We translate from Lo Saigonnais of the 27th January, the following account of fighting in the neighbourhood of Son! The account is said to have been written by an officer who took part in the operations.
On the 10th December. in the evening, the troops lying in the citadel at Hanoi, composed of the marching regiment from Africa and two batteries of artillery, reosived the order to march for Soutai at six o'clock on the following morning. This strong column of about 2,000 men was Inced under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel din, "The Infantry of Marine, formin, three battalions of marine fusiliers, with their artillery, embarked during the night on the vessels of the flotilla, Colonel Bichot had command of this column. The native contingents were distributed between the two colum The movement wa de in the following order, "During the day the flotilla disembarked on the other side of the Day, and the column under the command of on the right bank of the Red Riv The column under Behn, after a march of about 20 kilometres (" Kilometre is eq to 1,003 yards), arrived nent the enemy's intrenchments at Phues, about the same hour as the other column had disembarked, Both columns quietly passed the night, and on the following day (12th), Beliws rohing column crossed the joined Bichot's troops at Li about 2 o'clock in the afte troops again encamped for th Decem During the morning, the fivtilla bombarded without cessation the works at Phusa and the entrenchments erected on the banks of the river both in front and in the rear of Phusa, Che troops then advanced, and Belin's column met the enemy for the first time at the village of Thienyuan, which was taken by the advance guard composed of ite tirailleure.
foreign batt the head of column and the third battalion of At about 4 p.m, the columns reached the works at. Phusa, which were attacked vigo-tously in front by the Annamite tirailleurs and the foreign battalion, and on the flank by the battalion of lurees and some Annamite tiraillours, An attempted adv of the enemy against the loft was repul by the foreign battalion and the Turcos, led by Belin's artillery.
At five o'clock the light began to fail, and the Admiral ordered a general assault.
Che third Turcos advanced against the fort on the right, and the Annamite tirail-Jours on the front, where the country was inundated. At a quarter to 6, the intrencements captured. The operations were difficult, for the embankment was defended at nearly every step by bamboo defences and feot-traps. From behind this temporary defence the enemy fired on our troops, killing and wounding numbers of them, During the night the Black Fiags advanced and threatened an attack, but they were kept off, and their fire ceased about five o'clock in the morning.
December 16th, 'The troops rested in their positions, and were not molested by the enemy,' who retired to the shelter of the outer defences of the town, In the night, however, they burnt the village extending from Plusa to the encsinte, December 16th.
AtT o'clock in the morning the attack upon Phu-ubi was commenced. By 2 o'clock the troops had worked up to within two hundred metres of Ni enceinte; they were nided by the artillery. Shortly after, Admiral ordered the battalion of marine fusiliers to make an assault. This order was heard by two companies of the forei battalion, who threw themsel¥ of the marines, dashed The two captains of M. M. Conto and Ber-wounded at the h town, killing the Chin ened' to the citadel. who fled fright-the night passed mall hours of the morning a patrol advanced close to the Western gate, and saw tht the place was evacuated. Phe Chinese had fled by the South gate under cover of the night, abandoning their horses, their treasure, their provisions, and considerable quantities of munitions of war.
'The two days' fighting cost us 70 killed, of whom 4 were officers; and 20 officers wounded and 262 rank and file. The native auxiliaries had from 3) to 40 put hors de combat.—China Mail.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.