same -quarter, so that the majority of the streets in the Annamese portion -of the town are named after the objects made or for sale there. -Thus it is that one sees at the corners of the thoroughfares such -indications as "Bamboo Matting Street," "Hat Street," "Fan Street," -"Copper Street," etc., etc. The main arteries of this quarter present -a crowded appearance, and traffic is continual, but, contrary to the -usual state of affairs in most Oriental cities, the streets are clean -and odourless, a fact which can be attributed to an excellent system of -police supervision.</p> - -<p>The <i>riksha</i> is the favourite means of transportation, although an -admirable system of electric tramways has now been started. The native -inhabitants of the town dress somewhat more carefully than their -fellow-countrymen in the villages; that is to say, the merchants and -shopkeepers do so. They all wear the big hat made of palm leaves; and -the wealthier classes embellish its appearance by applying a light -brown varnish to its exterior and surmounting its crest with a cap of -silver scroll-work and a small spike of the same metal.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[Pg 366]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Asiatic population of Hanoï is very dense, and in 1902 consisted of -100,000 Annamese and 3,500 Celestials. According to the returns, there -were 6,110 native houses in the city, covering a total area of about -165 acres.</p> - -<p>The French may well be proud of the European quarter of the capital of -Tonquin, for its fine, well-laid-out boulevards and streets, handsome -public buildings, big shops, comfortable hotels and well-appointed -<i>cafés</i> would do honour to the <i>prèfecture</i> towns of Southern -France, such as Arles, Avignon, or Montpelier. Though the principal -thoroughfares of the town do not present the busy appearance of our -Eastern commercial centres, such as Singapore or Hong-Kong, and one -does not meet the hurrying throngs that give to these two cities the -characteristics of Anglo-Saxon activity, yet the prospect of the -Rue Paul Bert, the principal street at Hanoï, at the hour of the -<i>aperitif</i>, is extremely pleasing, and reminds one of the Parisian -boulevards. In front of the more important <i>cafés</i> the pavement is -occupied by the numerous round marble-topped tables so dear to the -boulevardier. After five o'clock every<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[Pg 367]</a></span> evening these terraces are -crowded with <i>habitués</i> who, while sipping their iced <i>absinthe</i>, -<i>vermouth</i> or <i>bitter</i>, sit enjoying the cool breeze, exchanging -the tittle-tattle of the town, discussing the latest departmental -or social scandal, or watching the passing carriages—smart little -victorias or dog-carts drawn by diminutive, well-groomed ponies, and -provided with yellow-skinned coachmen and "tigers," glorious in their -neat liveries and top-boots. At this hour the ladies of the colony, -whose means permit of this luxury, drive through the town, out to the -fine botanical and zoological gardens, and alight at the <i>Kiosque</i>, -to enjoy a stroll in the fresh of the evening, and to listen to the -band or partake of a cup of tea or an iced <i>sorbet</i>. The male sex is -also <i>en evidence</i> at these gatherings and promenades; consequently -the <i>toilettes</i> are brilliant and of the latest fashion, and, with -a slight flight of fancy, one might imagine oneself back at the -<i>Cascade</i> or the <i>Pré Catalan</i> in the Bois de Boulogne. In 1893, as -it is to-day, the palace of the Governor-General, the residence of -the Commander-in-Chief, and the offices of the Headquarter Staff are -situated in a portion of the town known as the Concession<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">[Pg 368]</a></span>—a strip -of ground fronting the river, about 1 mile long by 700 yards broad. -This small territory was conceded to the French in 1882 by the Emperor -of Annam, and, together with the Concession at Haïphong, which was -occupied a few years previously, it may be said to represent the first -foothold of France in Tonquin.</p> - -<p>The public buildings in the Concession are well built, and are -surrounded by fine gardens. The town is provided with a splendid system -of surface drainage; it is lighted throughout with electricity, and -possesses an adequate water supply, which, however, is the cause of -some complaint, owing to the fact that the water is pumped from wells -situated in the native quarter of the town and close to the river, -from which, it is more than probable, there exists a considerable -infiltration.</p> - -<p>In the centre of the European quarter of Hanoï there is a lake. The -borders of this are covered with trees and shrubs and laid out with -paths framed in verdure, so that the effect of the whole is charming. -There are two small islands on the lake, and on each of these is a -small pagoda. On the largest island, which can<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369">[Pg 369]</a></span> be reached by a fine -native bridge, about 30 yards long, built of ironwood, is a beautiful, -though small, specimen of a native temple, known as the pagoda of the -isle of Jade, and for the last five hundred years it has been the -<i>rendezvous</i> for the <i>literati</i> of the capital. The zoological and -botanical garden, to which reference has already been made, is situated -in the extreme north-west corner of the city. It is splendidly laid -out, and covers several acres of ground. It is here that the "Society" -of Hanoï comes to drive or promenade of an evening before dinner; and -its fine avenues, flower-beds, groves and lawns compare favourably with -the Cinnamon Gardens in Colombo, or the waterfall at Penang. The roads -throughout the town are wide and well built, and in this respect, as in -the laying out of the streets, and the style of architecture adapted -for the government buildings or for private residences, the French are -by far our superiors. This is due partly to the naturally artistic -taste they possess, and also to the wise regulations adopted by the -Public Works Department in the colony, with regard to the construction -of new buildings,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_370" id="Page_370">[Pg 370]</a></span> all plans having to be approved by the Department -before a permit to commence building is granted.</p> - -<p>In July, 1892, when I had arrived in Bac-Ninh, it seemed, after my -protracted stay in the wild regions of the upper Yen-Thé, that at last -I had returned to a large town, and the sight of a few scores of brick -buildings was, for the first few days, quite a novelty; but when, six -months later, I found myself in the capital of Tonquin, it was like -getting back to a big European city, and, though we sometimes regretted -the charms of our former adventurous existence, both Lipthay and myself -soon began to find a new pleasure in the renewed acquaintance with the -comforts and distractions of civilisation. We were not as free as we -had been at Bac-Ninh, as we were lodged in a room set apart for us, -in the barracks of the 9th Regiment of <i>Infanterie de Marine</i>, and -were for a few days the pet grievance of the "non-coms" of that corps, -who put us on fatigue duty and made us take part in the inspections. -This, however, was soon stopped by the Chief of the Staff, and we -were allowed to continue the even<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">[Pg 371]</a></span> tenour of our way. There is always -a certain amount of jealousy felt for the scribes of the army, and -the French sergeants were probably indignant at the thought that we -were drawing as much pay as they were, that we were allowed out every -night till 10 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span>, and also because we took our meals at the -canteen, in a room specially reserved for us. The latter arrangement -was adopted to avoid indiscretions, for a few of us were continually -and unavoidably in possession of facts it was of absolute importance -the majority of the troops should not learn.</p> - -<p>For the next twelve months we continued our somewhat uneventful life as -staff secretaries within the ancient precincts of the Annamese citadel, -the only break in the monotony of our career being my promotion to the -grade of corporal, which occurred in November. I had waited a long time -for my stripes, and should have had them sooner had I remained with -my corps; but till then there had been no vacancy on the staff for a -"non-com," so I had nothing to complain of. In February our offices -were again moved, this time to the Concession, in a building close to -the Headquarters Staff, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">[Pg 372]</a></span> we were lodged with the secretaries of -that organisation. Since I had come to Hanoï my health had considerably -improved; and very soon after my arrival I was no longer troubled with -the attacks of malaria, which formerly, at almost regular intervals, -used to lay me up for a day, and sometimes more. The change of air was, -I suppose, chiefly responsible for the amelioration, and the better -food and more comfortable quarters probably helped to mend matters. -Life in the capital was very agreeable, though during the summer -months the heat was terrible. This is due to the fact that, because of -the low situation of the city, the south-west monsoon is little felt -there. The French colonials I happened to come in contact with were -extremely kind and hospitable, and during my military career I made -several acquaintances which ripened into friendships that never failed -me during the subsequent years passed in the colony as a civilian. -The French settler, be he either planter, merchant, manufacturer -or shopkeeper, is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen. He -possesses an admirable faith in the rich country he has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_373" id="Page_373">[Pg 373]</a></span> adopted, and a -supreme contempt for his government, which seems to delight in throwing -every possible obstacle in the way of private enterprise, and in ever -increasing the number of functionaries he has to pay for.</p> - -<p>In April, 1894, General Pernot practically reached the age-limit of -his rank, and returned to France, his place being taken by General -Coronnat. At the time he took over the command he was the youngest -Brigadier-General in the French army, having, thanks to the services -he had rendered to the Republic, and to his wide knowledge of his -profession, attained that rank when most officers in France's forces -esteem themselves happy if they are in command of a regiment. This -distinguished soldier was by birth a Basque, the son of a modest -cooper, who plied his trade in a small and picturesque village -situated at the foot of the rugged and majestic Pyrenees; but he was -in demeanour, speech and conduct, one of the truest gentlemen it -has been my lot to encounter. Tall, and somewhat sparse, fair, with -blue piercing eyes, a straight thin nose, a small light-coloured -moustache, and a very strong chin. When<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_374" id="Page_374">[Pg 374]</a></span> listening he was reserved, -attentive and courteous; when speaking his voice was wonderfully soft -for a military man, and as clear as a bell. On first acquaintance he -appeared to affect a certain aloofness; but this was only apparent, -and was due, most probably, to the erectness of his bearing, and to -his habit of speaking but little, and of fixing his eyes on the person -who was addressing him, so that, unless they were acquainted with -this particularity, he would stare them out of countenance. Having -gained a hard-earned scholarship, the General obtained his grade of -sub-lieutenant by passing through the military school of St Cyr, -instead of being obliged, like many of small means, to work his way up -from the ranks.</p> - -<p>The work of pacification went on steadily, but it was destined that I -should remain at my post on the Brigade, and take no active part in the -different expeditions sent against the pirates and rebels in 1894-95. -In October, 1894, I lost my friend Lipthay. He died in the military -hospital at Hanoï, worn out with fever and debility acquired during our -campaigns in Yen-Thé. I was by him almost to the end,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_375" id="Page_375">[Pg 375]</a></span> and he passed -away calm and courageous, like the noble, true-hearted gentleman he -had always proved himself to be. He had been promoted to the rank of -sergeant, and had been made a Knight of the Dragon of Annam shortly -before his death.</p> - -<p>On the 27th February, 1895, I was liberated, having completed a period -of five years under the French flag. The experience I had gained was -invaluable, and I felt no regret for the step I had taken in enlisting. -Nevertheless it was with an emotion akin to delight that I hailed -my return to the liberties of civilian life. It should, however, be -mentioned that I experienced a certain regret at severing my connection -with the French army and the Legion.</p> - -<p>While serving in that corps I had learned that there were good and -brave men outside my own country, and that courage, obedience, -self-abnegation and national pride are not the monopoly of any one race.</p> - -<p>By living side by side with them, fighting, and ofttimes suffering, in -the same cause, I had been taught to like and respect the foreigners. -The French, Italian, German, Austrian, or any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_376" id="Page_376">[Pg 376]</a></span> other European soldier -is very much like our own. He has his virtues and his vices; and the -stronger his race and national character, the more likely is he to -possess a superabundance of the latter.</p> - -<p>British interests in Siam and Southern China render the development -of the French colonies in the Far East a matter of importance to -us. The majority of the foreign products imported into Yunan, <i>via</i> -the West River route, or through Tonquin, are of British origin. -Our treaty arrangements with France and the good feeling at present -existing between the two nations should make it no difficult matter -for Frenchmen and Englishmen to agree in the settlement of questions -arising out of their trade relations with Kwang-si, Kwang-tung and -Yunan.</p> - -<p>The recent concessions made by Siam to France have increased the -responsibilities of the latter, and it remains for France and Great -Britain to develop the commercial resources of Siam and South China.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus12.jpg" alt="map"/> -<a id="illus12" name="illus12"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> - - -CARTE<br /> -DES<br /> -POSTES <span class="smcap">DU</span> TONKIN<br /> -<br /> -d'après une Carte du Service topographique<br /> -de l'état major des troupes de l'Indo-Chine<br /> -<br /> -ECHELLE -</p> - -<p>By the aid of the railway system, agriculture and manufacturing -industries are being fostered in the French colonies of the East, and -a great<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_377" id="Page_377">[Pg 377]</a></span> future undoubtedly exists for them; but before real success -can be obtained Indo-China must be provided with functionaries who are -not only able administrators, but who have a knowledge of the language -and customs of the country. They must be workers with a single aim for -the success of the colonies under their administration, and not merely -politicians whose personal ambitions colour their perceptions. Then the -colonies, wherein I spent the years of which I have written, will have -a future of constantly-increasing prosperity before them.</p> - - -<p class="center">THE END</p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">INDEX</p> - -<p> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Administration errors, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>-107</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— changes, <a href="#Page_192">192</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Algeria, arrival in, <a href="#Page_21">21</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ambuscades that failed, <a href="#Page_138">138</a>-155, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>-311</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Annamese language, difficulties of, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>-160</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Arzew sanatorium, <a href="#Page_57">57</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Attack on a village, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>-187</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bac-Ninh, arrival at, <a href="#Page_332">332</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bamboo, native uses of, <a href="#Page_132">132</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bands of the regiment, <a href="#Page_50">50</a>-51</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bo-Ha, arrival at, <a href="#Page_261">261</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brigade staff, work on the, <a href="#Page_337">337</a>-338, <a href="#Page_342">342</a>-345</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">British interests in Siam and South China, <a href="#Page_376">376</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Campaign, start and end of, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>-284, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>-301</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Caves at Cho-Thuong, <a href="#Page_277">277</a>-278</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chaplain of the transport, <a href="#Page_65">65</a>-66</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chinese allies, De-Tam's, <a href="#Page_273">273</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cho-Trang's unhealthy fort, <a href="#Page_223">223</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Commerce in the colony, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>-197</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Coronnat, General, <a href="#Page_373">373</a>-374</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Delta provinces, scenery of, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>-89, <a href="#Page_91">91</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— native population, <a href="#Page_89">89</a>-91</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">De-Nam, rebel leader, career of, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>-102</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— death of, <a href="#Page_265">265</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">De-Nam's body disinterred, <a href="#Page_299">299</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Deserters, rebel, <a href="#Page_297">297</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Deserter's statement, rebel, <a href="#Page_314">314</a>-315</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">De-Tam wounded, <a href="#Page_221">221</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">De-Tam's force routed, <a href="#Page_298">298</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— last stand, <a href="#Page_303">303</a>-305</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Discipline in the Legion, <a href="#Page_29">29</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Discouraging interview, a, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>-11</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ditties, military, <a href="#Page_41">41</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Doy-Tho, native sergeant, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>-165</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Drilling recruits, methods of, <a href="#Page_27">27</a>-28</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Education, military, <a href="#Page_37">37</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Enlisting, reason for, <a href="#Page_2">2</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Execution of prisoners, <a href="#Page_198">198</a>-203</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Feet, care of the, <a href="#Page_41">41</a>-42</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ferry's downfall, Jules, <a href="#Page_81">81</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fever, epidemics of, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>-233</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fight with De-Nam's troops, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>-219</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fighting, watching the, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>-294</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Food in French army, <a href="#Page_20">20</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fortifications, rebel, <a href="#Page_298">298</a>-299</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">French area in the East, <a href="#Page_69">69</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Funeral of <i>tirailleur</i>, <a href="#Page_220">220</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Godin's expedition, General, <a href="#Page_103">103</a>-105</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Haïphong, growth of, <a href="#Page_85">85</a>-87</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hamlet defences, <a href="#Page_123">123</a>-124</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hanoï, transferred to, <a href="#Page_361">361</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— history of, <a href="#Page_363">363</a>-370</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Heat discomforts, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>-157, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>-170</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hospitals, in the, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>-253</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hou-Thué, engagements at, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>-112</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Indo-China, French influence in, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>-78</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Indo-China's future, <a href="#Page_377">377</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Infanterie de Marine</i>, the, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>-256</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Inspection of corps, <a href="#Page_43">43</a>-49</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Jokes, practical, <a href="#Page_37">37</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Jungle scenery, <a href="#Page_225">225</a>-228</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lanessan's good work, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>-195</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Legion, farewell to the, <a href="#Page_375">375</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— history of the, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>-17</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Legionaries, types of, <a href="#Page_15">15</a>-16, <a href="#Page_30">30</a>-32, <a href="#Page_34">34</a>-36</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Linh-Nghi, career of, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>-190, <a href="#Page_203">203</a>-209</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lipthay, the Hungarian, <a href="#Page_173">173</a>-174</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lipthay's story, <a href="#Page_265">265</a>-271</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lipthay, death of, <a href="#Page_374">374</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Luu-Ky causes trouble, <a href="#Page_345">345</a>-346</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Man-hunting, <a href="#Page_315">315</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Marseilles barracks, <a href="#Page_17">17</a>-19</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Military changes, <a href="#Page_357">357</a>-358</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Ministère de la Guerre</i>, the, <a href="#Page_1">1</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Native spies, work of, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>-137</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— troops, <a href="#Page_133">133</a>-134</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Nha-Nam, arrival at, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Night attack, the first, <a href="#Page_125">125</a>-132</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— marching, difficulties of, <a href="#Page_275">275</a>-277, <a href="#Page_309">309</a>-310</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Officers act as doctors, <a href="#Page_233">233</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Officer's blunder, an, <a href="#Page_297">297</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Opium-smoking, effects of, <a href="#Page_321">321</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— methods of, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>-168</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Oran, arrival at, <a href="#Page_61">61</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Panthers, attack by, <a href="#Page_231">231</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pernot, General, <a href="#Page_359">359</a>-360</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Phulang-Thuong, arrival at, <a href="#Page_92">92</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Plessier, Captain, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>-115, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>, <a href="#Page_305">305</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Promoted, <a href="#Page_323">323</a>, <a href="#Page_329">329</a>, <a href="#Page_356">356</a>, <a href="#Page_371">371</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Reconnoitring, methods of, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>-122, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>-213</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Records of the Brigade, <a href="#Page_356">356</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Recreations in camp, <a href="#Page_158">158</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Recruiting station, the, <a href="#Page_3">3</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Recruits, types of, <a href="#Page_4">4</a>-6</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Red-tapeism, government, <a href="#Page_157">157</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Regimental march, <a href="#Page_50">50</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rifles used by troops, <a href="#Page_38">38</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Saigon, arrival at, <a href="#Page_67">67</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Sampan</i>, voyage in a, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>-261</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sapper corporal's bravery, <a href="#Page_54">54</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sidi-bel-Abbes, life at, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>-28</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Signals, rebel code of, <a href="#Page_279">279</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Snow in Africa, <a href="#Page_26">26</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Storm in the paddy fields, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>-178</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Superstition, native, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>-97</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Surrender of chiefs, <a href="#Page_301">301</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tent routine, <a href="#Page_25">25</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Theatricals, amateur, <a href="#Page_59">59</a>, <a href="#Page_325">325</a>-327, <a href="#Page_354">354</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tigers in the streets, <a href="#Page_211">211</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tonquin, arrival at, <a href="#Page_67">67</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— history of, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>-75</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— political situation in, <a href="#Page_78">78</a>-82, <a href="#Page_346">346</a>-352</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— disasters in, <a href="#Page_80">80</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— brigandage in, <a href="#Page_82">82</a>-84</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Topography, military, <a href="#Page_174">174</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tragedy in the jungle, <a href="#Page_315">315</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Training, system of, <a href="#Page_39">39</a>-41</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Transport life, <a href="#Page_63">63</a>-65</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Volunteers for the East, <a href="#Page_60">60</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Voyron, General, <a href="#Page_339">339</a>-342</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Watrin, Captain, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>-308, <a href="#Page_352">352</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Yen-Thé, region of the, <a href="#Page_95">95</a>-96</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">—— anarchy in the, <a href="#Page_105">105</a>-106</span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Zones, military, <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -</p> - - -<p>PRINTED AT THE EDINBURGH PRESS, 9 AND 11 YOUNG STREET.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's A Soldier of the Legion, by George Manington - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SOLDIER OF THE LEGION *** - -***** This file should be named 53902-h.htm or 53902-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/9/0/53902/ - -Produced by Brian Coe, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print 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